The NFL Draft is always unpredictable and under a new head coach, it\u2019s fuzzier than any time in recent memory to guess who the Pittsburgh Steelers will select in the first round. But if history continues predicting the future, it\u2019ll be one of the eight below names.<\/p>\n
Every year since at least 2010, Pittsburgh\u2019s first-round pick has fallen into one of two camps: either the player came in for a pre-draft visit<\/a> or a decision maker, head coach or general manager, attended that prospect\u2019s pro day.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n So let\u2019s assume that holds true even though we know it may not. Under those criteria, there are eight names that fit. Let\u2019s break them down into the two buckets.<\/p>\n Pre-Draft Visit<\/p>\n WR Denzel Boston\/Washington Pro Day Attendance<\/p>\n OT Monroe Freeling\/Georgia Could you stretch it to more? I suppose. Texas Tech ILB Jacob Rodriguez could be argued in the first round. Ditto with Georgia Tech OG Keylan Rutledge and Arizona DB Treydan Stukes. But those feel far less likely to be taken on Day 1, let alone at No. 21.<\/p>\n Mike McCarthy and Omar Khan attended only the Bulldogs\u2019 Pro Day this year, an unusually low number of workouts compared to the past. McCarthy told reporters he planned to attend six but only made it to Georgia. That leaves just two names from that bucket, and Freeling could easily be off the board by the time Pittsburgh picks. He may be on Cleveland\u2019s radar.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n Of the eight, who is most likely? That opinion can and will vary. Receiver and offensive line have been specific areas of focus, but there\u2019s no telling how the board will fall. I\u2019ll have my final mock draft Tuesday with my answer.<\/p>\n If the Steelers\u2019 pick isn\u2019t one of these eight, it\u2019ll break a longstanding tradition. And in future years, open up the field of how the team could take at the top.<\/p>\n
WR Makai Lemon\/USC
OT Spencer Fano\/Utah
OG Vega Ioane\/Penn State
CB Chris Johnson\/CB San Diego State
S Emmanuel McNeil-Warren\/Toledo<\/p>\n
ILB CJ Allen\/Georgia<\/p>\n