Dodonev'S MOCK DRAFT
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NJA 2025 - 24

  • Dodonev DRAFTING FOR THE
    Steelers
Draft Selections
Jayden Higgins Head Shot
PICK: 40 RND: 2 (PIT)
Jayden Higgins
WR Iowa State
Will Howard Head Shot
PICK: 69 RND: 3 (PIT)
Will Howard
QB Ohio State
Quinshon Judkins Head Shot
PICK: 71 RND: 3 (PIT)
Quinshon Judkins
RB Ohio State
Maxwell Hairston Head Shot
PICK: 87 RND: 3 (PIT)
Maxwell Hairston
CB Kentucky
Jordan Phillips Head Shot
PICK: 112 RND: 4 (PIT)
Jordan Phillips
DT Maryland
Jeffrey Bassa Head Shot
PICK: 128 RND: 4 (PIT)
Jeffrey Bassa
LB Oregon
Jaylen Reed Head Shot
PICK: 185 RND: 6 (PIT)
Jaylen Reed
S Penn State
Luke Lachey Head Shot
PICK: 229 RND: 7 (PIT)
Luke Lachey
TE Iowa
Draft Picks Received
Jayden Higgins Head Shot
PICK: 40 RND: 2 (NO)
Jayden Higgins
WR Iowa State
Will Howard Head Shot
PICK: 69 RND: 3 (NE)
Will Howard
QB Ohio State
Quinshon Judkins Head Shot
PICK: 71 RND: 3 (NO)
Quinshon Judkins
RB Ohio State
Maxwell Hairston Head Shot
PICK: 87 RND: 3 (GB)
Maxwell Hairston
CB Kentucky
Jordan Phillips Head Shot
PICK: 112 RND: 4 (NO)
Jordan Phillips
DT Maryland
Jeffrey Bassa Head Shot
PICK: 128 RND: 4 (WSH)
Jeffrey Bassa
LB Oregon
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 3 (NE)
NEXT YEAR (2026)
 
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 3 (NO)
NEXT YEAR (2026)
 
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 6 (WSH)
NEXT YEAR (2026)
 
Draft Picks Traded
Tyler Booker Head Shot
PICK: 21 RND: 1 (NO)
Tyler Booker
OG Alabama
Darien Porter Head Shot
PICK: 83 RND: 3 (GB)
Darien Porter
CB Iowa State
Anthony Belton Head Shot
PICK: 123 RND: 4 (WSH)
Anthony Belton
OT NC State
Jonas Sanker Head Shot
PICK: 156 RND: 5 (NO)
Jonas Sanker
S Virginia
Players Gained
Head Shot
Rasheed Walker
OT
Players traded away
Head Shot
George Pickens
WR
Draft Grade — Steelers
Overall D+
ValueC+ NeedB+ TradesF FutureB
The Steelers bled value on every deal, hence the D+.

Call it a hunch or call it a gamble, but the Steelers spent pick No. 69 on Will Howard, a name most had 32 spots down the list.

The trade table is where this weekend went wrong. If this class has a fault line, it runs straight through edge rusher. However the rest shakes out, Hairston at that price is a win they earned.

Add it up and it is a weekend the front office will hope everyone forgets, edge rusher very much included.

Pick Analysis
Pick40 Rnd2 Jayden Higgins
A premium they did not need to pay, Jayden Higgins a notch or two before his time. The roster fit checks out.
Pick69 Rnd3 Will Howard
Will Howard at Round 3, Pick 5 is the kind of overdraft that needs everything to break right. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Pick71 Rnd3 Quinshon Judkins
Quinshon Judkins in the Round 3 slot lands just on the right side of the ledger. A need, and now a little less of one.
Pick87 Rnd3 Maxwell Hairston
Steal is underselling it; Maxwell Hairston at pick No. 87 is a heist with the alarm still ringing. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Pick112 Rnd4 Jordan Phillips
Nothing to complain about; Jordan Phillips went a shade earlier than his grade, which is fine. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Pick128 Rnd4 Jeffrey Bassa
A tidy little value on Jeffrey Bassa in the 128th pick, a step better than break-even. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Pick185 Rnd6 Jaylen Reed
They paid sticker price for Jaylen Reed in Round 6, Pick 9, and that is fine. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Pick229 Rnd7 Luke Lachey
Luke Lachey slipping to the 229th pick is the kind of luck good rooms make for themselves. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.