Steelers Land Top Position Need In ESPN’s 2025 NFL Mock Draft

The college football season is set to start this weekend, which means it’s the start for Steelers fans to get an idea of who might be available for them.

Of course, Pittsburgh is focused on success this season. However, Field Yates this week got started on a 2025 NFL mock draft and projected the Steelers to net the No. 13 pick based on ESPN’s Football Power Index. The analyst had Mike Tomlin’s side selecting Arizona Wildcats wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan with the selection.

“As evidenced by the Steelers’ pursuit of Brandon Aiyuk, wide receiver is a position to further bolster in Pittsburgh,” Yates wrote. “And while the team’s track record with non-Round 1 wideouts is solid, McMillan is far too good to pass on. He has rare 6-5 size and power, and the way he snares everything within arm’s reach jumps out on tape. McMillan is a good route runner, he’s strong after the catch and he has the physicality to post up defenders to win on contested catches. McMillan — who had 90 catches for 1,402 yards and 10 scores last season — could boost the Steelers’ offense opposite George Pickens.”

There still is hope the Steelers can get an Aiyuk deal done with the San Francisco 49ers, but it’s certainly not a bad idea to add more talent to the receiver corps. Russell Wilson and Justin Fields are battling it out for the starting quarterback job this season, but it’s still up in the air regarding who is the future starter for the franchise.

Again, it’s way too early to start thinking about the 2025 NFL Draft, but it is an interesting exercise to view team needs before the start of the 2024 season.