The alternate universe "who woulda thunk they'd be available" after-draft mock

[RuthlessBurgher]

*For the record, I realize I should be saying "would have thought" but I prefer "woulda thunk" here, so neener neener ha ha.*


If we did not trade up for Bush and kept all of our picks, which highly-touted draftnik favorites would we have ultimately been able to take in hindsight?

Note: I'm not choosing any of the players that we actually selected in real life...I'm focusing on players that we did not draft but were surprisingly still available later than we all thought they'd be on the basis of draftnik projections.


1.20 EDGE Montez Sweat, Mississippi (actual draft position: 1.26)

Many draftniks had him projected in the top 10. Who "woulda thunk" he would have been available to us if we stayed put at #20?


2.52 CB Lonnie Johnson, Kentucky (actual draft position: 2.54)

I saw a mock draft or two that had the Steelers taking this guy at 1.20. Alternate picks could have been safeties Nassir Adderley, Taylor Rapp, or Juan Thornhill, who came off the board at 2.60. 2.61. and 2.63, respectively).


3.66 TE Josh Oliver, San Jose State (actual draft position: 3.69)

Among the second tier TE prospects, many posters here preferred Jace Sternberger (3.75) and other posters, including myself, were also intrigued by Kahale Warring (3.86) as well.


3.83 WR Hakeem Butler, Iowa State (actual draft position: 4.103)

Some folks thought he'd go in round 1 and there would be no way whatsoever he'd make it down to our second round pick at #52. Well, he slipped out of the first two days of the draft entire and was the first pick on day three. Alternate options include board favorite Miles Boykin (3.93) and OSU speedster Terry McLaurin (3.76).


4.122 S Deionte Thompson, Alabama (actual draft position: 5.139)

Last year, Alabama safety Ronnie Harrison fell toward the end of round 3 and ended up being a rookie starter. This year, Alabama safety Deionte Thompson lasted until the first pick of round 5. If we opted to go with one of the safeties in round 2 instead of Lonnie Johnson, a CB option here would be Isaiah Johnson (4.129).


5.141 ILB Mack Wilson, Alabama (actual draft position: 5.155)

Early on in the draft process, folks on this board were giving him first round consideration, and even late in the process many assumed he would come off the board early in round 2. Guess he's not necessarily a C.J. Mosley clone if he's lasting to the middle of round 5.


6.175 ILB David Long, West Virginia (actual draft position: 6.188)

Well, we double-dipped at ILB in real like with Bush and Gilbert, so I'll go ahead and double dip at ILB here with Wilson and Long. A board favorite of many, including myself. I pretty much had him in my personal mock drafts in round 4 throughout the pre-draft process, so I was surprised to see him still available in the middle of round 6.


6.192 RB Travis Homer, Miami (actual draft position: 6.204)

I liked him because he added value as a potential 3rd down back due to his ability to pass protect and catch passes out of the backfield, plus his willingness to be a punt gunner on special teams as well. Other posters might have preferred OSU's Mike Weber (7.218) instead.


6.207 OG Beau Benzschawel, Wisconsin (actual draft position: UDFA)
7.219 DT Albert Huggins, Clemson (actual draft position: UDFA)

I'll close out by using a couple of guys I've often had in the later portion of my personal mock drafts (but were ultimately surprisingly undrafted) for our final two picks to address depth on both sides of the line with guys from major college programs with reputations for pumping out quality o-linemen and d-linemen, respectively.


If I posted this as one of my mocks during the pre-draft process, I probably would have been laughed off the board with folks saying how most of those guys will come off the board at least a round or two earlier than I am suggesting.

Goes to show what we know and what we don't know during the pre-draft process, eh?

[hawaiiansteel]

I was very surprised that Zach Gentry fell all the way down to the 5th round to us

[flippy]

I would have liked that draft before the draft. But know I know where these guys were drafted and I don't like it as much. i bet others surprisingly feel the same now.

[SteelerOfDeVille]

1.20 EDGE Montez Sweat, Mississippi (actual draft position: 1.26)

this first pick is the perfect example of why ya never know...
if the team stayed at 1.20, it would've been clear that he would've been the selection. Is it possible that whoever was sitting at 1.26 jumps to 1.19 to leapfrog the steelers and totally blow this whole theory out of the water... (yes, I've watch Butterfly effect too many times)... LMAO

[ikestops85]

this first pick is the perfect example of why ya never know...
if the team stayed at 1.20, it would've been clear that he would've been the selection. Is it possible that whoever was sitting at 1.26 jumps to 1.19 to leapfrog the steelers and totally blow this whole theory out of the water... (yes, I've watch Butterfly effect too many times)... LMAO

I doubt it because the Redskins traded back into the first round to get Sweat.

[Buzz]

*For the record, I realize I should be saying "would have thought" but I prefer "woulda thunk" here, so neener neener ha ha.*


If we did not trade up for Bush and kept all of our picks, which highly-touted draftnik favorites would we have ultimately been able to take in hindsight?

Note: I'm not choosing any of the players that we actually selected in real life...I'm focusing on players that we did not draft but were surprisingly still available later than we all thought they'd be on the basis of draftnik projections.


1.20 EDGE Montez Sweat, Mississippi (actual draft position: 1.26)

Many draftniks had him projected in the top 10. Who "woulda thunk" he would have been available to us if we stayed put at #20?

I had him falling to us at #20 in my final mock.

[steeler_fan_in_t.o.]

Here is a question to ask the FO...would they prefer Sweat at 1.20, Lonnie Johnson at 2.52, still having their third pick next year, and grabbing Mack Wilson as their ILB at 5.151?

What do you guys think?

[hawaiiansteel]

Here is a question to ask the FO...would they prefer Sweat at 1.20, Lonnie Johnson at 2.52, still having their third pick next year, and grabbing Mack Wilson as their ILB at 5.151?

What do you guys think?

to answer that question accurately we would first need to know what the Steelers medical staff's opinion on Sweat's heart condition was.

[RuthlessBurgher]

Hopefully the front office was able to diagnose Devin Bush's heart condition correctly...the heart of a champion!!!

[Flasteel]

Hopefully the front office was able to diagnose Devin Bush's heart condition correctly...the heart of a champion!!!

And at the end of the day, that is the only thing that matters...that the Steelers hit it right.

Obviously, you started this off as nothing more than a fun exercise, but it underscores the fact that we will never really be able to play the "what if" game. SoD had it right with the whole butterfly effect. Unless a player we could have hypothetically drafted becomes so good that the likelihood of that greatness would manifest under nearly every possible condition, then you can't predict with a whole lot of certainty that it would occur in Pittsburgh. Whether it's a matter of system, coaching, talent around them, or even the chance of an injury that would never had occurred had that pebble never been tossed into the pond. Changing that one pick would also likely impact how the Steelers draft the rest of their picks - impacting the potential success (or lack of) this team might have down the road, due to the presence of these players on our roster.

That's why I'm all-in with Bush and not looking back. He's the only reality we will ever know and if he gets the job done, then none of us will care who we could have got instead.

Fun way to exercise our draft prep one last time though Ruthless...thanks!