Pittsburg, PA
McCorkle: 2024 Pittsburgh Steelers Mock Draft (Version 1.0)
Following the first week of free agency, and with a number of trades having taken place to shuffle around the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 2024 selections, this is my first attempt of the season at an every-round mock draft for the team.
Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. This will probably be the last mock that I do until the days leading up to the draft.
ROUND ONE – 20TH OVERALL: AMARIUS MIMS/OT GEORGIA – 6076, 340 LBS.
Analysis: This may not be the most creative, with many other mocks linking him to the Steelers, but it makes too much sense to pass up. He would add an enormous frame to the offensive line and could play on the right side, allowing Broderick Jones to flip back to the left. The Steelers have two new quarterbacks who are dual threats with their arms and legs, and they figure to lean heavily on the two-headed monster of Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren in 2024. Shore up the offensive line at all costs to protect the new quarterbacks and propel the rushing attack to further success.
Mims may not be a completely polished prospect, having only started eight games, but his tape in those games suggests he could be the next great offensive tackle in the NFL. This, along with my second-round pick below, would give the Steelers a chance at having one of the best offensive lines in the league.
Amarius Mims Scouting Report
ROUND TWO – 51ST OVERALL: ZACH FRAZIER/C WEST VIRGINIA – 6025, 313 LBS.
Analysis: Drafting offensive linemen with the top two picks may feel like overkill, but the Steelers are in dire need of a center. The options in the free agency market have dried up, and that could leave James Daniels or Nate Herbig playing out of position if they don’t find another option. Powers-Johnson is almost certainly going to be gone by this pick, so you turn to the next-best option in Frazier.
He has everything you want in a center: the competitive toughness, play strength, balance, and football IQ to be a successful leader of the unit. His highly successful high school wrestling career gave him a unique understanding of body control and leverage that will serve him well in the NFL. Grab Mims and Frazier, and the Steelers’ offensive line is cooking with gas.
Zach Frazier Scouting Report
ROUND THREE – 84TH OVERALL: MALACHI CORLEY/WR WESTERN KENTUCKY – 5110, 215 LBS.
Analysis: The Steelers traded away Diontae Johnson and released Allen Robinson II, and just like that, the WR position shot to the top of the team’s needs. Thankfully, it is one of the deeper receiver classes in recent memory. They already have the big playmaker who can stretch the field in George Pickens., but they lost their possession receiver who excels at getting open and creating yards after the catch. Enter WKU’s Corley.
He is from a smaller program out of Conference USA, but he has 22 touchdowns and over 2,000 yards in the last two seasons. He excels after the catch with good play strength and short-area quickness and was used around the line of scrimmage a lot as a catch-short, run-long weapon.
Malachi Corley Scouting Report
ROUND THREE – 98TH OVERALL: MAX MELTON/CB RUTGERS – 5111, 187 LBS.
Analysis: This is where the Kenny Pickett trade really comes in handy, moving up 22 spots back up into the third round where a slot corner would be the best use of the team’s resources. Currently they have no logical option to play in the slot other than S DeShon Elliott, but he will be playing strong safety more than anything. Melton would be a great pickup as he could become a great player in the slot and provide a meaningful impact on special teams while he develops.
He had an incredible showing at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine with a 40.5-inch vertical jump, an 11’4″ broad jump, and a 4.39-second 40-yard dash time. He blocked four or five punts in college and was a gunner under head coach Greg Schiano at Rutgers. He played primarily in the slot, so his experience there is exactly what the team needs. He may have tested his way out of range for this pick, but there are so many corners in this draft that he could fall right into the Steelers’ lap.
Max Melton Scouting Report
ROUND FOUR – 119TH OVERALL: MCKINNLEY JACKSON/DL TEXAS A&M – 6014, 326 LBS.
Analysis: It isn’t the greatest draft class for defensive line talent, but the Steelers have a huge depth problem up front on defense, and one or two players will need to be added via the draft. Jackson doesn’t have the length to play all along the line, but he could be a valuable run-stuffer to use on early downs. He played a lot of 0-tech and 3-tech in college and has surprising quickness for his size to provide some juice as a pass rusher. He was also a two-time team captain.
McKinnley Jackson Scouting Report
ROUND SIX – 178TH OVERALL: JAHEIM BELL/TE FLORIDA STATE – 6020, 241 LBS.
Analysis: Bell is listed as a tight end, but he was much more than that at both South Carolina and Florida State. He played a little h-back, tight end, receiver, and even running back. When I asked him at the combine about potentially playing fullback, he said some teams have indeed talked to him about that possibility. He has the right frame for it, and could provide the team with more usage than just being a fullback in certain packages. He is a weapon with the ball in his hands and can make difficult catches in traffic. His blocking improved greatly over his time in college and was actually pretty good in his final season.
He tested very well at the combine, but his size will leave him off some teams’ boards as a tight end. The Steelers figure to utilize the fullback position in Arthur Smith’s offense, and I would bet they were one of the teams that discussed it with him. They had a formal meeting with him at the combine, which is pretty notable given that they barely met with any other Senior Bowl players there.
Jaheim Bell Scouting Report
ROUND SIX – 195TH OVERALL: ERIC WATTS/DL UCONN – 6055, 274 LBS.
Analysis: With the final pick of the Steelers draft, it makes sense to grab a guy with all of the correct measurables to develop into an eventual defensive end. In Alex Kozora’s “what the Steelers look for” study on drafting defensive ends, Watts checks every box other than his weight. He would need to add 15-20 pounds, but he would not be playing in his first year or two anyway. At the combine, he said he had some informal meetings with the Steelers, and he also said that some teams have asked him to put on a little weight if they draft him. He told me that would be no problem to add some weight to his frame. If he can, his testing numbers at the combine are something to marvel at.
Pittsburg, PA
Luke Bryan concert expected to bring thousands of fans to Pittsburgh-area farm
On Sept. 17, multi-platinum country music star Luke Bryan will bring his Farm Tour to 1846 Farms near Latrobe.
Westmoreland County is no stranger to large outdoor concerts. Some may remember the Rolling Rock Town Fair in the early 2000s, while others may recall Luke Bryan’s stop at a farm in South Huntingdon Township just two years ago. Now the country music superstar is returning to the area.
The Unity Township farm’s general manager, Aleisha Stas, gave KDKA a tour of the family farm, which dates back to before the Civil War. She says Bryan’s team first reached out after finding the farm on social media, but she says at first, she and her family thought it was too good to be true.
“This was around April Fools, so we thought it was an April Fools prank,” Stas said. “My whole family, we were like, there’s no way this is about to happen. But this has been incredible.”
Stas says Bryan’s team is handling everything logistically from parking and bathrooms to deciding exactly where the concert will be staged.
“If we have it on this side of the property, we can hold 12,000 people,” Stas said. “And if we have it on (the other side) of the property, it can be up to 20,000. But we have not determined that yet.”
Many of those decisions will be made as September gets closer. In the meantime, however, the farm is holding off on planting in certain fields until the final concert location is selected.
And while hosting thousands of people may sound a little intimidating, Stas says her family is excited to welcome fans to the farm for what they hope will be a memorable night.
“Obviously, we’ve never had this many people here before, so it will be a new thing for all of us, but we are not worried,” said Stas. “Luke Bryan’s team are experts with this, and I think it will go great.”
Tickets for this concert are currently on sale, and they will run you about $77 per person, plus tax for general admission.
Pittsburg, PA
2025 Steelers Offseason Recall: Garrett shutdown as Pittsburgh bullied Browns in Week 6 | Steel City Underground
Steel City Underground presents post-game takeaways in our Steelers Offseason Recall series, revisiting key moments from the 2025 season and how they shaped the year that followed.
AFC North football rarely looks pretty, and the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Week 6 matchup against the Cleveland Browns at Acrisure Stadium followed that familiar formula. What started as a defensive slugfest on a torn-up field eventually turned into another frustrating afternoon for Cleveland as Pittsburgh pulled away for a 23-9 victory.
The win improved the Steelers to 4-1 and extended their remarkable regular season home winning streak against the Browns to 22 games. More importantly, it reinforced an early-season identity centered around disruptive defense, efficient quarterback play, and winning the battle in the trenches.
Looking back, these were the biggest surprises from Pittsburgh’s victory.
Embed from Getty Images
Jalen Ramsey stole the show from Watt and Garrett
Nobody expected Jalen Ramsey to leave Week 6 with more sacks than T.J. Watt and Myles Garrett combined, but that’s exactly what happened.
Ramsey entered the game after missing practice time earlier in the week and proceeded to deliver one of the more unexpected stat lines of the season. The veteran defensive back recorded two sacks and six combined tackles while frequently helping confuse Cleveland’s protection schemes.
Meanwhile, Watt recorded half a sack while Garrett failed to register one entirely.
Ramsey even admitted afterward that the performance surprised him. His production highlighted an emerging trend within Pittsburgh’s defense: pressure was coming from everywhere.
Embed from Getty Images
The Steelers defense overwhelmed Cleveland’s offense
While Ramsey grabbed headlines, the collective defensive effort suffocated Cleveland for most of the afternoon.
The Steelers finished with six sacks as Nick Herbig led the team with two sacks while Ramsey added two of his own. Derrick Harmon, Watt, and Alex Highsmith also got involved as Pittsburgh repeatedly collapsed the pocket around rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel.
Gabriel never looked comfortable. The rookie completed 29 of 59 passes for 221 yards and struggled once Cleveland became one-dimensional after falling behind. He finished with a passer rating of 66.3 while absorbing constant punishment.
Pittsburgh didn’t rely solely on edge pressure either. Defensive backs blitzed, interior rushers collapsed protection, and disguised looks forced Cleveland into mistakes.
Perhaps equally impressive was how the Steelers handled Browns rookie running back Quinshon Judkins. Entering the matchup, Judkins had averaged 4.6 yards per carry and looked like one of Cleveland’s few consistent offensive weapons. Pittsburgh erased that advantage, holding him to a season-low 36 rushing yards on 12 carries while limiting him to 3.0 yards per attempt.
Through five games played after their bye week, the Steelers had already amassed 20 sacks and were rapidly becoming one of football’s most disruptive defenses.
Embed from Getty Images
Myles Garrett disappeared
The Browns needed a game-changing performance from Myles Garrett. Instead, Pittsburgh’s offensive line turned in one of its best performances of the season.
Garrett moved around the formation throughout the game, but he spent much of the afternoon lined up across from Broderick Jones. With occasional help early and more one-on-one opportunities later, Jones and company neutralized Cleveland’s biggest defensive weapon.
Garrett finished with only two combined tackles. He failed to record a solo tackle, sack, forced fumble, quarterback hit, or pass defended.
Keeping Garrett quiet fundamentally changed how Cleveland could attack Rodgers and allowed Pittsburgh’s offense to remain balanced throughout the afternoon.
Embed from Getty Images
Rodgers stayed efficient and upright
Aaron Rodgers didn’t deliver a vintage statistical masterpiece: he simply controlled the game.
The veteran quarterback completed 21 of 30 passes for 235 yards while distributing the football efficiently and trusting Arthur Smith‘s offensive approach. Rodgers leaned heavily on his tight ends early before taking advantage of favorable matchups later in the game.
His biggest moments arrived in the second half. Rodgers connected with Connor Heyward for a touchdown strike before finding D.K. Metcalf for another score that helped create separation on the scoreboard.
Equally important, Rodgers stayed upright. For only the second time that season, Pittsburgh allowed zero sacks. Cleveland hit Rodgers only three times despite him attempting 30 passes.
Compare that with Dillon Gabriel, who absorbed six sacks and 16 total quarterback hits.
The offensive line, aided by extra blocking looks featuring Spencer Anderson, kept Cleveland’s front from controlling the game and allowed Rodgers to operate comfortably. Metcalf benefited from the protection, turning four receptions into 95 yards while the Steelers spread touches across Jonnu Smith, Pat Freiermuth, Roman Wilson, Darnell Washington, and Heyward.
Meanwhile, Jaylen Warren, Kenneth Gainwell, and Kaleb Johnson combined for 89 rushing yards to maintain offensive balance. Pittsburgh averaged 5.8 yards per play and controlled possession despite both teams having the same number of drives.
Embed from Getty Images
The officiating nearly stole the spotlight
Not everything about the victory came without frustration. Ron Torbert’s officiating crew inserted itself into the game repeatedly as Pittsburgh absorbed ten accepted penalties during an afternoon filled with questionable decisions.
Several pass interference rulings frustrated players and fans alike.
Jerry Jeudy appeared to drag Brandin Echols down by both shoulder pads on one play, yet the result went against Pittsburgh. Later, Browns cornerback Denzel Ward appeared to pin D.K. Metcalf’s arm without drawing a flag.
Even Watt found himself repeatedly flagged for alignment penalties despite checking positioning with officials beforehand, leading to visible frustration from Mike Tomlin on the sideline.
The most controversial moment arrived on special teams. Ke’Shawn Williams appeared to spark the crowd with a 47-yard punt return before an illegal blindside block penalty on Jabrill Peppers erased the play. The penalty not only wiped away field position but also backed Pittsburgh up an additional ten yards.
Despite the officiating frustrations, the Steelers remained composed, and by the end of the afternoon, that discipline, paired with suffocating defense and efficient offense, delivered another divisional win and continued building momentum heading into a critical AFC North stretch.
Pittsburg, PA
Pirates Trade Relief Pitcher to Twins
PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates sent out one of their relief pitchers, who they had recently moved on from.
The Pirates announced that they traded right-handed relief pitcher Justin Lawrence to the Minnesota Twins for cash considerations on June 1.
Pittsburgh designated Lawrence for assignment on May 29, as they activated right-handed starting pitcher Jared Jones from the 60-day injured list, making room for Jones on both the 26-man roster and the 40-man roster.
The Twins decided that instead of waiting for Lawrence to go on waivers, they sent cash considerations to the Pirates to get him over another potential ball club.
Overlook at Justin Lawrence’s Tenure With the Pirates
Lawrence struggled for the Pirates this season, posting a 5.32 ERA over 22.0 innings pitched and 23 outings, a 0-2 record, 25 strikeouts to 12 walks, a .244 batting average allowed (BAA) and a 1.55 WHIP.
He had a solid campaign for the Pirates in 2025, aside from missing four months due to injury, with a 0.51 ERA over 17 appearances and 17.2 innings pitched, where he looked to get even better this year.
Lawrence struggled with his sinker and his fastball, with a .282 BAA and a 44.7% hard hit rate on his sinker and a .353 BAA and a 36.4% hard hit rate on his fastball.
His sweeper was also not effective as it was a season prior, as hitters did have 31.3% hard hit rate, but he still had effectiveness with it, amassing 18 of his 25 strikeouts on it.
Lawrence had a poor stretch from April 6-12, where he gave up eight runs and six earned runs over 3.2 innings pitched and four outings.
He pitched in two losses to the San Diego Padres at PNC Park, April 6 and 8, and played a role in the Chicago Cubs forcing the game into extra innings on April 11 at Wrigley Field, which the Pirates won, then gave up the tying run in the 7-6 loss to the Cubs on April 12.
Lawrence bounced back with seven straight scoreless outings, before giving up eight runs and four earned runs over four outings from May 8 to May 16.
His last outing came vs. the Cubs at PNC Park, a 10-4 loss on May 27, where he gave up two runs over two innings on a two-run home run to left fielder Ian Happ.
It ends a little more than a year between Lawrence originally joining the Pirates off of waivers from the Colorado Rockies and serves as a disappointing ending from a promising start for the reliever.
Make sure to visit Pirates OnSI for the latest news, updates, interviews and insight on the Pittsburgh Pirates!
Follow
-
Los Angeles, Ca38 minutes agoL.A. police in pursuit of suspected car thief
-
Detroit, MI56 minutes agoTigers injury updates: Javier Báez shut down from baseball activities
-
San Francisco, CA1 hour agoLive Updates: San Francisco Primary Election 2026
-
Dallas, TX1 hour agoDallas weather: Flash flooding strands vehicles near DFW Airport after heavy rain
-
Miami, FL1 hour agoMiami-Dade condo owners plead for help after weeks-long elevator outrage impacting residents’ health
-
Boston, MA1 hour agoWho Will Form the Boston Bruins’ Future Core?
-
Denver, CO1 hour agoFamily: Injured firefighter improving after deadly wrong‑way crash on I‑25 in Denver
-
Seattle, WA2 hours agoSeattle mayor is violating city law over CCTV cameras ahead of FIFA World Cup, CM says