New mock draft has the Steelers landing the biggest steal of the draft in Round 3
A new mock draft from The Athletic has the Pittsburgh Steelers landing one of the biggest steals of the draft
The latest mock draft from The Athletic has the Pittsburgh Steelers landing one of the biggest steals in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Pittsburgh could use another wide receiver — though it's not a top priority — so there's a decent chance they target one in the middle rounds of the draft.
The Athletic has a perfect scenario playing out for the Steelers. They have a first-round talent falling to the Steelers in the third round.
Nick Baumgardner, an NFL writer for The Athletic, has Pittsburgh selecting LSU wide receiver Kayshon Boutte with the No. 81 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
If the Steelers draft Boutte in the third round, it will be the second straight season that the franchise lands a first-round talent at wide receiver outside of the first round (Pittsburgh selected George Pickens with the No. 52 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft).
Boutte, a former five-star recruit who was rated as the No. 2 wide receiver in the 2022 recruiting class, has Ja'Marr Chase-level talent.
The Louisiana native showed as a true freshman in 2020 that he can completely take over a game by catching 14 passes for 308 yards and three touchdowns against Ole Miss.
The problem for Boutte has been consistency. He's had games where he's completely disappeared. In some games, he just simply doesn't show up.
But when Boutte is on, he's one of the best players in the nation.
I can see why teams won't want to gamble on Boutte in the first round — they'll pass in favor of more consistent performers.
But if Boutte is there in the third round (he shouldn't be), then the Steelers would be fools to not take him. If Boutte can find consistency — it's mostly a mindset thing with him — then he can be a perennial Pro Bowler.
In the third round, that's definitely a gamble worth taking by the Steelers.
