The 2022 NFL Draft is just a couple of weeks out, therefore, draft pundits are going to kick things into high gear over the coming days.

The Athletic‘s Dane Brugler is one of them. He recently released his seven-round mock draft for all 32 NFL teams and all 262 picks. Brugler is one of the most respected and most knowledgeable pundits in the country and his mock drafts always contain the most important aspects/factors when it comes to predicting a team’s future picks.

What does he have in mind for the Pittsburgh Steelers when it comes to his seven-round mock draft? Let’s dive in and find out.

Brugler has Pittsburgh selecting the following players:

• Round 1, Pick No. 20 overall: QB Desmond Ridder, Cincinnati Bearcats
• Round 2, Pick No. 52 overall: CB Roger McCreary, Auburn Tigers
• Round 3, Pick No. 84 overall: OT Nicholas Petit-Frere, Ohio State Buckeyes
• Round 4, Pick No. 138 overall: WR Kevin Austin Jr., Notre Dame Fighting Irish
• Round 6, Pick No. 208 overall: DT Thomas Booker, Stanford Cardinal
• Round 7, Pick No. 225 overall: LB Damone Clark, LSU Tigers
• Round 7, Pick No. 241 overall: S Quentin Lake, UCLA

Best pick: LB Damone Clark

It's practically unheard of to see a seventh-round pick be considered the best pick of a specific team's draft. It's also logical to think that if a seventh-round pick is the best pick of the bunch then that draft must be terrible.

But that's certainly not the case with Clark. He was one of the top linebacker prospects in the draft before the news broke that he needed spinal fusion surgery. Many projected  Clark as a mid-second round pick before the surgery news was revealed. The surgery will cause him to miss his rookie season, which is the catalyst behind the fall, obviously.

The Steelers knock their first three picks out of the park in this mock draft, but they'll get the steal of the draft if they take Clark -who is expected to make a full recovery- in the seventh. Clark is projected by many to be a starter in the NFL and he has the tools to become a Pro Bowler. That formula, along with his seventh-round draft selection, have all the makings of a hidden gem.

Worst pick: None

I don't want to be too picky. This is a great haul for the Steelers and they found four potential starters. You can't really argue with those results.

Final word

It'd be hard to find a Steelers fan upset with this mock draft. The Steelers get their quarterback, fortify the secondary, and find depth for the offensive line. They even add a playmaking receiver.

And, of course, there's the dice roll on Clark, which should pay off at the end of the day. It will just take a little bit of time for the Steelers to get a return on their investment. And the best part is said investment only cost a seventh-rounder.

You can check out Brugler’s full seven-round mock draft, here.

Featured image via Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports