Pittsburgh Steelers: 7-Round 2019 mock draft after Antonio Brown trade

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NORMAN, OK – SEPTEMBER 01: Running back Rodney Anderson #24 of the Oklahoma Sooners takes the field for the first time against the Florida Atlantic Owls at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium on September 1, 2018 in Norman, Oklahoma. The Sooners defeated the Owls 63-14. (Photo by Brett Deering/Getty Images) /

Round 4, Pick 122: Khalen Saunders, DT, Western Illinois

Khalen Saunders is an absolutely fascinating project in the 2019 NFL Draft class. His build undeniably stands out as he comes out of Western Illinois in the FCS as he’s a bowling ball of a man, standing 6-0 at 318 pounds. Moreover, playing against FCS competition, the uber-athletic Saunders looks like a man amongst boys in the trenches sometimes with shocking explosiveness for his frame.

Having said that, the FCS level of competition has left Saunders with some holes in his game, particularly in regards to his refinement. To be successful in the NFL, he’s going to need to work on his hand-placement and his footwork in the trenches. Even still, the Steelers just need a developmental, rotational piece on the interior of their defensive line as of 2019, and no one has a higher upside in the mid rounds than Saunders in that regard.

Round 5, Pick 141 (via Raiders): Rodney Anderson, RB, Oklahoma

One good thing that came from Le’Veon Bell sitting out for the entirety of the 2018 season for the Steelers offense was what they found out regarding James Conner. It’s clear that, though he is certainly a completely different player than Bell is, that he can carry a full-time workload and be successful in the NFL — even if he did get a bit banged up at the end of the season.

Conner getting banged up at the end of the year, though, really speaks to the fact that Pittsburgh needs some more serviceable depth at the position now. With the second pick that they will acquire from the Raiders in that Brown trade, they address that by taking Rodney Anderson. Though Anderson’s injury history leaves some major concerns, his talent when healthy is undeniable. In the fifth round, he’s well worth a big-time flier.

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