Steelers land Ben Roethlisberger’s replacement in new ESPN mock draft

The Steelers take a quarterback in this new mock draft.

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Thanks to a surprisingly active free-agent period the Pittsburgh Steelers have filled practically all of their biggest needs on both sides of the football. Adding a tight end, defensive tackle and offensive guard in free agency means the Steelers should be able to get a little creative with their second-round pick.

NFL draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. put out a new two-round mock draft on Tuesday and for the Steelers he has them looking to the future in the second round with former Oklahoma quarterback Jalen Hurts as the pick.

Here’s what Kiper said about the choice to the Steelers.

I was asked last week about the possibility of Hurts going in the first round, and I said that he’s likely going on Day 2. Well, Hurts is a hot name right now, and I don’t think he gets out of the second round. Coaches and scouts love Hurts’ intangibles, and he improved his accuracy in his season under Lincoln Riley. He fits in Pittsburgh, where neither Mason Rudolph nor Devlin Hodges showed much filling in for Ben Roethlisberger, 38, last season.

Here is Kiper further defending the idea of Hurts going in the second round, his fit with the Steelers and Hurt’s overall skill set.

Hurts makes a ton of sense to the Steelers. He might not have the ceiling of a guy like Lamar Jackson but his athleticism is absolutely comparable. And if he can show the level of growth as a passer in the NFL he showed once he transferred to Oklahoma, he has a shot to be an excellent NFL starter and could be the longterm replacement to Ben Roethlisberger.

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