Steelers 2020 Mock Draft: Pittsburgh looks for depth without early picks

The Steelers front office expressed the possibility that nose tackle Javon Hargrave could leave the team in free agency. While the fan base would certainly be in an uproar for losing a key player like the “Grave Digger,” drafting his incumbent would ease the worries of Steeler Nation.

Behind Hargrave at the moment is Dan McCullers, a 7th-round behemoth who has managed to stick on the roster despite showing little improvement over his six-year career.

Drafting Naquan Jones in the 6th-round certainly doesn’t indicate a plug-and-play situation. However, Jones would give the Steelers a nose tackle rotation option to groom into an eventual starting role.

Jones possesses the power and quickness to serve as a three-technique but at the size of a nose tackle. If Jones were to develop into the starter in this scenario, the space he’d eat up would aid Devin Bush and Hamsah Nasirildeen room to roam while taking the pressure off veteran ends Cam Heyward and Stephon Tuitt.

Considering the market value of nose tackles being at an all-time low, finding a solid nose tackle with the 181st pick in the draft would be a real bargain for the Steelers.