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Steelers Land Perfect JuJu Smith-Schuster Replacement in Mel Kiper's Latest Mock Draft

By Larry Rupp

The Pittsburgh Steelers land a perfect Juju Smith-Schuster replacement in Mel Kiper's latest NFL mock draft.
The Pittsburgh Steelers land a perfect Juju Smith-Schuster replacement in Mel Kiper's latest NFL mock draft. / Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports
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The Pittsburgh Steelers head into the 2022 NFL Draft in need of dynamic weapons to surround new quarterback Mitchell Trubisky. Their fan base will be glad to hear that Mel Kiper has the team finding the perfect replacement for wide receiver Juju Smith-Schuster in his latest NFL mock draft.

Steelers Mock Draft

Kiper projects Pittsburgh to nab Alabama's John Metchie with the second round (No. 52 overall). The 21-year-old is used to playing in big games and shined against SEC competition, which would allow hit to fit in well with tough-minded head coach Mike Tomlin. It helps that his talent is undeniable, too.

Metchie capped off an impressive college career by racking up 1,142 yards and 8 touchdowns with the Crimson Tide in 2021. He hauled in a whopping 96 receptions in 13 games played. More importantly, Metchie was never shy to run shorter routes in order to rack up yards after the catch.

Diontae Johnson and Chase Claypool are touted as great route-runners and excel at finding the soft spots in the middle of the defense. Adding Metchie to act as a security blanket would give offensive coordinator Matt Canada a new and exciting wrinkle to work with.

The only concern in regards to Metchie's potential as a pro is the fact that he is coming off a torn ACL in early December. Alabama head coach Nick Saban believes Metchie will still be ready for the start of the season, though. Whether he will be able to work out in the summer is yet to be determined.

The Steelers are a team to keep an eye on when the 2022 NFL Draft kicks off on Thursday, April 28.

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Larry Rupp is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Larry Rupp also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username phillyfan424. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel. 

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