Top NFL Draft Prospects Steelers Must Watch During CFB Bowl Season

The Pittsburgh Steelers have had their fair share of struggles in 2022, but the 2023 NFL draft could wind up providing some solace to the Steel City faithful this offseason.

With a 5-7 record, a franchise that is used to calculating playoff scenarios and home-field advantage is left hoping to see the team simply finish strong and looking forward to the next class of rookies who could help return the team to prominence.

There's good news on that front. If the season ended today, the Steelers would be picking 14th overall, per Tankathon, which would put them in range to take multiple prospects who could help them in areas of need.

The college football bowl season can be a nice showcase for some of those talents. While a lot of top prospects will ultimately elect not to play, it's nice to see the ones who want to compete against top competition and show their skills before heading off to the league.

Here are three the Steelers should be watching carefully.

Dan Moore Jr. has performed admirably for a fourth-round pick, but it's time the Steelers make a much more substantial investment in protecting their quarterback's blind spot.

Moore ranks 61st among all tackles graded by PFF this season. He's given up six sacks and committed nine penalties on the season, and the Steelers' run game is such that it's obvious they need upgrades on the offensive line.

Unfortunately, this class of tackles is a little thinner than in previous drafts. Penn State tackle Olu Fashanu decided to go back to the Nittany Lions next season despite a good argument to be the top tackle taken.

Peter Skoronski of Northwestern is another name to keep an eye on, but the 1-11 Wildcats won't be bowling.

That leaves Ohio State's Paris Johnson Jr. as the best offensive line prospect to watch. The former right guard kicked out to left tackle this season and showed he can be elite at the position in Columbus.

He has given up just one sack this season, and now he draws a Georgia front that continues to be one of the best in college football.

While Steelers fans are checking out Ohio State's left tackle, they can also check in on the matchup between Georgia's Kelee Ringo and the talented Ohio State receiving corps.

Much like Johnson, Ringo will be one of the few players of his caliber at the position actually playing in a bowl game leading up to the draft. Joey Porter Jr.—the top-ranked corner on Bleacher Report's big board and a familiar name for Steelers fans—has already declared he's opting out of the Rose Bowl and preparing for the draft.

Ringo will not be making the same decision as he tries to help Georgia win a second national championship in a row.

The 6'2", 210-pound cornerback was a crucial element of the defense that dominated last season, and he hasn't taken a step back this season. According to PFF, quarterbacks have posted just a 65.8 passer rating when targeting him.

Ringo's physicality and ability to win at the line of scrimmage and the catch point would make him a favorite in Pittsburgh. He's the kind of hard-nosed, physical player that has shined in Pittsburgh defenses.

After watching Levi Wallace and Cam Sutton get bullied by opposing receivers this season, Ringo could be a tone-setter in that cornerback room.

The Pittsburgh Steelers already have a dominant pass-rushing duo lineup for 2023, with T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith coming off the edge. Cameron Heyward is a key ingredient to their success up front too, though.

The 33-year-old has five sacks this season and is consistently a top interior defender.

But he's getting up there in age, and the Steelers are the kind of organization that looks ahead when drafting. It shouldn't be ruled out that Pittsburgh could look to utilize their first pick to find their next Heyward.

Clemson's Bryan Bresee is a strong candidate. The 6'5", 305-pounder has a rare blend of size, speed and burst off the line. He was the No. 1 recruit in the country for the 2020 recruiting cycle.

He hasn't always lived up to that billing, but he's done a lot to improve his stock this season. He generated 21 total pressures while lining up primarily in the B-gap, per PFF.

He has the perfect build to line up all over the defensive front, and the disruptive nature of his game is a perfect match with what the Steelers like to do with their defensive line.

He'll get a chance to showcase his pass-rushing prowess in the Orange Bowl against a high octane Tennessee Volunteers offense that will give him plenty of opportunities to rush.