With the 2017 NFL Draft set to begin Thursday night, fans and experts alike are wondering where players will land. Below is a final Pittsburgh Steelers mock draft.
Final Pittsburgh Steelers Mock Draft
Round 1, Pick 30: Marlon Humphrey CB, Alabama
Back-up Plan: Chidobe Awuzie CB, Colorado
With so much depth at the cornerback position in this year’s draft, it’s likely that a top-talent defensive back, like Marlon Humphrey, could end up falling to the 30th pick and right into the Pittsburgh Steelers lap. The Steelers need a lock-down cornerback as well as a slot corner and Humphrey would be an excellent choice. He could even challenge Artie Burns for the number one cornerback position if the Steelers are able to draft him.
If Humphrey happens to get taken before the Steelers select at 30, Chidobe Awuzie is a solid back-up choice. Awuzie excels at the slot cornerback position and has great reaction time and closing speed. He’ll need to improve some as a tackler, but could step in and play right away on the Steelers defense.
Round 2, Pick 62: Derek Rivers EDGE, Youngstown State
Back-up Plan: Carl Lawson EDGE, Auburn
Along with a cornerback, the Steelers other top need in this year’s draft is an edge rusher. James Harrison is nearing the end of his career, and the Steelers need to start considering replacing him on the starting defense. Along with replacing him in the future, Pittsburgh needs to find a player to split time with Harrison right now. Harrison is much more effective with limited snaps because he can put his full effort into every play he’s on the field, instead of pacing himself, which makes him a much more disruptive pass-rusher.
The Steelers have shown a lot of interest in Derek Rivers. Joey Porter talked to him a lot at his Pro Day and many believe that he’s the best fit for the Steelers because of his combination of size and speed. If Rivers is already taken though, Carl Lawson may still be available and would also be a great fit for the Steelers defense.
Round 3, Pick 94: Brad Kaaya QB, Miami (FL)
Back-up Plan: Jake Butt TE, Michigan
The Steelers need to start looking for a quarterback to replace Ben Roethlisberger whenever he decides to retire. If other NFL teams go quarterback crazy in the first two rounds, expect the Steelers to draft a quarterback with their first third-round pick. Landry Jones has shown to be a decently dependable backup, but he’s clearly not the franchise quarterback of the future. The Steelers have shown a good bit of interest in Brad Kaaya and Kaaya have time to develop behind Roethlisberger, assuming Roethlisberger doesn’t retire after this season.
If a good tight end is available here, the Steelers may decide to wait to draft a quarterback. What the Steelers decide to do depends heavily on what the other 31 NFL teams decide to do. Basically, if a lot of tight ends have been drafted at this point, expect the Steelers to take a quarterback. On the other hand, if a lot of quarterbacks have been selected by this point, then the Steelers may decide to wait to take a quarterback and decide to go with a tight end here.
Round 3, Pick 105: Adam Shaheen TE, Ashland
Back-up Plan: Carroll Phillips EDGE, Illinois
If Adam Shaheen is still available, the Steelers would love his size. At 6-foot-6 and 278 pounds, Shaheen is a monster of a tight end. He would surely be a solid red-zone target for Roethlisberger, something the talented signal caller has been looking for ever since Heath Miller retired.
If there aren’t any tight ends remaining that are worthy of a third-round pick in the Steelers opinion, then look for them to take Carroll Phillips. The Steelers have shown a lot of interest in Phillips, and with his long arms and exceptional run-stopping ability, he could potentially play at inside or outside linebacker. Don’t be surprised if the Steelers take Phillips in the third round regardless of who they’ve already selected.
Round 4, Pick 135: Ben Gedeon LB, Michigan
Back-up Plan: Vince Biegel EDGE, Wisconsin
With the departure of Lawrence Timmons the Steelers need depth at inside linebacker and Ben Gedeon has shown to be a great run-stopper that flies to the ball on every play. He’s a natural leader and has a very high football I.Q.
If the Steelers have only selected one edge rusher to this point, it’s likely that they’ll decide to pick another one here. Vince Biegel has been somewhat overlooked by college teammate T.J. Watt in the lead up to the draft, so he could easily fall to the fourth or fifth round. It’s unlikely that Biegel will still be around in the fifth round when the Steelers pick though, so if they decide that they want to take him, this would likely be the time to do it.
Round 5, Pick 173: James Conner RB, Pittsburgh
Back-up Plan: Jerod Evans QB, Virginia Tech
Le’Veon Bell needs a dependable back-up. DeAngelo Williams still hasn’t been re-signed, but the Steelers went out and signed former Kansas City Chiefs running back, Knile Davis. Davis was likely signed for depth more than anything else, so the Steelers still need to find a solid second option behind Bell. James Conner would be a wonderful choice because of his well-rounded ability, and of course the fact that he went to school at the University of Pittsburgh. Conner has also been working out with Roethlisberger leading up to the draft, which shows the chemistry between the two is already building.
If Kaaya or another quarterback isn’t taken by the Steelers earlier, then it would make sense for them to take Jerod Evans here. Evans could very well already be gone by this point, as his draft value fluctuates anywhere from being a third-round talent to maybe not even being drafted. If Evans is gone and the Steelers haven’t yet taken a quarterback to this point, then they might not even draft a quarterback at all.
Round 6, Pick 213: Lorenzo Jerome S, St. Francis (PA)
Back-up Plan: Elijah McGuire RB, Louisiana-Lafayette
The Steelers need depth at the safety position and Lorenzo Jerome is another local player from St. Francis. Jerome can develop in the Steelers secondary behind safeties Mike Mitchell and Sean Davis and contribute on special teams in the meantime.
Elijah McGuire is a home-run hitter with exceptional speed and quickness. He’s got great hands and could even line up as a wide receiver. McGuire would be a nice change of pace to Bell, mixing Bell’s power and patience with McGuire’s speed and explosiveness.
Round 7, Pick 258: Keionta Davis EDGE, Chattanooga
Back-up Plan: Hardy Nickerson LB, Illinois
At this point in the draft, teams are just filling their needs and looking for players who could potentially make the roster. Depending on what the Steelers do earlier in the draft, expect them to address a defensive need here. Pittsburgh will likely have already taken an inside linebacker, so Keionta Davis would be a solid edge rusher who could develop and could be a consistent special teams player.
If the Steelers haven’t taken an inside linebacker yet, Hardy Nickerson would be a solid pick in the seventh round. It’s unlikely that the Steelers still haven’t selected an inside linebacker to this point, but even if they have, they still might take Nickerson to play on special teams because of his tackling ability.
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