Pittsburgh Steelers: Analyzing Latest NFL Draft Rumors and Reports

It's the week of the 2015 NFL draft, which means the rumor mill will be churning 24 hours a day until the event wraps on Saturday. It's simply the nature of the time of the year.

The Pittsburgh Steelers are a tight-lipped organization when it comes to the draft, but that doesn't mean that rumors aren't circling just as they are with the league's other 31 teams. Here are the latest rumors and reports circulating about what the Steelers may end up doing in the draft.

Steelers Interested in a Top WR Prospect?

The Pittsburgh Steelers have one of the most promising receiving corps in the NFL, with the league's top receiver in Antonio Brown, a second-year player in Martavis Bryant who caught eight touchdowns on 26 receptions as a rookie and a player just about to hit his stride in Markus Wheaton.

But that doesn't mean the Steelers are satisfied with how their roster currently looks at the position. It's possible that in a draft class that is quite deep at receiver, the Steelers will take one of the better prospects, even as early as Round 2.

The Steelers have met with three high-profile receivers during the predraft period, according to ESPN's Scott Brown, with the most recent being Arizona State's Jaelen Strong. Strong, who has a broken bone in his wrist, was medically cleared by the Steelers' doctors during the visit, a sign they could be comfortable taking him at some point in the draft.

They also met with UCF's Breshad Perriman and Auburn's Sammie Coates, according to Brown. As Brown noted, "Bryant, Antonio Brown and Markus Wheaton give the Steelers one of the better wide receiver trios in the NFL. But the team does not have much proven depth behind those three, and veteran Darrius Heyward-Bey is primarily a special-teams player."

Therefore, the Steelers could be in the receiver market, and based on who they have hosted thus far, they could even take one of the draft's better prospects earlier than expected.

Could It Be Difficult for Steelers to Find an OLB?

Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette wrote on Saturday that, "Somewhere, the Steelers will draft an outside linebacker." He added this warning: "These days, the good ones go fast."

Bouchette noted that the rise of the 3-4 defense—ran now by 14 teams by his and Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert's estimations—has caused the outside linebacker position to be a Round 1 priority for the Steelers and many other teams around the league.

As former Steelers head coach Bill Cowher explained: "The value of [outside linebackers] has gone up because more teams are taking them. Guys in our day, you'd get in the second or third round. Today, you better take him in the first because he won’t be there."

That doesn't mean the Steelers, who need help at outside linebacker, will be shut out of the position when they pick 22nd overall in Round 1. However, it does mean that the Steelers must act quickly if they want to get a high-impact pass-rusher for 2015. 

Bouchette says that the Steelers' best options at the position may be Kentucky's Bud Dupree or Nebraska's Randy Gregory. He adds that Virginia's Eli Harold could also be a Round 1 option, while Utah's Nate Orchard could be considered in Rounds 2 or 3.

What Are the Odds?

Jim Wexell of Scout.com released his list of players the Steelers could be targeting this year, giving an odds-based prediction of whether each one will be their Round 1 choice.

Long shots include offensive lineman La'el Collins at 20-1 odds and Alabama safety Landon Collins at 15-1. Wexell explains the latter thusly: "He's been the go-to choice of national media who don't seem to realize Shamarko Thomas will get first crack at replacing Troy Polamalu. Also, Collins injured his shoulder late last season and he didn't look like he wanted to tackle anyone."

Wexell also laments the 14-1 odds he's placed on the Steelers drafting pass-rusher Owamagbe Odighizuwa, saying, "This is my guy because of his athleticism, motor, the way he overcame childhood hardship, his work ethic, the way he can turn speed to power and harass quarterbacks, and also his ability to play the edge in both the run and pass-downs schemes. But the Steelers seemingly aren't interested."

Wexell marks cornerback Marcus Peters (6-1), linebacker Shane Ray (5-1) and linebacker Eli Harold (4-1) as the players he believes the Steelers are most likely to select in Round 1.

Mel Kiper Brings Up New Name for Steelers in Round 1 of Latest Mock Draft

Michael Dwyer/Associated Press

A number of defensive prospects have been linked to the Steelers over the past few months, particularly cornerbacks and outside linebackers. In the former category, players such as Michigan State's Trae Waynes, Washington's Marcus Peters and LSU's Jalen Collins have all been featured in a number of mock drafts.

But ESPN's Mel Kiper, in a three-round mock draft with colleague Todd McShay, has a new cornerback headed to Pittsburgh in Round 1: Connecticut's Byron Jones.

Kiper justifies the pick by noting Jones' athleticism and versatility: "We're looking pretty thin in the secondary and I get maybe the most versatile cornerback in the draft, a kid who can help in the slot or at safety early on if needed. And as we all know, he's an absolute stud as an athlete."

Jones set the world record in the broad jump at the NFL Scouting Combine, where he also excelled in every drill. He then went on to run a 4.4-second 40-yard dash at his pro day. In four years at Connecticut, Jones totaled 222 combined tackles, 3.5 tackles for a loss, eight interceptions and 21 passes defended.

Still, NFL.com's Lance Zierlein points out that "Jones' balance and overall athleticism could be a concern in man coverage and his season-ending shoulder injury will need to be examined." While Zierlein thinks that Jones could go in Rounds 1 or 2 this year, he may not be the right fit for the Steelers in Round 1.

Anything Is Possible

Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press

Buried at the end of a position-by-position examination of the 2015 draft class by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Ed Bouchette is a telling quote by Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert, one that indicates it's going to be hard to predict just what the team chooses to do this year, particularly in Round 1:

"You never go into a draft looking for a side of the ball or a particular position. We will evaluate all the positions and see what falls to us at 22, or whether we want to make a decision to trade up or trade down."

Though most of the Steelers' needs this year come on defense, Colbert is clearly not beholden to addressing any of them in Round 1 if the board does not fall that way. For years, the Steelers' primary Round 1 philosophy has been to take the best player available regardless of position and that could remain the case in 2015 despite glaring holes at cornerback, outside linebacker and safety.

When it comes to the Steelers' decisions in this year's draft, expect the unexpected.