The Complete Pittsburgh Steelers Draft Primer
The 2015 NFL draft kicks off Thursday night, with teams making their Round 1 selections. The event continues through Sunday, with all 32 teams trying to find the right mix of young players to keep them competitive for years to come.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have eight picks in the draft this year, one in every round plus an additional compensatory selection in Round 6. With a number of glaring needs, most of them on the defensive side of the ball, this year's draft is a crucial one for the Steelers.
Here is all you need to know about the Steelers' upcoming draft, including where they pick in each round and the players and positions that could intrigue them the most.
The Picks
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The Steelers have eight picks in the 2015 NFL draft. Here's how they break down, round by round:
| Round | Pick | Overall |
| 1 | 22 | 22 |
| 2 | 24 | 56 |
| 3 | 23 | 87 |
| 4 | 22 | 121 |
| 5 | 24 | 160 |
| 6 | 23 | 199 |
| 6 | 36 (Compensatory) | 212 |
| 7 | 22 | 239 |
Predraft Visits and Workouts
2 of 5According to SB Nation's predraft visit and workout tracker, the Pittsburgh Steelers have met with the following prospects:
Workouts
- WR DeVante Parker, Louisville
- TE Jesse James, Penn State
- LB Neiron Ball, Florida
Visits
- TE Cameron Clear, Texas A&M
- LB Shane Ray, Missouri
- LB Kyle Emanuel, North Dakota State
- DL Randy Gregory, Nebraska
- QB/WR Devin Gardner, Michigan
- CB Darryl Roberts, Marshall
- RB Matt Jones, Florida
- OLB Eli Harold, Virginia
- CB Senquez Golson, Mississippi
- TE C.J. Uzomah, Auburn
- DE Nate Orchard, Utah
- WR Sammie Coates, Auburn
- WR Breshad Perriman, Central Florida
- CB Marcus Peters, Washington
- CB Alex Carter, Stanford
- LB Max Valles, Virginia
- CB Doran Grant, Ohio State
- QB Tyler Murphy, Boston College
- OL Quinton Spain, West Virginia
- WR Jaelen Strong, Arizona State
- TE Kennard Backman, Alabama-Birmingham
- DT Xavier Cooper, Washington State
- TE Jeff Heuerman, Ohio State
- TE Wes Saxton, South Alabama
- CB Bryce Callahan, Rice
- CB Stephen Nelson, Oregon State
- S Landon Collins, Alabama
- DE Preston Smith, Mississippi State
- CB Dexter McDonald, Kansas
- LB Davis Tull, Chattanooga
What stands out immediately about the Steelers' predraft visits and workouts is how defensive-heavy the list is. Nineteen players on the defensive side of the ball met with the Steelers as part of the predraft process. The team also hosted a number of tight ends, a clear indication that Pittsburgh would like to address the position this year if given the chance.
Two names that stand out are Nebraska's Randy Gregory and Missouri's Shane Ray. Both are promising edge-rushers and would meet a Steelers need. But the two men have serious red flags: Gregory has admitted to heavy marijuana use in college (which led to a subsequent failed drug test at the scouting combine), while Ray was cited on Monday for possession of marijuana.
As the Steelers are already dealing with a three-game suspension handed down to running back Le'Veon Bell stemming from a marijuana-related DUI in 2014, the Steelers may be less inclined to take either Ray or Gregory—especially in Round 1—if they have concerns either will be a suspension risk once he reaches the NFL.
But it is clear the Steelers are seeking out pass-rush help. If Ray and Gregory are deemed too risky, Virginia's Eli Harold may be a major target early, as could Utah's Nate Orchard or Chattanooga's Davis Tull in a middle or later round.
The Steelers also played host to a number of cornerbacks this year, which makes sense given how thin they are at the position and how heavily they are being linked to the position by mock drafters, including in Round 1. Of the players on this list, Washington's Marcus Peters stands out the most as one of their Round 1 targets who paid the Steelers a predraft visit.
Tight ends also featured heavily in the Steelers predraft information-gathering. Given the players they hosted, such as Penn State's Jesse James, Ohio State's Jeff Heuerman and South Alabama's Wes Saxton, it seems to be a position they will be saving for Round 3 at the earliest.
Of note are the wide receivers the Steelers have met with, particularly because they have spent time with some of the draft's top prospects at the position, such as Louisville's DeVante Parker, Auburn's Sammie Coates and Arizona State's Jaelen Strong. It seems to indicate that the Steelers are open to using a Round 2, or even their Round 1 pick, on the position. If they make a move for a wideout in an earlier round, that could hint at current Steelers receiver Markus Wheaton leaving in free agency next year.
Predraft visits don't necessarily equate to that player being on the team's big board. But we do have an idea of the players and positions the Steelers wanted to take a closer look at prior to making their final decisions.
Biggest Draft Needs
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Pittsburgh's biggest areas of need in the draft this year, by far, fall on the defensive side of the ball. It's not just the retirements of safety Troy Polamalu and cornerback Ike Taylor, although those certainly have an effect. It's mainly that the Steelers are particularly thin at key positions and will need to address as many as they can with their eight draft picks.
On defense, safety, cornerback and edge-rusher are the biggest needs, with a defensive end also a later-round priority. It makes sense to assume that the Steelers will be addressing one of these positions as early as Round 1, but they aren't beholden to it. The Steelers, more than other teams, subscribe to a best-player-available mentality in the draft and plan to stick to that philosophy this year.
General manager Kevin Colbert said in his predraft press conference, via ESPN.com's Scott Brown, "If we pass up a great [player] to fill a position of need, it will be a mistake and it will bite us. Somewhere, somehow we'll regret that move. "
So, while it may seem like Wake Forest cornerback Kevin Johnson or Alabama safety Landon Collins would be the best player to fit one of the Steelers' biggest needs, if they don't view either player as the best available, the team won't draft him.
That being said, it seems likely that the Steelers come away from the 2015 draft with at least one cornerback, safety and edge-rusher on board. It's just a matter of when. Colbert said that the outside linebacker group this year is an "exceptional group with a lot of impact guys," which means the Steelers could wait until Round 2 or 3 to bring on a pass-rusher, especially if another position or player is on their mind earlier.
The Steelers also need to consider taking a tight end this year, and given how many they met with as part of the predraft process, the position is on their mind. This is something that can be left for Rounds 4 or 5, but not too much later, as the class isn't strong at the position, and the Steelers need to start thinking about a future without Heath Miller.
Another position that the Steelers could look to add to via the draft is wide receiver. They met with a number of receivers in the weeks preceding the draft and may let Markus Wheaton walk in free agency next year. They also don't have a dedicated slot receiver on the roster right now; though Wheaton could handle those snaps, a young wideout seems to be in the cards at some point for the Steelers in this draft.
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Daily Game Plan
4 of 5Day 1: Round 1
As per usual, the Steelers will go with the best player available in Round 1, trusting only their draft board and nothing else. For their sake, though, they better have a cornerback, safety or outside linebacker atop that board when they make their pick at No. 22.
If not, it may not prove to be a problem, as long as whoever the Steelers take can make a significant on-field impact as a rookie. Players drafted in Round 1 should make their respective teams better as quickly as possible—or at least, that's the ideal outcome.
In a perfect world, the Steelers can snag a pass-rusher like Virginia's Eli Harold, a cornerback such as Washington's Marcus Peters or Wake Forest's Kevin Johnson, or Alabama safety Landon Collins in the first round. But don't rule out any position or player for the Steelers, given the way they approach the draft as a whole and Round 1 in particular.
Day 2: Rounds 2 and 3
On Friday, the Steelers need get serious about their myriad defensive needs. It would not be surprising if their two Day 2 picks were dedicated to that side of the ball, even if they take a defensive player in Round 1.
The cornerback class is deep, but it is top-heavy. The safety class is quite shallow, but the Steelers may not have a choice but to find one they like in either Round 2 or Round 3. And given how beholden Kevin Colbert and Mike Tomlin are with the outside linebacking class, they may be interested in adding another pass-rusher in Round 3 even if they took one in Round 1.
Day 2 could also see the Steelers take an offensive skill position player, such as a receiver like Arizona State's Jaelen Strong or a tight end like Ohio State's Jeff Heuerman. But the Steelers don't seem likely to go offense in both rounds, unless a talented player turns their head with each pick. The Steelers cannot make it through the first two days of the draft without adding a player who can play a significant number of defensive snaps in 2015.
One player to keep an eye on for the Steelers, particularly in Round 2, is Washington's Shaq Thompson. Some teams view him as an outside linebacker in the NFL, while others see him as a safety. That positional versatility could interest the Steelers, especially considering their needs.
Day 3: Rounds 4, 5, 6 and 7
Day 3 should see the Steelers finding steals at the outside linebacker position. Arkansas' Trey Flowers, Tennessee-Chattanooga's Davis Tull, and, in either Round 5 or 6, Norfolk State's Lyndon Trail could all be in play for the team.
The Steelers could also save the safety position for Round 4 or 5. There are some values to be had, and if the Steelers feel comfortable with Shamarko Thomas' development or with the possibility of Will Allen being a stopgap starter, the safety taken here won't necessarily have to play much in his rookie season. Players with potential here include Louisville's James Sample, Central Florida's Clayton Geathers and Samford's Jaquiski Tartt.
The later rounds generally produce players who invariably become essential to the Steelers (like wide receiver Antonio Brown, taken in the sixth round in 2010) or disappear without a trace (such as 2013 fifth-round pick, defensive back Terry Hawthorne). The Steelers, of course, will like more of the former and fewer of the latter.
But a good start would be to find players, both on offense and defense, who can also contribute on special teams as rookies. A change-of-pace running back who can also return kicks or punts would be a nice addition, as would a developmental safety who can work on the coverage team, much as Thomas has in the past two years.
If the Steelers feel a need to double up on cornerback this year, taking one in Rounds 1 through 3 and then another in Round 5 or 6 would make sense for them. The key on Day 3 is to find players who can eventually contribute while hoping to hit on one who ends up outplaying his draft pedigree. Pittsburgh, with the exception of Round 5, has been good at finding quality players on the draft's third day in recent years. Someone they select on Saturday will end up being a training-camp standout come August.
5-Year Round 1 Draft History
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Looking back on the Steelers' draft history over the last five years is not a magical crystal ball that will reveal their intentions in Round 1 of the 2015 draft. But it can provide a snapshot of where the Steelers stand in terms of the younger players on their roster and how those players have panned out. It also could lend insight to the potential success rate of the Steelers' Round 1 selection this year.
| Year | Pick | Position | Player |
| 2014 | 15 | ILB | Ryan Shazier |
| 2013 | 17 | OLB | Jarvis Jones |
| 2012 | 24 | G | David DeCastro |
| 2011 | 31 | DE | Cam Heyward |
| 2010 | 18 | C | Maurkice Pouncey |
The jury is still out on 2014 first-round draft pick Ryan Shazier, and that's mainly because his rookie-year sample size is so small. Shazier appeared in only nine games in 2014 after suffering a knee injury in Week 3 and a high ankle sprain later in the year. He started his first three games but was part of an inside linebacker rotation with Sean Spence and Vince Williams to close out the year, totaling 36 combined tackles and one passes defensed on the season.
The same can be said for the Steelers' Round 1 pick in 2013, outside linebacker Jarvis Jones. He totaled 40 combined tackles, one sack and four passes defensed in his rookie season but had only 18 combined tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble in 2014 as he missed nine games with an ankle injury. This year could be a make-or-break one for Jones, given that he will be competing with veteran James Harrison for a starting job—and, potentially, a rookie.
The Steelers' 2012 selection of offensive guard David DeCastro is one of their best Round 1 picks in the past five years. DeCastro missed all but the final three games of his rookie year after suffering a knee injury in the preseason. But he bounced back in 2013 and 2014, becoming Pro Football Focus' 14th-ranked and then 18th-ranked guard over the last two years. He will remain a fixture on the line for the long haul.
As is typical for a rookie Steelers defender, defensive end Cam Heyward was a slow starter. Though he appeared in all 32 games over his first two seasons, he did not become a full-time starter until 2013. The Steelers' patience with Heyward has been rewarded, though; he was Pro Football Focus' sixth-ranked 3-4 defensive end for 2014, when he totaled 53 combined tackles, 7.5 sacks, 10 quarterback hits and 36 hurries.
Rounding out the last five years of Steelers' Round 1 picks is center Maurkice Pouncey, taken by the team in 2010. Pouncey was an immediate starter and earned team Rookie of the Year honors as well as a Pro Bowl bid. In fact, he has been voted to the Pro Bowl four times in five years, with the only exception being 2013, a season cut short in Week 1 by a torn ACL and MCL that landed him on injured reserve.
In a five-year period where the Steelers have rotated offensive linemen due to poor performance and injury, Pouncey (aside from 2013) has been a stable presence that they have managed to build a much better line around.
Though the Steelers typically do not draft to need in Round 1, in both 2013 and 2014 it can be argued that they did the best they could to mesh need with talent. We have yet to find out how that plays out, given both players' limited on-field experience and recent injuries.
From 2010 through 2012, though, the Steelers did follow their best-player-available philosophy to a T and came away with three players who have been integral to their success on both sides of the ball. It's hard to exactly say what the Steelers have planned for Round 1 this year, but it appears, from this brief look, that steering a little bit away from need may pay the highest dividends in the long term.
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