Pittsburgh Steelers Mock Draft and Big Board: Updated Day 3 Predictions

The opening three rounds of the 2016 NFL draft have seen the Pittsburgh Steelers rich with defensive prospects. The secondary was transformed with the addition of Artie Burns and Sean Davis, while Javon Hargrave added a terrific talent to the middle of the defensive line.

Over the final four rounds, the Steelers have four selections remaining—including two in the seventh round. Even with three defenders already selected, there is room for improvement. However, the Steelers should find room to add depth to the offense as well.

As we enter the final day of the draft, here is an updated look at Pittsburgh’s big board and potential selections for the remainder of the draft.

Top 100 Big Board

Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images

Devontae Booker, RB, Utah

The first three rounds of the draft are over and the Steelers have upgraded their defense. They addressed each of their top needs with the selection of a cornerback, safety and nose tackle. As they move into Day 3, expect the Steelers to strike a balance between offense and defense.

As we enter the final day of the draft, here is a look at the top-100 prospects that the Steelers will target throughout the rest of the 2015 draft.

Pittsburgh Steelers Big Board

Rank	Player	Position	School
1	Devontae Booker	RB	Utah
2	Charles Tapper	EDGE	Oklahoma
3	Pharoh Cooper	WR	South Carolina
4	Kalan Reed	CB	Southern Mississippi
5	Jerald Hawkins	T	LSU
6	Jatavis Brown	LB/S	Akron
7	Connor Cook	QB	Michigan State
8	Cardale Jones	QB	Ohio State
9	Michael Thomas	WR	Southern Mississippi
10	Rashard Higgins	WR	Colorado
11	Zach Sanchez	CB	Oklahoma
12	Jeremy Cash	S	Duke
13	Andrew Billings	DL	Baylor
14	Harlan Miller	CB	SE Louisiana
15	Joshua Perry	EDGE	Ohio State
16	Maurice Canady	CB	Virginia
17	Jalen Mills	CB	LSU
18	Willie Henry	DL	Michigan
19	Miles Killebrew	S	Southern Utah
20	Hassan Ridgeway	DL	Texas
21	Charone Peak	WR	Clemson
22	D.J. White	CB	Clemson
23	Deiondre' Hall	CB	Northern Iowa
24	Tavon Young	CB	Temple
25	DeAndre Houston-Carson	S	William & Mary
26	Kyle Murphy	T	Stanford
27	Jayron Kearse	S	Clemson
28	Daniel Braverman	WR	Western Michigan
29	Jonathan Jones	CB	Auburn
30	D.J. Reader	DL	Clemson
31	Paul Perkins	RB	UCLA
32	Ricardo Louis	WR	Auburn
33	Christian Westerman	G	Arizona State
34	Willie Beavers	T	Western Michigan
35	Dak Prescott	QB	Mississippi State
36	Sheldon Day	DL	Notre Dame
37	Kenneth Dixon	RB	Louisiana Tech
38	Jordan Howard	RB	Indiana
39	Kenny Lawler	WR	California
40	Rashard Robinson	CB	LSU
41	Caleb Benenoch	T	UCLA
42	Eric Murray	CB	Minnesota
43	Alex Collins	RB	Arkansas
44	Joe Haeg	T	North Dakota State
45	B.J. Goodson	LB	Clemson
46	Kentrell Brothers	LB	Missouri
47	James Cower	EDGE	Southern Utah
48	Joe Dahl	G	Washington State
49	Dominique Alexander	LB	Oklahoma
50	Malcolm Mitchell	WR	Georgia
51	Jhurell Pressley	RB	New Mexico
52	Brandon Allen	QB	Arkansas
53	Demarcus Robinson	WR	Florida
54	Tyvis Powell	S	Ohio State
55	Cory James	LB	Colorado State
56	Darrell Greene	G	San Diego State
57	Landon Turner	G	North Carolina
58	Jack Allen	C	Michigan State
59	Kelvin Taylor	RB	Florida
60	Cayleb Jones	WR	Arizona
61	Jake McGee	TE	Florida
62	Aaron Burbridge	WR	Michigan State
63	Sebastian Tretola	G	Arkansas
64	Scooby Wright	LB	Arizona
65	Ben Braunecker	TE	Harvard
66	James Cowser	EDGE	Southern Utah
67	Josh Ferguson	RB	Illinois
68	Stephen Weatherly	EDGE	Vanderbilt
69	Jay Lee	WR	Baylor
70	Brandon Shell	T	South Carolina
71	Jared Norris	LB	Utah
72	Dadi Nicolas	EDGE	Virginia
73	Dean Lowry	DL	Northwestern
74	Deon Bush	S	Miami
75	Jerell Adams	TE	South Carolina
76	Tyler Ervin	RB	San Jose State
77	Ryan Smith	CB	North Carolina Central
78	Elandon Roberts	LB	Housto
79	Quinton Jefferson	DL	Maryland
80	Dominick Jackson	G	Alabama
81	Bryce Williams	TE	East Carolina
82	Henry Krieger	TE	Iowa
83	Vadal Alexander	G	LSU
84	Matthew Ioannidis	DL	Temple
85	Kevin Hogan	QB	Stanford
86	David Onyemata	DL	Manitoba (Canada)
87	Jake Coker	QB	Alabama
88	Ronald Blair	DL	Appalachian State
89	Anthony Zettel	DL	Penn State
90	Alex McCalister	EDGE	Florida
91	Aziz Shittu	DL	Stanford
92	Nate Sudfeld	QB	Indiana
93	Terrance Smith	LB	Florida State
94	Curt Maggitt	LB	Tennessee
95	Ken Crawley	CB	Colorado
96	Jeff Driskel	QB	Louisiana Tech
97	DeAndre Elliott	CB	Colorado State
98	Trae Elston	S	Mississippi
99	Vernon Adams	QB	Oregon
100	Drew Kaser	P	Texas A&M

Round 4

Darron Cummings/Associated Press

Round 4, Pick 123: Pharoh Cooper, WR South Carolina

The Steelers have selected a wide receiver in the third or fourth round in five of the last seven drafts. Four of the five players developed into starters and the fifth—second-year receiver Sammie Coates—has a chance to start as early as this year.

Given their track record of success, they should continue this trend in 2016. Pharoh Cooper doesn’t have elite size or speed, but he got the job done while at South Carolina despite being the focus of opposing defenses.

Over his final two years at South Carolina, Cooper caught 135 passes for 2,244 yards and 17 touchdowns. He added another 311 yards and three touchdowns on the ground. In addition to his play on offense, he also contributed on special teams as a returner.

Cooper’s versatility and ability when he is in the open field is one reason why NFL teams will be intrigued, according to Dane Brugler and Rob Rang of CBS Sports:

"

Cooper is an electric athlete in the open field with light feet and creative moves to easily redirect his momentum without slowing down. And those change of direction skills allow him to separate in his routes with the speed and vision to eliminate pursuit angles. Cooper lacks ideal size and strength, but can impact the game in several ways on offense and special teams, which boosts his NFL value.

"

Although Cooper isn’t spectacular in any individual area, he is a steady presence in the offense and a player offensive coordinator Todd Haley can use in a variety of ways this year and in the future.

Round 6

Mike Carlson/Getty Images

Round 6, Pick 220: David Onyemata

The Steelers search far and wide for NFL draft prospects, including Canada where they can find defensive lineman David Onyemata of Manitoba.

Already with an NFL frame at 6’4” and 300 pounds, Onyemata has the ideal size to play defensive end in Pittsburgh’s 3-4 scheme. He is an explosive athlete who had 7.5 tackles for a loss and five sacks last season. However, he has limited experience and will need plenty of work under defensive line coach John Mitchell.

With enough time and patience, Onyemata does have plenty of upside to eventually develop into a starter, according to Lance Zierlein of NFL.com:

"

Intriguing, ascending prospect who garnered the attention of several NFL teams at his pro day in Winnipeg, Canada, and Onyemata did not disappoint. His combination of pure power and explosion could have teams considering him as early as the second day, but he still needs more coaching and experience before he ever plays at that level. Onyemata has the potential to become an eventual NFL starter on the interior.

"

A player selected in the sixth round with starting potential is a great pick. The Steelers just need him as a backup, but the sooner they can get him on the field the better.

Round 7

Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports

Elandon Roberts, LB, Houston

Round 7, Pick 229: Elandon Roberts, LB, Houston

The Steelers were hit hard in free agency with the loss of inside linebackers Sean Spence and Terence Garvin. Given that Lawrence Timmons and Vince Williams are both set to become unrestricted free agents after this season, it is imperative that general manager Kevin Colbert finds depth at inside linebacker.

Elandon Roberts is an ideal selection at this stage of the draft. He is one of the hardest working members of his team and one of the most productive. He finished his senior season with 142 tackles, 19 tackles for a loss, six sacks, one interception and two forced fumbles.

Despite his production at college, his lack of size and athleticism will keep him out of the lineup. He will need time to adjust to the professional game. When he does, he should become a quality backup and spot starter.

Round 7, Pick 246: Caleb Benenoch, OL, UCLA

After watching two starting linemen go down with season-ending injuries last season, the Steelers should invest at least one pick on the offensive line.

Caleb Benenoch is more of a finesse lineman who depends on his quick feet and not his brute force. This means he will need a year or two in an NFL weight room to get stronger, especially if he wants to shift inside to play guard.

If drafted, the offensive coaching staff should move Benenoch around the lineup to find his best fit. The Steelers have seen enough linemen go down to injury over the years and need to prepare for the worst.

Note: Unless otherwise noted, all stats are courtesy of Sports-Reference.com, all combine results are courtesy of the NFL.com Draft Tracker and all roster information is courtesy of Steelers.com.