Pittsburgh Steelers Mock Draft: A Round-by-Round Guide

I know you're wondering what direction the Pittsburgh Steelers are going in the draft, otherwise you wouldn't be reading this article. 

The Steelers have a lot of cracks to fill—I would not quite call them holes—and the NFL Draft is always their preferred way of replenishing talent. Will they go for offensive line help? Will they look for Casey Hampton's heir apparent? What if James Farrior is the next cap casualty? 

Click along for an in-depth look at where the team will go on April 26th. 

1st Round, 24th Overall

Dont'a Hightower is generally regarded as the second-best prospect at inside linebacker, behind Boston College's tackling machine, Luke Kuechly. Neither Kuechly nor Hightower did anything to help or hinder their stock at the Combine, so their respective statuses should remain the same.

Inside linebacker is not one of the glamour positions you see flying off the board in the first round. Kuechly will probably be snatched up in the 12-18 range, meaning Hightower could easily be there for the taking at No. 24. 

The Steelers would get a great value pick, as well as drafting for need. James Farrior may be the next cap hit, and even if he comes back, he's a major weakness in the passing game. Hightower's size (6'2" 265 lbs) is only overshadowed by the fact that he ran a 40 in the 4.6-range at the combine. Needless to say, Hightower's athleticism would be a welcome boost to an aging defense.   

Hightower anchored the defense that dominated LSU in the National Championship game and led by example, registering a sack in that contest. A physical freak accustomed to winning? Sounds like a Pittsburgh Steeler to me. 

2nd Round, Mike Martin, DT, Michigan

The Pittsburgh Steelers have spent two of the last three drafts rebuilding the defensive line. With ends Ziggy Hood and Cam Heyward set to take over, the next step is to find an heir apparent for Casey Hampton. 

Initially, I had the Steelers taking Dontari Poe with their first-round pick. The growing legend of Poe's Combine workout all but guarantees he will not be there when the Steelers select. So, on to the second round. 

Quietly, Mike Martin displayed the best blend of speed and strength for the defensive tackles, with the exception of Poe. Martin put up 36 reps on the bench (second-highest to Poe) and ran a 4.84 40 (faster than Poe). In spite of Martin's impressive performance, there are still a number of prospects slated to go ahead of him.

Devon Still, Jerel Worthy and Fletcher Cox are all projected to go toward the end of the first round. With Poe and Brockers penciled in as first-round locks, it is unlikely five DTs will go in the first, and those late first-round guys will slide to early second-round guys, meaning there will be a good chance Martin will be there for the Steelers. 

Martin has the size and athleticism to man the nose tackle spot for Pittsburgh. Plus, as a senior coming from the Big Ten, he already has the mentality that the game is won and lost by stopping the run. 

If Martin is gone, look for a guy like Clemson's Brandon Thompson (similar size and workout results, though admittedly slower) to be snatched up here.  

Kevin Zeitler

The Pittsburgh Steelers need help on the offensive line, and Wisconsin's Kevin Zeitler will be eager to lend a hand.

Zeitler is 6'4," 315 lbs, and scored solid numbers in the bench and agility drills. He is part of an offensive line that paved the way for Montee Ball to rush for nearly 2,000 yards and 33 touchdowns. This road-grader would project as a back-up to begin the season, but down the line could be a great asset in the Steelers' run game.  

Lucas Nix

The Pittsburgh Steelers' offensive line was crippled by injuries all across the line, from right tackle to left tackle. So why not draft a guy that can play guard and tackle? 

Nix started his Pittsburgh career as a tackle, then was moved inside to guard. In an interview with the Steelers, Nix described the value of his versatility: "A lot of people think I'm just a guard. I believe I can be proficient at both. I'm very comfortable on the edge as well as the inside." He certainly has the size (6'5," 317 lbs) for it. 

A blue-collar guy willing to switch up positions for the good of the team? I'm sold. Nix could be very valuable if injuries continue to take their toll.  

Vontaze Burfict

There was a brief time when I thought of Vontaze Burfict as a potential Pittsburgh Steelers' first-round pick. Check out this video and you could see why. 

Now that he imploded at the combine, I almost feel more comfortable with the Steelers' drafting him. A 6'3", 250-pound man with anger-management issues is not necessarily a bad thing to have at linebacker. There was always the risk that he would self-destruct, and now if he does, it is a wasted fifth-round pick, much less valuable than a first-day pick.

I love Burfict as a low-risk, high-reward prospect. A combustible temper and subpar 40 time? What do you think landed James Harrison in the pile of undrafted rookies? Bring Burfict in and let Harrison mentor him on how to use that anger on the football field.

LeGarrette Blount was black-listed from the draft just two years ago, and he has turned out to be a pretty good player.  

Ron Brooks

Of the second-tier prospects, Ron Brooks has the best tangibles in the draft. Brooks is 5'10", 190 lbs, and ran a 4.35 40. I'll take a prospect like that in the sixth round any day. 

Besides, he comes from LSU, where his teammates were Morris Claiborne and Tyrann Mathieu, both soon-to-be first-round picks. Brooks could be a very good player himself, just overshadowed by two of the best in the country playing the same position on the same team. 

While his teammates racked up the accolades, Brooks contributed with two interceptions and three-and-a-half sacks. Not bad for a projected sixth-rounder. 

Chad Diehl

There has been a lot of talk in recent years about Bruce Arians dropping the fullback from the Pittsburgh Steelers' game plan.

Well, Arians is gone now, so maybe the fullback comes back. With a Steelers' fullback in play, there is one phrase to consider: Go big or go home. At 6'2," 257 lbs, Diehl is the biggest prospect on the board.

Diehl had one rush and zero catches last season for Clemson. That means he is already prepared to be nothing but an extra lineman, which is always a plus in Pittsburgh. 

Alexander is a featured columnist for bleacherreport.com You can follow Alexander on twitter @thesportsdude7 or become a fan on his bleacher report profile.