2012 NFL Draft: 5 Defensive Studs Pittsburgh Steelers Must Draft

When the Pittsburgh Steelers lost their opening game of the 2011 season to the Baltimore Ravens by a score of 35-7, an immediate criticism was that the age of their defense had finally caught up with them.

After 15 games and a playoff berth last season, the Steelers had proven that age was not a problem. But they are aware that it will become a problem sooner or later, and they'll need to be prepared to address it.

One way they can address it is by drafting promising defenders and starting a gradual youth movement. A transition from the days of James Harrison and Troy Polamalu isn't something the Steelers need to do tomorrow, but it is something they'll need to do eventually.

Here are five defensive studs that the Steelers can't afford to miss out on in this year's draft.

Dontari Poe

Dontari Poe will almost certainly be gone before the Steelers get to use their 24th overall pick, but that's only because he's a freakishly good athlete for his size.

Sitting at 346 pounds, Poe ran a sub-5.00 40-yard dash at the combine and is a can't-miss prospect at defensive tackle. The Steelers would need to trade up to get him, but he would extremely valuable to their line.

With Casey Hampton at 34 and nursing an ACL injury, Poe is the perfect replacement and presents an opportunity that the Steelers may not get again any time soon.

Fletcher Cox

If the Steelers decide to not trade up and snag Dontari Poe, they can always sit back and take former Mississippi State defensive tackle Fletcher Cox.

In fact, between Cox, Devon Still, Jerel Worthy and Michael Brockers, the Steelers have plenty of talent at defensive tackle to choose from.

Cox just happens to be the one most in-line with the Steelers' pick.

Cox may be about 50 pounds lighter than Poe, but that also means he's more agile. If Pittsburgh was looking to find the closest player to Casey Hampton they could, Poe would be the guy. But, Cox can plug the same hole without the cost included in moving up in the draft.

Mark Barron

With Ryan Clark and Troy Polamalu, the Steelers are just about set at safety. This is one of those situations, however, where they should consider picking up talent that would be groomed and set to replace their aging stars.

Mark Barron is good enough to step in and play right away, even if he doesn't need to. His late first-round value sets up well for the Steelers' late first-round pick, and he has the tools to provide a seamless transition from old to young.

Dont'a Hightower

After releasing veteran linebacker James Farrior, the Steelers need to find a replacement, and they could get a good one in Dont'a Hightower.

NFL-ready after an outstanding career at Alabama, Hightower is fundamentally sound and uses great instincts to stay in position. Those instincts somewhat make up for a slight lack of speed, as Hightower wouldn't survive as the lone force of any team's linebacking corps.

That makes the Steelers as great a fit for him as he is for the Steelers.

Hightower falls perfectly into Pittsburgh's draft area, as he is projected to go late in the first round or early in the second.

Stephon Gilmore

Cornerbacks Ike Taylor and William Gay were major contributors to the Steelers' top-ranked pass defense, but Taylor is getting up there in age and it could be time for Pittsburgh to start looking for a successor.

South Carolina's Stephon Gilmore is a dynamic athlete that could be ready to step into any teams' starting role if need be.  He's another guy who will be available at the end of the first round, so the Steelers wouldn't have to move any picks to take him.

The big names on the Steelers' defense will eventually need to be replaced, and there is no better medium than the NFL draft to find those replacements. 2012 looks to be an especially robust year defensively, so Pittsburgh should take a look at any of these five guys and do their best to add at least one of them.