Reviewing the Pittsburgh Steelers' Needs in 2012 NFL Draft

The NFL Draft is now about one month away and it's time for teams to start scheduling visits with players they have on their radar. With that in mind, let's take a quick look at the Pittsburgh Steelers' biggest areas of need this year to get a better idea of who they may draft come April.

Offensive Line

It's been a few seasons now for the Steelers offense to be playing behind a battered and bruised line, and while the team keeps picking up players to fill holes—Marcus Gilbert last year and Markice Pouncey in 2010, as two examples—they still need more starters and depth.

They have an immediate need at offensive guard this year, and Georgia's Cordy Glenn is the perfect player for Pittsburgh. However, they're not the only team giving Glenn a close look this year and thus may miss out on him by the time their 24th overall pick comes around.

That means the Steelers will be giving a close look to some of the other top offensive guard prospects, with Wisconsin's Kevin Zeitler and Iowa State's Kelechi Osemele being two who would fit well.

The Steelers will likely pick up a few other offensive linemen in later rounds to provide greater depth. Improving the run game while adding better protection for quarterback Ben Roethlisberger are two high-priority areas of improvement this year, so Pittsburgh cannot have too many offensive linemen in camp.

Linebacker

With James Farrior out, the Steelers will want to look for another inside linebacker to not only provide depth, but potentially take over his starting spot. If offensive line isn't the team's first-round direction, linebacker is their likely Plan B.

Luke Kuechly is a good option for the Steelers in the first round. His pursuit-style of tackling will benefit the team in the run game, and though he's not the best pass-rusher, the team has a number of quarterback-crushers on the roster for Kuechly to add a bit of variety—and unpredictability—to the linebacking corps.

Other options include North Carolina's Zach Brown and Texas' Keenan Robinson.

Running Back

The Steelers' starting running back, Rashard Mendenhall, suffered a torn ACL in Week 17 of the 2011 season and could miss the entire 2012 regular season.

While the Steelers have a number of backs still on the roster—Isaac Redman, Jonathan Dwyer, John Clay, Baron Batch—head coach Mike Tomlin said on Tuesday the team would be adding a running back this year, either via free agency or the draft. 

If it's a free agent they're after, the Steelers won't have to look far, with Mewelde Moore an unrestricted free agent. If they choose to go the draft route, they have a number of mid-round options, including Cincinnati's Isaiah Pead or Tennessee's Tauren Poole.  

As part of the changes coming as a result of the recent hiring of Todd Haley as offensive coordinator, the Steelers are contemplating adding a fullback to their repertoire. While hybrid fullback/halfback/tight end David Johnson is currently on their roster, they may pick up a dedicated fullback in this year's draft.

This won't likely be an early-round priority, however. Two names to think about if they go this direction are Chad Diehl from Clemson and Emil Igwenagu from Massachusetts.

Quarterback

All three of the Steelers' backup quarterbacks—Dennis Dixon, Charlie Batch and Byron Leftwich—are unrestricted free agents right now and not all three will be re-signed.

Instead, the Steelers may look to the draft to provide depth at the position, though Tomlin said on Tuesday the team isn't going to develop whoever they pick into an eventual starter.

Tomlin has already dined with Michigan State's Kirk Cousins, but Cousins has starter aspirations and would have to sit on the Steelers' bench before moving on to pastures more friendly to that venture.

Whichever quarterback they select this year will come in a much later round. LSU's Jordan Jefferson or Houston's Case Keenum could be in play, as well as Boise State's Kellen Moore and Northern Illinois' Chandler Harnish.

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