Steelers' Mock Draft: Instant Contributors Pittsburgh Can Find in Every Round
The NFL draft is all about finding young players worthy of developing into the starters of tomorrow. However, in an ideal world, all seven rounds would produce players who can make significant on-field contributions in their rookie seasons.
Though that type of luck doesn't strike with frequency, there are ways for the Pittsburgh Steelers to come away with seven rounds' worth of picks who can make an impact during their rookie season. Here is a full, seven-round mock draft that hopes to achieve just that.
Round 1
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Round 1, Pick No. 22: CB Jalen Collins, LSU
Though the Steelers aren't prone to drafting solely for need in Round 1, need and best-player-available could easily overlap with LSU cornerback Jalen Collins. Whether Collins is an immediate replacement for Ike Taylor, a rotational player with Cortez Allen or working as the team's nickel corner in 2015, he'll easily see significant playing time as a rookie.
Collins totaled 90 combined tackles during his collegiate career, along with three tackles for loss, three interceptions and 19 passes defensed. He had 38 tackles, an interception and nine passes defensed in 2014. Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin dined with Collins the night before his pro day. Though that doesn't mean Collins will be drafted by Pittsburgh, it is clear the team has some level of interest in him.
At some point in the 2015 draft, the Steelers will have to address the cornerback position. Though it has been since 2003 that the Steelers have selected a defensive back in the first round, this might be the right year to break that pattern and snag Collins at 22nd overall.
Round 2
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Round 2, Pick No. 24: OLB Randy Gregory, Nebraska
It's not likely that a pass-rushing talent such as Nebraska's Randy Gregory falls all the way to the bottom half of the second round of the draft, but stranger things have happened—Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Justin Houston fell to Round 3 of the 2011 draft for a similar history of smoking marijuana.
Should that be the case this year, then the Steelers would be wise to snag him at such a value. Gregory totaled 120 combined tackles in college, including 25.5 tackles for a loss and 17.5 sacks. He had 54 tackles in 2014, 8.5 tackles for a loss and seven sacks.
The Steelers will be hosting Gregory for a predraft visit, according to Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net (via Scott Brown of ESPN.com), which presents an opportunity to discuss his background and assess whether or not he presents a risk of a future NFL suspension.
It's quite possible his positive scouting combine drug test will depress Gregory's draft stock. Though it's not guaranteed to drop it enough to see him fall to the late second round—in fact, it seems improbable—there is precedent for this happening, and the Steelers could take advantage of it.
Round 3
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Round 3, Pick No. 23: FS Cody Prewitt, Mississippi
Assuming that the Steelers and Troy Polamalu part ways as expected, the Steelers are going to be in the market for at least one new safety to add to the roster. There are some rumblings—stirred up by head coach Mike Tomlin himself—that 2014 free safety Mike Mitchell could be moved to Polamalu's strong safety spot, leaving a vacancy that Shamarko Thomas may not be ready to fill.
However, the Steelers could meet the need at free safety in Round 3 with Mississippi's Cody Prewitt. Prewitt totaled 297 collegiate tackles, 14 tackles for a loss, 1.5 sacks, 12 interceptions and 16 passes defensed. He had 64 tackles, four tackles for a loss, three interceptions and two passes defensed in 2014.
Like Mitchell, Prewitt "[w]ill de-cleat ball-carriers with timing and physicality to jar the ball loose," and has "[o]veraggressive tendencies," according to CBSSports.com's Dane Brugler. However, unlike Mitchell, Prewitt is a "[s]ound tackler with a proper strike zone and technique."
Even if Mitchell does not change position this year, the Steelers lack serviceable depth at the safety position, which makes Prewitt an attractive option in Round 3. He'd be likely to see playing time in his rookie season, and his chances will be even better if he can turn heads on special teams.
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Round 4
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Round 4, Pick No. 22: LB/DL Trey Flowers, Arkansas
Front-seven versatility is something the Steelers should look for in the 2015 draft, and they can get it in the fourth round from Alabama's Trey Flowers.
Flowers is a pass-rusher first and foremost, but he can play multiple positions, from defensive line to interior linebacker to edge-rusher. He has a combined 190 collegiate tackles, including 47.5 for a loss, as well as 18 sacks and 13 passes defensed. He had 68 tackles in 2014, 15.5 tackles for a loss, six sacks and six passes defensed.
Given Flowers' versatility, he could easily earn a spot in the Steelers' front-seven rotation at practically any position. This will get him on the field in his rookie year as well as make him an intriguing special teams contributor.
Round 5
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Round 5, Pick No. 24: TE Jesse James, Penn State
The Steelers are rapidly approaching a time when they will need to think about tight end Heath Miller's successor. Though the 2015 draft class is thin at tight end, there are gems to be had in the later rounds, such as Penn State's Jesse James.
CBSSports.com's Dane Brugler says that, "James is a well-rounded tight end who became a security blanket for the quarterback with his versatility as a slot receiver and in-line tight end. He can effectively play on all three downs with many attributes that will be coveted by NFL evaluators," though he does note that consistency is an issue.
James totaled 78 receptions in his three years at Penn State, for 1,005 yards and 11 touchdowns. He had 38 catches for 396 yards and three scores in 2014. James can both catch the football and serve as a run-blocker in the mold of Miller. Given his skill set, James could get snaps in relief of Miller in 2015 in anticipation of replacing him in 2016.
Round 6
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Round 6, Pick No. 23: S Jermaine Whitehead, Auburn
It's possible that Auburn safety Jermaine Whitehead would be a Day 2 selection in the 2015 draft. However, he had a four-game suspension, reportedly as a result of an altercation with one of his coaches, and then he spent much of the year on special teams. He thus totaled only 36 tackles as a safety in 2014, though he did amass six interceptions.
On his career, however, Whitehead has 218 combined tackles, nine interceptions and 16 passes defensed. He's clearly a talented player. He could easily see the field for the Steelers in 2015, whether as a strong or free safety. The four-game suspension may have hurt Whitehead's draft stock, but that makes him a value for the Steelers in Round 6.
Round 6, Pick No. 36 (Compensatory): WR Antwan Goodley, Baylor
Though the Steelers have a number of players capable of being their de facto slot receiver—Antonio Brown, Markus Wheaton, Le'Veon Bell, Heath Miller—they don't have one player dedicated to the job. Last year, the team brought on free agent Lance Moore to take the job, but Brown, Wheaton, Bell and Miller made him mostly a fixture on the bench and not on the field.
Should the Steelers want to actually have a player pegged to work out of the slot this year, however, they can find him late in the sixth round.
Baylor's Antwan Goodley has the exact skill set the Steelers require: "He is quick off the snap and is a quick-twitch receiver with naturally soft hands. He possesses rare athleticism and knows how to use it to his advantage. With his speed he is not going to get caught from behind and has the toughness to catch the football really well in traffic," according to CBSSports.com's Bo Marchionte.
Goodley has 150 career receptions, for 2,366 yards and 21 touchdowns. He's also carried the ball 18 times for 130 yards. He caught 60 passes for 830 yards and six scores in 2014 and served as Baylor's primary punt returner for his first two seasons. Given that versatility, the Steelers could easily have a game-day roster spot for Goodley this year.
Round 7
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Round 7, Pick No. 22: RB Kevin Parks, Virginia
The Steelers have one of the NFL's top running backs in Le'Veon Bell, and they have a capable, complementary backup in veteran DeAngelo Williams. However, the Steelers aren't all set at running back just yet, especially not with Bell expected to be given a suspension of indeterminate length to begin the season.
Williams will start in place of Bell in those games, however many there are. So, Williams will need a change-of-pace back behind him to spell him. That's where Virginia's Kevin Parks comes in. Parks totaled 3,219 yards and 29 touchdowns on 728 career carries and also has 103 receptions for 779 yards and four scores over the course of four years.
Even if Williams' only contributions to the Steelers this year come while Bell is suspended, that still gives him an important role to play in his rookie year. Add into that his versatility and he could turn into a fixture of Pittsburgh's offensive backfield in the seasons that follow.
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