2015 Draft Sleepers Who'd Fit Perfectly with the Pittsburgh Steelers

While the first two rounds of the NFL draft are the most exciting, Rounds 3 through 7 is where the real work happens. That's where teams can find players of value, sleepers who others ignored, in order to boost their roster depth and talent level for the long term.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have been quite adept at navigating these later rounds in recent years, such as selecting wide receiver Martavis Bryant in Round 4 last year, linebacker Vince Williams in Round 6 in 2013 and starting offensive lineman Kelvin Beachum in Round 7 in 2012.

Here are five sleepers the Steelers could target in the 2015 draft. All have the potential to make a positive impact on Pittsburgh's roster, much as Bryant, Williams, Beachum and others have in the recent past.

TE Wes Saxton

Phelan M. Ebenhack/Associated Press

The Steelers may not be in the market to replace tight end Heath Miller in 2015, but 2016 is a different story. They'd be smart to find his successor this year and get him ready to play a full complement of snaps in a year's time.

A good sleeper fit at the position is South Alabama's Wes Saxton. Saxton totaled 96 collegiate receptions, for 1,126 yards and one score.

He had only 20 catches for 115 yards in 2014, but according to an NFC director of scouting (via NFL.com's Lance Zierlein), "You have to go back and watch his 2013 tape. They made changes in 2014 to the offense and he wasn't the same player. Go watch 2013. That is who he can be in the pros." In 2013, Saxton totaled 50 catches for 635 yards.

Zierlein says that Saxton "opens up quickly to offer quarterback a clean target with good catch radius," and is "[w]illing to extend and make tough catches in traffic." A former high school wide receiver, Saxton is "[t]oo quick for many linebackers on intermediate routes," is a "[h]ands-catcher" and possesses the [t]raits to be a matchup problem on next level."

Saxton, however, is a "[m]ove tight end only," who gives "[p]oor effort as a run-blocker and offers no power to secure edge or get movement." Thus, Saxton isn't a pound-for-pound replacement for Miller, who can do it all. But in terms of receiving ability, Saxton would be a good on-field addition.

OLB Ryan Mueller

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A defensive lineman in college, Kansas State's Ryan Mueller would be better utilized as an outside linebacker in the NFL. And with the Steelers very much in the edge-rusher market, it's possible that Mueller becomes a later-round pick for the team, after addressing the position in Rounds 1 or 2.

Mueller has 119 career combined tackles, 33 tackles for a loss, 20 sacks and 15 passes defensed. In 2014, he totaled 40 combined tackles, 11 tackles for a loss, six sacks and two passes defensed. He became a full-time starter as a junior, when he earned Big 12 Defensive Lineman of the Year honors.

CBSSports.com's Dane Brugler says that Mueller is "[q]uick and low out of his stance to shoot gaps and disrupt the backfield, using relentless pursuit and a tremendous competitive nature to finish plays."

He "[d]isplays a strong understanding of leverage and angles with a flexible lower body and powerful hands to finish tackles" and "[e]xhibits a tremendous competitive nature and relentless pursuit with excellent recovery quickness, playing fast and controlled nonstop."

Mueller's "[l]ack of ideal height and length shows up on tape and his functional strength is average-at-best, allowing for him to be easily engulfed on the edges." Though height and length cannot be changed, he could certainly add strength to his frame. As a rookie, Mueller would be, at most, a rotational player. But he has enough upside to be developed into a fixture of Pittsburgh's linebacking corps.

S Gerod Holliman

Louisville safety Gerod Holliman has only one year of starting experience to his name, taking over the free safety job vacated by Calvin Pryor when he left for the NFL in 2014. Still, he impressed enough in one season to win the Jim Thorpe Award, given to college football's top defensive back.

The Steelers certainly have a need at safety, given Troy Polamalu's retirement and the poor first year Mike Mitchell spent in Pittsburgh. Though they possess depth, with Shamarko Thomas and Will Allen among the safeties on the roster, they need someone with a higher ceiling to develop. That's why Holliman is a good later-round fit.

Holliman has 60 career combined tackles, four tackles for a loss, one sack, 14 interceptions and six passes defensed. He totaled 44 tackles, three tackles for a loss, one sack, three passes defensed and all 14 interceptions during his 2014 season.

CBSSports.com's Rob Rang says that Holliman "isn't afraid to leave his feet to deliver a pop." He has "[g]ood vision and awareness of the play and "[f]lies upfield in run support and gets a jump on the ball right out of the quarterback's hand, putting himself in position to make plays." He also has "[g]ood hand-eye coordination and body control to make the tough interception."

Though Holliman is an "[u]nreliable tackler due to inconsistent angles and technique as a hitter," this likely stems from his lack of on-field experience. With a little coaching up, Holliman could go from a special teams contributor as a rookie to a free or strong safety for the Steelers.

CB Kevin White

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Much as the Steelers could select an outside linebacker early and then return to the position in a later round, the same can be said for cornerback, which is another position where the Steelers need added depth and promising youth.

As a later-round prospect, Texas Christian's Kevin White would be a good fit for the Steelers. White totaled 146 combined tackles in his four-year collegiate career, with 6.5 tackles for a loss, one sack, six interceptions and 28 passes defensed. In 2014, he had 51 combined tackles, four tackles for a loss, one sack, two interceptions and 11 passes defensed.

A "[c]over corner who was usually matched up with the opponent's best receiver," White "[b]lanketed possession receivers," according to NFL.com's Lance Zierlein. White "[g]ets out of backpedal well and drives on the ball," possesses "[p]lus ball skills" and regularly can "dig the ball out" of a receiver's arms.

Still, White "[s]truggles to stay with quick, darting wide receivers, giving away substantial separation underneath." Zierlein says that he "[h]as temperament and play of an outside corner, but lacks size and deep speed," while at the same time possessing the "size of a slot corner but lacks foot quickness and twitch to consistently cover speed in space."

But while some teams might see "mismatched parts," the Steelers could see versatility. As a later-round pick, White would be worth the time it will take to coach him up to a true NFL-caliber cornerback.

WR Jamison Crowder

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Slot receiver is easily a position the Steelers could prioritize in the later rounds of the 2015 draft. Though they have a number of players capable of holding down that job, including tight end Heath Miller, running back Le'Veon Bell and receivers Antonio Brown and Markus Wheaton, they do not have a dedicated, slot-style receiver on their roster at present.

Duke's Jamison Crowder would be a solid choice because he could contribute immediately as part of the Steelers' slot-passing package as well as a kick and/or punt returner. Crowder totaled 283 career receptions, for 3,641 yards and 23 touchdowns, with 85 catches for 1,044 yards and six scores in 2014. He's also returned 65 punts for 869 yards and four scores and 44 kickoffs for 930 yards in his four years at Duke.

CBSSports.com's notes that "Crowder is a pint-sized target with a smallish catching radius," who nevertheless "has the ballskills to secure receptions away from his body and create as a ball-carrier." He possesses impressive "change-of-direction skills" and has "beautiful start/stop acceleration to make defenders miss in the open field." 

While just 5'9" and 175 pounds, Crowder doesn't need to be a bruiser to make an impact on Pittsburgh's offense. And even if he doesn't take the field much as a receiver—given that last year's slot receiver Lance Moore was often on the sideline in favor of Bell, Miller, Brown and others—he can be a major asset as a returner on special teams.