Pittsburgh Steelers 7-Round Mock Draft After Start of Free Agency
Two major milestones of the NFL offseason have come and gone, the first being the Scouting Combine and the second being the early, heavy-spending days of free agency.
The Pittsburgh Steelers now have one major event to focus on—the NFL Draft, which is only a month and a half away.
Given what further information we have gathered about many draft prospects thanks to the combine and the players the Steelers have signed in free agency, we have a clearer picture of what their draft-based team needs are for 2017.
With that in mind, here is the latest mock draft for Pittsburgh.
Round 1, Pick 30: CB Adoree' Jackson
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The Steelers need to find an outside cornerback to pair with Artie Burns this year, with Ross Cockrell likely spending most of 2017 working as the team's nickel corner. They also need a young player to supplant William Gay, who began 2016 as a starter but wound up benched.
While the Steelers have focused draft resources in recent years on the cornerback position, such as Burns a year ago and Senquez Golson in 2015, finding enough quality cornerbacks to serve as reliable starters has yet to come to complete fruition.
That's where USC's Adoree' Jackson comes in. A three-year starter, Jackson has had 28 career pass breakups, including 11 in 2016, and six interceptions, five of which came in 2016. He's also an accomplished kick and punt returner—scoring four touchdowns on each—something that will sweeten his appeal to the Steelers, who need to get receiver Antonio Brown away from returning punts sooner than later.
Though only 5'11" and lacking the size many teams want from an outside cornerback, the Steelers typically don't mind undersized players who can affect the football, such as Jackson. Plus, his athletic ability makes up for any drawbacks caused by his height.
Round 2, Pick 62: LB Carl Lawson
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Auburn's Carl Lawson could have been a first-rounder this year, but two things have worked against him, leading him to being a good second-round candidate for the Steelers.
One is his injury history—he missed all of the 2014 season with a torn ACL and then seven additional games in 2015 with a hip injury. The other is this draft class, which is full of edge-rushers with high-level skills.
Still, Lawson is an intriguing prospect for the Steelers. In 30 games, he totaled 14.5 sacks and 24.5 tackles for a loss, proving that when healthy, he's certainly productive. He's also aggressive, and according to NFL.com's Lance Zierlein, he has "experience rushing from interior-line spot and stand-up inside backer." That is something the Steelers value when trying to develop creative ways to attack opposing quarterbacks.
Lawson's health and durability will be the key to when he is drafted and by which team. If the Steelers are confident that his past injuries won't affect his future in the NFL, they would be willing to take this relative risk on a physical pass-rusher.
Round 3, Pick 94: WR Malachi Dupre
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The Steelers are set at No. 1 wideout now that Antonio Brown has been locked down on a long-term contract. And they likely have their ideal slot receiver in Eli Rogers.
Perhaps at some point, Martavis Bryant will return from his suspension and Sammie Coates will be a greater contributor if completely healthy in 2017. But the Steelers would be smart to bolster the position's ranks via the draft this year, which is exceptionally deep at receiver.
Malachi Dupre of LSU is an ideal option for the Steelers. Though he's a bit raw, owing to the fact that LSU is not a pass-heavy offense, his 6'2" height gives Pittsburgh another dimension in the passing game. And while also lacking speed, he can work as a possession receiver, which is where Pittsburgh's biggest receiving needs lie.
In three seasons, Dupre had 98 receptions for 1,609 yards and 14 touchdowns, with 41 catches, 593 yards and three scores in 2016. According to NFL.com's Lance Zierlein, Dupre "needs a greater commitment to nuances of route-running." Yet, he also notes that Dupre is "experienced at multiple receiver spots" and is "more talented than production would dictate."
The Steelers know how to properly evaluate receiving prospects and have done so with notable success. If they do see enough in Dupre to draft him, they can mold him into a starting-quality player in short order.
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Round 3, Pick 105 (Compensatory): TE Jake Butt
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In 2015 and 2016, Michigan tight end Jake Butt was the Big Ten Conference Player of the Year at his position, and well into his senior year it appeared he'd be in the mix as a Round 1 draft pick. But he tore his ACL in the Citrus Bowl in January, sending his draft stock falling.
When healthy, though, Butt is the kind of tight end NFL teams covet. He has the ideal size, toughness, physicality, good route-running, after-catch skills and the ability to earn first downs and score touchdowns.
According to Zierlein, he also has "strong hands ... like magnets." He had 138 career catches for Michigan (46 in 2016), for 1,646 yards and 11 scores. All he needs to do is improve as a run-blocker to be a fully rounded tight end.
But that, and his injury, shouldn't be enough to scare away the Steelers, who need a receiving-heavy tight end on the field to pair with Jesse James (and to serve as insurance for Ladarius Green). Butt can be that player, and he could even do so as a rookie depending on how his recovery progresses.
As Zierlein said in his scouting report on Butt, "his ability as a reliable, productive target should earn him an early starter's nod with a chance to become a solid pro."
If the Steelers have a chance to get him with a late-third round pick, Butt should have a productive career with Ben Roethlisberger as his quarterback.
Round 4, Pick 134: RB Kareem Hunt
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The Steelers need to build up their running back depth, and the 2017 draft is the place to do so, with the position group deep this year. It's so deep that the Steelers could have numerous appealing options in Round 4, but none may be a better fit than Toledo's Kareem Hunt.
Hunt was a productive player for four years, rushing 782 times for 4,945 yards and 44 touchdowns. He had 262 carries for 1,475 yards in 2016 and 10 rushing scores—the third year in a row he's rushed for double-digit touchdowns.
Hunt also became a major part of Toledo's passing offense last year, with 41 catches for 403 yards and a score. It's no secret that the Steelers value a running back who can catch—starter Le'Veon Bell being the premier example—so having a backup to him with a similar skill set could sway the Steelers toward drafting Hunt.
Further, he's also experienced in running behind an outside-zone blocking scheme, which is how the Steelers prefer to set up Bell for success.
Round 5, Pick 173: DE/OLB Derek Rivers
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A small-school pedigree and the need to be coached up in some areas of his technique are the only things standing between Youngstown State edge-rusher Derek Rivers being a second-day draft pick.
However, other teams potentially overlooking him could be a boon for the Steelers, who are likely familiar with Rivers given he played his college football about an hour's drive away from team headquarters.
Rivers, who played both defensive end and linebacker in college, is likely suited to a 3-4 base-type outside linebacker job in the NFL because of his size. But what matters most is that he is skillful at getting to opposing quarterbacks. In four seasons, he totaled 37.5 sacks, as well as 56.5 tackles for a loss. His 14 sacks in 2016 were the second-most in the country, and of his 58 tackles, 19.5 were for a loss.
NFL.com's Lance Zierlein described Rivers as "a backup who could work his way into a more prominent role with time," which is perfect for the Steelers. Their outside linebacking crew is likely set for 2017, with Bud Dupree being joined by James Harrison and Arthur Moats, barring injury.
That will allow Rivers to learn the speed and demands of the NFL game—and of the Steelers' highly important pass-rushing position—and potentially be ready to take on a starter's worth of workload in his second year.
Round 6, Pick 213: S Jadar Johnson
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Clemson safety Jadar Johnson had only one year of starting experience in college, but that one year served as a good example of what he could be capable of on the NFL level. Though appearing in games since his freshman season, he had to wait until starters graduated in order to get his big chance.
In 2016, that chance came and he embraced it. Of Johnson's 98 career tackles, 60 were in 2016, as were seven of his nine pass defenses and five of his nine interceptions.
He clearly has ball skills when in coverage and, most notably, has discipline, with NFL.com's Lance Zierlein pointing out that Johnson had just one pass-interference call against him in all of 2016.
Johnson needs to be better at defending the run, though, and he takes "poor downhill angles to the football losing his leverage." He also has, "too many arm tackles lead to high missed tackle count," weaknesses that can easily be coached out of such a relatively inexperienced player.
The upside is that the Steelers can invest the time in the 21-year-old. He can continue to improve as an all-around safety while working on special teams' kick and punt coverage, something that is a must for later-round draft picks, particularly defensive backs. Johnson's upside outweighs his relative inexperience.
Round 7: QB C.J. Beathard
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Though the Steelers brought back No. 2 quarterback Landry Jones on a two-year contract after letting him test out free agency for a few days and have Zach Mettenberger penciled in as the third-stringer at the position, that doesn't mean a little friendly competition is out of the question this year.
The Steelers reportedly met with a handful of quarterback prospects at the Scouting Combine, perhaps a lead-in to having a young rookie try to beat out either Mettenberger or Jones for a roster spot behind starter Ben Roethlisberger.
Per Jacob Klinger of PennLive.com, they include Iowa's C.J. Beatheard, a developmental pocket passer who has the added bonus of probably not posing a threat to Roethlisberger's starting standing any time soon.
A two-year starter (who also appeared in 13 games total as a freshman and sophomore), Beatheard has completed 58.1 percent of his passes on his career, for 5,562 yards, 40 touchdowns and 19 interceptions.
His senior year saw a bit of regression; Beathard completed just 56.5 percent of his 301 pass attempts, for 1,929 yards and threw 17 touchdowns to 10 interceptions. Injuries, though, suffered by both himself and his receivers can help explain the decline.
Beathard's "footwork and pocket mechanics look solid," according to NFL.com's Lance Zierlein, and his arm strength is good. But these are tempered by "deep-ball accuracy issues, poor pocket awareness, and unnecessary hesitation."
This is why Beathard is a seventh-round draft pick but also why the Steelers may be willing to see how coachable he is to serve as depth, whether on the 53-man roster or the practice squad.
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