2011 NFL Mock Draft: Pittsburgh's First Three Picks— A Peek Behind the Curtain

Even with all of the labor unrest and uncertainty surrounding the NFL, there is one item on the agenda that will take place regardless of a work stoppage in early March. That is the annual NFL Draft, a three-day, mid-April event that is one of the centerpieces of the NFL's offseason calendar.

Every team is currently preparing for the scouting combine, the other big offseason event, where future rookies will get to showcase their talents for NFL scouts and coaches. Reputations, contracts and draft picks are made and broken by performance at the combine.

Until April, no one will know exactly who will be selected. Now is the time to hope, dream and predict the outcome. Here's a look at some possibilities for the Pittsburgh Steelers in each of the first three rounds.

Ground Rules

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NEW YORK - APRIL 22: NFL Commissioner Roer Goodell speaks at the podium during the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft at Radio City Music Hall on April 22, 2010 in New York City. (Photo by Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images)

Here are some ground rules for this mock draft.

1. No Trades

I'm sure there will be changes to the draft order as teams (particularly New England, which has two selections in each of the first three rounds) exchange picks and, possibly, players. There can be no player transactions in a work stoppage or without a new Collective Bargaining Agreement, so it's way too difficult to try to pick trade possibilities until we know if players can be involved or not. So, assume the draft order has remained the same around Pittsburgh and will remain the same.

2. Team Needs/Best Available

The Steelers traditionally draft the best player available at their draft position unless that player is at a position that can't possibly help the Steelers (drafting a quarterback at this point would be useless). This year, the Steelers will be looking to fill definite team needs, so I will give extra weight to potential selections that fill those needs (corner, offensive line) over players who are the best player available.

3. Two Choices for Each Pick

It's too hard to nail down one player, so there will be two options given for each selection. In the comments, I encourage you to vote on which one you would choose if you were Kevin Colbert, or to suggest another player that should be placed into that slot. Let's have a lively debate about these first three rounds.

Round 1, 31st Overall: Aaron Williams, CB (Texas)

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AUSTIN, TX - SEPTEMBER 25: Cornerback Aaron Williams #4 of the Texas Longhorns at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on September 25, 2010 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

Measurables

6'1" 189 pounds

Pros

 Aggressiveness, leadership skills, character, size, speed, coverage skills

Cons

Run coverage, can be fooled with double moves, open-field tackles

Analysis

Williams is one of the top corners available. In several mocks he's being rated as an early second- round/late first-round pick, so he's perfect for this spot. The top corners will likely be gone by the time the Steelers pick, so they will probably be picking from Williams, Brandon Harris, Kendric Burney and perhaps Jimmy Smith. Smith is ranked ahead of Williams and will likely be a mid-first rounder.

There are a lot of teams seeking corner help, so it will be interesting to see how the first round plays out ahead of Pittsburgh, but Williams is the player who I think (along with Harris) will be on the board. Williams is the better all-around player and has excellent pass coverage skills. He's the player I would select between those two. Burney is a reach in the first round.

If Williams has one drawback, it's his lack of experience and success in covering the run, but this is not a common responsibility for Steelers' corners. Pittsburgh corners are often expected to blitz on running downs, something that bodes well for the aggressive Williams.

It is his aggressiveness, in fact, which I think makes him an attractive option for Pittsburgh, which has found so much success with the aggressive play of Troy Polamalu. I don't believe any of his cons cannot be corrected by coaching and experience, so I think he's one of the most complete players the Steelers could select.

Alternate Round 1, 31st Overall: Stefan Wisniewski, C/G (Penn State)

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TAMPA, FL - JANUARY 1: Guard Stefan Wisniewski #61 of the Penn State Nittany Lions blocks against the Florida Gators January 1, 2010 in the 25th Outback Bowl at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images)

Measurables

6'3" 297 pounds

Pros

Pulling (inside/outside), technique, sustaining blocks (run/pass), strength, speed

Cons

Initial quickness, aggressiveness, athleticism

Analysis

The Steelers have had trouble for several years now with keeping their quarterback upright. Some of that is due to the way that Ben Roethlisberger plays the game and some is due to the lack of talent along the offensive line. They corrected that to some extent last year by selection stud center Maurkice Pouncey in the first round. He earned Pro Bowl honors his first year and was excellent in every way.

Wisniewski is another potential first round pick for Pittsburgh as they retool the line. He can play center and guard, a versatility that Pittsburgh and line coach Sean Kugler covet. He also excels at pulling in the running game, something the Steelers have done for years and something that they could use help with now. They haven't had an excellent pulling guard (Chris Kemoeatu is just adequate) since Alan Faneca departed. They could correct that now.

As with Aaron Williams, none of Wisniewski's deficiencies cannot be corrected by coaching. Kugler did well with Pouncey, so it stands to reason that he can cure what ails Wisniewski.

The ability to sustain blocks and stay with defenders is also very important to a Pittsburgh team that depends on it's quarterback to make plays outside the pocket and on the run. Wisniewski would be able to provide Roethlisberger with those extra seconds he likes to use when reading the defense and directing his receivers down the field.

Round 2, 63rd Overall: Ras-I Dowling, CB (Virginia)

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ATLANTA - OCTOBER 09: Ras-I Dowling #19 of the Virginia Cavaliers against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Bobby Dodd Stadium on October 9, 2010 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Measurables

6'2" 200 pounds

Pros

Size, speed, run coverage, athleticism, instincts

Cons

Vision, tackling form, concentration

Analysis

Pittsburgh needs to draft two corners this year and they would do well to pick up two early and then concentrate on other needs. If they miss out on Williams in Round 1, they need to take a player like Dowling in the second round.

Dowling has great size for the position (above average height) and is a fast, precise cover corner. He's great in the press and has the athleticism and instincts to blitz effectively in Pittsburgh's system. He also can play against the run, something that Williams struggles with. If they draft both, this could be a nice tandem.

There are a few knocks on Dowling, namely his lack of and lapses in concentration. He isn't a bad tackler, but he doesn't have proper form. That is something that could plague him in the NFL, where running backs and receivers are more adept at stepping out of improperly executed tackles.

The only real concern is his vision. He can miss the ball and misplay the receiver as a result. The good part is that he has the athleticism to make up for this and it is another issue that can likely be solved by focused coaching sessions.

Dowling is a lock in the second round and, whether paired with Williams or picked alone, can contribute to this secondary immediately as a nickel back (replacing William Gay) or dime back (replacing Anthony Madison, who is best on special teams).

Alternate Round 2, 63rd Overall: Curtis Brown, CB (Texas)

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AUSTIN, TX - NOVEMBER 07: Cornerback Curtis Brown #3 of the Texas Longhorns practices before a game against the UCF Knights on November 7, 2009 at Darrell K Royal - Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin, Texas. Texas won 35-3. (Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Ima

Measurables

6'0" 180 pounds

Pros

Physicality, aggressiveness, speed, shutdown ability

Cons

Playmaking, size

Analysis

If the Steelers miss out on Williams, they may do well to take his teammate. If Pittsburgh is looking for a shutdown corner, they may find it in Brown, who has the combination of aggressiveness, physicality, and skills to shutdown opposing receivers without safety help.

The Steelers would love to let Troy Polamalu and Ryan Clark roam free and make plays again, but they can't do this very often because of their lack of talent at corner. A player like Brown would free up the safety on his side to make plays solo.

Brown doesn't make a ton of interceptions, but that has never been a problem for Pittsburgh, which has never relied on Ike Taylor to be a turnover machine. Several scouting reports list Brown's size a concern, but he's still within the average parameters for his position.

His speed and ability to shutdown opponents one-on-one would make him a great second-round selection. He may move up in stature with a good combine, however, and be taken by one of the many other teams seeking help in the secondary.

Round 3, 95th Overall: Ian Williams, DT (Notre Dame)

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SOUTH BEND, IN - SEPTEMBER 04: Ian Williams #95 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish encourages the crowd during a game against the Purdue Boilermakers at Notre Dame Stadium on September 4, 2010 in South Bend, Indiana. Notre Dame defeated Purdue 23-12. (Photo

Measurables

6'2" 301 pounds

Pros

Run defense, shedding blocks, snap jump

Cons

Size (for NT), speed, pass rush

Analysis

The third round is hard to project because every year so much happens between the first pick and the third round. But we are assuming that there have been no changes for 95 picks (an impossibility), so I'm looking for the Steelers to start filling out some depth at this point.

In either scenario, the Steelers have gotten at least one corner. That is their biggest need. They also may have gotten an offensive lineman. If they haven't, I haven't seen a third-round projection that would fit the Steelers' blocking scheme and also play guard, the position where they have the biggest current void.

Enter Williams. The Steelers are looking for depth along the defensive line (Nick Eason and Chris Hoke are free agents, Aaron Smith is declining, Casey Hampton is getting older). Williams is currently a defensive tackle, but projects more as a defensive end in the NFL. He could be a good pick here.

He's not a pass rusher. His lack of speed and susceptibility to double teams don't allow him many chances at the quarterback, but Pittsburgh's defensive scheme is to use the defensive ends to take up blockers so that the linebackers and secondary can make the plays in the backfield. Williams could fit that scheme well.

He's an accomplished run-stopper, something Pittsburgh does ask their linemen to take care of. He's considered a two-down player and seems similar to Casey Hampton in his skill set. He'd be a nice depth and developmental option for the Steelers.

Alternate Round 3, 95th Overall: Marcus Cannon, G (TCU)

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FORT WORTH, TX - NOVEMBER 28: Marcus Cannon #61, Kyle Dooley #72 and Alonzo Adams #81 of the TCU Horned Frogs raise the Mountain West Regular Season Championship trophy at Amon G. Carter Stadium on November 28, 2009 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Ronal

Measurables

6'5" 350 pounds

Pros

Size, strength, run blocking, hands, initial quickness

Cons

Passiveness, technique

Analysis

While Cannon doesn't necessarily fit the Pittsburgh blocking scheme, he is a huge, strong body in the middle of the offensive line who can get through initial blocks and into the second level of a defense. Those attributes make him a candidate for Pittsburgh.

Once he learns the scheme from Sean Kugler, he could be a mainstay at guard. He's a beast in the running game and could team with a healthy Willie Colon or Max Starks to shut down defensive ends and give Rashard Mendenhall some running room.

He's not as strong in the passing game, but his size and speed give him the advantage there. He's athletic for his build and his ability to take on linebackers will help in the AFC North, where blitz schemes are common attacks on the Pittsburgh offense.

He's not a mean player (the anti-Chris Kemoeatu), which is a concern. If he can still play aggressively, that won't be a big problem. His technique is the bigger concern. He doesn't get low enough (a common early complaint about Max Starks before he refined his play) in his stance, which allows faster, bigger defenders to beat him off the snap.

Conclusions

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ARLINGTON, TX - FEBRUARY 06: Head coach Mike Tomlin of the Pittsburgh Steelers looks on against the Green Bay Packers during the second quarter of Super Bowl XLV at Cowboys Stadium on February 6, 2011 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty

The Steelers had several weaknesses exposed in the Super Bowl and really throughout the 2009 and 2010 seasons. They need serious help at corner and could completely overhaul the position with Ike Taylor, William Gay and Anthony Madison all free agents.

Selecting a corner in the draft that can be a shutdown player is a top priority. The Packers proved that the Steelers could be spread out. It's unlikely (and unfortunate) that Pittsburgh gets involved with any of the top free agents at corner. They prefer to sign Ike Taylor and have made that a priority. That means that drafting a corner (hopefully two) is essential.

The corner crop is deep this year so this need should not wait.

Outside of corner, the Steelers need to continue to retool the offensive line. Selecting a player or two there in the early going makes sense. They've routinely ignored this position in the early rounds (save for last year when they selected Pouncey), so it's time to pay it some attention.

Any of the selections above could move out of their current draft slots with solid combine performances or draft day deals. The CBA negotiations, while they won't affect the draft procedure, could heavily affect the deals and progress of draft day.

In other words, this is an early look. Stay tuned as things develop. We'll update this mock as time passes and we get closer to April.