Our friends over at Draft Wire have a new post Senior Bowl mock draft out and they went a full three rounds this time. Let’s take a look at the picks for the Pittsburgh Steelers and break them down a little bit. Let us know in the comments what you think of their picks and what we would change.
First round-OT Broderick Jones, Georgia
Upgrading the left tackle is a top offseason priority and with the team a little tight on money to spend, adding Georgia’s Broderick Jones makes more sense than throwing a bunch of money at a free agent.
Second round-DT Siaki Ika, Baylor
We continue to be on the bandwagon for the Steelers to select huge Baylor nose tackle Siaki Ika to stiffen up the middle of the Pittsburgh defense.
Second round-CB Julius Brents, Kansas State
The guys at Draft Wire are much higher on Kansas State cornerback Julius Brents than more outlets but it is hard to argue with his ridiculous measurables and production.
Third round-EDGE Zach Harrison, Ohio State
I love the athleticism of Ohio State’s Zach Harrison and I don’t even care if he’s something of a defensive end/linebacker tweener. He’s a playmaker and the Steelers can find a spot for him.
Overall
This is a tough call because for the most part, we love these picks for the Steelers. Jones, Aki and Harrison are all impact guys who will come in and play right away, improving the Steelers in the trenches. I’m still a little hung up on Brents in the second but I am still of the mind that unless the Steelers cannot sign Cameron Sutton to a new contract, cornerback just isn’t a high priority with Sutton, Levi Wallace and Arthur Maulet.
So if the Steelers don’t draft Brents who is the second-round pick? There are a few ways to go here. Pittsburgh could select Iowa linebacker Jack Campbell. A hard-core, blue-collar guy who is a highly productive leader. Or, the Steelers could opt for dynamic North Carolina wide receiver Josh Downs who would represent incredible value.
But we could go way off script and give the Steelers Iowa State edge Will McDonald IV in place of Brents which would change up the third-round pick to a guy like Washington State linebacker Daiyan Henley or a personal favorite, massive Michigan offensive lineman Olusegun Oluwatimi.
