Our friends over at Draft Wire have a new two-round mock draft out and we are going to break down the picks for the Pittsburgh Steelers and let you know how we would change it up to improve the Steelers.
First round-CB Joey Porter Jr., Penn State
Where the Steelers rank cornerback among their top needs will depend greatly on whether or not William Jackson III actually plays this season. If the team opts to cut him loose, Joey Porter Jr. as a pick makes more sense.
Second round (From Chicago)-DT Siaki Ika, Baylor
Pittsburgh hasn’t had a true dominant nose tackle on the roster since Casey Hampton but drafting Baylor’s Siaki Ika would change all of that.
Second round-OT Blake Freeland, BYU
Freeland is a natural left tackle and powerful run blocker. He struggles with his footwork in pass protection and I would question if the end of the second round is good value for a project player.
Overall
This mock draft is definitely a mixed bag. The Ika pick is a home run. He’s a powerful Earth mover with a low center of gravity and just eats up blockers. But looking at who was on the board when the Steelers drafted Porter, I can’t help but think there were better options. Guys like Georgia offensive tackle Broderick Jones or Clemson linebacker Trenton Simpson are hard to pass up.
The same goes for Freeland. If Pittsburgh would have drafted Jones in the first round, The Steelers could draft Utah cornerback Clark Phillips III with that second pick in the second round.
Let us know in the comments what you think of this mock draft and if would you change it up.
