My Mock Draft 2.0 and Off-season Decisions

Think about it though after this season both Emmanuel Sanders and Antonio Brown will be RFAs can they afford both?

Who would Sanders be drawing attention from with his career 50 recs, 664 yards, and 4 TDs in two seasons? Also, I think Brown is a stud, but he won’t be receiving offers for top dollar. Well, not yet at least. He hasn’t proved he has a nose for the endzone with only 2 career receiving TDs despite being a huge part in the Steelers offense this season. Sometimes, we overhype our own players a bit too much.

With cutting 2 ILBs and only signing one I would be surprised if the Steelers did not draft a guy for a fourth spot.

Not sure about cutting BOTH Farrior n Foote. Need one of em for depth.

If we draft a WR, he needs to have size. Most elite teams have a dominant physical Wr. We need that endzone threat.

Would like to see a FS taken higher.

I do think its time to go in a new direction with the ILB as we need to let Farrior go. Love the guy its just that time. I think this is a need draft if we hope to win the Super Bowl next year, we have to fill holes at the ILB and the OG positions or we will be screwed.

I don’t think the Steelers make all of those last three FA signings. They build through the draft and will only sign one or two FAs. Also I don’t think we cut Dwyer and I think we restruction McFadden for special teams.

Here is what I would add

Sign Max Starks. Starks was injured last year and came to camp over weight. Plus we can sign him for cheap, according to RT standards. He plays decent enough and we aren’t in position to draft a premier RT. Plus Max and Ben has a good bond together. We also don’t have enough depth at the tackle position to just cut quality players. Gilbert is in grooming to take Max’s spot but I don’t believe he is ready for it yet. Make him earn it.

Sign Jerrico Cotchery. Jerrico is like Hines 2.0. I love his vertern leadership, while he dropped a big pass in the Denver game, I see value in him coming back as a 4th/ 5th WR.

Sign Plaxico Burress. With the fiasco in NY I believe Burress will want out and want to go somewhere familiar and stable. There were interest before the season started and I think Burress can contribute as a 3b WR alongside Emmanuel Sanders. He gives the offense a tall WR to help in the redzone, which we struggle with, and it would give us one of the best WR core in the league top to bottom. Plus if he follows Mike Vick’s example, his second year out of prison should be a good one.

Here is my draft. I don’t see us taking a Safety this year, I think that will be next year, Clark had one of his best seasons and Troy is still Troy. Word is we could receive two 7th round compensatory picks but since that isn’t officially announced I’m not adding that. If anything I would just use the normal 7th round draft pick to trade up in the second to make sure we get a good Guard.

1. Zach Brown – OLB/ILB – North Carolina – 6’2 230 lbs 4.4s 40

Had to make a change to the top pick after Wexel tweeted that Burfict would not be on the Steelers draft board – they believe he is too much of a head case. So I am changing this pick to Zach Brown from UNC. As much as it pains me to see the Steelers take a tarheel I believe they must do so here. Burfict is off the board and none of the other ILB I have confidence in defending the passing game. Zach Brown would be a real game changer in this defense. He would have to add bulk to his frame but with his 4.4 speed he can lose a tenth of a second off his 40 and still have plenty of speed to cover tight Ends and running backs although I beieve he could add 10 -15 pounds and not lose any speed. We would have to teach him the ILB position but this guy’s size and speed make him a force to be reckoned with. Also he has shown great instincts in the passing game and is good at stopping the run. I have us taking an ILB here because of the positional value. I believe the Steelers value ILB position over the G position. Then when you add the fact there are plenty of guys with value in the 2nd round for a guard and not any for an ILB I think this is where they move here. The other option is NT but with Casey Hampton and Steve McLendon coming back next year I think they will wait on drafing a NT replacement. Also I don’t see them spending three first round picks on their defensive line, thats a lot of money tied up in one position. Especially since the Nt position value is somewhat diminished with this becoming an passing league.

2. Kevin Zeitler – G – Wisconsin – 6’4 312 lbs

Zeitler has been doing a great job these season paving the way for Monte Ball and protecting Russell Wilson. The later is which why I pick him. We need a legit guard that can keep Ben upright and open up holes for Mendenhall. I believe Zeitler is that guy, he should be there in the second round too. Our offensive line would then be from right to left, Starks, Zeitler, Pouncey, Gilbert, Colon. Which isn’t a bad line if we can avoid injuries and those who are injured can come back healthy and playing at their normal level. That also gives us good depth since Foster and Legursky would be coming off the bench, with Essex backing up the tackle positions. I understand the desire to draft Konz in the 1st and if we do we might as well cut legursky, we’ll see if that happens.

3. Josh Chapman – NT – Alabama – 6’1 310 lbs

Chapman is in the mold of the more smaller/athletic NTs. But he still does a great job of stuffing the run. I’m not sure if he will be here but the NT class this year is weak and there are at least two prospect ahead of Chapman. I’m not sure why though, it may be his measurables or his lack of pass rushing abilities but this guy has been part of a historic defense in Alabama and he has performed well. His talents were on display in the National Championship game where when I saw him, he got good push and was double teamed on occasion. I’ll take him and let him learn behind Hampton for at least a year before taking the reigns.

4. Jared Crick – DT/DE – Nebraska – 6’6 285 lbs 4.8s 40

This is the pick that I think could be the steal of the draft. If there aren’t any good NT in the 3rd round I wouldn’t mind taking him in the third just to make sure we got him. Crick is a first round talent DT that averaged 9 sacks a year and 70 tackles and 14 tackles for loss in two years. So why is he so far down here? He injured his pectoral muscle this season and will likely not be able to contribute in his first season in the NFL until the end of the regular season. That is why he has fallen from anywhere in the 2nd to the 4th round. But since the Steelers have already drafted Heyward and Hood and they have Kesiel to sub in, they don’t need Crick to play right away. Crick height and long arms are sure to get in passing lanes of QBs and his height allows him to be able to pick up 10 – 20 lbs of muscle without losing speed. Crick would dominate as a 5 technique DE, consuming blocks while getting to the QB. He may overtake Hood for the starting role, he has that much potential.

5. Brock Osweiler – QB – Arizone State – 6’8 240 lbs 4.7s 40

Osweiler is a 4th – 5th round pick, if he is there I think the Steelers should take him for a couple reasons. Ben can’t play forever and with Batch and Dixon gone we will need a 3rd string QB. Osweiler has a good arm and is big like Ben while still having good speed. He is very raw though and will learn behind Ben to be the back up QB eventually and may be a starter else where if he progresses fast.

6. Quinn Sharp – K – Oklahoma State

I wasn’t quite sold on Sharp especially for a 6th round pick, sure he had set the NCAA record for most touchbacks in a season, sure he was 20-23 in FGs this year but that didn’t impress me. Kicking a 62 yard FG does. The Steelers haven’t had a kicker that could be accurate from 50+ yards since Gary Anderson wore black and gold. Being able to get points when you only get to the 35 yard line is a huge asset to an offense. Again the Steelers would be the 2nd seed of the AFC if they had a kicker they could trust. There recent kicker missed a FG and they wasn’t trusted to hit a ~40 yard FG at the end of the game that would have put the game out of reach if he had made his previous one or at least made it so the Ravens could only tie. I say work Sharp out and if he has no trouble kicking in Hinez field then make sure you get him.

7. Antoine McClain, G, Clemson – 6’6 330 lbs

Starks will eventually need to be replace by Gilbert at LT. So we should groom a guard to replace Gilbert at Guard. McClain had a nice season and was decent in pass and run blocking, we should coach him up, build his strength, let him drop about 15 lbs to be come more mobile and lean and in a couple years he could possible start at the Guard position. Its the seventh round so there are always hopes and dreams here.

I think I’m on the same page with most of your offseason moves. Not sure we’ll get those guys in free agency, but I wouldn’t change anything.

with Mendenhall starting the season on the PUP list and not to sure if Moore being back.

But i think we might cut Hampton as well AkA “Big Snack”. But we have to keep the “Young Money WR Crew” together. Wallace, Brown & Sanders, Give Wallace, 5yrs 30mil, Brown 5yrs 22mil, Sanders 6yrs, & retires of A.Smith, Hampton, Farrior, Foote, etc. We Be Fine….Im looking to the Draft & will make my own Mock Draft in the near future & put it up here.

The rest will make it to training camp and I wouldn’t be surprised if 3 or more are still on the team for opening day.