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In order to ensure a reasonable sense of realism, I have used Walter Football's Four Round Mock Draft from January 16th to select players for the first four rounds and then my own rankings for rounds five to seven.
Round One Pick 17 - Dion Jordan, outside linebacker, Oregon - Jordan at 17 is basically a dream scenario and would basically be a no brainer at this point. He would give the Steelers a young, athletic pass rusher who could make an instant impact.
Other Possibilities - Kenny Vaccaro, Manti Te'o, Tyler Eifert
Round Two Pick 48 - Xavier Rhodes, cornerback, Florida State - While corner is not a top need and there is a lot of talent available here, Rhodes is the top player available by a long shot. Drafting Rhodes would give the Steelers the best man cover corner in the draft and would give them the ability to trade or release veteran Ike Taylor either before the season or during the offseason next year.
Other Possibilities - Jawan Jamison, Eddie Lacy, Logan Ryan, Jesse Williams, Da'Rick Rogers
Round Three Pick 79 - Arthur Brown, inside linebacker, Kansas State - Arthur Brown is the best player on the board at this point by a long shot. He is a top 50 prospect and it would be a shock if he fell this far. While he is a mack inside linebacker, he would give Dick Lebau another talented athlete to add to the defense.
Other Possibilities - Montee Ball, Robert Lester, Cobi Hamilton, Jordan Reed, Datone Jones
Round Four Pick 112 - Phillip Thomas, free safety, Fresno State - Again, need meets value as Thomas is the best player left on the board and could use a year or two of grooming behind Ryan Clark before eventually replacing him. He would also be able to contribute on special teams.
Other Possibilities - Aaron Dobson, Kwame Geathers, Mike Gillislee, Stepfan Taylor, Joe Kruger
Round Five Pick 143 - Aaron Mellette, wide receiver, Elon - Mellette is a big, fast, athletic receiver who has all the tools to be a great player in the NFL. He is under the radar right now because he never played against good competition but he would give the Steelers the type of receiver needed to have a great passing game.
Other Possibilities - Rex Burkhead, Sean Renfree, Zach Line
Round Six Pick 174 - Dennis Johnson, running back, Arkansas - Johnson is my favorite running back in the class by far in terms of value and talent. Johnson has the body, speed, vision, and ability to be this year's Alfred Morris and could instantly come in and start in my opinion.
Other Possibilities - Mark Harrison, Tanner Hawkinson, J.C. Tretter
Round Seven Pick 205 - R.J. Dill, offensive tackle, Rutgers - R.J. Dill is a versatile, swing tackle who could be a career top backup at both tackle spots. He has the size and frame needed to be a good run blocker and has good footwork in pass protection.
Other Possibilities - T.J. Barnes, Quinton Dial