Steelers select Louis Nix III in Todd McShay mock draft

Louis Nix III, Notre Dame's behemoth nose tackle, could be the next Casey Hampton, opines Scouts Inc. analyst Todd McShay.

That's not a terrible thought. Perhaps convenient or even lazy comparison due to position and weight, but a nice thought indeed.

McShay sent Nix to Pittsburgh with the 12th overall pick - the Steelers' draft spot with two games left in the regular season. Nix struggled a little bit for the Fighting Irish in 2013 after a dominant 2012 year got him on the radars of many teams. McShay noted a less-than-desirable performance against Michigan State could send him further down the draft boards of many, but at his root, Nix is an athletic big man with good strength and enough quickness to play 0-technique for Pittsburgh.

With Steve McLendon entering the second year of a three-year deal, and having performed reasonably well, the Steelers could gain something by being able to move the strong-and-fast McLendon around the formation a bit, provided Nix could come in and play right away.

Other notables on the board: WR Sammy Watkins, WR Marquise Lee, DE Stephon Tuitt, Ra'Shede Hageman.

For all of our draft analysis and commentary, check out BTSC's 2014 NFL Draft Hub page

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