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2014 NFL Mock Draft: Pittsburgh Steelers Select...

We asked you - our readers - to vote for who you wanted the Steelers to take in our community mock draft, and here's who you chose!

Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sport

First off, I'm very grateful to all of you that voted. BTSC wouldn't be the best Pittsburgh Steelers site around without the support of our incredible community (both active commenters and passive readers), so when it came time to pick for our favorite team in our community mock draft, it only made sense to trust your vote.

With the 15th pick, the Pittsburgh Steelers select Darqueze Dennard, CB, Michigan State.

Usatsi_7605392_154224504_lowres_medium

Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

There are perfectly reasonable arguments for why each of the top vote-getters should be the pick here. There are also perfectly reasonable criticisms for why each one of them should not be. What matters most here is that Dennard won in an absolute runaway - with more than 2.5 times as many votes as the second place finisher.

I'm not going to talk at length about Dennard, as anything I might say would just be rehashing much more interesting work that's elsewhere on the site - like Steel34D's illustrated breakdown of Dennard or Tony Defeo's musings on the Steelers' 17-year disinterest in drafting 1st round corners and how there's a time for every trend to end. Dennard may not be the sexiest height/weight/speed prospect (5'11, 200 lbs, 4.51 40-time at the Combine), but he must have consistently been able to do a lot of things right to be named the best defensive back in college football this past year.

Aside from Cortez Allen, there are no young, drafted corners currently being developed in the Steelers' system. Couple that bare cupboard with Ike Taylor almost certainly set to play his final season in the black and gold, and Dennard could well be the first of what will almost certainly be multiple picks for young blood to shore up the secondary.

2014 NFL Draft Prospects



Team Player Pos School BTSC rep/link to pick
1 http://sports.cbsimg.net/images/nfl/logos/50x50/HOU.png Blake Bortles QB UCF SteelerWolf
2 http://sports.cbsimg.net/images/nfl/logos/50x50/STL.pngviahttp://sports.cbsimg.net/images/nfl/logos/50x50/WAS.png Johnny Manziel QB Texas A&M Jack Finn
3 http://sports.cbsimg.net/images/nfl/logos/50x50/JAC.png Teddy Bridgewater QB Louisville twault
4 http://sports.cbsimg.net/images/nfl/logos/50x50/CLE.png Jadeveon Clowney DE South Carolina Double-Eagle
5 http://sports.cbsimg.net/images/nfl/logos/50x50/OAK.png Jake Matthews OT Texas A&M diehardsteelerfan625
6 http://sports.cbsimg.net/images/nfl/logos/50x50/ATL.png Khalil Mack LB Buffalo Erik Stone
7 http://sports.cbsimg.net/images/nfl/logos/50x50/TB.png Sammy Watkins WR Clemson TheCommish
8 http://sports.cbsimg.net/images/nfl/logos/50x50/MIN.png C.J. Mosley LB Alabama VinnySteel
9 http://sports.cbsimg.net/images/nfl/logos/50x50/BUF.png Greg Robinson OT Auburn Sean Geddes
10 http://sports.cbsimg.net/images/nfl/logos/50x50/DET.png Anthony Barr OLB UCLA JDSpartan
11 http://sports.cbsimg.net/images/nfl/logos/50x50/TEN.png Justin Gilbert CB Oklahoma St slatts17
12 http://sports.cbsimg.net/images/nfl/logos/50x50/NYG.png Mike Evans WR Texas A&M omara891
13 http://sports.cbsimg.net/images/nfl/logos/50x50/STL.png Ha Ha Clinton-Dix S Alabama Panther pride 76
14 http://sports.cbsimg.net/images/nfl/logos/50x50/CHI.png Aaron Donald DT Pittsburgh Michael Uhlhorn
15 http://sports.cbsimg.net/images/nfl/logos/50x50/PIT.png Darqueze Dennard CB Michigan St (community vote)
16 http://sports.cbsimg.net/images/nfl/logos/50x50/DAL.png


steeler fever
17 http://sports.cbsimg.net/images/nfl/logos/50x50/BAL.png


Steelers_Fan_to_the_Core
18 http://sports.cbsimg.net/images/nfl/logos/50x50/NYJ.png


DropTheHammer
19 http://sports.cbsimg.net/images/nfl/logos/50x50/MIA.png


steeler_chris_5
20 http://sports.cbsimg.net/images/nfl/logos/50x50/ARI.png


Wichita SunSteeler
21 http://sports.cbsimg.net/images/nfl/logos/50x50/GB.png


(?)barnerburner(?)
22 http://sports.cbsimg.net/images/nfl/logos/50x50/PHI.png


c63tho
23 http://sports.cbsimg.net/images/nfl/logos/50x50/KC.png


WelcomeToReality
24 http://sports.cbsimg.net/images/nfl/logos/50x50/CIN.png


Steel Spike
25 http://sports.cbsimg.net/images/nfl/logos/50x50/SD.png


L-Ray
26 http://sports.cbsimg.net/images/nfl/logos/50x50/CLE.pngviahttp://sports.cbsimg.net/images/nfl/logos/50x50/IND.png


AMKrup
27 http://sports.cbsimg.net/images/nfl/logos/50x50/NO.png


Ike Evans
28 http://sports.cbsimg.net/images/nfl/logos/50x50/CAR.png


asmith87
29 http://sports.cbsimg.net/images/nfl/logos/50x50/NE.png


furthur56
30 http://sports.cbsimg.net/images/nfl/logos/50x50/SF.png


Collision Course
31 http://sports.cbsimg.net/images/nfl/logos/50x50/DEN.png


alexryan
32 http://sports.cbsimg.net/images/nfl/logos/50x50/SEA.png


Thoroughbred of Sin