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The Pittsburgh Steelers are in the precarious position of drafting in the back end of the 2015 NFL Draft, but needing some top-tier defensive talent on their roster. Since the Steelers are a team which rarely trades up in the draft, staying put at pick No. 22 is the most logical conclusion to make when performing any type of mock draft.
In this week's Mock Draft Monday, WalterFootball.com's Charlie Campbell has the Steelers taking DT Malcom Brown from the University of Texas. See what the mock draft had to say about the selection.
Pittsburgh could miss out on the first-round edge rushers, but a player like Brown would still upgrade the team's pass rush. The Steelers want to mix in some 4-3 sets to go with their 3-4 and Brown would be a perfect fit. He has the speed to be a three-technique with the size to serve as a 3-4 nose tackle or five-technique.
Brown collected 6.5 sacks, 71 tackles, 13 tackles for a loss, one pass batted and two forced fumbles in 2014. He was tough to block with a good motor. The 6-foot-2, 320-pounder possesses the size and speed for the NFL. Brown has the agility to close on the quarterback to go along with the ability to shed blocks.
For the second-straight season, Texas was dominated by BYU quarterback Taysom Hill. However, one Longhorns defender showed up and competed to try to change that. Brown had an excellent game with 2.5 sacks, 11 tackles and a forced fumble. It was a breakout performance for the senior.
Most fans would be disappointed with this selection, mostly thinking the Steelers should focus solely on outside linebacker or cornerback with their top pick, but the fact is the Steelers also need another defensive tackle to throw into the mix. Since the release of veteran Brett Keisel, the Steelers only have Cameron Heyward, Stephon Tuitt and Cam Thomas on their roster as experienced players within the Steelers' defensive system.
Drafting Brown would not only help the Steelers in specific 4-3 packages, but could eventually lead to one of the best defensive fronts in football when Tuitt, Heyward and Brown were all peaking at the right time. This pick may not be a fan favorite, but if it happens it could go a long way in helping the defense overcome some of their deficiencies we've witnessed the past few seasons.