Steelers 7 round Mock Draft: Fear the Mock weekend edition 8.0

Lets just call it a weekend mock now at this point. Right now my creative juices and scenarios are reaching critical low levels as of this moment.

I actually was feeling so lackadaisical when it came to this upcoming mock in terms of ideas, that I actually just about mocked Davis Webb to the Steelers in the 1st round. That said, I would never do that to any of you, or myself.

The only reason I thought about it is because I actually had a thought that with the Steelers bringing him in for a private visit, and the fact Webb told major media that about 10 teams told him he was a 1st round talent, that the Steelers could pick him.

I have nothing against him from an intangibles perspective, and I honestly think he’s a guy with a lot of talent and I love his willingness to learn. That said, the only route he seemed to throw with much success was the nine route, and I just don’t see a lot of QBs with mechanics, along with accuracy as questionable as Webb succeed in the NFL.

He could prove me wrong, but he needs to go to the perfect situation for him to be able to do that, and as much I’d like to say I’d have no problem with the Steelers picking him, 1st round is beyond too rich for me.

Alright I’m done yapping away about Webb, let’s take a look who I mocked this time.

1st round: Chidobe Awuzie, CB, Colorado

I haven’t mentioned his name much, but don’t let that give off the impression that I’m not a fan of Awuzie. I am a fan and a lot of that has to do with his tremendous versatility as a CB and just how natural he looks playing in the slot, as a boundary CB or a field CB. He has occasionally lined up at safety and has played on special teams as well.

I’ve started to see his name mentioned in first round mocks more now, and quite honestly it doesn’t surprise me, especially with the injuries that have been happening to some of the top CBs in this class. It’s not just the injuries though, he fits the athletic profile that you look for in a 1st round CB.

Not only is he athletic though, he’s a pretty darned good player. Awuzie is spectacular when it comes to not flipping his hips too early or biting on fakes. He’s shown to be effective in all types of coverages, whether it’s zone, off man or on/press man coverage, he can do it. Very fluid as well, often looking seamless in transition and showing the foot quickness to mirror off the line and the biggest plus is him showing up big in the tackling department.

I’ve heard some mention that he could be a safety and that he’s kind of similar to Budda Baker. I don’t really see it because Awuzie never played single high or traditional deep safety ever and Baker (while he didn’t do it as much this season) did that a lot in past seasons.

I really see a versatile CB more than I do a safety and that’s fine because Awuzie is a damned good CB in a deep class.

2nd round: Chris Godwin, WR, Penn State

Normally I don’t do repeats but this is one I feel like I’m going to have to circle in. I know this isn’t very popular, but I’m getting a sense that the Steelers are not counting on anyone who didn’t play for them last season.

Remember how I talked about how the Pittsburgh Post Gazette guys and saying how I’ve read on their site that they expect the Steelers to take a WR?

Well, this was from Gerry Dulac’s chat yesterday:

River Rat: The Steelers defense will not be GREAT no matter who you draft this year (although the arrow is pointing up). On the other hand, the Steelers offense has a GREAT offensive line, QB, RB and one (1) WR. Why not draft a WR & TE in the first 3 rounds to make it truly great all around while we still have BIG BEN?

Gerry Dulac: Well, you just might see that. Stay tuned.

William B.: What offensive position will be addressed 1st in the draft? WR, TE or RB?

Gerry Dulac: It’s hard to predict because it could be any one of the three, depending on the grade they have on a certain player. But let me say this: They won’t take a RB on the first round or even second round. But they could conceivably take a WR on the first round and for sure by the second round because there are a lot of good ones available. I don’t see a tight end going on the first round or even the second round. So that should answer your question.

You may take this with a pinch of salt but the guys over at the Post Gazette normally have a lot of insider information and I wouldn’t bet against them, because they’re normally right.

3rd round: Vince Biegel, EDGE, Wisconsin

We often talk so much about TJ Watt that we often forget his teammate Vince Biegel. Not many know have actually watched Biegel and at first I tempered my expectations after I watched his film but after the combine it left me scratching my head and wanting to go back again.

The first time I watched I didn’t really think I saw an elite athlete and I couldn’t be more wrong. Biegel’s combine was among the top at his position overall and that was huge for a lot of reasons.

The first time I watched Biegel, I knew I saw a player that played with the most relentless motor and aggression that sometimes could lead to him playing out of control at points. He also set a really hard edge and it made it tough to run on his side. That said, I wasn’t very high on him because I didn’t really know if he could bend at the time and how high his ceiling was as a pass rusher.

His testing says he has the flexibility to do it and you know what, there are instances on tape where it shows up. I noticed sometimes though he almost had the same problem that Mathis had and that was that he couldn’t keep his footing sometimes because he was almost too out of control a lot of the time.

Biegel already does a lot of things a prototypical 3-4 OLB is asked of and with the Steelers having shown him and Watt plenty of interest at their pro day, do not be surprised if they pick either one of these Wisconsin products.

3rd round compensatory: D’Onta Foreman, RB, Texas

What are the chances this happens, probably slim but still can’t rule it out. Indeed Foreman is a very talented RB in this class that could slide possibly which could be due to a combination of this being a talented class and his foot injury, which kept him from working out at the combine.

He also had a bad case of fumbles this year but the risk may be worth it. Foreman at points will play like a back who’s less than 200 LBs because of how nimble his feet and hips are, along with his breakaway speed, but Foreman can also bring a good amount of physicality to the table too.

He hasn’t shown much as a receiver due to limited opportunities but that is an area that if he shows promise in at his pro day, he could rise quite a bit.

4th round: Paul Maglorie Jr, LB/S, Arizona

I really wanted to give my guy Magloire some love in this mock. Let me just get this out here right away that I’m not the biggest fan of some of these LBs in this class. I find a lot of them hesitate or really take bad angles, it just didn’t impress me.

Magloire was a breath of fresh air though as I got to watch him early and he really impressed me. The guy just goes, he doesn’t hesitate and really knows how to maneuver through “trash” on a consistent basis. He’s also a stellar athlete that tested extremely well at his pro day.

He was considered among the biggest snubs to not get an invitation to the combine and he showed why at his pro day. Even though he’s “undersized” he reminds me a good amount of Jatavis Brown from last year. He’s not as aggressive but both phenomenal undersized athletes that don’t hesitate.

If the Steelers need anything, they need a true mack backup LB to Shazier as they really don’t have anyone with that type of athletic ability behind him and with Shazier’s durability, they’d be smart to get a guy like Magloire somewhere late day 2 early day 3.

5th round: Ejuan Price, EDGE, Pitt

Dammit, if I’m a team I’m making it a goal to make sure that my team gets Ejuan Price. Price quite honestly has some of the best overall film you’ll see from a pass rusher in this class. His spin and rip move are among the best in this class and he really doesn’t need much more variation either.

My biggest problem with Price is not that I think he’s a liability vs the run (he’s not but he’s not great either). My biggest problem is that it looked as if his conditioning at the end of games was not up to par, granted, most teams normally give a substitution to give them rest and Price played a lot.

I just think he’d benefit a lot from just being able to workout with James Harrison and really get himself into top shape. He’s one of those guys I hope Pittsburgh gets because on the 3rd day in the 5th or so round, the “Price” couldn’t be anymore right.

6th round: Josh Dobbs, QB, Tennessee

I actually like Dobbs a lot from an intangibles perspective and his last month or so stretch of last season he looked almost like a completely different QB. I don’t know what the reason for that was but I was impressed.

That said, I know he has a long ways to go before getting to a point where he can come in and start in an NFL game in any form or fashion. The thing though I can’t help but think about is how he majored in aerospace engineering and just how much time he had to balance between school and football. How in the world could he get anytime to be able to fine tune parts of his game?

That’s what excites me about Dobbs, he’s really intelligent, not just from football standpoint but from a classroom perspective. His intelligence sets him apart and that should help him process information really quickly. I just wonder how much better he can become when all he is focusing on is football and that’s what I think could lead to him becoming a good QB with time.

7th round: Isaac Rochell, DL, Notre Dame

Rochell was impressive in senior bowl practices but didn’t really seem to standout much on film. What intrigued me though was how well he tested at the combine.

It really makes you wonder how much better he can become when the best defensive line coach in the whole league gets his hands on him. The last guy they took from Notre Dame turned out pretty well I guess, so maybe it wouldn’t hurt to take a shot on this guy.

Yep no real big surprises this time but how do you think I did? Let me know in the comments below!