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The 2018 NFL Draft is just days away, and ESPN’s draft duo of Todd McShay and Mel Kiper Jr. have released their head-to-head 3-round mock draft. In this draft the tandem take turns making picks, and eventually come up with three projected rounds.
While this may seem like a silly exercise for some, it may actually be a bit more realistic than the usual mock draft. McShay doesn’t know who Kiper will be taking for the team ahead of him, which makes his selection reflective of someone else — like the actual draft process.
So, who do they have slated to go to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first three rounds of the upcoming draft? Check out the three picks, which were all made by Todd McShay, below, as well as his reasoning behind the selections:
28. Pittsburgh Steelers
McShay’s pick: Mike Hughes, CB, UCF
Hughes ran only a 4.52 40-yard dash at the combine, but he’s a good cover corner. Pittsburgh still needs help on the back end.
The Steelers adding a cornerback is not out of the realm of possibility, but Hughes being the pick would certainly turn some heads. At the time of this pick there were other positions which could have been addressed, but McShay clearly thinks the UCF product is the best player available.
60. Pittsburgh Steelers
McShay’s pick: Ronnie Harrison, S, Alabama
This team gave up 45 points to Jacksonville at home in the playoffs, so I’m fine doubling down on help in the secondary.
I’m not sure if Harrison will last to the Steelers’ pick at No. 60, but if he does he would be a steal. Harrison would be able to help fill the gaps between Sean Davis and Morgan Burnett in the back end, all while becoming more NFL ready throughout the process.
92. Pittsburgh Steelers
McShay’s pick: Josey Jewell, ILB, Iowa
Jewell doesn’t have nearly the athleticism of Ryan Shazier, but is more athletic than he gets credit for.
The general knock on Jewell is how he isn’t fast enough to play linebacker at the NFL level. Funny thing is there have been other linebackers who weren’t born with blazing speed and agility who just have a knack for finding the ball and playing a hard-nose style of defense. To me, that is Jewell in a nutshell. For what he might lack in athleticism, he makes up in intelligence and grit. Is he Tyler Matakevich 2.0? Maybe, but I think Jewell has a lot more upside than ‘Dirty Red’.
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What do you think about these selections? Would you be happy with an all defense start to the draft? What about the positions selected? Let us know in the comment section below!