With the NFL Scouting Combine in the books, the draft experts have made multiple changes to their boards to reflect the apparent “winners and losers” from Indianapolis. Some disappointing performances have cost a few players their place in the first round, while several prospects who exceeded expectations now find themselves rising up the rankings.
Each and every Wednesday for the next seven weeks, we will bring you a selection of the latest mock draft projections from around the NFL draft community in an effort to help identify some of the players Pittsburgh could be interested in come April. So far, we have looked at 60 contrasting offerings from some of the more well-known names in the business, with four different defensive players standing out from the pack as the most popular names to project to the Steelers over the past six weeks.
- Midweek Mock Draft Roundup 1.0 consensus pick - Devin White, LB, LSU
- Midweek Mock Draft Roundup 2.0 consensus pick - Byron Murphy, CB, Washington
- Midweek Mock Draft Roundup 3.0 consensus pick - Tie between Byron Murphy, CB, Washington and Deandre Baker, CB, Georgia
- Midweek Mock Draft Roundup 4.0 consensus pick - Devin White, LB, LSU
- Midweek Mock Draft Roundup 5.0 consensus pick - Deandre Baker, CB, Georgia
- Midweek Mock Draft Roundup 6.0 consensus pick - Greedy Williams, CB, LSU
This week we have 10 more mock drafts worthy of review:
Daniel Jeremiah, NFL Network - CB, Greedy Williams, LSU
“The Steelers need to address the corner position. Williams has an intriguing blend of size, speed and ball skills.
(Previous pick - LB, Devin Bush, Michigan)
Peter Schrager, NFL Network - CB, Byron Murphy, Washington
“The Steelers will look to address their defensive backfield in both free agency and the draft. Murphy is a stellar athlete, who -- beyond starring for Washington at cornerback -- was a stud wide receiver and hoops player in high school.”
(Previous pick - first mock)
R.J. White, CBS Sports - CB, Byron Murphy, Washington
“The Steelers should be in play for a receiver if they do in fact trade away Antonio Brown, but if one of the top three cornerbacks in the draft are still available, I expect them to bite there. Joe Haden has been a great addition to the defense, but the Steelers have had trouble slowing passing attacks with any of their other corners.”
(Previous pick - CB, Byron Murphy, Washington)
Ryan Wilson, CBS Sports - LB, Devin Bush, Michigan
“The Steelers need help at edge rusher and cornerback but if Bush -- and his 4.44 40 -- is still on the board, they have to take him. He’s a sideline-to-sideline thumper who can wreak havoc in the run game, rush the passer, and smoothly drop into coverage.”
(Previous pick - CB, Greedy Williams, LSU)
Tom Fornelli, CBS Sports - CB, Deandre Baker, Georgia
“Some people believe Baker is the best corner in this draft class, and he could go sooner. In this mock draft, however, the Steelers are happy to snap him up at No. 20.”
(Previous pick - CB, Deandre Baker, Georgia)
Matt Miller, Bleacher Report - CB, Greedy Williams, LSU
“2016 first-round pick Artie Burns hasn’t worked out for the Steelers, which puts cornerback near the top of their needs. Finding speed, length and someone who can step in as a starter from day one is key.”
“In this scenario, the Steelers are in line to snag the best cornerback, LSU’s Greedy Williams, at No. 20 due to the run on quarterbacks and edge-rushers.”
“After running a 4.37-second 40 at 6’2” and 185 pounds, Williams fits the mold of the fast, long plug-and-play starter the Steelers are desperate for.”
(Previous pick - CB, Greedy Williams, LSU)
Sam Farmer, Los Angeles Times - CB, Greedy Williams, LSU
“Just because the Steelers almost never take a cornerback in the first round (it has happened once since 1997) doesn’t mean there isn’t a need.”
(Previous pick - first mock)
Dan Kadar, SB Nation - LB, Devin Bush, Michigan
“Here’s your big combine riser. Bush has vaulted himself from the second round potentially into the 20s following a strong performance in Indianapolis. He flies around the field in games, and his combine numbers back up the film. He would add a level of athleticism the Steelers need in the back seven.”
(Previous pick - CB, Greedy Williams, LSU)
Kyle Crabbs, The Draft Network - LB, Devin Bush, Michigan
“Speed at linebacker! The Steelers miss Ryan Shazier’s burst in the middle of the field and Bush punched his ticket to the first round after showing off his explosiveness at the 2019 NFL Scouting Combine yesterday.”
“Bush improved at dealing with contact and quickening his reads in 2018 and enters the NFL Draft as a prospect with his arrow pointing upward.”
(Previous pick - LB, Devin Bush, Michigan)
Luke Easterling, DraftWire - LB, Devin Bush, Michigan
“Adding a corner is a must for this defense, but not at the expense of better value elsewhere. Bush put on a show at the combine, backing up the impressive athleticism, range and versatility he displayed on film. His fiery, physical playing style makes him a perfect fit in Pittsburgh.”
Round 2 - CB, Rock Ya-Sin, Temple
Round 3 - RB, Damien Harris, Alabama
Round 4 - Edge, Maxx Crosby, Eastern Michigan
(Previous pick - EDGE, Montaez Sweat, Mississippi)
While cornerbacks once again dominate our selection of mock draft offerings in six out of the 10 projections highlighted, it is a new name that wins top spot as the most popular player linked to the Pittsburgh Steelers this week in linebacker Devin Bush. The Michigan product has featured in a few of the mocks we have looked at as of late, but never to this level of popularity.
We will add more mock drafts to our weekly roundup as they appear and we encourage you to let us know which experts you think we should be highlighting over the coming weeks.