Steelers Mock Draft Roundup - 2/22

A lot of mock drafts were released today. This is because the annual NFL combine is right around the corner and will cause the draft landscape to shift. To make it easier to see what people are saying, I'll be recapping and analyzing some of the notable drafts:

• Dave Bryan of Steelers Depot's 7 round mock draft.
• Alex Kozora of Steelers Depot's 7 round mock draft. 
• Luke Easterling of Bleacher Report's 4 round mock draft

I included the link to each mock so I highly recommend checking out each mock to read why each writer made their selections. 

Dave Bryan - Steelers Depot 

Round 1: Hunter Henry/TE/Arkansas 

Round 2: Darian Thompson/S/Boise State 

Round 3: Jordan Jenkins/OLB/Georgia 

Round 4: Jihad Ward/DE/Illinois 

Round 7: Cassanova McKinzy/ILB/Auburn 

Round 7: Taveze Calhoun/CB/Mississippi State 

Round 7: Donavon Clark/G-T/Michigan State 

My thoughts: 

Not gonna lie, Dave's draft is my favorite. Its hard to tell if players like Thompson and Jenkins will fall to us, but I would be ecstatic if our draft played out like this. 

I've seen mixed reports on Henry. Some say he's the top tight end in this class, some say he is overrated. Regardless, he'd be a day-1 starter and added more versatility to the position. 

I don't really expect Thompson to fall to us in the 2nd, but I'd love if he did. Another day-1 starter who will allow Butler to have a lot of fun using two play-making safeties. 

Jenkins is another play i'm a fan of. Although it may be difficult adding another linebacker to the roster, I really believe we need to start developing a guy for when we (most likely) don't have Jarvis or Harrison next season. I'd be happy even if we took him in the 2nd. 

Ward has received a lot of praise lately. Many analysts believe he'll end up a 2nd round selection due to his athleticism and raw talent. I wouldn't want him too high, but i'd be happy to have him in the 4th. 

Alex Kozora - Steelers Depot

Round 1: Darian Thompson/S/Boise State 

Round 2: Jihad Ward/DE/Illinois 

Round 3: Nick Vannett/TE/Ohio State 

Round 4: Jonathan Jones/CB/Auburn 

Round 7: Alex Lewis/OT/Nebraska

Round 7: Morgan Burns/CB/Kansas State 

Round 7: Nick Kwiatkoski/ILB/West Virginia 

My thoughts:

I'm a huge advocate for taking Thompson in the 1st round. It's been said before that the Steelers look for special talent in the 1st, and Thompson offers this. 

I'm not really on board with Ward in the 2nd. I understand he has talent, but I'd rather get a starter or future starter in this round. Ward is raw and likely wouldn't play much in year 1, so i'd much prefer the Steelers address the d-line in free agency and in later rounds. 

I would love Vannett in the 3rd round. He may not be an instant starter, but he would certainly be our long-term starter. Efficient as both a blocker and receiver. Plus, the Steelers-OSU connection is real. 

I'm on board with Jones in the 4th. I've always found this round tricky because you start leaning away from starters and impact players and more towards projects. I understand Alex's logic for taking Jones and it seems like a solid Steelers pick. 

Luke Easterling - Bleacher Report

Round 1: William Jackson III/CB/Houston

Round 2: Vonn Bell/S/Ohio State 

Round 3: Christian Westerman/G/Arizona State 

Round 4: Darion Griswold/TE/Arkansas State

My thoughts: 

You can tell that Luke is the only non-Steelers writer here. Look, I'd be very happy if the Steelers took a corner in the 1st round, but history shows that it most likely won't happen. Corner has been a need for years and yet every year we see the same thing. Not denying Jackson's talent or saying I don't want him,  just saying I'd bet on the Steelers not taking a corner in the 1st. 

I'm a big big fan of Vonn Bell in the 2nd. He's very intelligent and reliable in both coverage and run support. Another one of those guys who i really don't expect to fall this far, but i'd be ecstatic if he was our selection. 

I see Westerman being a very common Steelers pick. An underrated, nasty prospect at guard. If Foster doesn't return he could maybe come in and start; if Foster does return, he would provide very valuable depth. 

Not gonna lie here, i'd never heard of Darion Griswold. My first thought was if he was in any of the Vacation movies. Some quick googling shows me that he is more of a modern tight end, less of a Steeler tight end; primarily a receiver and not much experience blocking. I don't foresee him being selected by the Steelers. 

Final thoughts: 

There are a lot of common trends between these three mock drafts. 

All 3 have the Steelers taking a safety within the first 2 rounds. This is no surprise considering the Steelers don't currently have more than 1 starting safety on the roster. A playmaking safety would be a huge upgrade for this defense. 

All 3 have the Steelers taking a tight end within the first 4 picks. With Heath Miller's retirement expect almsot every mock to include a tight end. I expect Hunter Henry and Nick Vannettr to be two of the primary targets at the position for the Steelers. 

The biggest trend? D-E-F-E-N-S-E. Although the Steelers need help on the o-line and at tight end, I expect this to be a very defense-heavy draft. Depth is needed at virtually every defensive position. 

 One thing that surprised me was that Dave Bryan was the only writer to include an OLB. I can understand why some don't have one because with Chickillo and Harrison on the roster, the depth chart is crowded. This is edge rusher class is also one of the weaker positions this year. I see it as a position that the Steeler's will address if the right player falls to them, but won't be surprised if we don't end up with somebody. 

Thanks for reading guys.