With the NFL Draft coming up shortly, the Pittsburgh Steelers are expected to focus on their defense, especially at safety and cornerback, where they were inconsistent last season. The Steelers seem to have hinted at drafting a cornerback, what with the release of former cornerback Cortez Allen on April 15.
Still, there are other positions Pittsburgh might look at. The Steelers might draft a wide receiver, because Martavis Bryant will be out for the entire season after failing an NFL-administered drug test. The running back and quarterback positions also need to be looked at. The Steelers had too little depth at running back last season, which showed when Le’Veon Bell and DeAngelo Williams were both out with injury toward the end of the season. As for at quarterback, Landry Jones hasn’t proven to be the quarterback of the future, and the Steelers have yet to decide on a future for Michael Vick and Bruce Gradkowski.
Based on those needs, here are my predictions for who the Steelers will pick with their top four draft picks, which will take place from April 28-30.
FIRST ROUND (25th Overall Pick): Mackensie Alexander, cornerback—Clemson University
The Steelers need a cornerback, and it seems very likely they’ll take one with their first pick. Whether or not it’s Alexander seems to be the question. However, the Steelers seemed interested in Alexander and interviewed him at both the NFL Combine and Clemson’s Pro Day.
The cornerback, who played in 23 total games for Clemson, didn’t participate in the NFL Combine, besides doing 11 reps on the bench press. He did participate in Clemson’s Pro Day, where he had a 40-yard dash time of 4.47 seconds, a vertical jump of 37 ½ inches, a broad jump of 10 feet and 1 inch, a short shuttle of 4.21 seconds, and a 3-cone drill of 7.18 seconds.
Alexander reads the field well and is the definition of a shutdown corner — he didn’t allow more than four catches in a single game last season. The press-style corner matches up well against opposing wide receivers and recovers quickly after making a mistake. The only potential downside to Alexander? He’s only 5 feet 10 inches. He’s a projected second-round pick, but with a number of teams looking for a cornerback in this year’s draft, he could go off the board sooner.
SECOND ROUND (58th Overall Pick): Karl Joseph, safety—West Virginia University
After the Steelers address the issue of cornerback, they’ll need to focus on their safety problem. Last season, just like the cornerbacks, the safeties weren’t consistent. They lost opposing wide receivers on coverage, and most of opposing team’s touchdowns came off passes.
Joseph injured his knee half-way through his senior season at West Virginia, but he did have five interceptions, which led the FBS. According to NFL Network’s Mike Mayock, teams don’t fear ligament concerns with the knee, but, as Shaun Suisham proved in the NFL Hall of Fame game, anything can happen.
NFL Network panelists have called Joseph, who was a team captain for the Mountaineers, an “impactful leader.” And a leader in the backfield is exactly what the Steelers need.
The Steelers need Joseph because of his leadership and quick play. While he didn’t have much time to prove himself with the knee injury, he made waves before his injury. The inconsistency in the Steelers backfield has primarily been because of lack of communication. Joseph is a solid player who could get communication under control — pretty impressive for a rookie.
THIRD ROUND (89th Overall Pick): D.J. Reader, nose tackle—Clemson University
The Steelers don’t have a single nose tackle on their roster. That needs to change. The Steelers have had a history of successful nose tackles (i.e. Casey Hampton). Reader could be the right guy to continue the legacy for the Steelers.
At 6 feet 3 inches and 327 pounds, he’s of average size for a nose tackle. NFL Network draft analyst Lance Zierlein called Reader a “strong nose tackle who is able to push smaller centers around in phone booth battles but unable to consistently be a disruptive force up front.”
Reader has shown himself to be a leader on Clemson’s team. That’s another solid reason to why the Steelers should draft him. Reader can learn from Cam Heyward, who will be on his side on the field. The Steelers need themselves a smart nose tackle, what with the loss of Steve McLendon to the New York Jets this offseason.
FOURTH ROUND (123rd Overall Pick): Dak Prescott, quarterback—Mississippi State University
While many believe the Steelers will select Ohio State University quarterback Cardale Jones, I believe the Steelers will pick Prescott.
While Prescott isn’t as flashy as Jones and isn’t a top pick like Carson Wentz or Jared Goff, Prescott’s a solid quarterback. He’s like Ben Roethlisberger in the stature department — a big, muscular quarterback who is hard to bring down. In addition to his height, his arm strength is second to none.
When it comes to leadership as a quarterback, Prescott delivers. NFL teams like a quarterback who won’t give up and cower when a defensive pass rusher comes. Prescott has taken a beating at his position, but he’s always gotten back up. He’s not afraid to take the big hits. He might not like them, but he doesn’t shy away from them.
Image credit: Atlanta Falcons
