Sunshine Mock

[Oviedo]

Sunny and high 70s must mean it is time for yet another mock draft

Round 1: Zach Ertz, TE, 6’6” 252lbs, Stanford
Round 2: Barrett Jones, OL, 6’5” 302lbs, Alabama
Round 3: DJ Swearinger, S, 5’11” 210 lbs. South Carolina
Round 4: Jonathan Bostic, ILB, 6’ 1” 245lbs, Florida
Round 5: Ray Graham, RB 5’9” 192lbs, Pitt
Round 6: Aaron Mellete, WR, 6’3” 216lbs, Elon
Round 7: Collin Klein, QB, 6’ 5” 218lbs, K State

[supersteeler]

Another solid draft with good prospects, I have a TE in mine too. I think they pick one early either your pick or the kid from Notre Dame would be fine with me.

[steeler_fan_in_t.o.]

Hey Ov. Is this what you think they will do or what you would like?

[lloydroid]

Sunny and high 70s must mean it is time for yet another mock draft

Round 1: Zach Ertz, TE, 6’6” 252lbs, Stanford
Round 2: Barrett Jones, OL, 6’5” 302lbs, Alabama
Round 3: DJ Swearinger, S, 5’11” 210 lbs. South Carolina
Round 4: Jonathan Bostic, ILB, 6’ 1” 245lbs, Florida
Round 5: Ray Graham, RB 5’9” 192lbs, Pitt
Round 6: Aaron Mellete, WR, 6’3” 216lbs, Elon
Round 7: Collin Klein, QB, 6’ 5” 218lbs, K State

If they take a TE in the 1st round, I am going to quit following them. The guy is supposed to be late first round material. Why would they take him at 17? We desperately need OLB, NT, CB, S, RB, WR help before we should go looking for a TE.

[SS Laser]

If they take a TE in the 1st round, I am going to quit following them. The guy is supposed to be late first round material. Why would they take him at 17? We desperately need OLB, NT, CB, S, RB, WR help before we should go looking for a TE.

Lets see if you can play civil. Maybe it would be a trade back? Or the Steelers an NFL coaches have him rated higher then the draft media does. It happens all the time. Players do get taken much higher then there draft media grade. I also would not be excited. But it could be a good time to get Millers replacement. Will Miller come back 100%?

[D Rock]

I don't care what they do, as long as they take a TE in the first round.

[Chadman]

Sunny and high 70s must mean it is time for yet another mock draft

Round 1: Zach Ertz, TE, 6’6” 252lbs, Stanford
Round 2: Barrett Jones, OL, 6’5” 302lbs, Alabama
Round 3: DJ Swearinger, S, 5’11” 210 lbs. South Carolina
Round 4: Jonathan Bostic, ILB, 6’ 1” 245lbs, Florida
Round 5: Ray Graham, RB 5’9” 192lbs, Pitt
Round 6: Aaron Mellete, WR, 6’3” 216lbs, Elon
Round 7: Collin Klein, QB, 6’ 5” 218lbs, K State

Don't necessarily agree with the picks, but each one of them has merit. If that is what the Steelers came away with, it'd be hard to argue the result.

[Chadman]

I don't care what they do, as long as they take a TE in the first round.

Chadman sees what you did there..

[lloydroid]

Lets see if you can play civil. Maybe it would be a trade back? Or the Steelers an NFL coaches have him rated higher then the draft media does. It happens all the time. Players do get taken much higher then there draft media grade. I also would not be excited. But it could be a good time to get Millers replacement. Will Miller come back 100%?

All that could be true, but my point is we have much more glaring needs than TE AND that it is quite common for later round - or even undrafted - TEs to do very well. Miller was worth taking with a first round, and it was a glaring need; now, TE is not our most glaring need, even IF Heath isn't 100% (which I feel it is likely he will be considering today's success with ACL surgeries). TE just isn't usually the most critical player. We have virtually no viable backs on the entire roster - not starting quality any how. And even though the passing game is much more dominant in today's game, your #1 RB is still crucial. Well, maybe your #1 and #2 are crucial, depending on your approach, but the point is, 40-some % of all of your plays is going to have the RB with his hands on the ball, so you better have some quality there, much more critical than a TE, especially in Pgh's system and philosophy. I am not saying RB should be taken in the first round, just that taking a TE #1, with this team with so many needs seems insane. Imagine if Harrison and Hampton are gone, which is very possible. Are they going to take a TE over those positions?

[DukieBoy]

I don't care what they do, as long as they take a TE in the first round.

Maybe trade up and take a TE, be sure we get one.

[flippy]

I've been on board with getting another TE long before 2 TEs were in vogue. I think I've had a first round TE in at least one of my mock drafts every year.

I'd even argue it's one of our biggest needs. Specific positions don't matter as much as improving your team. 2 key areas need to improve. 1. Red Zone efficiency and 2. Pressuring the QB

Take the best players on the board that can help accomplish 1 and 2 and the draft will be a success. Heck, I'd be ok with drafting 2 TEs.

[Oviedo]

Hey Ov. Is this what you think they will do or what you would like?

What I would like. Come April, I'm sure they will enrich the defense early

[Oviedo]

I've been on board with getting another TE long before 2 TEs were in vogue. I think I've had a first round TE in at least one of my mock drafts every year.

I'd even argue it's one of our biggest needs. Specific positions don't matter as much as improving your team. 2 key areas need to improve. 1. Red Zone efficiency and 2. Pressuring the QB

Take the best players on the board that can help accomplish 1 and 2 and the draft will be a success. Heck, I'd be ok with drafting 2 TEs.

That was essentially my thinking. Everyone automatically equates receiver to WR. Not me. Who was our leading receiver last year? A player like Ertz or Eifert would be worth a Round 1 pick. Great if we can trade down but we talk that every year and it rarely happens. Both of the TEs mentioned would be impact players in Year 1. Isn't that what we want from a Round 1 pick?

[Sugar]

That was essentially my thinking. Everyone automatically equates receiver to WR. Not me. Who was our leading receiver last year? A player like Ertz or Eifert would be worth a Round 1 pick. Great if we can trade down but we talk that every year and it rarely happens. Both of the TEs mentioned would be impact players in Year 1. Isn't that what we want from a Round 1 pick?

Why yes, sir, it is!

[lloydroid]

That was essentially my thinking. Everyone automatically equates receiver to WR. Not me. Who was our leading receiver last year? A player like Ertz or Eifert would be worth a Round 1 pick. Great if we can trade down but we talk that every year and it rarely happens. Both of the TEs mentioned would be impact players in Year 1. Isn't that what we want from a Round 1 pick?

Hypothetically, let's say we do lose/not re-sign Starks, Hampton, Harrison, Wallace, Mendenhall, Colon, Lewis, which is certainly possible ALL could be the case. With that understanding, do you STILL go with TE in round 1? I understand the possible value of a play making TE, but imagine the larger holes we will have considering who we will be losing. I say take the absolute best possible producer but with the exception of QB, TE, C and that's about it. Every other position could be in play round 1. At 17, we could still nab a difference maker.