RuthlessBurgher's Initial Offseason Mock Draft 1.0 prior to the Senior Bowl

[Oviedo]

Heatthhhh! ok I had to get that out of my system....

With losing Miller, our #2 reception leader in 2015, it makes drafting a TE one of the top priorities, rd 1-3, even if J. James vastly improves.

The stars are lining up now in following the Colbert draft strategy, rotate #1 picks between "O" and "D", and underclass player. In addtion, he is the #1 ranked prospect at position.

Now, where does HH fall? Best case scenario, trade back and select him with more draft picks is a steal!

I like the Hunter pick. Even if J James gets better and becomes really good there is no downside. Having a TE who can split out and another who can play at the end of the line is a good thing to have and creates match up issues especially when the TE who splits out draws a LB or Safety. With a RB like Bell who can catch it would be near impossible for a defense to cover everyone.

This is the time of the year where everyone wants to "trade back." Highly unlikely this happens.

[Slapstick]

Wheaton has one year under contract left...if Coates continues to show what he showed in Denver, Wheaton could be walking after this season...

A premiere TE would be a good investment for the future...

[RuthlessBurgher]

Heatthhhh! ok I had to get that out of my system....

With losing Miller, our #2 reception leader in 2015, it makes drafting a TE one of the top priorities, rd 1-3, even if J. James vastly improves.

The stars are lining up now in following the Colbert draft strategy, rotate #1 picks between "O" and "D", and underclass player. In addtion, he is the #1 ranked prospect at position.

Now, where does HH fall? Best case scenario, trade back and select him with more draft picks is a steal!

If Henry is your guy, don't screw around and just take him at #25. Trading back into the early second and picking up an extra prime pick would be awesome, but while I didn't foresee any of the teams picking immediately ahead of us in the early 20's with a likelihood of going with a round 1 TE, there is a decent possibility that if we tried to get cute and trade back into the early second round thinking we might still be able to get Henry there, one of those teams behind us like Green Bay, Arizona, or Denver could pounce on him and ruin that plan.

[Oviedo]

If Henry is your guy, don't screw around and just take him at #25. Trading back into the early second and picking up an extra prime pick would be awesome, but while I didn't foresee any of the teams picking immediately ahead of us in the early 20's with a likelihood of going with a round 1 TE, there is a decent possibility that if we tried to get cute and trade back into the early second round thinking we might still be able to get Henry there, one of those teams behind us like Green Bay, Arizona, or Denver could pounce on him and ruin that plan.

Yep! If you like a player you take him when you can get him regardless of widely varying, subjective rankings. When you try to get cute is when you lose players and take a lesser option that typically doesn't help your team as much.

Henry is the type of player who is a high probability starter...for a long time. Why wait another round or two and get a back up.

[steeler_george]

Yep! If you like a player you take him when you can get him regardless of widely varying, subjective rankings. When you try to get cute is when you lose players and take a lesser option that typically doesn't help your team as much.

Henry is the type of player who is a high probability starter...for a long time. Why wait another round or two and get a back up.

Did you see the combine or read about Henry, they are saying he prob slipped out of the first!

[pfelix73]

Yea, he wasn't al that impressive. I watched some it, and the 2 that impressed, were Morgan and Vannett from OSU. As a whole, they all weren't spectacular, but I thought Morgan had a good Combine. Maybe a tad slow though. Good blocker too.

[steeler_george]

Yea, he wasn't al that impressive. I watched some it, and the 2 that impressed, were Morgan and Vannett from OSU. As a whole, they all weren't spectacular, but I thought Morgan had a good Combine. Maybe a tad slow though. Good blocker too.

Game tape counts I guess, and that is where Hunter has the edge. Maybe he even slides way down to middle of 2nd. Is vannette getting more love? maybe he was really underused.

[Slapstick]

Game tape counts I guess, and that is where Hunter has the edge. Maybe he even slides way down to middle of 2nd. Is vannette getting more love? maybe he was really underused.

tOSU's QB problems contributed to Vannett's subpar year, IMHO...but, he looked like a savage at the Senior Bowl...

[pittpete]

[URL]http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/2016/2/27/11126486/2016-nfl-combine-results-tight-end-drills[/URL]

[Chadman]

Just going to put it out there, Austin Johnson from Penn St looks like the kind of football player the Steelers would like. And he could just be available at #25.

And Keanu Neal, SS from Florida looks like Ryan Clark incarnate.

[Oviedo]

Just going to put it out there, Austin Johnson from Penn St looks like the kind of football player the Steelers would like. And he could just be available at #25.

And Keanu Neal, SS from Florida looks like Ryan Clark incarnate.

As PSU fan I like Johnson a bunch but I still like Vernon Butler more right now for a DL pick in Round 1.

Even though he is raw, I still like Jayron Kearse from Clemson at Safety in Round 3 or 4. I think he is a player you can develop into something very good.

[RuthlessBurgher]

Regarding Kearse...seeing a 6'5" safety is just weird. I know Kam Chancellor is a 6'3" safety, but he's built like a brick outhouse...Kearse is the opposite...just long and thin and not nearly as intense or physical.

[Iron City Inc.]

I am not a big fan of Kearse. In the championship game he struggled even on special teams. Bad angles, doesn't change direction well doesn't break down well at all. A day three pick imho.

[feltdizz]

Game tape counts I guess, and that is where Hunter has the edge. Maybe he even slides way down to middle of 2nd. Is vannette getting more love? maybe he was really underused.

I definitely wouldn't spend a 1st round pick on a TE just cause we lost Miller. I could see if Hunter or one of the TE's was a difference maker but from what I seen he looks like an adequate TE and not a game changer.

[RuthlessBurgher]

I haven't done a mock yet involving trades, and they are always fun. Plus, I've been making my picks so far with Weddle being our big outside free agent signing. What if we are able to get young NT Damon Harrison away from the Jets instead? They are giving Mo Wilkerson the franchise tag, have to come up with enough money to bring back their starting QB this offseason, and have to worry about what it is going to take to sign Sheldon Richardson in the near future (plus all of their running backs are free agents as well). Signing Harrison away from the Jets could be a Farrior like coup.

There are reports that the Steelers could be interested in guys like Kendall Fuller and Hunter Henry, but some folks feel that neither player will be the best player available on the board at #25 (in an unusually strong DT draft, you may be able to get a caliber of DT that might normally come off the board in the top 15 of most drafts, but might still be available where we pick in the late first...but we wouldn't need that if we signed Harrison). Neither Fuller nor Henry is expected to be available when we pick again at #58, though.

What if we were able to trade down instead and get one of those guys?

What if we were able to trade down and get both of those guys?

Projected trade: We send the Rams our picks in the first (#25), second (#58 ), and fourth (#120-something, depending on how many 3rd round comp picks are doled out). The Rams send us their two picks in the second (#43 originally from Philly and #45) and one in the third (#76).

Both teams end up with the same number of picks overall, but the Rams make a splash in their return to L.A. as the only team with 2 first round picks, plus they'd still have a second rounder and 2 fourth rounders, and we end up with two 2's and two 3's.

Steelers sign NT Damon Harrison
Trade our 1st, 2nd, & 4th to the Rams for their two 2nds and a 3rd.
2.43 CB Kendall Fuller, Virginia Tech, 5'11" 187
2.45 TE Hunter Henry, Arkansas, 6'5" 250
3.76 OG Joshua Garnett, Stanford, 6'4" 312
3.89 FS DeAndre Houston-Carson, William & Mary, 6'1" 201
7. (NYG) OLB Ian Seau, Nevada, 6'2" 259
7. (PIT) OT Brandon Shell, South Carolina, 6'5" 324
7. (COMP) DE Delvon Simmons, Southern California, 6'5" 295