In this post I will attempt to pick who the Steelers will select with the 25th pick in the draft. I’m giving myself 5 chances to get this right. The list is in no particular order.

  1. Noah Spence – DE Eastern Kentucky: It may be a stretch to have Spence fall to 25. Many mock drafts have him in the top 15.  His character concerns may cause him to fall, and if he does Pittsburgh grabs the edge rusher they sorely need.
  2. Paxton Lynch – QB Memphis: Lynch was my choice in the latest mock draft I did. His stock may be dropping a bit, making him available for the Steelers.  At 6’6′, Lynch is a big quarterback, with a strong arm.   He’d be a perfect player to sit and learn behind Roethlisberger.
  3. Andrew Billings  – NT Baylor: Now that Steve Mclendon has officially signed with the Jets, Pittsburgh has a need at nose tackle.  Having said that, the Steelers seem to be moving away from the traditional 3-4 nose tackle given the fact they spend so much time in sub packages.  Billings is probably my least likely of the 5. If the top players at other positions are gone, Billings could be the best value at pick 25.
  4. William Jackson – CB Houston: Jackson is a big corner at 6’1′, and has the speed at 4.3/40 to go along with it.  The Steelers prefer tall corners, so it seems this would be a good fit. Traditionally Pittsburgh doesn’t draft corners in the first round ( the last one was Chad Scott in 1997), but Jackson’s size/speed combo could force their hand.
  5. Taylor Decker – OT Ohio St.: As I’ve written in a previous post, the Steelers don’t seem to have the confidence in Alejandro Villanueva that most of us thought.  The signing of Ryan Harris is only a short term depth acquisition. Decker could compete for the starting left tackle spot right away.  Let’s not forget how much the Steelers love Ohio St. players, Decker is a strong possibility at pick 25.