Once again here at Steelers Sanctuary we will try to nail down the Steelers draft. I still fully believe that Leighton Vander Esch will be the team’s first pick if available. However, as in mock draft 2.0 we must take into account the very real possibility that Vander Esch may be gone by pick 28. Here’s my best guess as to how the Steelers draft will unfold if that’s the case.
Round 1: Lorenzo Carter – LB – Georgia
Carter was originally my second round pick for Pittsburgh, but it seems more and more likely he won’t be there at that point. The more I think about this player, the more I think he may be the answer at inside linebacker. He did play outside linebacker at Georgia, but never really developed the pass-rushing skills to be successful at the next level. Carter is a tremendous athlete who could really flourish as a 3-4 inside linebacker.
Round 2: Dante Pettis – WR – Washington
No change here for me in the second round for the Steelers, this is just too good a fit. When you look at his superb punt return numbers combined with his skill at receiver, this is a no-brainer. Pittsburgh did have Texas A+M’s Christian Kirk in for a visit, but he’s a lesser version of what Pettis brings to the table.
Round 3: Tarvarius Moore – S – Southern Miss
I’ve been trying to find a good fit at safety for the Steelers in this range for a while now, and look who visited the team today. Moore was a combine snub who absolutely killed his pro-day. The talented safety ran a 4.3/40 yard dash, with a 38.5 vertical leap and 11.1 foot broad jump. At almost 6’2″ and 200lbs, he’s the ultimate size/speed prospect at safety. Just the kind of athlete the Pittsburgh Steelers covet.
Round 5: Ade Aruna – Edge – Tulane
Ade Aruna is a raw prospect who’s only been playing football since his senior year in high school. He only even arrived in this country from his native Nigeria for his freshman year. Aruna has the physical tools, but needs time to develop his as a pro. He stands 6’5″ and weighs in at 260lbs, while still running a very respectable 4.6/40 yard dash. This is the type of player you gamble on in the later rounds, hoping to hit a home run.
Round 5: Leon Jacobs – LB – Wisconsin
If we learned anything last season it’s you can never have enough linebackers right? Jacobs has the versatility to play inside or outside linebacker. He would help immediately on special teams, and could develop into a whole lot more. In his first year at outside linebacker, Jacobs had 60 tackles, 10 tackles for a loss, and 3.5 sacks. Combine that with a 4.4/40 at 250lbs, and that’s got the makings of a pretty good prospect in the 5th round.