2013 NFL Mock Draft (3 Full Rounds, Pittsburgh Steelers Picks Rounds 1-7)
Rounds 4-7 (Steelers Only)
Round 4 (#115). Pittsburgh Steelers: Chris Harper WR (Kansas State)
The Steelers need a big and physical pass-catcher who can make plays inside and outside the numbers, and in the red zone to boot. While Harper is not being as hyped as other pass-catchers in this draft class, I believe that his skill-set compares favorably to Anquan Boldin’s. A large-framed receiver with excellent hands (6’1″ 229 lbs.), Chris has great body control and can make plays at all levels of the field. A former quarterback at Oregon, Harper has developed nicely since he made the full-time switch to wide receiver back in 2010. Last season, Harper made 58 catches for 857 yards and 3 touchdowns as the Wildcats earned a Fiesta Bowl berth.
Round 5 (#150). Pittsburgh Steelers: Khaled Holmes C (Southern Cal)
If Doug Legrusky is not re-signed, I can see the Steelers definitely going after a center/guard prospect in the middle Rounds. Why does Khaled Holmes make sense? Well for starters, Khaled (6’3″ 302 lbs.) was the anchor of the interior Southern Cal’s offensive line, and gained plenty of experience in a zone-blocking scheme as a member of the Trojans. Holmes also has some versatility to his game as well. Before he started at center in 2011 and 2012, he was Southern Cal’s starting right guard during the 2010 campaign. Khaled is a smart player who possesses good quickness and agility, and would be a nice fit as a zone-blocking center. I should also add that Holmes is the brother-in-law of current Steeler Troy Polamalu.
Round 6 (#186). Pittsburgh Steelers: Ray Graham RB (Pittsburgh)
Before Graham (5’9″ 195 lbs.) sustained an ACL injury during the 2011 season, he was one of the most productive running backs in college football (958 yards rushing, 9 touchdowns, 30 catches, 200 yards in late October). While he did not appear to be as explosive as he was in 2011, Ray was nevertheless an effective weapon for Pitt’s offense in 2012 (1,042 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns). Graham can also help out in the passing-game too, and the running back racked up 90 catches for 753 yards and 4 touchdowns over his final three seasons with the Panthers. While talented, Graham’s stock has dropped during the offseason workout period due to questions about his health and his 40 time at The Combine (4.8 seconds). But if Ray checks out medically, I believe that his field-vision and cutback ability would make him a steal for any zone-heavy offense looking to add a running back on Day 3.
Round 6 (#206). Pittsburgh Steelers: Johnny Adams CB (Michigan State)
I don’t know if the Steelers will be afford to keep Ike Taylor around for the 2014 season, because the veteran is due to make $7 million in base salary alone. Plus, I’m not sold on William Gay, Josh Victorian, Curtis Brown, and DeMarcus Van Dyke as reliable cornerback depth either. The Steelers would be wise to find some insurance at the cornerback position late in this year’s draft, and Johnny Adams (5’10” 185 lbs.) would be a solid fit in the zone-scheme Dick LeBeau employs. While Adams was prone to the “big play” last year, and will not wow most with his raw speed and agility, he nevertheless is a solid tackler (157 career tackles and 11.0 tackles for loss), can blitz effectively, and (4.0 career sacks) has underrated ball-skills (11 career interceptions) in my opinion.
Round 7 (#223). Pittsburgh Steelers: Abry Jones DE (Georgia)
The Steelers have essentially zero depth to speak of at defensive end right now. Al Woods is the only backup behind the 3-man rotation of Brett Keisel, Cameron Heyward, and Ziggy Hood, and Hood and Keisel will be UFA’s once the upcoming season ends. While there were many other talented players on Georgia’s defense over the last two years, Jones (6’3″ 313 lbs.) nevertheless did a fine job for the Bulldogs during the 2010 and 2011 seasons (81 combined tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, 4.0 sacks, and 2 forced fumbles). As long as the ankle injury Jones sustained last year is a non-issue, he could be a solid developmental 5-technique for a team like the Steelers.
Colbert will hopefully be able to lead a great Draft this year. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Players Stats Provided By Specific Team Pages: Alabama, Arkansas, Arkansas Pine Bluff, Auburn, Baylor, Boise State, B.Y.U., California, Central Michigan, Cincinnati, Clemson, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Florida International, Florida State, Fresno State, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas State, Kentucky, L.S.U., Louisiana Tech, Marshall, Michigan State, Mississippi State, Missouri, Missouri Southern, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Oregon, Oregon State, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Purdue, Rice, Rutgers, San Diego State, Stanford, South Carolina, Southeastern Louisiana, Southern Cal, Southern Methodist, Southern Mississippi, Syracuse, Tennessee, Tennessee Tech, Texas, Texas A&M, UCLA, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin, West Virginia, and ESPN.com
Players Contract Info. Provided By: Spotrac.com
Players Heights/Weight Provided By: CBSSports.com and NFL Combine Page
Logos Provided By: SportsLogos.net