2015 Steelers NFL Mock Draft: 7 Rounds v6.0
Mandatory Credit: Reese Strickland-USA TODAY Sports
The Steelers are entering the 2015 season with their starting offensive line from 2014 still intact. Continuity was enormous for the unit as they progressively improved last fall, and it appears more positivity is on the horizon for what was a much maligned unit for close to a decade in Pittsburgh.
Optimism notwithstanding, four of the Steelers’ top six offensive linemen are not signed through the 2016, with two of them (Kelvin Beachum and Mike Adams) set to hit the open market next spring if they are not extended. Acquiring developmental depth would be a wise choice if free agency ravages their depth chart, so taking a chance on Andrew Donnal of Iowa in the late stages of the draft process would be a nice insurance move.
While Brandon Scherff is likely to go in the first round of this April’s draft, do not sleep on his former teammate Donnal. A starter at right guard for a period during his sophomore season in 2012, Donnal lost his starting job due to a knee injury. The injury relegated him to the bench for the rest of that season, and the former Hawkeye spent his junior campaign as a backup at left tackle and right guard.
To his credit, the versatile Donnal came back last fall and manned the starting right tackle spot for all of Iowa’s 13 games. Before he contributes for an NFL team in the trenches, Donnal will need to work on his hand placement and technique, overall balance, and also add some weight and much needed strength.
Yet from what I watched of the former Hawkeye on tape, he appeared to have good quickness and decent feet. In addition, he possesses a tackle-like frame and the agility to contribute as a zone-blocking guard or swing tackle. Donnal can drive block and pass protect adequately when he can anchor and use his hands properly, and he would definitely be worth a look near the end of the third day of the draft process.
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