The 2015 NFL Draft finally tonight. The Steelers have built their big board and are about to assemble inside of their war room. While they’re busy reading over the final scouting reports we’ll be busy looking for mentions of your Black & Gold so we’ve got you covered. Here’s your Steelers Morning Huddle for Thursday, April 30th.
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NFL Draft 411
Draft night is finally here. Here’s everything you need to know to follow the action for the NFL’s biggest night that doesn’t involve any actual football. The first round of the 80th Annual NFL Draft begins at 8:00 pm and will be held at the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University in Chicago.
The draft has seven rounds which will run from Thursday, April 30th to Saturday May 2nd where 256 players will be drafted. The Steelers have the 22nd overall pick for the first round and eight picks total which include a compensatory pick in the sixth round.
Steelers Biggest Needs
At this point, there’s no mystery or question on what the Steelers’ biggest needs in the draft are. ESPN’s Todd McShay went through the biggest needs for each of the NFL teams for this weekend’s draft. For the Steelers he lists cornerback, a 3-4 OLB, safety, 3-4 DL, and an offensive lineman as the top needs.
We can talk until our faces are blue about the Steelers’ lack of depth in the secondary and the frightening possibility that the team will be counting on Cortez Allen to perform light years ahead of how he performed last year if they don’t want teams like the Patriots, Broncos and Colts dropping 50+ points on them as a regular occurrence.
McShay brings up a good point about offensive lineman depth needed. While the Steelers offensive line stayed relatively healthy the majority of last season, Kelvin Beachum, Ramon Foster and Mike Adams are all entering the final years of their contracts. Depth is always a good thing for offensive lines.
Concerns about Randy Gregory
Some have mocked Nebraska’s DE Randy Gregory to the Steelers; some suspect that he’ll be long gone before the Steelers have a chance at him in the No. 22 spot. But, Ian Rapoport, who is always so reliable with his information, suggests that Gregory could be slipping from a lot of team’s boards based on concerns.
A few months ago Gregory was considered the best natural pass rusher in the draft and how it appears he’s dropping from top ten, to possibly outside of the first round, according to Rapoport. The problem apparently isn’t with just the failed drug test at the NFL Scouting Combine, but the concerns that Gregory has the maturity and mental makeup to handle life in the NFL.
If you’re a Randy Gregory fan, you take this for what it’s worth. It is coming from the man who proclaimed the Steelers were actively accepting trade offers for Ben Roethlisberger not too long ago.
Next: Steelers Nation: Excited for The Draft?
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