Steelers 2021 mock draft: Pittsburgh balances offense and defense

Round 4

Monty Rice is a player a lot of Steelers fans should take notice of. While not a dynamic athlete like the top LBs, he has quietly become a top defender for Georgia over the past two years. He looks like a more athletic Vince Williams on tape, providing solid run defense and pressure up the middle. Also like Williams, his pass coverage is a little more suspect, but given his more natural athleticism, he could develop more there over time.

Assuming Williams isn’t cut for cap relief, Rice would begin his career as a backup and core special teamer. Williams is getting older though, and Rice would be a natural replacement for him given his play style. Two to three years from now, Rice could be suiting up next to Devin Bush full time. Rice has the ceiling of a good two down LB that can contribute to coverage. Getting value like that in the fourth would be well worth the investment.

Cory Durden is a perfect prospect to add to this defensive line, as he has the natural size (6’5, 315) and pass-rushing ability to become a starter. His issue is his technique, which is extremely sloppy. He fails to anchor well and provides much rush outside of using his pure strength to bull rush. Luckily for him, Karl Dunbar has done an incredible job of developing DL talent and getting the most out of them. If he can work his magic on Durden, you could be looking at a starter a few years down the road.

Coming into the league with pass-rushing ability is a good trait. Again, his sloppy technique makes him a below-average run stopper and inconsistent rusher, but a lot of that can be cleaned up with Dunbar’s help. The Steelers have built a potent front seven and adding a player with as much upside as Durden could pay off a few years from now. Considering Chris Wormley and Tyson Alualu aren’t guaranteed to be here next year, Durden would have an easy route to a backup job as he hones his skills and begins his development process.