Steelers mock draft: Unspectacular, yet realistic selections

Round 6:

For all of you fans expecting an offensive tackle early, prepare to be disappointed! While tackle could certainly be addressed earlier, slotting James Hudson here makes sense. The team Steelers have shown interest in him and his disappointing testing will likely lead to a draft-day slip in such a loaded class. That said, Hudson plays with a lot of power and looked good in space while in school.

That said, his technique is raw. Throw that in with his less than ideal testing and Hudson suddenly becomes more of a project. He will likely serve as the ninth lineman on the depth chart and should be a healthy scratch his rookie year as he adds some more strength and develops. The team is relatively set at tackle this season, so getting a developmental prospect makes sense, and Hudson has plenty of skills to work with.

Others considered: Jaylon Moore (OT), Dazz Newsome (WR), Derrick Barnes (ILB)

Almost went with Barnes here, as his unique size and pass-rushing skill set would fit perfectly with the team’s scheme. That said, Vince Williams returning makes tackle more of a need. Had Schwartz not been the pick in round four, Newsome would have been the guy here. As for Moore, it was a coinflip between both him and Hudson. That said, the team seemed to show more interest in Hudson, so he gets the nod here.