Steelers mock draft: Unspectacular, yet realistic selections

Round 7:

Just trying to fill out the remaining needs now, and while getting a tight end higher would have been ideal, John Bates is a fine consolation prize in the seventh. His lack of athleticism will prevent him from being a starter, but his blocking traits make him an intriguing number two option.

Ideally, the Steelers would sign Jesse James after the draft to be the number two. That way, Bates could be the number three this season as he works on his physicality. Next year, the team will almost certainly be looking for a new starting tight end, but Bates could slide in as the second option full-time next year.

To finish off the draft, the Steelers go after an old-school linebacker to eventually replace Williams’s physicality (if that is possible). K.J. Britt is another Auburn prospect the team has shown a lot of interest in him pre-draft. He is a throwback, two-down style linebacker that plays the run well but lacks the athleticism or coverage ability to be much more than that.

In the short term, Britt can compete for a roster spot and look to be a thumper on special teams. His best-case scenario is becoming a Williams-style of player. That would be a long road to get there, but Britt has enough positives to work with to give him a shot this late in the draft.

Others considered: Tamorrion Terry (WR), Jimmy Morrissey (IOL), Shaka Toney (EDGE)

Seventh-round is a shot in the dark for the most part. Terry is a height-weight-speed option but isn’t worth the pick this late thanks to Schwartz being drafted earlier. Morrissey is a local option that lacks ideal measurables but could develop into solid interior depth down the road. Toney underwhelmed at Penn St., but he, like the rest of the defense seemingly, tested as a plus athlete.

UDFA’s:

Pooka Williams, RB; Warren Jackson, WR; Dylan Soehner, TE; Calvin Ashley, OT; Aubrey Solomon, DE; Romeo McKnight, EDGE; Nahshon Wright, CB; Mark Webb, S; Pressley Harvin, P; Ben Mason, FB

While I am not a fan of taking a running back early, the Steelers seem set on fixing the run game early. That said, this mock fills a lot of different holes for the team. The dots connect for all of these picks at the bare minimum. Like it or not, this seems like a realistic way the Steelers may try and structure their draft.