Steelers mock draft: Pittsburgh focuses on building around Kenny Pickett
By Andrew Falce
Steelers mock draft round 3: NT Keondre Coburn
I have the Steelers focused on finding a nose tackle in most of my mock drafts somewhere on day two. While Keeanu Benton is my top target as I think he has the potential to be a great all-around defender, he was taken earlier in the simulator. My quick backup was Keondre Coburn, the nose tackle out of Texas.
Coburn doesn’t have the potential that Benton has, but he seems like a high-floor player at the pro level. He is a throwback space eater at nose tackle, using his stout frame to take up blockers in the middle and open up lanes for other players. He is also a strong player, using that strength to push piles backward.
He has next to no pass-rush ability, and that won’t ever be a strength in his game. That said, he can serve as a two-down player for this defense and help solidify the run defense. I’ve included him in a few mocks now, and he seems like a great backup plan if some of the better nose tackles are off the board in the third round.