Steelers mock draft: team fills needs with obvious names
By Andrew Falce
Alabama. Jordan Battle. player. 523. . . DB. 3
Steelers mock draft round 3: DB Jordan Battle
The three names above all have some potential and will need to be developed. Jordan Battle is the opposite, as he seems to be close to his ceiling as a player. This means he can start early, even if he doesn’t have the perceived ceiling of some of the other names in this mock draft.
What Battle will be able to do, and early, is see the field as a traditional strong safety. He has the size you want, a hard-hitting nature, and the ability to sift through traffic when playing in the box. His coverage skills are lacking, but he fits the mold of a strong safety that can move into the box. Long term, if he gets better in coverage, he could also be a versatile slot defender.
The Steelers need another capable safety right now. Damontae Kazee is projected to start, but he could also move into the slot, allowing Battle to play at strong safety early. I don’t foresee him ever being a top safety in the league, but Battle should be a fine starter and fill a big need for this defense early in his career.