Pittsburgh Steelers 2015 NFL Draft Preview
By Zac Snyder
Teams are putting the finishing touches on their preparation as the 2015 NFL Draft is nearly here.
To preview the draft for the Pittsburgh Steelers, I got together with Kim Myers of Still Curtain. Below are my questions followed by her answers.
1. What are the team’s biggest needs heading into the draft and how might they address them?
"The Steelers biggest needs by far are the secondary and outside linebacker. They’re going to finally draft a corner higher than the third round for the first time in a half-dozen years. Both Steelers GM and head coach explained at the NFL Owners Meetings that they wanted to create competition at the cornerback position. As it stands now, they’re paper thin so they’re obviously planning on at least two of the eight draft picks to go to the secondary if they’re going to create any kind of competition for starting positions."
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2. What needs to happen for this draft to be considered a success?
"The draft will be a success if the team really and truly addresses their needs on the defense. Picking up some solid pieces on offense like a playmaking tight end or another offensive lineman for depth wouldn’t hurt either. The draft will also be a success if they don’t pick another Dri Archer in the third round."
3. What in your mind would make this draft a failure?
"The Steelers draft would be a failure if they don’t address the needs in the secondary and linebacker positions. There doesn’t seem to be a backup plan in place for those positions. The Steelers needed corners last season and they failed in the draft, not taking a corner till the fifth round and then it was Shaquille Richardson, who didn’t even end up making the roster. They need these position players to be able to make and contribute to the 53-man roster."
4. What is a bold prediction for your team this draft?
"My bold prediction is that the Steelers might end up drafting a wide receiver at some point in the draft. They’ve been working out a lot of receivers in pre-draft visits and while some may see the Steelers as set at the position, another receiver who can contribute to special teams wouldn’t hurt at all. Especially with a potential hold-out from Antonio Brown looming."
5. What is a draft angle the general public might not be aware of for your team?
"The draft angle that I think a lot of football fans might not remember is that outside of the top 10 or even top 5 picks in the first round, a lot of the picks depend on who is available and the needs of the team. As many mock draft that float around this time of year it is virtually impossible to accurately predict what will happen in the second half of the first round and beyond, and sometimes it’s even hard to predict what will happen with the top picks. Also that it’s not as easy as it sounds to trade up or down. The NFL pulled off more trades this offseason than anyone has seen in a very long time but that’s really rare and not the norm. The last time the Steelers traded up in the draft was in 2003 to draft Troy Polamalu out of USC."
For full Steelers coverage, check out Still Curtain.
Next: 2-Round 2015 NFL Mock Draft