With The First Pick
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Pittsburgh Steelers 2016 Mock Draft

By jonfox

Dec 13, 2015; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (R) shakes hands with Cincinnati Bengals quarterback AJ McCarron (L) after the Steelers beat the Bengals 33-20 at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 13, 2015; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (R) shakes hands with Cincinnati Bengals quarterback AJ McCarron (L) after the Steelers beat the Bengals 33-20 at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jan 9, 2016; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin looks on during the fourth quarter against the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC Wild Card playoff football game at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 9, 2016; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin looks on during the fourth quarter against the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC Wild Card playoff football game at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports /

This is the latest in a series doing a full 2016 mock draft for an individual team. Next up is a team that somehow kept fighting and won a playoff game (and should have beaten the eventual super bowl champions) despite a large number of injuries: the Pittsburgh Steelers. As always, this is a mock of what I think that the team will do, not what I would do as the team’s decision maker.

1st: Jeremy Cash, DB Duke
The Steelers’ defense just hasn’t been the same since Troy Polamalu’s play declined. Their cover-3 defense is completely dependent on having a roving strong safety causing problems for the opposing offense. Cash could be a player in this mold. He has issues with his coverage skills deep down the field but he hits hard, attacks well and can cover the flats/curls extremely. He also has that nose for the ball that the Steelers desperately need.

2nd: Artie Burns, DB Miami(fl)
Even with Golston, their 2nd round pick in 2015 coming back from injury for 2016, the Steelers still need help at corner. William Gay and Allen just aren’t that good and worse yet they’ve become pretty poor tacklers in the open field. Burns isn’t the solution to both of these problems, but he’s a prospect with some real potential. He has good size(6-1 193 lbs) to go with 4.4 speed. He also has good zone cover skills and should grow into a starting role with an NFL team.

3rd: Le’Raven Clark, OL Texas Tech
Clark is a project with some real potential. The Steelers seem fine at tackle for now, but if this season taught them nothing it taught them that you can’t have enough depth. Clark has NFL level pass blocking skills and subpar run blocking skills. But since they wouldn’t need him to start anytime soon, they can wait and develop him properly.

4th: Maurice Canady, DB UVA
Canady is a physical press guy who struggles in space. He probably will be best used by the Steelers as a nickel safety who can go down and press a slot wideout or tight end. He does have ability and skill, but just comes off as too slow in the hips to ever become a top flight corner.

7th(from New York Giants): Daniel Braverman, WR Western Michigan
A straight out of central casting slot wideout aka isolation wideout. You put him in the slot and have him move around a lot to get the ball in his hands as quickly as possible. Unusually, he’s faster straight line than quicker like these types of wideouts tend to be. He should contribute on special teams early and could be used by the Steelers to take advantage of teams’ fear of Bryant and Brown.

7th: Dillon Lee, LB Alabama
You know that he’s a smart, well coached player who won’t make stupid mistakes since he was a Saban-Smart guy. There’s just not much else from him. He didn’t see the field much but he would appear to have a skill set that translates to multiple formations and multiple positions. If all the Steelers would get is a special teamer here, they should consider it a victory.

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