Heads up: The NFL Draft is on Thursday. Other football blogs have been saturated with prospect reports, scouting updates, and all sorts of draft coverage basically since the Superbowl ended.
| Source | Player | School |
|---|---|---|
| Gil Brandt | Jarvis Jones, DE/OLB | Georgia |
| Bucky Brooks | Cordarrelle Patterson, WR | Tennessee |
| Charley Casserly | Justin Hunter, WR | Tennessee |
| Charles Davis | Jarvis Jones, DE/OLB | Georgia |
| Pat Kirwan | Kenny Vaccaro, S | Texas |
| Josh Norris | Xavier Rhodes, CB | Florida State |
| Pete Prisco | Tyler Eifert, TE | Notre Dame |
| Bleacher Report (1) | Kenny Vaccaro, S | Texas |
| Bleacher Report (2) | Bjoern Werner, DE/OLB | Florida State |
| Drafttek | Jarvis Jones, DE/OLB | Gerogia |
| Fansided | Eddie Lacy, RB | Alabama |
| SB Nation | Cordarrelle Patterson, WR | Tennessee |
| Walter Football | Jarvis Jones, DE/OLB | Georgia |
Consensus winner: Jarvis Jones
The only reason players get listed as "DE/OLB" coming out of college is because they are going to be a 3-4 OLB. An actual hybrid player at that position is hard to find, yet a thousand of them come out every year. If Jarvis Jones is indeed a future Steeler, he is the de facto replace for James Harrison on the right side of the defense. He's a pass-rusher; not especially versatile. He isn't the fastest guy and he may not be able to drop into coverage very well. I'm not sure if Dick LeBeau would prefer to work with a player like that, but the Steelers are really hurting for a pass-rusher on that side. If Jones is available at 17, it's possible the Steelers take him purely out of necessity.
Runner-up: Cordarrelle Patterson
Again, a pick that could be determined by need. Patterson is a hot-shot wide receiver from the SEC. The Steelers have really backed themselves into a corner by losing Mike Wallace and having to settle on a one-year lame-duck deal for Emmanuel Sanders, and they might be forced to spend their first round pick on a wide receiver rather than the best player available. I'm not saying I don't want a receiver like Patterson on the team, I'm only saying I don't like the team being forced to make a pick based on position.
Runner-up: Kenny Vaccaro
Here's a player the Steelers could pick based on the future rather than the present. The Steelers have a notable hole behind Troy Polamalu and Ryan Clark on the depth chart, and that is a position that gets playing time for the Steelers. Having a talented rookie playing behind those two veterans would mean a lot to this defense in the future. Ryan Clark is getting older every year and Troy Polamalu is eventually going to fall apart. Sooner or later, the Steelers are going to need a safety of the future. If Vaccaro is that guy, I like it.
As for the other projections, Bjoern Werner is basically the same as Jarvis Jones from an analysis perspective. I wouldn't mind having a guy named Jarvis on the team, but I could really get behind someone named Bjoern. Justin Hunter, like, Patterson, is a wide receiver from Tennessee. It depends on which player fits the offense better, but it's the same idea that the Steelers have a clear need for a pass-catcher. Speaking of pass-catchers, a few drafts (only one listed here), suggested Tyler Eifert out of Notre Dame. I get that Heath Miller is coming off ACL surgery, but the Steelers have a lot more pressing needs than tight end. Why spend a first round pick on a TE if Miller ostensibly has several effective years left?
Xavier Rhodes is just a continuation of the "get some more DBs" refrain, though I'm not convinced the Steelers need youth at corner. Enough draft picks have been spent there the past few years, and it's time for one of them to rise up and take a starting job. This is especially not a need if the Steelers indeed choose Kenny Vaccaro. Eddie Lacy is a more intriguing prospect. I'm always torn on drafting running backs, because a good run-blocking line will do more with less, and that's why so many running backs in the league today were undrafted. The Steelers need a running back though, and Lacy has some crazy talent. So much that I doubt he falls to the Steelers at 17, but if he's there, he would be hard to pass up even for me. He's a fast and tough runner who can play every down between the tackles. Coming from Alabama, you know you're getting a pro-ready player with a ton of experience winning games. But given his chances of going higher coupled with more pressing needs at positions that are harder to find, I don't think Lacy will be wearing the black and gold.
It sounds like Jarvis Jones is a likely pick, and it's one the Steelers desperately need. The entire defense is built around rushing the passer. Someone has to put Andy Dalton and Joe Flacco on the ground to win the AFC North, and even if LaMarr Woodley regains his form (not holding my breath), if you're predictable you might as well be dead against an NFL quarterback. Serviceable wide receivers and running backs can be found in later rounds, but you can't fake a good pass-rusher. If Jarvis Jones is there at 17, I'm on board.
Big time disclaimer: All of this is wrong because who on Earth thought the Steelers would land David DeCastro last year? Anything can happen on draft day.
