With less than two weeks to go until the 2014 NFL Draft, NFL Network analyst Brian Baldinger has just released his first mock of the first round and he has a cornerback slated as going to the Pittsburgh Steelers with the 15th overall selection.
Michigan State’s Darqueze Dennard is Baldringer’s first cornerback off the board in round one as he has Oklahoma State’ Justin Gilbert going to the New York Jets three picks later at 18th overall.
Baldringer writes:
Dennard is a natural Steeler — a lock-up man-to-man defender and the best tackling cornerback in the draft.
Dennard and Gilbert have been a popular choice of several major media draftniks as of late and nobody is going to deny that cornerback is a huge position of need for the Steelers.
The last time the Steelers drafted a cornerback in the first round of a draft was in 1997 when Chad Scott was selected with the 24th overall selection.
In total, Baldringer has four cornerbacks being drafted in the first round.
