On Thursday, Mel Kiper Jr. of ESPN.com released a mock of the first three rounds of the 2014 NFL Draft and he has some interesting choices for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
In the first round, Kiper has LSU wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. going to the Steelers at 15th overall as the top two rated cornerbacks and wide receivers are already off the board. In addition, Kiper has three tackles and tight end Eric Ebron also off the board in the top 12 selections.
In the second round, Kiper has Notre Dame nose tackle Louis Nix III going to the Steelers. That’s quite a drop for Nix, who many of the major media draftniks had going to the Steelers in the first round in mock drafts earlier in the offseason.
In round three, Kiper surprisingly has Virginia Tech cornerback Antone Exum as the Steelers compensatory draft pick. While Exum is considered by many to be position flexible, he does have medical concerns attached to him and this is quite high for him, in my opinion.
Below is what Kiper wrote as a recap for the players he mocked for the Steelers.
Sorry, but the addition of Darrius Heyward-Bey doesn’t fix the depth chart at wide receiver, so I grab Beckham here. With Gilbert and Dennard off the board, I can’t take a corner in a reasonable value range at No. 15. Beckham is an explosive talent, a pass-catcher who creates problems for defenses after the catch because he’s such a special accelerator. I add needed talent on the interior of the defensive line in Round 2. Dick LeBeau can do some things with Nix, who doesn’t always play to the level he should given his ability to move at that size, but has a chance to be good. Jimmie Ward is a tough guy to pass on at No. 46, given a depth need at safety, but in getting Exum in Round 3 I add a corner with the size to transition to safety if that’s a better fit.
Ok, this three round mock draft should create some good discussion, so weigh in with your thoughts below in the comments.
