NFL Media analyst Daniel Jeremiah has now released his first mock draft of 2015 and he has the Pittsburgh Steelers selecting Louisville free safety Gerod Holliman with the 22nd overall pick in the first round.
Jeremiah writes:
The Steelers need to address the safety position, and Holliman is a ball magnet. He isn’t reliable in run support, but his playmaking ability might entice the Steelers to reach for him.
Holliman (6-foot-0, 213 pounds), who tied the FBS single-season record in 2014 with 14 interceptions, decided this week to forgo his final year of eligibility at Louisville and enter the 2015 NFL Draft.
Holliman, who won the Jim Thorpe Award as the nation’s top defensive back this year, was also a finalist for the Bronko Nagurski Award.
While Holliman is regarded as good fit to play the free safety position in a zone defense at the NFL level, his play against the run leaves a lot to be desired.
The Steelers will more than likely stick with Mike Mitchell as their free safety in 2015 and while Holliman is a ball hawk, the fact that he isn’t good against the run makes it unlikely that the Steelers would draft him in the first round.
Here is what Greg Gabriel had to say about Holliman.
