Now that the Pittsburgh Steelers 2015 has come to an end, we will now start to focus more on the team’s offseason needs and that includes the direction they’ll wind up going in the 2016 NFL Draft.
Mock drafts are already in full force and on Monday, Daniel Jeremiah of the NFL Network released his first attempt at the first round. Jeremiah’s first offering includes the Steelers selecting Arkansas tight end Hunter Henry with the 25th overall pick.
Jeremiah writes of the mocked selection:
Henry is the top tight end in this draft and he would fit perfectly in Pittsburgh’s offense
The 6-5, 253-pound Henry caught 51 passes for 739 yards and 3 touchdowns in 2015 at Arkansas. In three season there he caught 116 passes for 1,661 yards and 9 touchdowns.
A few weeks ago, Henry announced that he will forgo his senior season at Arkansas and declare for the 2016 NFL Draft. A consensus All-American in 2015, Henry won the John Mackey Award, given annually to the nation’s top tight end.
The Steelers already have tight ends Heath Miller, Matt Spaeth and Jesse James under contract for the 2016 season. However, with Miller up in age and Spaeth very much expendable, it’s not out the question that the organization might be in the market for another young tight end in the draft.
Miller was the last tight end that the Steelers drafted in the first round. In last year’s draft the team selected James out of Penn State in the fifth round.
We will have a full breakdown of Henry in a future post so be on the lookout for that.
