NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah released the fifth version of his first-round mock draft on Monday and after previously predicting that the Pittsburgh Steelers would select Clemson cornerback Mackensie Alexander as their selection in his fourth version, he’s sticking with that choice in his latest offering.
Jeremiah writes this time of his selection of Alexander for the Steelers:
Alexander is a great fit in this defense.
Well, he certainly mailed in that explanation and now that I have thoroughly broken down every target that Alexander faced during his two years at Clemson, I personally hope the Steelers pass on him. In fact, while it might not ultimately happen, I think there’s a slight chance that Alexander could wind up being selected in the early portion of the second round.
Alexander, in my opinion, really benefited from the great front seven play that Clemson had during his two years there. In addition to him failing to record an interception over the course of the last seasons, he also only registered 11 total passes defensed. Keep in mind that Alexander is also under 5’11”.
It will certainly be interesting to see if the Steelers wind up bringing Alexander in for a pre-draft visit in the coming weeks.
Curiously enough, Jeremiah now also has cornerbacks Eli Apple and William Jackson III both being drafted within the first 14 picks of the draft.
