I’m not one to get too caught up in what someone’s mock draft turns out looking like, but this is one of the few that doesn’t have the Pittsburgh Steelers taking a cornerback, so it’s a little more interesting to mention.
Walter Cherepinsky updated his first round mock draft today and gave Pittsburgh Alabama defensive end A’Shawn Robinson. His reasoning, however, is not particularly glowing, and seems centered around a player who might fall in the draft.
“The Alabama lineman is talented, but he’s had some sketchy interviews. He doesn’t have character concerns, but he has said some strange things and has shown a lack of interest for football.”
Take those comments however you want. What we do indisputably know is that Robinson is one of the few first-round projections to be brought in for a pre-draft visit. From that standpoint, it’s understandable to see Robinson mocked here, though it isn’t particularity agreeable beyond that.
William Jackson III was well off the board in Cherepinsky’s mock, taken 11th by the Chicago Bears. But Andrew Billings, Vernon Butler, Keanu Neal, and Karl Joseph were all still on the board.
In the mocks Dave Bryan has written about since March 11th, only one other mock has had the Steelers taking a non-corner in the first. Doug Farrar had the team taking Josh Garnett. Dave and myself have also avoided cornerback at 25 – for now – giving Pittsburgh Andrew Billings and Shilique Calhoun in our latest attempts.
