The annual mock draft season is alive and well right now and especially with the 2018 Senior Bowl in the rear view mirror. On Tuesday, NFL.com draft analyst Lance Zierlein released his first mock draft of 2018 and he has the Pittsburgh Steelers selecting Alabama safety Ronnie Harrison with the 28th overall section in the first-round of the 2018 NFL Draft.
Zierlein writes:
It’s been a long time since Pittsburgh drafted an Alabama player, but Harrison is a thumper with speed and plays the game like a Steeler.
Harrison, who announced a few weeks ago that he would forgo his senior season at Alabama to enter the 2018 NFL Draft, tied for a team-best 74 tackles this season and recorded three interceptions. He reportedly measures in at 6-foot-3, 214 pounds and will be one of the nation’s top safety prospects at this year’s NFL Scouting Combine
In his three seasons at Alabama Harrison recorded 177 total tackles to go along with seven total interceptions and 17 total pass breakups in 44 games played in. He was selected to Sports Illustrated’s All-American squad as a second teamer this year and recognized as a First Team All-SEC honoree by the Associated Press and earned a second-team selection by the SEC conference coaches.
The Steelers certainly would appear to be in the market for a young safety during this year’s draft and especially for one that can play a center field role in addition to occasionally being used near the line of scrimmage both as a run defender and coverage player. Harrison fits that bill on the surface and even though the Steelers haven’t drafted a player out of Alabama in many moons, that might be more of coincidence than anything else.
In the coming weeks you can expect us to do a full breakdown of Harrison as part of our annual draft profile series so be on the lookout for that. In the meantime, however, below are a few videos of Harrison in action this past season.
