In their latest mock draft, Sporting News has the Pittsburgh Steelers selecting Clemson cornerback Trayvon Mullen with the 20th overall pick. Corner is an obvious need and that’s the basis of their rationale for the selection.
“Mullen saw his stock go down in the middle of the Tigers’ season as he struggled at times as a No. 1 corner. But his size (6-1, 194 pounds), speed, length and physicality is allowing him to test well and get more attention from scouts. The Steelers should see him a strong complement and soon replacement to Joe Haden, who turns 30 in April and is a free agent in 2020.”
From a positional need standpoint, the Mullen’s selection makes sense. From a value standpoint though, it’s a little trickier. I wouldn’t consider him a slam dunk first round selection but to be fair, most names around this spot aren’t slam dunks.
In our report on Mullen, I considered him a mid Day Two selection and possibly going as high as the top 15 picks of the second round. His size, length, and work in press man are all assets. However, his lack of interceptions – four in his career – and overall athleticism are a bit questionable.
In their mock, Mullen is the second cornerback selected, trailing only LSU’s Greedy Williams, taken five spots higher. If Williams comes anywhere close to falling that far, he’s someone the Steelers should consider trading up for. Our scouting report on him is going up in a little bit. Deandre Baker is the only other corner to appear in the first round of this mock.
Ohio State’s Nick Bosa is the first player taken off the board, nabbed by Arizona with the initial pick. Fellow edge rusher Josh Allen follows him up at #2, defensive tackle Quinnen Williams taken third, defensive linemen Rashan Gary next, and offensive tackle Jawan Taylor rounding out the top five.
Around the AFC North, the Bengals draft inside linebacker Devin White, the Browns receiver D.K. Metcalf, and the Ravens also go receiver, selecting Kelvin Harmon.
