The Steelers still need...
...a defense.
Inside Linebacker has been a problem since Ryan Shazier went down, but it has (surprisingly) not been the biggest need on this defense. What they defintely do need is a No. 2 corner. Joe Haden has been impressive and Mike Hilton is solid in the slot. Artie Burns, on the other hand, has been terribly inconsistent, and has somehow managed to play worse than last year. Coty Sensebaugh consistently finds a way to play worse. Cameron Sutton and Brian Allen look like nothing more than depth peices at this point, as Sutton is primarily limited to the slot, and Allen is a special-teamer more than a CB.
Round 1: Kris Boyd, CB (Texas)
Boyd is a larger, physical corner who epitomizes Steelers football. He's solid in coverage and has the frame to play outside. He could be the long-term replacement for Artie Burns and possibly be the final peice to an otherwise good defense. Boyd is a solid tackler and and has shown consistency in his ability to jam wide receivers at the line of scrimmage. The Steelers find their future starting corner.
Round 2: Josh Allen, LB/EDGE (Kentucky)
Josh Allen is like Bud Dupree, except he can rush the passer. At 6'4 260, he is just a little smaller than Dupree, but he offers the same athleticism that drew the Steelers to drafting Dupree in the first place. Allen has seen vast improvement from previous years and could be the replacement for another 1st-round bust in Dupree.
Round 3: Myles Gaskin, RB (Washington)
Gaskin is a phenomenal receiving back who could be the perfect counterpart to James Connor. While Connor is solid as a receiving back, Gaskin offers a fluidity, quickness, and balance that few players in the NFL have. While grabbing him in the 3rd round is a steal, concerns about his size and ability to handle a workload are legitimate. He could be the perfect rotational back to fit in with Connor, especially on 3rd downs.
Round 4: Ben Burr-Kirven, ILB (Washington)
Burr-Kirven is very, very good college linebacker. But, many question if he will be successful at the NFL. At 6'0 and 222 pounds, he has a smaller frame and is severely underweight. In order for him to even be consdered as an NFL prospect, he will have to fill out his frame. But, other than that, he is an intense, physical linebacker who dominates against the run and is solid in zone coverage. He is a perfect fit for the Steelers and could rotate in on 3rd down and passing situations over Jon Bostic or Vince Williams. He's built like a safety, but he's a very good inside linebacker in the NFL, esepcillay with the changing ILB prototype the NFL has seen lately.
Round 6: Alex Bars, C/G (Notre Dame)
The Steelers stick with their B.P.A. (Best Player Available) strategy here and take the young interior offensive lineman. With expiring contracts for Matt Feiler, B.J. Finney, and Ramon Foster, taking a OG does make a lot of sense. And let's not forget that Maurkice Pouncey is nearing 30 and Foster is already 32.
Round 6: Corey Fatony, P (Missouri)
The Steelers are done with Jordan Berry. He kinda sucks. He's not horrible at short distance punts be he couldn't flip the field for his life.
Round 7: KeeSean Johnson, WR (Fresno State)
Johnson could be the replacement for Justin Hunter or Darrius Heyward-Bey. He will most likely contribute as a special teams and depth player, with the slight possibility to produce.
Round 7: Mavin Saunders, TE (Kansas)
Saunders is quite talented, especially considering his complete lack of production. His stats are basically non-existent, but he could be a solid depth piece to replace Xavier Grimble. With the Steelers moving towards using more two-TE sets, he could see some playing time, especially with Jesse James' expiring contract and general lack of explosive plays.
