Steelers land 'explosive player' in expert's latest mock draft
Turnover at linebacker has already begun for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Devin Bush, Robert Spillane, and Myles Jack are out the door. Cole Holcomb and Elandon Roberts have come in to take over. But will it stop there? It wouldn't surprise many to see the team address the position in the NFL Draft, even in the first […]
Turnover at linebacker has already begun for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Devin Bush, Robert Spillane, and Myles Jack are out the door. Cole Holcomb and Elandon Roberts have come in to take over. But will it stop there?
It wouldn't surprise many to see the team address the position in the NFL Draft, even in the first round.
In NFL Draft analyst Chad Reurter's latest mock draft for NFL.com, the Steelers went with linebacker Trenton Simpson with their 17th overall pick.
Reuter paired the Clemson product with the Steelers defense due to his ability "to attack gaps inside and bring pressure on blitzes." That fits Pittsburgh to a tee.
This is not an out-of-the-blue projection either. Before free agency, the Steelers showed notable intrigue with Simpson at Clemson's pro day, so much as hosting him for dinner.
It's worthy to wonder if the team would be so interested in Simpson having already signed Holcomb and Roberts to multi-year deals in free agency, effectively replacing their starters from last year. Pittsburgh's last attempt at developing a first-round linebacker in Bush didn't pan out either.
When looking at pre-draft visits, the Steelers seem more interested in the top cornerbacks and a few notable defensive linemen compared to linebackers. Simpson is also ranked outside of the top 32 players when looking at the consensus big board. A to Z Sports' top 300 board has him ranked 34th overall.
That said, Simpson's athleticism alone makes him a better option to start than Roberts, whose contract could have him rotating in and out during games.
Reuter also had the Steelers picking Oklahoma OT Anton Harrison, Georgia Tech edge defender Keion White, Oklahoma wide receiver Marvin Mims, and Oregon edge defender DJ Johnson. Pittsburgh needs a starting tackle like Harrison and have met with White, so both of those picks make sense.
Simpson may be a surprising pick so early in the first round, but he'd undoubtedly turn the linebacker position into a strength for Pittsburgh.
