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Pittsburgh Steelers full 2016 NFL Draft picks

By John Buhler

Oct 24, 2015; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Miami Hurricanes defensive back Artie Burns (1) looks on during the second half against the Clemson Tigers at Sun Life Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 24, 2015; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Miami Hurricanes defensive back Artie Burns (1) looks on during the second half against the Clemson Tigers at Sun Life Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Pittsburgh Steelers had seven picks in the 2016 NFL Draft. Here are the seven newest members of the Steelers, including first-round cornerback Artie Burns.

The Pittsburgh Steelers used their seven draft picks in the 2016 NFL Draft to bolster their always competitive AFC North roster. Pittsburgh made great strides in the Draft to improve their secondary, which seemed to be a lynchpin in the Steelers’ 2015 AFC Playoffs run. Here are the seven players the Steelers selected during the 2016 NFL Draft in Chicago.

  • Round 1 (25): Artie Burns, CB, Miami (FL)
  • Round 2 (58): Sean Davis, S, Maryland
  • Round 3 (89): Javon Hargreave, DT, South Carolina State
  • Round 4 (123): Jerald Hawkins, OT, LSU
  • Round 6 (220): Travis Feeney, OLB, Washington
  • Round 7 (229): DeMarcus Ayers, WR, Houston
  • Round 7 (246):

Truth be told, the Steelers absolutely reached to draft Burns at No. 25 out of Miami at Coral Gables. There were several great cornerbacks that went in the first round like Jalen Ramsey, Eli Apple, Vernon Hargreaves, III, and William Jackson, III, but Burns was no doubt a head scratcher at No. 25. Who?

Pittsburgh decided to double down and go with another secondary player in Davis out of Maryland. While Maryland has fallen on hard times in the last several years, the Terrapins tend to have strong perimeter players over the years, so perhaps Davis can aid in the Steelers’ secondary as a late second-round selection.

While the Steelers are easily considered one of the best run organizations in football over the last 45 years, it’s admittedly hard to get excited about what Pittsburgh did during the 2016 NFL Draft. No player stands out as an obvious win at any round.

That being said, the Steelers tend to find ways to be ahead of the curve when constructing their roster. Maybe the Pittsburgh front office has more insight on the potential of their seven 2016 NFL Draft picks than the casual NFL fan would give them credit for?

For more 2016 NFL Draft coverage, please check out our NFL Draft hub page.

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