2018 NFL Draft: Pittsburgh Steelers 7-round mock
By Conor Dorney
The Steelers fell short of an AFC Championship rematch with the Patriots but now turn to the 2018 NFL Draft to reload for next season.
The Pittsburgh Steelers didn’t get a chance to avenge their 2016 AFC Championship loss to the New England Patriots this season, but the way the team approaches this offseason will undoubtedly be some of the most important developments in the entire league.
The long-term contract negotiations of superstar running back Le’Veon Bell loom large and there at least seem to be some positive recent developments in an effort to make that a reality.
General manager Kevin Colbert and head coach Mike Tomlin form one of the most consistent player evaluation duos in the NFL and even if negotiations with Bell go south, there are plenty of talented running back options in this class to try and fill the void. Ben Roethlisberger’s long-term future and the devastating injury to linebacker Ryan Shazier also figure to factor heavily into the club’s draft strategy in 2018.
So, without further ado, here are some possibilities for the Steelers in the upcoming 2018 NFL Draft.
1st round
The Steelers figure to make upgrading at linebacker a top priority this offseason and one player who continues to shoot up draft boards is South Carolina State standout Darius Leonard.
Leonard is a long, rangy linebacker who turned a lot of heads with his performance at the Senior Bowl in Mobile. In his final season at South Carolina State, Leonard registered 114 tackles and 8.5 sacks en route to MEAC Defensive Player of the Year honors. At 6-foot-2, 229 pounds, Leonard doesn’t have great size but he more than makes up with it with his outstanding speed and athletic ability.
Despite playing at a small school, Leonard has plenty of experience playing against top-level FBS competition, as some of his best games during his Bulldogs career came against teams like UCF and Clemson. Leonard seems like just the type of player who could explode onto the national radar with an impressive performance at the Combine and his athletic profile bodes well for a selection at this range in the first round. If Leonard isn’t the selection, expect the Steelers to take a long look at UTSA’s Marcus Davenport if he’s still on the board.
It helps that the Steelers may also be familiar with the Bulldogs star after taking former teammate Javon Hargrave with the team’s third-round pick in the 2016 Draft. After getting great production out of 2017 top pick T.J. Watt on the edge, the addition of Darius Leonard inside would go a long way towards replacing the athleticism in the linebacking corps that is now lacking with the absence of Ryan Shazier.