My First 'Official' Mock of 2013

[SteelersCanada]

Jordan's workout draws comparisons to Aldon Smith

By Chris Wesseling

NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock ranks Oregon defensive end Dion Jordan as the top outside linebacker prospect in the 2013 NFL Draft.

After Jordan finished tied for third in the 40-yard dash with an official time of 4.60 seconds Monday at the NFL Scouting Combine, Mayock suggested the player could be reunited with new Philadelphia Eagles coach Chip Kelly as the fourth overall draft pick.

"When I see (Jordan) play, I see a raw Aldon Smith," Mayock said. "He needs to gain 20 pounds (to fill out his 6-foot-7 frame)."

Unlike Smith, Jordan excels in pass coverage. The question is if he can match Smith's disruptive pass-rushing ability.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap100...ne-40yard-dash

-- God dammit. Well, looks like he just went out of reach for the Steelers. Why did you have to go and have a good combine Dion?!

[SteelersCanada]

Second Official Mock With Combine Numbers

Post Combine

Well, what a few days that turned out to be. A couple of prospects, some of whom I had never paid any attention to, jumped off the page at me during the combine. Now, it's true that the combine needs to be taken with a grain of salt but a couple of these guys (some of whom I have the Steelers taking now in this mock) really stood out.

I'm adding the combine results that a lot of people are interested in but frankly, I take these with a grain of salt. Especially their respective 40 times.

R1. Barkevious 'KeKe' Mingo - DE / converted to OLB - Louisiana State

6'4 241lbs.

40 Yard Time: 4.58
Bench: DNP
Vertical: 37"

As much as I wanted Dion Jordan here, he's off the board at this point. It's a good thing Barkevious Mingo is a sideways move and could ultimately prove to be the more explosive player of the two. He's fast, agile and can cover almost as well as any OLB in this draft or, quite frankly, that I've ever seen. He had a down senior year at LSU, granted, but at the combine he showed why he's an absolute freak. He's a project for the Steelers but he will ultimately prove to be a fun project. He has room to improve from a technique standpoint but if he's given time and a little bit of leeway, this kid is going to be a monster.

R2. Phillip Thomas - Safety - Fresno State

6'0 208 lbs.

40 Yard Time: 4.65
Bench: 28
Vertical: 40.5"

I've heard his name being tossed around here before but as I watched the combine, I started to realize why he's popular. This dude can cover and hit. Oh boy can he hit. He reminds me a lot of Ryan Clark in terms of his coverage ability but also his ability to come up and stuff the run. His insane vertical and leaping ability would come into play when he's picking passes off and giving our CBs a helping hand when needed. Despite his insane combine performance, he's still a relatively unknown prospect and I think would fall to us in the second round. You're looking at the next starting FS of the Steelers. This kid was impressive today - very, very impressive.

R3. Gavin Escobar - Tight End - San Diego State

6'5 255 lbs.

40 Yard Time: 4.84
Bench: DNP
Vertical: 32"

You know what I say about Gavin's 40 time? He was 4. fast enough (thanks, Charles Davis). Teegre got me interested in this kid in another thread so I started to do some digging and film watching and, wow, this kid has some talent. I love the Aaron Hernandez comparison as well as he's lined up as Hback and Tight End over the course of the season. I honestly do think he projects as an Aaron Hernandez type player in which opposing teams have to gameplan for him specifically. While not the fastest guy in the world, he's agile and quick enough to elude defenders and get into open space. This kid could not only be Ben's safety blanket, but whomever we decide to take over the reigns after Benjamin hangs 'em up. Also, in the third round, this could be the pick of the draft. Let this kid start week 1.

R4. Rodney Smith - Wide Receiver - Florida State

6'5 225 lbs.

40 Yard Time: 4.51
Bench: DNP
Vertical: 34.5
3 Cone: 7.03
60 Yard Shuttle: 11.84

Beast. Absolute beast. I'm taking this kid over any Running Back that is on the board for a very simple reason: he has the potential to be a top 10 WR in the league in a couple of years. I don't know how I missed on this kid up until this point - he's a freak of nature. His height and weight would give Roethlisberger the thing he has been asking for - a tall and physical WR. There are questions regarding whether or not he plays up to his size and his physicality, but Richard is a stickler for the details and under him, I feel as if this is going to be a fantastic pick. I'm going to say it here again - this kid could be the best WR we've seen in a long, long time. He fits Haley's system in terms of being a possession receiver that can get separation using his size and speed. While he's not a burner, he plays a lot like Calvin freakin' Johnson in a way that blows me away. We need to draft this kid.

R5. Michael Mauti - Linebacker - Pennsylvania State

6'2 243 lbs.

Bench (the only thing he participated in due to his knee injury): 28

This isn't a pick that I want, but a pick I'm going to have to live with. The interest between him and the Steelers seems mutual and Colbert is a sucker for this kind of story. I'm worried about his knee injuries, though. We already have Linebackers that have suffered knee injuries and I fear he isn't going to be ready come week 1. I expressed my concerns in another thread, but I feel as if the Steelers are going to take him here. There are legitimate concerns about his knee from other teams and I question his ability to free up Lawrence Timmons the way we need to free him up. He isn't the kind of guy that can let LT be LT which could ultimately be the most costly thing for us. Ultimately, this is a pick I question but am going to have to live with as the Steelers seem to love this kid.

I hope I'm wrong.

R6. Ray Graham - Running Back - Pittsburgh

5'9 200 lbs.

40 Yard Time: 4.8
10 Time: 1.68
Bench: 18
Vertical: 32.5"
3 Cone: 7.17
60 Yard Shuttle: 11.63

"How about it [playing for the Steelers], Ray?

“It’d be great,” said Graham. “I’ve been there and seen a lot of practices, so I felt like I’ve been a part of it already. I already visioned it.”

Graham was specific with his wording. He didn’t mean EN-vision. His emphasis was more akin to tunnel-vision.

“I’m always talking about vision,” Graham said. “That’s always the thing in the Bible. You’re supposed to have vision, vision that you put into reality. That’s why you dream big, man. I just think that, so, yeah, I believe it.""

He wants to play here. Mike and Ray already have a good relationship that involves teasing and having fun. At the combine, Mayock remarked that this kid has a fun-loving, spirited attitude that knows how to turn it on for gameday. He's the kind of kid that will get overlooked due to his combine numbers but will ultimately fall into our laps in the sixth round. There are legitimate questions about his size and whether or not that translates into being an every-down NFL Running Back, but LeSean McCoy isn't much bigger than him. He'll have to answer these questions with his play and this is something I think he can do. He's the ultimate boom-or-bust here but in the sixth round, his potential outweighs the cons.

R7. Knile Davis - Running Back - Arkansas

5'11 227 lbs.

40 Yard Time: 4.37
10 Time: 1.49
Bench: 31
Vertical: 33.5
3 Cone: 6.96

There's going to be a lot of people that say Knile Davis won't be here in the seventh round and to them I say, before the combine, there was a legitimate chance Knile Davis went undrafted. There are still questions about his ankles and his ability to hold onto the ball. He did have fumbling issues in college but we have to keep in mind, this is a guy that had over 1300 yards and 13 TDs when Arkansas wasn't playing terrible football. This is the kind of kid that I fear won't be able to rebound from his injuries - both mentally and physically - and this is why he tumbles so far down. He doesn't get past us, though, and we give him and Graham a chance to compete with one another for our starting RB position. For a guy that's almost 230 lbs to run a sub-4.4 forty is impressive to say the least. He's strong and powerful and has the upper-body strength to move guys around and open up his own lanes.

[kan_t]

I don't see them drafting two RB and Mauti is way too high. Mauti is a candidate of being undrafted. His injury is a serious concern.

[SteelersCanada]

Originally Posted by kan_t

I don't see them drafting two RB and Mauti is way too high. Mauti is a candidate of being undrafted. His injury is a serious concern.

Disagree. Going into the 6th / 7th round, it truly becomes BPA. I mean, the Steelers' entire draft is based on this ideology but it becomes especially true in the later rounds. If Knile Davis and Ray Graham are both on the board come 6th and 7th, I don't see how they go any other way. The potential of those two trump whatever drawbacks may come with picking them.

I'd say the 5th might be a round too late for Mauti. Teams like the Eagles, Patriots and well, us, have shown interest in grabbing him and his ceiling might be too much for anyone to pass up past the fourth round. I'd be shocked if he went any later than the 5th and by that point, he'd be going to another team. If the Steelers want him, which they've made clear they do, they're going to have to take him in the 5th round.

[teegre]

That is a rock-solid draft.

Mingo, Thomas... nice & really nice.
Escobar... cha-ching!!!
Smith... nice.
Mauti... eh, I like the kid, but in R5, Nico Johnson might still be available.
Two RBs??? If that happens, then "Good-bye Redman & Dwyer."

One thought: switch Vaccaro for Mingo, and Lemonier for Thomas.

1. Vaccaro
2. Lemonier
3. Escobar
4. Smith
5. Johnson
6. Graham
7. Davis
8. Win seventh SuperBowl in February 2014.

[SteelersCanada]

My Third and Final Mock Draft Pre-Draft

Post Pro Days

R1. Jarvis Jones - Outside Linebacker / Georgia

This is a very real possibility. His spinal stenosis combined with his poor pro day performance could drop him to 17. At this point, Mike Tomlin and LeBeau commence the biggest bro hug and cry tears of joy because they just drafted the best pass rusher in this years draft. The football gods obviously felt bad about taking Roethlisberger away and are giving us this little treat as a 'we're sorry guys'. I don't need to go into how talented this kid is - go to YouTube and search "Jarvis Jones" and see for yourself. Jones and a healthy Woodley makes for a rejuvenated pass rush.

R2. Matt Elam - Safety / Flordia

This is going to surprise some people but in reality, there's a very good chance he'll be sitting here in the second round at pick 48. If you go and look at who's picking ahead of us and has a real, gaping hole need for Safety, it's not a lot of teams. In fact, I count one - the 49ers. At that point, San Fran will either take Eric Reid or Jonathan Cyprien - whomever is on the board out of those two remaining picks. There's been some chatter around these boards that the Bengals might, but they have more pressing needs than picking up a Safety (like a WR to play with AJ). This kid can hit. Oh boy can he hit. While his coverage skills need some work (and by some work, I mean a lot of work) but he plays like Polamalu. He's a punishing hitter that uses his instincts. His ability to step up into the box and stop the run or lay out a hit on a receiver crossing the middle is unreal.

R3. Le'Veon Bell - Running Back / Michigan State

Franchise. That's all I can say for Bell - franchise. This kid has 'it'. He's deceptively fast for a bigger guy and has the agility and quickness to make quick cuts in and out of the hole. What's most impressive, however, is his second gear. He has the ability to pull away from Linebackers and pick up huge chunks of yardage while running over CBs that try and tackle him. He's our franchise Running Back. This kid to me, runs a lot like Adrian Peterson. While he doesn't have the pure speed that AD possesses, he has the cut-ability and the toughness that AD has.

R4. Bacarri Rambo - Free Safety / Georgia

1 - 2 punch. That's all I can say when we draft both Matt Elam and Bacarri Rambo in this draft. This kid has his issues, but along with Elam, he can make the backfield a very uncomfortable place for receivers to run. Do you remember the Washington game earlier this year? Their receivers were dropping the ball left and right because they heard footsteps - that's the kind of thing Matt Elam and Bacarri Rambo can provide: a backfield where receivers will be scared to catch the ball. While his coverage skills need some work, I trust Carnell Lake to work with him and work on his over the top coverage so Elam can go around and punish the people that decide to catch the ball. A secondary that has the coverage ability of Taylor and Allen with the toughness and ferociousness that Elam and Rambo bring is something I can sign up for.

R5. Rodney Smith - Wide Receiver / Florida State

6'5 225 lbs. He's the target Roethlisberger has been asking for. I'm standing by what I said in my previous mock - this kid has the potential to be a top 10 receiver in this league if given the right pieces and coaching. He was a monster for Florida State. While there are legitimate concerns about his game at times, if he's playing alongside guys like Brown and Sanders, that shouldn't be a problem.

R6. Dion Sims - Tight End / Michigan State

I don't think this is a need, but I think if he's on the board when we pick here it becomes a no-brainer type pick. He's versatile, agile and is a stud in the run-block game. He can give Paulson or Spaeth relief and the offense wouldn't skip a beat. Line him up next to Adams in the running game and watch Bell make plays in the secondary. This is a pick that just makes sense and, on top of everything else, he has some pretty good hands, too.

Compensatory R6. Michael Mauti - Linebacker / Pennsylvania State

I'm not going to back down from what I said in my previous mock - I'm not quite sure what the rest of you guys are seeing with this kid. He plays with passion and has a fire in his belly, granted, but when I threw on some film of him, he doesn't scream to me "elite Linebacker". No one can argue that he loves the game of football - that's undeniable - but one can question his skillset and whether or not it compliments what we're trying to do with Lawrence Timmons. I guess this is the ultimate 'boom or bust' pick for us.

R7. Kapron Lewis-Moore - Defensive End / Notre Dame

This is a pick that's mainly for depth purposes if I'm being honest. He does possess a pretty good skillset and flashed potential early this year, but he seemed to fade away in games too often and not make enough splash plays for him to be considered earlier on. He was someone that garnered six sacks earlier this year and showed a nose for the backfield, but I don't know if that is going to translate into NFL success. This, again, is a boom or bust pick. I think the best case scenario for this kid is a Brett Keisel-type role which I wouldn't argue with. The similarities between those two are pretty evident and we might find our stud defensive end for the next decade again in the seventh round.

[teegre]

Jones: If he drops, a great pick.

Elam: a steal!!! I'd be so happy.

Bell: My favorite RB not named Lattimore.

Rambo: If the Steelers can look past his "issues", then he & Elam would be the Troy & Clark for the next decade.

Smith & Sims: adds height & depth to those positions.

Mauti: Why not? If he pans out, then he is a steal. If not, it's merely a R7 pick.

[ebsteelers]

Originally Posted by SteelersCanada

My Third and Final Mock Draft Pre-Draft

Post Pro Days

R1. Jarvis Jones - Outside Linebacker / Georgia

This is a very real possibility. His spinal stenosis combined with his poor pro day performance could drop him to 17. At this point, Mike Tomlin and LeBeau commence the biggest bro hug and cry tears of joy because they just drafted the best pass rusher in this years draft. The football gods obviously felt bad about taking Roethlisberger away and are giving us this little treat as a 'we're sorry guys'. I don't need to go into how talented this kid is - go to YouTube and search "Jarvis Jones" and see for yourself. Jones and a healthy Woodley makes for a rejuvenated pass rush.

R2. Matt Elam - Safety / Flordia

This is going to surprise some people but in reality, there's a very good chance he'll be sitting here in the second round at pick 48. If you go and look at who's picking ahead of us and has a real, gaping hole need for Safety, it's not a lot of teams. In fact, I count one - the 49ers. At that point, San Fran will either take Eric Reid or Jonathan Cyprien - whomever is on the board out of those two remaining picks. There's been some chatter around these boards that the Bengals might, but they have more pressing needs than picking up a Safety (like a WR to play with AJ). This kid can hit. Oh boy can he hit. While his coverage skills need some work (and by some work, I mean a lot of work) but he plays like Polamalu. He's a punishing hitter that uses his instincts. His ability to step up into the box and stop the run or lay out a hit on a receiver crossing the middle is unreal.

R3. Le'Veon Bell - Running Back / Michigan State

Franchise. That's all I can say for Bell - franchise. This kid has 'it'. He's deceptively fast for a bigger guy and has the agility and quickness to make quick cuts in and out of the hole. What's most impressive, however, is his second gear. He has the ability to pull away from Linebackers and pick up huge chunks of yardage while running over CBs that try and tackle him. He's our franchise Running Back. This kid to me, runs a lot like Adrian Peterson. While he doesn't have the pure speed that AD possesses, he has the cut-ability and the toughness that AD has.

R4. Bacarri Rambo - Free Safety / Georgia

1 - 2 punch. That's all I can say when we draft both Matt Elam and Bacarri Rambo in this draft. This kid has his issues, but along with Elam, he can make the backfield a very uncomfortable place for receivers to run. Do you remember the Washington game earlier this year? Their receivers were dropping the ball left and right because they heard footsteps - that's the kind of thing Matt Elam and Bacarri Rambo can provide: a backfield where receivers will be scared to catch the ball. While his coverage skills need some work, I trust Carnell Lake to work with him and work on his over the top coverage so Elam can go around and punish the people that decide to catch the ball. A secondary that has the coverage ability of Taylor and Allen with the toughness and ferociousness that Elam and Rambo bring is something I can sign up for.

R5. Rodney Smith - Wide Receiver / Florida State

6'5 225 lbs. He's the target Roethlisberger has been asking for. I'm standing by what I said in my previous mock - this kid has the potential to be a top 10 receiver in this league if given the right pieces and coaching. He was a monster for Florida State. While there are legitimate concerns about his game at times, if he's playing alongside guys like Brown and Sanders, that shouldn't be a problem.

R6. Dion Sims - Tight End / Michigan State

I don't think this is a need, but I think if he's on the board when we pick here it becomes a no-brainer type pick. He's versatile, agile and is a stud in the run-block game. He can give Paulson or Spaeth relief and the offense wouldn't skip a beat. Line him up next to Adams in the running game and watch Bell make plays in the secondary. This is a pick that just makes sense and, on top of everything else, he has some pretty good hands, too.

Compensatory R6. Michael Mauti - Linebacker / Pennsylvania State

I'm not going to back down from what I said in my previous mock - I'm not quite sure what the rest of you guys are seeing with this kid. He plays with passion and has a fire in his belly, granted, but when I threw on some film of him, he doesn't scream to me "elite Linebacker". No one can argue that he loves the game of football - that's undeniable - but one can question his skillset and whether or not it compliments what we're trying to do with Lawrence Timmons. I guess this is the ultimate 'boom or bust' pick for us.

R7. Kapron Lewis-Moore - Defensive End / Notre Dame

This is a pick that's mainly for depth purposes if I'm being honest. He does possess a pretty good skillset and flashed potential early this year, but he seemed to fade away in games too often and not make enough splash plays for him to be considered earlier on. He was someone that garnered six sacks earlier this year and showed a nose for the backfield, but I don't know if that is going to translate into NFL success. This, again, is a boom or bust pick. I think the best case scenario for this kid is a Brett Keisel-type role which I wouldn't argue with. The similarities between those two are pretty evident and we might find our stud defensive end for the next decade again in the seventh round.

i'd be licking my chops at a draft like that..