The Steelers have some holes I don't expect a trade up.

1.Don'Ta Hightower LB Roll Tide- As a rookie he will be a 2 down player. Hightower can take on blocks...Hightower has a high football !Q which allows him to chase side line to side line. He is a Steelers type of player.

2.Kelechi Osemele, G/T Iowa State- Huge intelligent young man with a passive disposition. He has incredible tools....I believe he can play LT in a pinch...Best fit is LG or RT...If Kugler can light a fire...Osemele could be a steal in the 2nd round.

3.Mike Martin NT Michigan- The Steelers don't want to move Hood inside. Martin is the new breed of NT...6-1 305...BPA. Martin is a beast.

4. Ryan Broyles Wr Oklahoma- He won't offer much in 2012....He was a sure top 50 pick entering the season....Mike Wallace contract situation is contemptuous

5.Chris Rainey Rb Florida- Speed option out of the back field...Quality kick returner

6.Kellen Moore QB Boise -Small stature... wounded duck arm strength...Just wins.

7.Drew Butler P UGA - Punter...Booo!!!!!!

7.Jason Slowey LG/C Western Oregon- Small school LT who must move inside...Workout numbers and high quality tape will get him drafted

7.Charles Mitchell S Miss St- Ryan Clarks younger doppelganger

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wish I could be more of a fan.

I don't doubt Hightower will be the pick, just not excited about the thoughts of it because I'm not convinced he has the ability to play 3 downs

also I realize Haley says he's keeping Kueglers blocking schemes, But judging from the zone style run plays I've seen from Haley in the past, I don't see the fit with Osemele. I still think he and Cordy Glenn are 3rd RD picks

Mike Martin is interesting. I can see a fit, but I don't think the Steelers will. If they were going to drop a day 2 pick on NT, I think they shoot a bit higher with a guy like T'aamu or Chapman. And doubt even that happens

And Broyles, how can you not love his production. I see him as a guy coveted by WCO teams and end up in a place like Cleveland in R2. Now that they have top 4 WR's locked up, I think WR will be a late day 3 pick with 4th tier FA brought in for competition and UDFA or 2 as practice squad depth

But I dig the effort. I think this year is a tough year to put a Steeler mock together. Only real problem I'd have with this draft is it doesn't do much to improve team speed IMO. And when people say your aging, thats really what they mean is speed

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Colbert on the #Steelers RB situation: "Where we were in running game last year was indicative in the talent at the position.''

I was going to start a two week out mock yesterday. Didn't.

No criticism intended from me sir. In fact I look forward to your knowledgeable insights on potential draft prospects and I'm just sharing some observations.

I think Hightower is going to be the pick at 24 as well. Osemele is a bigger body for an IOL and could have an issue with the pulling from LG position. IMO Osemele is a RG/RT.

Mike Martin is a beast but for some reason I think the Steelers don't draft NT but they will draft someone like DE Wolfe outta cincy if he's there mid RNDs. Call it a hunch. Wolfe fits the Steelers mold for D-ends. 6'5 295 with solid production at the collegiate level. Again JMO.

I think WR is something the Steelers are certainly interested in [especially with such a deep WR draft class] and I'm going to go back to that Steeler nation debate of we need a WR with size over the shorter wirery type. Although the shorter wirey type hasn't failed us I think they try to bring in someone with size. 6'3+. Again JMO.

I fully agree with the smaller wirey quick twitch RB. I think the Steelers are looking to add some speed into the back field. A solid open field runner with the twitch to make would be tacklers miss on their first attempt.

History has shown the Steelers are always in the market for a productive pass rusher so, OLB is mixed in this draft. Surprise!

I believe we add OLine and DB depth and this draft is very deep at both. Just a matter of landing a quality prospect.

My latest mock.

1. Hightower ILB Alabama
2. Silatulo OG Midwestern State
3. Wolfe DE Cincinnati
4. McNutt WR Iowa
5. Vernon OLB Miami
6. Tandy CB West Virgina
7. Carmon OT Mississippi State
7. Meggett RB Maryland
7. Wynn OG Rutgers

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Love the mock except for the punter. Kicker's a bigger need. Need to replace Suisham. Kapinos is fine by me.

the more i see hightower mocked to the steelers at 24, the less i think he'll actually be the pick.

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This post consists solely of the opinions of the author, and should in no way, shape or form be interpreted as an assertion of fact.

I like it. Osemele is one of the 5 players I watched the most closely this season, and I'm still not positive what I think of him. Very passive much of the time, likely because he was pass blocking out at LT and trying not to get burned off the edge. When the game was on the line, he buried people, especially in the run game. I'm not sure he moves well enough for the left side, but he could be an excellent right side player. Or he could be an unmotivated lump of shit. Motivation is a tough thing to measure through a TV screen.

I have very few reservations with Hightower. Worst case he covers like Larry Foote. They made that work for a number of years. If he can stuff the run and add something as a pass rusher, they can platoon in Sylvester on passing situations.

Mike Martin is a good fit, and I really liked Ryan Broyles the last two years. Between he and Sanders, you could probably tape enough body parts together to get a healthy slot receiver most weeks.

IMHO, Vernon has too many character flagd to be drafted by the Steelers. The Talent is there but I do not think the Steelers roll the dice.

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everyone is entitled to their own opinion but not their own facts

I think Mike Martin is a much better fit than chapman or Fangupop or the kid from Washington. I totally agree with the 'new breed of NT' thing.

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