Typically, I'm not into the whole mock draft thing of going through a team's entire draft and trying to guess who it will end up with in rounds six and seven.
After all, there are so many things that can happen in drafts. Some guys are taken before anyone thought and others fall because of medical or off-field issues. Or maybe they were just over- or underrated by the prognosticators, including me.
It happens all the time.
And often times, these things turn into somebody mocking seven top 50 prospects to their favorite team and then saying, "Wouldn't this be a good haul?" Well, sure. Who wouldn't a team want seven top 50 prospects on their team?
We're not going to do that here.
So going into next week's NFL Scouting Combine, which will start to clarify the positioning for some of these prospects, here's a look at how I feel the draft could work out for them as we sit here in late February.
Round 1, Deandre Baker, CB, Georgia: Baker has decent, not great size (5-11, 185) and isn't a burner. What he is, however, is a younger version of Joe Haden. He's physical and has good ball skills with seven interceptions and 23 pass breakups the past three seasons for the Bulldogs, despite not being thrown at on a regular basis. An inside linebacker will be a major consideration here, but I think LSU’s Devin White will be off the board.
Round 2 (pick for Antonio Brown), Devin Bush, LB, Michigan: I think the Steelers get an early second-round pick for Brown, along with perhaps some other considerations, but for now, we're just going to mock this one. Bush has obvious first-round talent, but teams just don't take 5-foot-10-and-change linebackers in the first round. He should run and test well at the combine, but the thing people will be watching most closely will be his measurements.
Round 2, Riley Ridley, WR, Georgia: Ridley didn't have great production at Georgia, playing in more of a run-first offense for much of his three seasons there. But he's a smooth route runner and he should test well. Drops were an issue early in his career, but he figured that out in 2018. He's got good size (6-2, 200), as well. He was arrested for marijuana possession in 2017 but that was his only off-field issue. Ridley would be a nice complimentary pick to go with JuJu Smith-Schuster and what should be an improved James Washington in 2019.
Round 3, Christian Miller, OLB, Alabama: With the situation with Bud Dupree up in the air, the Steelers need to add another outside linebacker to the mix. Miller, not surprisingly, didn't play much in his first three seasons in Alabama. But he finally got on the field in 2018 and had a strong showing. He could be an eventual starter if the Steelers cut bait with Dupree or go with an older replacement -- Cameron Wake, for example. Like most Alabama players, Miller has a high football IQ and should be ready to contribute early.
Round 4, Daylon Mack, DT, Texas A&M: Now that the ill-fated Daniel McCullers experiment has run its course, the Steelers need to add some talent to their reserve defensive line rotation. Javon Hargrave has proven he needs to see more playing time, but to use him more as a pass rusher -- which the Steelers should do -- they also need to find someone who can be a legitimate backup to their starting nose tackle. Mack is a 6-foot, 320-pound bowling ball who isn't going to give you huge production in the passing game -- though he did have five sacks last season -- but can be a handful in the run game.
Round 6 (pick from Oakland for Ryan Switzer), Foster Moreau, TE, LSU: Moreau is a solid blocking tight end who could figure into the mix on the back end of the roster. At 6-foot-6 and 256 pounds, he's got excellent size for the position and comes from an offense where his blocking was valued. He's got some development to do as a receiver, but did have 52 catches for 629 yards and six scores at LSU.
Round 6, Lukas Denis, S, Boston College: Denis saw his interception totals fall from seven in 2017 to just one in 2018 as the team around him just wasn't as good. The Steelers used Jordan Dangerfield at FS late in the season when Sean Davis was out. Denis is more of a true centerfielder. He'll need some coaching, but his ball skills are undeniable.
Round 7, Ben Burr-Kirven, LB, Washington: Kirven might struggle to come in at 6-foot when he's measured at the combine, which would be a major issue for him since he's also right around 220 pounds. But when you turn on his tape, you see a productive player who had 176 tackles last season. That's right, 176 tackles. Burr-Kirven has all the looks of a special teams captain in his NFL future, while being a player who's smart enough to be able to step in and play ILB in a pinch.
