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Nebraska's Prince Amukamara is one of eight defenders to make it into the top ten of SB Nation's latest NFL mock draft.
SB Nation's latest 2011 NFL mock draft is out, and like several others recently, this one is dominated at the top by defenders, with Nick Fairley going first overall and Robert Quinn, Patrick Peterson, Von Miller, Da'Quan Bowers, Prince Amukamara, Marcel Dareus and Cameron Jordan joining wideouts A.J. Green and Julio Jones in the top ten. Beyond that, offensive skill players are almost a non-factor here, with quarterbacks dropping down the board and only one running back (Alabama's Mark Ingram) going in the first round.
Pitt's Jon Baldwin, usually the third wideout in most mock drafts behind Green and Jones, falls behind Maryland's Torrey Smith here, but Baldwin is still in the first round, landing with the New York Jets at No. 30. The Steelers, meanwhile, are connected to a new name, Baylor nose tackle Phil Taylor:
There are several directions the Steelers could take with this pick - the offensive line being the chief need area - but Taylor would be a great fit here. He had a fantastic week at the Senior Bowl, and Pittsburgh's two nose guards, Casey Hampton and Chris Hoke, are in their mid-30s.
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2011 NFL Mock Draft: Steelers Take Colorado CB Jimmy Smith In SB Nation's Latest Mock
Maybe it's a little bit too early to start thinking about the upcoming NFL Draft; the Super Bowl just happened like 20 hours ago. But maybe looking ahead will help ease the pain of the defeat yesterday. SB Nation just came out with their first mock draft that has the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 31st spot, (which they will be drafting in because they lost the Super Bowl) and they have the Steelers taking Colorado CB Jimmy Smith. Here is their rationale.
The Steelers could definitely use some help in the defensive secondary, but there are other parts of the football team that could use upgrading as well. Hines Ward will be another year older next year, and he and Mike Wallace could use some help on the flank. Having said that, the Steelers are in a position of luxury because they have so few major holes to upgrade. There should only be a handful of spots that the Steelers need help by the draft, and this 31st overall pick will be a good opportunity to address one of them.
Feb 07 1:17p by Jordan Ruby - 0 comments