NFL Mock Draft 2012: Steelers Expected To Take Dont'a Hightower In Latest Mock

The Cleveland Browns were clearly worried that a team below them might make a play for Alabama running back Trent Richardson. The team gave up a handful of late-round selections to the Minnesota Vikings as a preventative measure, moving up one spot to ensure that they could get their man.

With the bizarre, underwhelming departure of Peyton Hillis, this move makes sense for the Browns, who have a serious lack of playmakers on their offense. There was speculation that the team could be a player for Texas A&M quarterback Ryan Tannehill, but how can you really evaluate Colt McCoy without surrounding him with adequate talent? Richardson will step in immediately behind a stout offensive line lead by left tackle Joe Thomas and center Alex Mack. Expect him to become the bell cow for Cleveland — he's a three-down player who can do it all and should touch the ball 350-plus times in 2012.

Look for the Browns to address right tackle and wide receiver with another first-round pick (22) and an early second-rounder (36).

As we approach the start of the three-day 2012 NFL Draft, here's a look at the schedule. Round 1 will take place beginning Thursday night at 8 p.m., and will be covered on ESPN, NFL Network and NFL.com. Rounds 2 and 3 will take place beginning at 7 p.m. on Friday, and Rounds 4-7 will be on Saturday at noon.

NFL Network will provide live coverage of the draft beginning at 11 a.m. on Thursday and Friday and 10 a.m. on Saturday.

Here's the draft order:

1 Colts
2 Redskins (from Rams)
3 Vikings
4 Browns
5 Buccaneers
6 Rams (from Redskins)
7 Jaguars
8 Dolphins
9 Panthers
10 Bills
11 Chiefs
12 Seahawks
13 Cardinals
14 Cowboys
15 Eagles
16 Jets
17 Bengals (from Raiders)
18 Chargers
19 Bears
20 Titans
21 Bengals
22 Browns (from Falcons)
23 Lions
24 Steelers
25 Broncos
26 Texans
27 Patriots (from Saints)
28 Packers
29 Ravens
30 49ers
31 Patriots
32 Giants

The full order can be found here. In addition to their pick at No. 24, the Steelers also pick at No. 56, No. 86, No. 119, No. 159, No. 193, No. 231, No. 240, No. 246 and No. 248.

For much more draft action, head over to Mocking The Draft.

Chad Reuter's seven-round 2012 NFL mock draft has the Steelers making a not-so-surprising pick at No. 24: Alabama linebacker Dont'a Hightower.

The age of Pittsburgh's defense might push them toward a versatile player like Hightower, who can play outside or inside. The Steelers aren't afraid to build depth at a position instead of filling what people perceive as their more immediate need.

Let's skip right past that, though, and check out the Steelers' second-round pick. It's Midwestern State guard Amini Silatolu, who would make sense both positionally (the Steelers don't draft purely for need, but they need guards badly) and in terms of talent.

In the third round, the Steelers take Cincinnati running back Isaiah Pead, which again makes a lot of sense (and although there aren't a ton of multi-round mock drafts out there, this isn't the first one I've seen that has had the Steelers picking Pead. With Rashard Mendenhall on the shelf, the Steelers will try to find an extra running back in the draft to help Isaac Redman.

In the fourth round, the Steelers snag Alabama defensive tackle Josh Chapman, which would be a fantastic pick that late. I'd be mildly surprised if he were still on the board, and I think the Steelers would be awfully tempted if he were still there. Chapman had surgery to fix his ACL in January, and if that hadn't happened, he probably would be taken a lot earlier than this.

Pittsburgh then grabs WVU cornerback Keith Tandy in the fifth round.

This would be a terrific draft for the Steelers, who'd get a lot of talent that also addresses areas of need.

For more on the Steelers, check out Behind The Steel Curtain.

NFL Network's Mike Mayock has become a highly respected TV analyst and draft scout over the past decade, and on Wednesday, he released his first and only mock draft just a day before the first selection is made. There's certainly no consensus among mock drafts on which way the Steelers will go late in the first round at No. 24, with some predicting an offensive linemen as the choice while others list a variety of defensive players along the front seven.

Mayock, however, has a name many Steelers' fans have become familiar with in the run up to the draft. He projects Cordy Glenn will be the pick, and has this to say about the Georgia tackle:

Glenn is an athletic big man who is fluid when pulling and gets upfield with ease. He is an effective mirror blocker who shows good technique by sitting into his base and controlling defenders. He is aware of stunts and blitzes and usually picks them up with ease. He is a big body who has been a durable starter for Georgia.

In Mayock's opinion, Courtney Upshaw, who the Steelers have hosted, will go one spot ahead of Pittsburgh with the No. 23 pick to the Lions. Dontari Poe and Dont'a Hightower, however, are both still available in this scenario.

For more on the Pittsburgh Steelers, visit Behind the Steel Curtain. For all the latest NFL Draft news, visit Mocking the Draft.

With a little more than 24 hours before the first round of the 2012 NFL Draft in New York, the misinformation, rumors, and smokescreens are spreading rampantly through the media. Despite conflicting information, the top of the draft seems to be solidifying but mock draft projections are still split on which way the Steelers will go with the No. 24 pick. There have been plenty of mocks predicting Pittsburgh chooses an offensive lineman, while others have them targeting a prospect to add to the defensive front seven.

Mel Kiper, in the fifth version of his mock draft released on Wednesday, projects the Steelers selecting a massive defensive tackle in Dontari Poe. Via Mel Kiper of ESPN:

This is a great value and a big need for the Steelers. Poe fits the physical profile of the heir to Casey Hampton, a true nose tackle. But I think Poe is athletic enough to be a 3-technique in Dick LeBeau's system. The Steelers really need to build up the depth on the defensive line, and Poe is a great fit.

Poe was a workout wonder at the Combine in February, running a 4.87 in the 40-yard dash at 346 pounds. He would likely make an instant impact on the interior for Dick LeBeau's defense.

For more on the Pittsburgh Steelers, visit Behind the Steel Curtain. For all the latest NFL Draft news, visit Mocking the Draft.

The 2012 NFL Draft begins on Thursday, and beyond the first two picks, no one really knows what is going to happen with any of the selections. If someone tells you that they do, they're lying. That makes it incredibly hard for people around the Internet and elsewhere to try and predict the first round in their mock drafts. Dave Bryan at Steelers Depot took it a step further (six actually) by trying to predict every pick that the Steelers will make this weekend. You can read more about all of the prospects he assigns to the Steelers in the article, but here are the first few players he believes the Steelers will be drafting.

In the first round he has them taking USC outside linebacker Nick Perry, who he explains could be the eventual successor to James Harrison when he eventually has to step away. The Steelers need help at linebacker, but I think most would agree that inside linebacker is their greater need, not outside. The Steelers fill their offensive line need with their second round pick, guard Brandon Brooks out of Miami (OH).

Casey Hampton isn't getting any younger, so Bryan has the Steelers taking a possible nose tackle replacement in Michigan's Mike Martin in the third round. He projects the Steelers to take San Diego State running back Ronnie Hillman in the fourth round. Hillman could help Rashard Mendenhall in the backfield while he recovers from his knee injury.

Again, check out all of the picks in this seven round pre-draft mock.

For more on the Pittsburgh Steelers, visit Behind the Steel Curtain. For all the latest NFL Draft news, visit Mocking the Draft.

Behind The Steel Curtain's awesomely detailed new seven-round 2012 NFL mock draft is up, and now is a great time to take note if you haven't already. BTSC has been doing these enormous mocks for months, and they know what's up. This version has the Steelers picking not Dont'a Hightower -- although he's available with their selection at No. 24 -- but, rather, Georgia offensive lineman Cordy Glenn.

Cordy Glenn would fill the Steelers biggest need and he has the versatility to play both guard and tackle. He had a good combine measuring in at 6’5", 346lbs., with 34.75in arms but still being able to run a 5.15 40 and do 31 reps on the bench press. I’ve mocked Hightower to the Steelers almost since the beginning of the draft season but with Glenn available I just can’t see the Steelers passing him up.

The question is whether Glenn will get to the Steelers; most mocks have him going off the board before they pick. In the second round, the Steelers take Cincinnati defensive end Derek Wolfe, who had a pre-draft visit with the Steelers. In the third round, it's another Cincinnati player, running back Isaiah Pead. In the fourth, the Steelers take WVU cornerback Keith Tandy.

This would be a frustrating draft for some fans, in that the Steelers wouldn't really be addressing their needs at inside linebacker and nose tackle, but they'd be getting a bunch of talent.

For more draft action, head over to Mocking The Draft.

Pittsburgh Panthers defensive tackle Chas Alecxih is hoping that an untimely bout of stomach flu during the NFL Scouting Combine will not kill his chances of being drafted. According to ESPN NFL Draft analyst Todd McShay, Alecxih is projected as a possible sixth-round draft pick. In addition, Caridac Hill has optimism that Alecxih will be drafted at some point.

It's always tough to know where guys like Alecxih will end up. He's a good all-around player, but didn't really impress all that much in his postseason workouts. But all it takes is finding one interested team and there's a good chance he's able to do that this week.

Alecxih was second team all-Big East player his final year with the Panthers. His senior year he recorded 6.5 sacks, including one in the BBVA Compass Bowl against the SMU Mustangs. He went from a walk-on player at Pitt to a two-year scholarship player as he improved.

Check out the SB Nation's Cardiac Hill for everything on Pitt football. For more on the NFL Draft, check out Mocking The Draft.

The Pitt Panthers don't have any prospects scheduled to go particularly high in the NFL Draft later this week, but there are some players from the team last year who could make an impact for some clubs as mid- to later-round selections. That includes Brandon Lindsey, who played as a defensive end for the Panthers but projects to linebacker at the next level. Our Pitt blog Cardiac Hill speculates where Lindsey might go.

If Lindsey goes late, I'd put him in the steal category. As I wrote in the earlier preview piece, Lindsey has some good versatility and has proven he can get to the quarterback from end and from linebacker. Things are surely going to be more difficult at the next level, but Lindsey had a very solid college career and should have a chance to be a real contributor in the NFL. If he doesn't get taken in the middle rounds, he'll make a great pick for someone near the end of the draft.

Lindsey will likely move to outside linebacker in a 3-4 defense so that he can use his ability to get after the quarterback. He might not go very high in the draft because he doesn't have experience at that position. But if he can transition there effectively, he could be a late round steal.

Check out the SB Nation's Cardiac Hill for everything on Pitt football. For more on the NFL Draft, check out Mocking The Draft.

Jamison Hensley notices that the Steelers and the Baltimore Ravens have many of the same needs heading into the NFL Draft.

Both teams are looking at guards like Georgia’s Cordy Glenn and Wisconsin’s Kevin Zeitler …

Both teams could use an inside linebacker like Alabama’s Dont’a Hightower. Pittsburgh has a leadership void there since cutting James Farrior, and Baltimore has to start thinking of an heir apparent to Ray Lewis.

You can see this dynamic in many recent mock drafts, which have the Ravens drafting someone at No. 29 in whom the real-life Steelers might have interest. It actually might not come into play in the first round, simply because the Steelers’ actions there are unpredictable, but in the later rounds, we could certainly see the two teams drafting players at the same positions. That would give the draft a bit more of that Steelers/Ravens rivalry we’ve been transfixed by during the NFL season.

For more on the Steelers, check out SB Nation’s Steelers blog, Behind The Steel Curtain. For more on the Ravens, there’s Baltimore Beat Down.

Black Shoe Diaries has a profile of Penn State cornerback D’Anton Lynn, who’s hoping to be picked in the upcoming 2012 NFL Draft.

If an NFL team does take a chance and secure Lynn with a late round pick, they’ll get a hard working, soft spoken guy with a high football IQ. The son of the Jets’ running back coach, Lynn anchored the defensive backfield for the Nittany Lions over the past three years, despite missing sporadic time due to injury. He held his own over the years against the best wide receivers in the Big Ten, and it wasn’t uncommon to not hear his name for many minutes—which some say is the mark of a good defensive back.

After a rough combine performance (due in part to a calf injury, Lynn has fallen off the radar a bit, and he may go undrafted. That’s probably the most likely scenario, actually. Still, his name is worth watching as the draft enters the later rounds.

For more NFL Draft action, head over to Mocking The Draft.

The 2012 NFL Draft is just over the horizon, and the first round will get started on Thursday. The Steelers pick at No. 24 in that first round, which means they'll need to have a draft board at least that deep to come out with the prospect they want. According to Mike Bires of the Beaver County Times, general manager Kevin Colbert has a pretty good idea of what their final big board will look like.

"Our draft board is pretty well set," Colbert said. "We will put some final touches on it over the next couple of days, when we get some late medical and character information.

"We are at that point now where we are ready to go. We have looked at several hundreds of people. It's our job to sort them out and pick the right ones who we think can help us."

Colbert points out that if you pick No. 24 overall, you need to have at least the first 24 picks in the draft ranked, because you are guaranteed that at least one of those players will fall to your position.

For more on the Pittsburgh Steelers, visit Behind the Steel Curtain. For all the latest NFL Draft news, visit Mocking the Draft.

Mocking The Draft has a short profile of Penn State defensive tackle Devon Still, who now looks like he'll be a late-first-round or early-second-round pick. A few months ago, mock drafts frequently had Still in the top 10, but he seems to have fallen out of favor. If he lasts until the second round, he could provide some team with excellent value there.

Good short area quickness. Showed much better awareness in the run game as a senior. Was able to more quickly sniff out the ball and decipher where the play is developing. Possesses a frame that can carry more weight. Experienced playing multiple techniques. Has told reporters he started to put more film room time in as a senior. Isn't a soft body lineman. Fast hands. Long arms. Has high upside because of his frame and natural strength.

Mocking The Draft lists his play against double teams and a lack of creativity in the pass rush among Still's weaknesses. Still, MTD lists him as the top defensive tackle prospect in the draft, ahead of LSU's Michael Brockers and Clemson's Brandon Thompson.

For more on Penn State football, check out Black Shoe Diaries.

NFL Films' Greg Cosell, one of the most respected NFL analysts in the game, released his first-ever mock draft this week. Cosell voraciously plows through more film than almost any other analyst, and he based his mock purely off his film study -- with the results largely contradicting what many other mock draft experts have projected for months now.

Cosell, however, still has the Steelers selecting an offensive lineman with the No. 24 pick, even if it's a new name for many Pittsburgh fans. Other mocks have projected Pittsburgh taking Wisconsin's Kevin Zeitler in the second round, but Cosell thinks he's a first-round talent worthy of the No. 24 pick. Via Greg Cosell of NFL Films:

24. Pittsburgh: The Steelers select one of my favorite players to watch on tape, Wisconsin guard Kevin Zeitler. Guard is clearly a position of need for Pittsburgh. I'm sure many will disagree, but I believe Zeitler is a better athlete than [David] DeCastro. He has quick and active feet that allowed him to be very effective in the zone run game. He squared up well as a puller in the power run game, showing strength on contact. Zeitler was not as purely physical and nasty as DeCastro, but I saw a more athletic and complete OG.

Ranking Zeitler ahead of DeCastro certainly goes against the grain of conventional rankings in this draft, but Cosell has done the leg work to make such proclamations. It's likely Zeitler will be available at No. 24 (DeCastro will probably be off the board), so Pittsburgh should have a shot at the offensive guard who so impressed Cosell.

For more on the Pittsburgh Steelers, visit Behind the Steel Curtain. For all the latest NFL Draft news, visit Mocking the Draft.

With only three days remaining before the first round of the 2012 NFL Draft, mock draft experts are still undecided on which way the Pittsburgh Steelers will go with the No. 24 pick. For months now, many have projected the Steelers adding an offensive lineman late in the first round, to add some youth to an aging line that had quarterback Ben Roethlisberger scrambling all over the field at the end of last season. Rob Rang of CBSSports still has Pittsburgh drafting a tackle, selecting Mike Adams out of Ohio State:

Nowhere was the Steelers' age and lack of quality depth more obvious last season than along the offensive line. Rookie Marcus Gilbert played well and the team still has the versatile Willie Colon capable of lining up at right tackle or inside at guard. With the depth at tackle in the 2012 draft dropping off sharply, Pittsburgh might be wise to heed the early run at the position with Adams.

Adams has had his share of off-the-field issues, with the NFL Network's Jason La Canfora reporting last week that the former Buckeye tested positive for marijuana at the combine. He also didn't have the best showing at the combine in drills either, putting up just 19 reps on the bench press test which many scouts and analysts promptly criticized. Despite the flaws, Adams is still a mountain of a man and an excellent athlete who could really help Pittsburgh on the offensive front next season.

For more on the Pittsburgh Steelers, visit Behind the Steel Curtain. For all the latest NFL Draft news, visit Mocking the Draft.

Former Pittsburgh Steelers offensive lineman Dermontti Dawson will take the stage at Radio City Music Hall on Friday night to announce the team's second-round pick in the 2012 NFL Draft. The NFL made the announcement on Monday afternoon.

The NFL is continuing a program introduced at last year's draft that brings in a former player to announce the pick. This is only for the second-round, except for the four teams that do not have a second-round pick; their former players will announce the third-round picks for those teams.

Dawson played in Pittsburgh for all 13 years of his Hall of Fame career. He made the Pro Bowl seven times in his career, from 1992 through 1998, and was a Pro Bowl starter in six of those appearances. He was voted into the Hall of Fame in 2012.

For more on the Pittsburgh Steelers, visit Behind the Steel Curtain. For all the latest NFL Draft news, visit Mocking the Draft.

With mere days before the NFL Draft in New York City, Pittsburgh fans have to be wondering who will be available when the No. 24 overall pick will come up for the Steelers. While Dont'a Hightower is a popular choice to go at No. 24 to the Steelers, SB Nation predicts that though he will be available at 24, the Steelers will pass on him and select Boston College linebacker Luke Kuechly.

I have a hard time placing Kuechly, first-round linebacker bias. He could be picked in the first 15 spots; he could fall to the end of the round. Pittsburgh would be fortunate to find him here. Needing youth in their linebacker group, Kuechly would be a franchise cornerstone for years to come.

Kuechly recorded at least 10 tackles a game in all but one of Boston College's games this past year. He also recorded three interceptions last season, including a 45 yard return for a touchdown in the Eagles' final game against Miami on Nov. 25.

For more on the Pittsburgh Steelers, visit Behind the Steel Curtain. For all the latest NFL Draft news, visit Mocking the Draft.

It seemed like it would never come, but the 2012 NFL Draft is very nearly here. We've been trying to project who will fall into every spot in the Draft for months now, but with it just over the horizon, we have a pretty good idea of which players should be taken where. The Pittsburgh Steelers have been projected to take Dont'a Hightower for a while now, and that trend continues with the latest from Walter Football.

The Steelers usually take the top player on their board, and it would be hard to imagine that it wouldn't be Dont'a Hightower in this case. Pittsburgh just cut James Farrior, so the Alabama product would be a great long-term solution next to Lawrence Timmons. Hightower seems like he was made to play for the Steelers.

We've discussed at length just how good of a fit Hightower is for the Steelers. We assume that they would have the same level of interest in him because he would fill a position of need. The only variable left is whether or not he is still on the board when the Steelers pick at No. 24.

For more on the Pittsburgh Steelers, visit Behind the Steel Curtain. For all the latest NFL Draft news, visit Mocking the Draft.

Walter Football's latest 2012 NFL mock draft has the Steelers taking Dont'a Hightower:

The Steelers usually take the top player on their board, and it would be hard to imagine that it wouldn't be Dont'a Hightower in this case. Pittsburgh just cut James Farrior, so the Alabama product would be a great long-term solution next to Lawrence Timmons. Hightower seems like he was made to play for the Steelers.

Walter Football lists Georgia offensive lineman Cordy Glenn and USC DE/OLB Nick Perry as other possibilities. In the second, it has them going with Cal offensive lineman Mitchell Schwartz (with fellow offensive linemen Kevin Zeitler, Mike Adams, and Kelechi Osemele all coming off the board right before their pick, which would be a shame). In the third round, it's Temple running back Bernard Pierce.

Penn State's Devon Still goes with the first pick in the second round, to the St. Louis Rams.

For more NFL Draft action, head over to Mocking The Draft.

Mocking The Draft's latest 2012 NFL Mock Draft has the Steelers taking Stanford tackle Jonathan Martin at No. 24:

QB Ben Rothlisberger has literally been running for his life behind their offensive line for several years now. Martin will help keep Big Ben off the ground. He is versatile enough to play either the left or right tackle position.

The Steelers don't have good depth at tackle, but what they really need on the offensive line is guards. I wouldn't rule out someone like Martin, but who knows? Nearly all other mocks right now have the Steelers taking Alabama linebacker Dont'a Hightower, who certainly would make sense from a positional perspective, but it's impossible to tell what the Steelers might actually be thinking.

Other picks of interest in this mock: Dontari Poe goes to the Eagles at No. 15, Georgia tackle Cordy Glenn goes to the Chargers at No. 18, and Hightower goes to the Ravens (!) at No. 29.

For more on the Steelers, check out Behind The Steel Curtain.

Mel Kiper Jr. of ESPN tweeted out his latest "Red Hot and Moving Up" list on Friday afternoon, and Pittsburgh fans will be wanting to keep an eye on three of them.

Offensive tackle Bobby Massie of Ole Miss has been rumored to be a target of the Steelers. He bypassed his senior season to enter the draft after starting every game in his last three seasons. The 6-foot-6, 315-pound product of Lynchburg, Va. was a three-year letterman for the Rebels. Current mock drafts have him projected as a late first round or early second round selection.

Another offensive lineman of interest to the Steelers, guard Kevin Zeitler, appears on Kiper's list. Earlier in the week, Peter King of Sports Illustrated projected him as the Steelers first-round selection.

Another player of local interest, linebacker Bruce Irvin of West Virginia, appears on the list, as many feel his stock is rising. Although he may not appear on the Steelers' radar, recent mock drafts have him going late in the second round.Since he played defensive end while with the Mountaineers, some feel he is a risk that high, but his athletic abilities (including his 4.5 40 time) may warrant a top-60 selection.

For more on the Pittsburgh Steelers, visit Behind the Steel Curtain. For all the latest NFL Draft news, visit Mocking the Draft.

The Sporting News, in their correspondents mock draft, predicted that the Pittsburgh Steelers will select Alabama Crimson Tide linebacker Don'ta Hightower with the No. 24 overall draft pick. The explanation for this pick was provided by Gary Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

With the loss of defensive captain James Farrior, the Steelers have a large hole in the middle of their defense. Plus, they need to get younger and faster on D. Hightower is a player who fits their aggressive, big-play style.

The question only remains whether or not Hightower will be available to the Steelers at this point in the first round. If he is selected by another team prior to the Steelers, Pittsburgh could look for another defensive player or try to address the offensive line.

For more on the Steelers, check out Behind The Steel Curtain. For more on the NFL Draft, there's Mocking The Draft. Here's SB Nation's latest mock draft.

West Virginia Mountaineers defensive end/linebacker Bruce Irvin was selected as the No. 59 overall draft pick in the 2012 NFL Draft by Mocking the Draft's two-round mock draft. Irvin played two seasons for the Mountaineers after he transferred from Mt. San Antonio College. In the two years with West Virginia, Irvin recorded 22.5 overall sacks, 14 in 2010, good for second-most in the nation.

Kevin McCauley of Acme Packing Company explained the decision to select Irvin saying that the Green Bay Packers lacked versatility, despite having Pro Bowl talent such as B.J. Raji and Clay Matthews. McCauley does express some concerns about his pass coverage, but thinks that his overall ability as a pass rusher can make up for it.

There are questions about Irvin's ability to drop back in coverage and he had a minor run-in with the law, picking up a destruction of property charge in March after he broke a sign at a sandwich shop, but his physical tools and production are too good to ignore. He has the size to play as a 3-4 rush linebacker at 6'3", 245 pounds (though he could stand to put on a bit of weight) and his 4.50 40-yard dash time is impressive. His 8.5 sacks in 2011 were a drop-off from his 14 sacks in 2010, but he put up that lower number under a new coaching staff and on a bad all-around defense.

Irvin would be a great second round selection for a team running a 3-4 defense. He is versatile defender who can get to the quarterback and can wreak havoc in the offensive backfield.

For more on the NFL Draft, there's Mocking The Draft. Here's SB Nation's latest mock draft.

The Pittsburgh Steelers could use some help along their offensive line, which is why you will see tackle Mike Adams of Ohio State projected to them in some mocks across the Internet. Adams has a lot of talent but was considered a risk due to a positive test for marijuana, but he has alleviated some of those risks thanks to some good performances during his interviews with teams. As a result, he may be climbing back up draft boards and could be unavailable when the Steelers pick at no. 24 overall, according to Jason La Canfora of NFL.com.

Since then he has been forthright and league sources said he is viewed as a "good kid" who obviously made a mistake. The key for Adams will be learning from it. Several teams said they were impressed with Adams during interviews with him. Several teams picking late in the first round and early in the second round are in the market for offensive linemen in this draft.

Adams would be solid value for the Steelers at No. 24, but he isn't exactly the greatest fit for the Steelers. They need a guard more than they need a tackle. But if Adams is still on the board, they may not be able to pass on him.

For more on the Steelers, check out Behind The Steel Curtain. For more on the NFL Draft, there's Mocking The Draft. Here's SB Nation's latest mock draft.

Mel Kiper recently went team by team and layer out his dream situation for the first three rounds of the NFL Draft. The Pittsburgh Steelers have picks in each of those rounds, and Kiper has projected them to fill up some of their more serious positions of need early. He has them taking Alabama linebacker Dont'a Hightower in the first round, Illinois offensive lineman Jeff Allen in the second and finally Clemson defensive back Brandon Thompson in the third.

Everyone expects the Steelers to take Hightower, so you know Pittsburgh is going to surprise and go elsewhere. I can see the Steelers taking a guard or outside linebacker in the first round. Allen would be a smart pick in the second round because he can play guard or tackle. Thompson would be a steal because he's a top-50 prospect.

Like Kiper said, Hightower is becoming a near-unanimous pick for the Steelers in various mocks, but whether or not that means he'll be around for them to pick is another matter. The other two picks should provide some solid depth in other areas of need.

For more on the Steelers, check out Behind The Steel Curtain. For more on the NFL Draft, there's Mocking The Draft. Here's SB Nation's latest mock draft.

Memphis nose tackle Dontari Poe, who has been connected to the Steelers in a number of 2012 NFL mock drafts, made a pre-draft visit to the Steelers Wednesday.

Memphis nose tackle Dontari Poe was among five players who visited the Steelers Wednesday — the last day draft prospects are allowed to meet with NFL teams — and there is a possibility it could be the first of his many trips inside the team’s South Side facility.

Given Casey Hampton’s age and injury status, nose tackle is a position of need for the Steelers, and Poe is the best match, in terms of talent and availability, at that position. His stock has fallen a bit since his ridiculous NFL Combine performance, but he’s still a good prospect.

Still, it would probably be unwise to read too much into this right now. One Pittsburgh beat writer — I forget who — recently pointed out that the Steelers didn’t invite Cameron Heyward, their 2011 first-round pick, to a pre-draft visit last year. Heyward didn’t play the Steelers’ top position of need, either.

For more on the Steelers, check out Behind The Steel Curtain.

The 2012 NFL Draft is just about here, and the people over at Behind the Steel Curtain have been running a community Mock Draft to determine the results of the entire first round. They finally got to the Steelers pick at No. 24 overall and they elected to take Alabama linebacker Dont'a Hightower. Here is a little bit more on what the Steelers might see in Hightower.

Hightower was a team captain at Alabama in both his junior and senior seasons. He has a fabulous work ethic and will do "whatever it takes," (Coach Noll), to get the job done. He is tuned into all the right nutritional aspects of being a world-class athlete and takes his conditioning and training regimen very seriously. He has no off-field baggage concerns and graduated from Alabama in three-and-a-half years. What is not to like about the total package of this young man?

Hightower not only is a good prospect as a football player, he happens to be a near perfect fit for one of the Steelers' biggest positions of need. Normally teams have to debate whether or not to take the best player available or an inferior prospect at a position of need. In this instance, the Steelers may be able to add both with one pick.

For more on the Steelers, check out Behind The Steel Curtain. For more on the NFL Draft, there's Mocking The Draft. Here's SB Nation's latest mock draft.

Penn State defensive tackle Devon Still has drawn mixed reviews from most NFL Draft experts. Some view the defensive tackle as a late first-round prospect while other feel Still is a second-round player. Here is a quick scouting report from Sports Illustraded on the Penn State defensive lineman:

Analysis: Still was a solid player at Penn State and showed steady development in his game the past three years. He's not a spectacular talent, but does the little things well. Best at tackle on a four-man line Still should quickly break into the starting lineup as a rookie.

The SB Nation Studios have been working to put together scouting profiles of many of the 2012 NFL Draft prospects and one of their latest works is on Devon Still.

For more on the NFL Draft, check out Mocking the Draft. Be sure to visit SB Nation's NFL hub for even more news and rumors from around the league.

One of the more popular names you will see projected to go to the Steelers in Mock Drafts across the Internet is Alabama inside linebacker Dont'a Hightower. Hightower could step in immediately and help fill in for the departed James Farrior, while solidifying the starting group of linebackers; an essential part of the defense that the Steelers want to run. There has been some concern that Hightower might not make it to No. 24 overall, but Mel Kiper actually sees it another way.

ESPN draft analyast Mel Kiper said on conference call that 'Bama LB Dont'a Hightower is a "borderline" first-round pick.

— Scott Brown (@ScottBrown_Trib) April 18, 2012

Borderline first-round pick means that Hightower should probably be available when the Steelers pick. But we all know how unpredictable the first round of the draft can be, especially towards the back end, where teams start to get antsy.

Here is a little bit more information on Hightower, thanks to a draft preview from SB Nation.

For more on the Steelers, check out Behind The Steel Curtain. For more on the NFL Draft, there's Mocking The Draft. Here's SB Nation's latest mock draft.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have a number of holes on the roster they need to fill heading into the draft, and one of the most popular in mocks around the Internet is the interior offensive line. They could certainly use a guard to help out up front, but as Behind the Steel Curtain points out, their solutions at tackle aren't exactly locks either. While they have solid players penciled into those spots, their health is certainly not guaranteed and it's possible that the tackle position could go from a position of strength to one of weakness very quickly. But BTSC has a solution, and it's trying to find some versatile backups in the draft.

Ideally, if they're looking to start (Marcus) Gilbert and (Willie) Colon this year, a lower-priced veteran and possibly a rookie backing those positions up would seem the most logical path. The issue is, they can't count on (Max) Starks returning immediately, and will have to come up with a plan of attack that doesn't involve the long-time Steelers veteran. That could be to go with a guy like (Cordy) Glenn, if available, at No. 24.

Glenn is listed as a guard in every mock draft you will see, but he is versatile enough to slide over and play some tackle if the situation calls for it. Best case scenario the Steelers have their starting tackles in place and Glenn helps build up the interior of the line, but if injuries strike Glenn could fill in at tackle in a pinch.

For more on the Steelers, check out Behind The Steel Curtain. For more on the NFL Draft, there's Mocking The Draft. Here's SB Nation's latest mock draft.

With the 2012 NFL Draft a little more than a week away, Peter King of Sports Illustrated released his latest mock draft. In this mock he not only goes over who he thinks the team will pick, he also goes over who he believes the team should pick. With the Pittsburgh Steelers choosing at No. 24 in the draft, King predicts that they should and will draft Wisconsin Badgers guard Kevin Zeitler.

Pittsburgh's got to stop treating its offensive-line problems with stopgaps and take a tough guy like Zeitler, whom I've heard compared to Logan Mankins. A 6'4", 315-pound masher, Zeitler will step in on opening day next to Maurkice Pouncey and give the Steelers the stability in front of Ben Roethlisberger that they've lacked for the last several years.

The offensive line is an area the Steelers need to address and selecting a player like Zeitler can only help Pittsburgh out as they try to make sure that the team is ready for the 2012 season.

For more on the Steelers, check out Behind The Steel Curtain. For more on the NFL Draft, there's Mocking The Draft. Here's SB Nation's latest mock draft.

Prospects continue to visit Pittsburgh a little over a week away from the NFL Draft. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets wide receiver Stephen Hill and California Golden Bears offensive tackle Mitchell Schwartz will visit the Steelers Tuesday, the second-to-last day prospects can visit teams before the draft.

Stephen Hill has a good blend of size and speed for a receiver. Measuring in at 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds, Hill ran a 4.38 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine. In his three years at Georgia Tech, he averaged 25 yards per catch.

Schwartz started 35 games at left tackle and 16 games at right tackle. He measures in at 6-foot-5 and 315 pounds and made first team All-Pac 12 in 2011.

For more on the Steelers, check out Behind The Steel Curtain. For more on the NFL Draft, there's Mocking The Draft. Here's SB Nation's latest mock draft.

The Pittsburgh Steelers are preparing for their No. 24 overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, but once they make that selection they have to hang around for the rest of the weekend and add some more depth to their roster in the later rounds. With that in mind, Dane Brugler of CBS Sports provides a list of five players that the Steelers should consider at various points in the Draft.

The first is Cordy Glenn, and he is really the only player on this list that could go in the first round. Glenn is one of the top guards in the entire draft and he could really help solidify the interior of the Steelers' offensive line, an area they really could use an upgrade.

The next prospect is one of the more interesting players in the entire draft, Appalachian State wide receiver Brian Quick. He comes form a small school, but he absolutely dominated his level of competition and has an incredible size to speed ratio for the NFL. The Steelers don't have a viable receiving threat with size on the roster, so Quick could fit in nicely. He could be a second round pick.

Brugler also lists running back Isaiah Pead of Cinciantti, defensive tackle Hebron Fangupo of BYU and inside linebacker Shawn Loiseau of Merrimack as potential options even later in the draft.

For more on the Steelers, check out Behind The Steel Curtain. For more on the NFL Draft, there's Mocking The Draft. Here's SB Nation's latest mock draft.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have brought in a few big names as pre draft visits as they try to prepare for the upcoming NFL Draft. But once they get past the first couple of rounds, they will need to focus on adding depth to some positions of need and that means taking some chances on players that might be quite as recognizable. That trend continued today, as they brought in Michigan State wide receiver Keshawn Martin.

MSU WR Keshawn Martin is expected to visit the Steelers today. He'll take part in the Lions workout Wednesday

— Dave Birkett (@davebirkett) April 16, 2012

In four years with the Spartans, Martin pulled in 127 catches for 1,714 yards and ten total touchdowns. He also spent time as a punt returner in the past few years, especially during his season season where he had 48 return attempts. He recorded a punt return touchdown in each of the past two years.

For more on the Steelers, check out Behind The Steel Curtain. For more on the NFL Draft, there's Mocking The Draft. Here's SB Nation's latest mock draft.

Prior to the 2012 NFL Combine, Memphis defensive tackle Dontari Poe was a common pick for the Pittsburgh Steelers in mock drafts. Poe however had a fantastic NFL Combine and showed off his athleticism, which has lead many believe he will be drafted in the Top 15 in the NFL Draft. Mel Kiper of ESPN thinks Poe winds up just outside of the Top 10, but voices some concerns.

I view KC as a possible destination for Dontari Poe.

— Mel Kiper Jr. (@MelKiperESPN) April 16, 2012

Memphis DT Dontari Poe wasn't consistently dominant on a game to game basis, but he had plenty of moments where he flashed big time ability.

— Mel Kiper Jr. (@MelKiperESPN) April 16, 2012

It's unlikely that Poe will fall all the way to the Pittsburgh Steelers pick at No. 24 overall, but from the sounds of it he could be a risky pick for whoever winds up drafting him.

For more on the Steelers, check out Behind The Steel Curtain. For more on the NFL Draft, there's Mocking The Draft. Here's SB Nation's latest mock draft.

The Pittsburgh Steelers are expected by many to pick up some defensive players in the 2012 NFL Draft. The consensus pick right now for the Steelers seems to be Alabama linebacker Don'ta Hightower. Hightower would be a fit in the Steelers defense who need to replace James Farrior.

Over at Steelers Depot, Dave Bryan has gone ahead and picked for the Steelers in all seven rounds of the 2012 NFL Draft. Here are who Bryan projects for the Steelers:

• Round 1 - Pick No. 24 - Coby Fleener, TE, Stanford
• Round 2 - Pick No. 56 - Brandon Brooks, OL, Miami (FL)
• Round 3 - Pick No. 83 - Josh Chapman, NT, Alabama
• Round 4 - Pick No. 119 - James-Michael Johnson, ILB, Nevada
• Round 5 - Pick No. 159 - Aaron Henry, FS, Wisconsin
• Round 6 - Pick No. 193 - Tommy Streeter, WR, Miami (FL)
• Round 7 - Pick No. 231 - Keith Tandy, DB, West Virginia
• Round 7 - Pick No. 240 - Levy Adcock, OT, Oklahoma State
• Round 7 - Pick No. 246 - Ryan Van Bergen, DE, Michigan
• Round 7 - Pick No. 248 - Jerrell Harris, LB, Alabama

This is certainly an interesting draft for the Steelers and would make a lot of sense. The pick of Fleener in the first round would seem a bit odd with Heath Miller already on the roster, but the Steelers reportedly want to run the football more, so having both Fleener and Miller on the field allows the Steelers to run and pass out of the same formations.

The next three picks for the Steelers would work out perfectly. Brandon Brooks is an excellent offensive line prospect, a big area of need for the Steelers, and Josh Chapman is considered to be the best 3-4 nose tackle in the draft by a lot of experts. Chapman played much of his 2011 season on a torn ACL, so that is what's keeping him in the mid-rounds. It's possible Chapman could wind up in the second round however, if a team really covers him as a 3-4 nose tackle.

James-Michael Johnson is a very athletic run and hit linebacker that has drawn a lot of buzz lately in the draft and would certainly fit at the inside linebacker position for the Steelers. Beyond the fourth round is really a crap shoot, but Bryan picks up some interesting players. Miami wide receiver Tommy Streeter has size, speed, and lots of upside so if he's still available in the sixth-round he's a no brainer pick.

For more on the Steelers, check out Behind The Steel Curtain. For more on the NFL Draft, there's Mocking The Draft. Here's SB Nation's latest mock draft.

The folks over at Mocking the Draft have compiled a list of the Top-10 players from small schools that have created some buzz leading up to the 2012 NFL Draft.

Coming in at No. 9 in that list is wide receiver Thomas Mayo of California (PA). Here is what Damond Talbot likes about him.

"He should be drafted and to be honest, at the East/West Shrine game practices, he looked great. He showed that he could get separation on stud players against him, and did it without problem. Watch out for Thomas Mayo this year, he could be a sleeper that shows he is ready."

Cal U has emerged as a top program in Division II over the past decade, and seeing another player get drafted will cement their status. Local football fans will want to keep an eye on him throughout the weekend.

For more on the Steelers, check out Behind The Steel Curtain. For more on the NFL Draft, there's Mocking The Draft. Here's SB Nation's latest mock draft.

The 2012 NFL Draft is right around the corner, and the mock drafts keep coming fast and furious. The Pittsburgh Steelers have been linked to offensive linemen and several defensive players in mocks this offseason, as Pittsburgh needs depth and young athleticism in both areas.

In the fifth edition of their 2012 NFL Mock Draft, the folks at Opposing Views have the Steelers selecting Alabama linebacker Dont'a Hightower with that No. 24 pick:

Out of all of the Alabama players that will ultimately go in the first round, Hightower could go on to have the most impactful, impressive career. This guy has everything you need for success in the pro ranks, mentally and physically, and he'd be a natural fit in the Steelers' 3-4. There is really no way he slips beyond this point.

Hightower was also the pick of choice for the Steelers in the most recent SBNation.com Mock Draft, and seems like a logical fit for Pittsburgh. Hightower called the plays for Nick Saban's Crimson Tide defense, and under the tutelage of Steelers coach Dick LeBeau could quickly become a force in the league.

For more on the Steelers, check out Behind The Steel Curtain. For more on the NFL Draft, there's Mocking The Draft. Here's SB Nation's latest mock draft.

The Pittsburgh Steelers continue their scouting process ahead of the 2012 NFL Draft as they invite BYU defensive tackle Hebron Fangupo and Wayne State safety Jeremy Jones to their facilities according to Scott Brown of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

BYU DT Hebron Fangupo andWayne State S Jeremy Jones are visiting the Steelers today.

— Scott Brown (@ScottBrown_Trib) April 13, 2012

Fangupo spend two years with USC but was plagued with injuries and transferred to BYU for his senior season. He played in all 13 games for the Cougars this past season recording 26 tackles. Fangupo measures in at 6'1" and 310 pounds so he's not as big as other defensive linemen.

Jones, measuring in at 5'10" and 189 pounds, played at Division II Wayne State for four years. There he earned various All-American honors while leading the Warriors in solo tackles. Jones also intercepted nine passes and recorded 6.5 sacks during the season.

For more on the Steelers, check out Behind The Steel Curtain. For more on the NFL Draft, there's Mocking The Draft. Here's SB Nation's latest mock draft.

The SBNation.com Mock Draft has the Pittsburgh Steelers selecting linebacker Don'ta Hightower from the Alabama Crimson Tide with the No. 24 overall draft pick. Behind the Steel Curtain says Hightower would be a great addition to the aging Pittsburgh linebacking corps.

James Farrior is old. Real old. It's a wonder the 36-year old quarterback of Dick LeBeau's defense has been able to play at as high a level as he has in recent years, but it's about time to pass the torch. Lawrence Timmons is quite the talent and still has room for considerable improvement, but I don't think too many fans are confident that he's best suited to be the play caller and extension of LeBeau that is expected of the position. Hightower, however, would be a great fit. He called the plays for Nick Saban's defense last season at Alabama. Though he may be somewhat inexperienced defending the pass in zone schemes, he takes fantastic angles to the ball, so I assume he'll be a quick learn and be ready to take over the reigns as a starter as early as the second part of the 2012 season.

Hightower seems likely to fit well in the Steelers' system. He could have a little difficulty in pass coverage at first, but with time, he could develop in that area.

For more on the Steelers, check out Behind The Steel Curtain. For more on the NFL Draft, there's Mocking The Draft. Here's SB Nation's latest mock draft.

With the draft less than a month away, the Steelers have been bringing in a steady stream of prospects into the facility for visits so they can can get a better idea of the kinds of players and people they might be drafting. Here is the list of players who will be coming to the facility on Thursday.

Visiting today are Alabama ILB Dont'a Hightower, Oregon RB LaMichael James, Oregon TE David Paulson, Midwestern St. G Amini Silatolu

— Steelers Digest (@SteelersDigest) April 12, 2012

We know all about the Steelers and Dont'a Hightower, so the most interesting name on that list is probably Oregon running back LaMichael James. James is a scat back to the highest degree and could add a new dimension to the Steelers offense. He is getting compared to Saints running back Darren Sproles a lot in pre-draft projections, and the Steelers could benefit from a presence like that.

Paulson and Silatolu are potentially later-round selections.

For more on the Steelers, check out Behind The Steel Curtain. For more on the NFL Draft, there's Mocking The Draft. Here's SB Nation's latest mock draft.

One of the most popular names being linked to the Pittsburgh Steelers in recent mock drafts has been Dont'a Hightower, an inside linebacker from Alabama who could step right in and help replace James Farrior. But Hightwoer isn't the only linebacker on the National Champion Crimson Tide worth drafting in the first round. His partner in crime Courtney Upshaw is more of an outside linebacker, and he might go a little bit higher in the first round than Hightower. According to Behind the Steel Curtain, both players will be visiting the Steelers.

Much has been made of Hightower in SteelerNation, and fairly so. The team is thin at the inside linebacker position, and, at whatever point in the draft it may come, it's a near certainty they will spend at least one pick at the position. Against the run, there is little to fear with Hightower. He attacks downhill and has a good sense for the football. Perhaps more importantly, though, if he is to be trained in the communication-heavy buck LB position, his intelligence and football acumen must be sharp. Both appear to be pluses for Hightower, perhaps even enough to make up for only adequate pass coverage skills.

Hightower has a much greater chance of making it to the Steelers pick at No. 24, and with LaMarr Woodley and James Harrison already on the edge, he is a better fit with the defense as well.

For more on the Steelers, check out Behind The Steel Curtain. For more on the NFL Draft, there's Mocking The Draft. Here's SB Nation's latest mock draft.

The 2012 NFL Draft is just about three weeks away, which means we should start to get a better idea of the prospects that teams are focusing on. The Steelers have been linked to a lot of defensive players in recent mock drafts, but they also have some needs on the offensive side that could be addressed with their first round pick. In his latest 2012 NFL Mock Draft at CBS Sports, Dane Brugler has the Steelers beefing up their offensive line with Georgia guard Cordy Glenn.

Besides Maurkice Pouncey, the Steelers haven't used a first round pick on the offensive line since 2002 and would be wise to use another one here to protect Ben Roethlisberger and keep him healthy. Glenn has really stood-out during the pre-draft process, showing impressive movement skills for a 345-pounder with a 5.15 40-yard dash, adding 31 reps of 225 pounds. And perhaps his best quality is position versatility to play guard or tackle.

You can ask Ben Roethlisberger's ankle how it feels about this pick, because the extra help up front should help Big Ben stay upright a little bit better.

For more on the Steelers, check out Behind The Steel Curtain. For more on the NFL Draft, there's Mocking The Draft. Here's SB Nation's latest mock draft.

The Pittsburgh Steelers will be looking at a few different positions in the first round of the 2012 NFL Draft. One position that some think the Steelers will look at is the linebacker position to replace James Farrior and to continue adding youth to the Steelers defense. In Sports Illustrated's latest NFL Mock Draft, Don Banks has the Steelers picking up a linebacker in the first round of the draft.

24 - Pittsburgh Steelers - Don'ta Hightower, LB, Alabama

With offensive tackles like Adams and Martin going off the board right before their pick comes, the Steelers turn to their second most pressing need, grabbing the draft's second best inside linebacker. Hightower should walk right into the lineup as a replacement for James Farrior, and gives Pittsburgh's defense a shot of youth and athleticism.

The Steelers have slowly been injecting youth into their roster and parting ways with aging veterans. Banks has the Steelers picking up Hightower and many others think offensive line is a position the Steelers could also look at.

For more on the Steelers, check out Behind The Steel Curtain. For more on the NFL Draft, there's Mocking The Draft. Here's SB Nation's latest mock draft.

While it was already known that West Virginia Mountaineers cornerback Keith Tandy has had a private workout and visit with the Pittsburgh Steelers, a tweet by Aaron Wilson reports that Tandy also had workouts with both the Washington Redskins and the Chicago Bears.

Keith Tandy has had private workouts for the Chicago Bears, Washington Redskins and the Pittsburgh Steelers

— Aaron Wilson (@RavensInsider) April 10, 2012

Tandy led the Big East in interceptions last season and would be a good addition to any team looking to add some defensive back depth in the later rounds of the draft. Despite his lack of size, measuring in at 5-foot-10, he earned a reputation while at West Virginia for being a very aggressive and tenacious cornerback. He most likely would start his career as someone who would play in nickel and dime packages.

For more on the Steelers, check out Behind The Steel Curtain. For more on the NFL Draft, there's Mocking The Draft. Here's SB Nation's latest mock draft.

The Steelers are still doing their homework for the upcoming NFL Draft and that includes hosting some potential picks to their facility in Pittsburgh. They will be hosting three today including a first round prospect on defense.

3 draft prospects also visiting #Steelers today: DE Akiem Hicks, Regina of Canada; TE Michael Egnew, Missouri; LB Nick Perry, Southern Cal

— Ed Bouchette (@EdBouchette) April 10, 2012

Perry is the big name of the bunch, and he might go in the first round around where the Steelers will be picking at No. 24 overall. Perry played defensive end at USC but will likely transition to an outside linebacker role in the 3-4 defense once he gets to the next level. Perry has very good athleticism and might be a good project for the Steelers to take on and develop. Hicks and Egnew are later round prospects, but Egnew is a very capable pass catcher and could make a good depth backup later in the draft.

For more on the Steelers, check out Behind The Steel Curtain. For more on the NFL Draft, there's Mocking The Draft. Here's SB Nation's latest mock draft.

The Pittsburgh Steelers are picking at No. 24 in the upcoming NFL Draft, and they have ben linked to a lot of players in that range who could fill their positions of need. But every year some elite prospects tumble down the draft board way further than anyone expects, and the Steelers could benefit if they target somebody who's stock is falling. According to the guys at Behind the Steel Curtain, that could be South Carolina defensive end Melvin Ingram. Here is a look at how he might fit on the Steelers.

On one hand, he's explosive - something Steelers coach Mike Tomlin certainly likes in his high-end draft picks. On the other, Ingram's size isn't quite prototypical for an outside linebacker - likely the position he'd play if he was in Pittsburgh. It's that lack of elite size that could cause Ingram to fall a bit, and teams picking in the bottom third of the draft don't always get that luxury.

Ingram might not have the size to line up as an outside linebacker, but he has a ton of versatility and could become a very interesting toy for the Steelers to play with on defense. Here is a video profile of Ingram from SB Nation.

For more on the Steelers, check out Behind The Steel Curtain. For more on the NFL Draft, there's Mocking The Draft. Here's SB Nation's latest mock draft.

The 2012 NFL Draft is less than three weeks away, and most experts are still predicting that the Pittsburgh Steelers will take steps to bring some youth to their defense. In the latest 2012 NFL mock draft from SB Nation, the Steelers opt for Alabama linebacker Dont'a Hightower.

Here was my explanation for the pick:

This pick is becoming a bit like the top two picks in the draft, preordained. Hey, if the shoe fits, right? Hightower may not make it this far. If not, the Steelers may go with an offensive tackle instead.

Seattle is also said to be interested in Hightower, who is gaining momentum in a draft starved for blue chip defensive talent.

Another player that the Steelers might consider is Mississippi offensive tackle Bobby Massie. Under the radar compared to Jonathan Martin and Mike Adams, Massie has been far more consistent in his college career than either of those two players. He also has three years starting experience against SEC competition.

For more on the NFL Draft, check out Mocking the Draft. Be sure to visit SB Nation's NFL hub for even more news and rumors from around the league.

Ask any NFL expert about which defensive tackle is the best in the 2012 NFL Draft, and the answers will vary widely. One name in the conversation is Penn State product Devon Still, ticketed for a likely first-round pick when the draft gets underway on April 26. Russ Lande at the Sporting News put Still in the 16th spot of his player rankings list.

That does not make Still the highest-rated defensive tackle in Lande's eyes. The top 15 prospects will be revealed in a second part of Lande's series. Nevertheless, the ranking reconfirms the conventional wisdom that Still will be a first-round pick in the 2012 NFL Draft. Where he goes and how he fits in at the NFL level remains to be seen.

Lande points to several teams that could consider Still.

The Kansas City Chiefs pick 11th overall and must upgrade their defensive line, so they could take Still in the first round if LSU's Michael Brockers is not available. Later in the first round, the New York Jets and No. 16 and the New England Patriots, who hold the 27th and 3st picks, could have interest in Still because he would fit well in their 3-4 schemes.

For more on the NFL Draft, check out Mocking the Draft. Be sure to visit SB Nation's NFL hub for even more news and rumors from around the league.

SB Nation’s latest 2012 NFL mock draft has Ryan Tannehill dropping out of the top 10 and all the way to the Philadelphia Eagles at No. 15. Possible Steelers target Dontari Poe actually goes before that, to the Cowboys at No. 14.

All the action leaves the Steelers with what has become a familiar name: linebacker Dont’a Hightower of Alabama.

This pick is becoming a bit like the top two picks in the draft, preordained. Hey, if the shoe fits, right? Hightower may not make it this far. If not, the Steelers may go with an offensive tackle instead.

The Steelers have greater need as guard and nose tackle than at offensive tackle, but I suppose that’s possible. Stanford’s Jonathan Martin, who falls to the Lions at No. 23 in this scenario, might be tempting if he drops one more spot to the Steelers at No. 24.

Penn State’s Devon Still isn’t in the first round in this mock.

For more on the NFL Draft, check out Mocking The Draft.

Entering the 2012 NFL Draft, one of the biggest areas of need for the Pittsburgh Steelers is depth on the defensive line. If Pittsburgh were to not address this need with the No. 24 pick, the Steelers would certainly look to add help in later rounds. Steelers Depot has a look at one prospect who might be an excellent fit for Pittsburgh later in the 2012 draft:

It is no secret that the Pittsburgh Steelers will likely select a young nose tackle to groom in the draft later on this month and one player that could certainly fit the bill is Alabama nose tackle Josh Chapman. Chapman is still currently rehabbing after having surgery in mid January on his left knee to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament that he suffered in a game against the Florida Gators back in October.

Chapman was not able to participate at the NFL combine back in February, but was able to bench at the first Alabama pro day in early March where he did 29 reps of 225 pounds ... Had Chapman not tore up his knee he would have easily been a first or second round prospect, but now it appears he is a third or fourth round pick according to many draftniks.

The biggest question of course is Chapman's health, and when would he be 100% physically. Those health concerns could cause Chapman to fall into the middle and late rounds of the draft, and provide Pittsburgh with a nice steal of a young nose tackle.

For more on the Steelers, check out Behind The Steel Curtain. For more on the NFL Draft, there's Mocking The Draft. Here's SB Nation's latest mock draft.

Draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. of ESPN has come out with his latest draft projections for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Kiper, like many others, thinks the Steelers will go with Alabama linebacker Dont'a Hightower in the first round. In the second round, he feels the team will look to address the issues on the offensive line by taking former Iowa State guard Kelechi Osemele. Osemele recently visited the Atlanta Falcons, and the folks at The Falcoholic have put together a nice scouting report on him.

Finally, in the third round, Kiper has the Steelers taking nose tackle Alameda Ta'Amu out of Washington.

These three picks make all sorts of sense from a positional perspective, since they address all of the Steelers' top areas of need: inside linebacker, guard and nose tackle.

For more news and analysis on the Pittsburgh Steelers, stop by Behind the Steel Curtain. For all the latest NFL Draft news, head on over to Mocking The Draft.

The Steelers have the No. 24 pick in the upcoming NFL Draft, and a number of areas of need. While there is a need for some new offensive linemen to help protect quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, nose tackle is also an area that needs to be addressed.

ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter says that if the right defensive lineman is available at No. 24, the Steelers could potentially 'pounce' on the prospect and select him.

This draft is so deep at defensive tackle that it's easy to see the Steelers looking in that direction on draft day. The one thing about Pittsburgh's defense is that it's aging, quickly -- the Steelers need an infusion of youth and talent.

A good young nose tackle would be the best case scenario for a Steelers team looking to revitalize their defense for the upcoming 2012 season. Some of the top defensive tackles, like Devon Still, may not be the best fits, and the Steelers have taken defensive ends in two of the last three drafts. But nose tackle Dontari Poe would certainly make sense from a positional perspective. The Steelers might also take another defensive lineman late in the draft, like Cincinnati's Derek Wolfe.

For more on the Steelers, check out Behind The Steel Curtain. For more on the NFL Draft, there's Mocking The Draft. Here's SB Nation's latest mock draft.

The guys over at Mocking the Draft have been putting together a collaborative mock draft with the bloggers of SB Nation and on Thursday they reached the No. 24 overall pick, belonging to the Steelers. The guys over at Behind The Steel Curtain took Alabama linebacker Dont'a Hightower, here is their explanation.

Hightower, however, would be a great fit. He called the plays for Nick Saban’s defense last season at Alabama. Though he may be somewhat inexperienced defending the pass in zone schemes, he takes fantastic angles to the ball, so I assume he’ll be a quick learn and be ready to take over the reigns as a starter as early as the second part of the 2012 season.

Hightower has been a very popular pick for the Steelers since the NFL Combine, near unanimous in fact. It is not surprising to see Hightower in this spot, but it is worth noting that to make this pick the "Steelers" had to pass on Memphis defensive lineman Dontari Poe, who is considered by many to be an early first round pick.

Poe reached the pinnacle of his draft stock within the past few weeks, but he has taken a significant tumble after his performance at the combine forced analysts to look at his game film a little closer. He would also be a good fit for the Steelers with this pick, so it will be interesting to see what the actual Steelers do if they are presented with this decision.

For more on the Steelers, check out Behind The Steel Curtain. For more on the NFL Draft, there's Mocking The Draft. Here's SB Nation's latest mock draft.

Steelers Depot posted an article today talking about what should be the course of action for Pittsburgh going into the NFL Draft.

He says that the Steelers will not reach for an offensive line prospect unless they are convinced at his value, which begs the question of whether the Steelers should trade out of the No. 24 pick and stockpile some picks for later in the draft.

It would not be out of the question for the Steelers to explore the value of trading their first round pick away for additional later round picks. Acquiring additional picks in the second or third and the later rounds would allow the Steelers to select multiple offensive line prospects...who could still contribute to the team early.

Trading down is always a proposition that can be tricky because you will not get any flash for trading down. At the same time, flash has never been a big focus for the Steelers, as they always seem to look for players who will buy into their system.

For more on the Steelers, check out Behind The Steel Curtain. For more on the NFL Draft, there's Mocking The Draft. Here's SB Nation's latest mock draft.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have been pegged with typically an offensive lineman or a linebacker by most in the 2012 NFL Draft. One mock draft in particular went against the grain a bit, selecting a surprise pick for the Steelers that isn't necessarily a need, but could add a nice dimension to the Steelers new look offense. Will Brinson of CBS Sports thinks that Stanford tight end Coby Fleener would be a nice pick for the Steelers.

Coby Fleener, TE, Stanford: This is a bit of a surprise pick, and the Steelers don't necessarily "need" a tight end. However, Kevin Colbert knows value when he sees it, and Fleener is precisely that. He can create mismatches on offense, and if the Steelers are going to struggle in the running game without Rashard Mendenhall, Fleener can add a new dimension to what Pittsburgh does.

Fleener would definitely be a surprise pick by the Steelers, as they have a nice tight end already in Heath Miller. Adding a guy like Fleener however would create some mismatches in formations that the Steelers could both run and pass out of.

For more on the Steelers, check out Behind The Steel Curtain. For more on the NFL Draft, there's Mocking The Draft. Here's SB Nation's latest mock draft.

The Pittsburgh Steelers will have plenty of options at the No. 24 overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft. The Steelers have needs on both sides of the ball, so there could be a choice from either side. Don Banks of SI.com's latest mock draft has the Steelers selecting Ohio State offensive tackle Mike Adams. Banks also mentions, however, that Alabama linebacker Dont'a Hightower has been connected to the Steelers as well.

The Steelers' offensive line issues point toward making Adams a need pick, but Alabama inside linebacker Don'ta Hightower is the other name that keeps being linked to Pittsburgh. In Adams, the Steelers would be getting prototypical tackle size, with only some inconsistent play dropping his grade.

Offensive line is a position that the Steelers need to address during this offseason and Adams measures in at 6-foot-8 and 320 pounds. Getting a tackle that size can only help provide more protection for quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. However, Hightower would give the Steelers an inside threat in their defense that could put a lot of pressure on opponents.

For more on the Steelers, check out Behind The Steel Curtain. For more on the NFL Draft, there's Mocking The Draft. Here's SB Nation's latest mock draft.

The players just keep coming to visit the Steelers ahead of this month's NFL Draft. After Isaiah Pead from Cincinnati said that he would be visiting the Steelers, Ole Miss offensive tackle Bobby Massie is reported to be visiting Pittsburgh, according to a tweet from Scott Brown of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

Ole Miss OT Bobby Massie visiting the Steelers today. Massie, a RT at Ole Miss, entered draft after junior season.

— Scott Brown (@ScottBrown_Trib) April 4, 2012

The Steelers have been looking for some offensive line help. Massie was a part of an offensive line that in 2010 allowed the fewest sacks in the SEC and had the third-most rushing yards. Massie measures in at 6-foot-6 and 315 pounds. A player like him could be a great addition to a rebuilt offensive line.

For more on the Steelers, check out Behind The Steel Curtain. For more on the NFL Draft, there's Mocking The Draft. Here's SB Nation's latest mock draft.

Running back is a position that the Pittsburgh Steelers will likely address this offseason, be it through the draft or free agency. As one of the Steelers' pre-draft visits, running back Isaiah Pead of the Cincinnati Bearcats will visit the Steelers, according to Steelers Depot.

Steelers Depot: Steelers Bring In Cincinnati RB Isaiah Pead For Pre Draft Visit bit.ly/HV8waA #steelers #nfl

— Steelers Depot (@Steelersdepot) April 3, 2012

Pead had a good senior season at Cincinnati rushing for 1,259 yards and 12 touchdowns all on 237 carries. Pead also caught 39 passes for 319 yards and three touchdowns as well. At the Scouting Combine, Pead ran a 4.47 40-yard dash. His weight tops out at 197 pounds so Pead would most likely be used in change-of-pace situations or in space rather than being used in between the tackles.

For more on the Steelers, check out Behind The Steel Curtain. For more on the NFL Draft, there's Mocking The Draft. Here's SB Nation's latest mock draft.

More and more players are making visits to the Steelers' facilities with the NFL Draft now less than a month away. The Steelers' staff is doing its due diligence by checking as many players as possible. That includes Alabama linebacker Jerrell Harris and West Virginia cornerback Keith Tandy.

West Viginia CB Keith Tandy and Alabama LB Jerrell Harris visited the Steelers today.

— Scott Brown (@ScottBrown_Trib) April 2, 2012

Tandy had four interceptions his senior year at West Virginia, including one in the 70-33 victory over Clemson in the Orange Bowl. He was also credited with nine passes defended during the season. Harris played in every Crimson Tide game this past season and recorded seven total tackles in the National Championship Game against LSU.

For more on the Steelers, check out Behind The Steel Curtain. For more on the NFL Draft, there's Mocking The Draft. Here's SB Nation's latest mock draft.

The top prospects in the draft have only a few opportunities to impress NFL scouts after their season ends. They can play in an all-star game, participate in the NFL Combine, visit the teams individually or show out at their pro day. Alabama linebacker Dont'a Hightower took full advantage of the last option, putting on a strong showing at his pro day last week in Tuscaloosa. That makes his selection to the Steelers at No. 24 overall in the latest 2012 NFL Mock Draft an even better selection for the team.

Hightower stole the show at Alabama's pro day. Showing off his speed, Hightower looked like a plug-and-play linebacker in almost any system. His record as a pass rusher in college only improves his resume. He would be a natural replacement for James Farrior, as we have said before, and give the Pittsburgh defense some much needed youth.

Hightower would be a nice fit next to Lawrence Timmmons in the middle of the field for the Steelers and would make all four linebackers on the field positions of strength for the defense.

For more on the Steelers, check out Behind The Steel Curtain. For more on the NFL Draft, there's Mocking The Draft. Here's SB Nation's latest mock draft.

The 2012 NFL Draft is now less than a month away, and the Steelers continue to host prospects to get a better idea of who might be a good fit for their team. One of their recent visitors was Miami (OH) guard Brandon Brooks, and Steelers Depot seems to thing that he would be a pretty good fit.

The draft stock for Brooks come draft day will likely be late second round to late third round. His strong showing at the Shrine game combined with and excellent Pro Day has more than made up for him not being at the combine. He has made himself some money since the end of the season and would be an excellent guard for the Steelers, who have already brought him in for a pre draft visit.

Interior offensive line, specifically the guard position, is one of the areas of need for the Steelers and Brooks would represent a chance to add some talent there without using their first and likely second round picks. It might be difficult for the Steelers to pass on him if he is available in the third round and they haven't drafted a guard in the first two.

For more on the Steelers, check out Behind The Steel Curtain. For more on the NFL Draft, there's Mocking The Draft. Here's SB Nation's latest mock draft.

Memphis big man Dontari Poe was one of the most impressive athletes at the 2012 NFL Scouting Combine, and he has been mentioned as a possibility for the Pittsburgh Steelers numerous times in 2012 NFL mock drafts. The 6-foot-4, 346-pound defensive lineman jumped up many draft boards by displaying superior athleticism in Indianapolis, clocking a 4.98 in the 40-yard dash and lifting 225 pounds a whopping 44 times.

There are some, though, who feel Poe's impressive combine stats do not necessarily translate to his play on the field. Via Mark Eckel of NJ.com:

"He'll be overdrafted," one personnel man said. "He did all of that at the Combine, so some team will take him way higher than he should go. I mean watch him play, just watch. He didn't do anything. And he wasn't playing at a very high level, either.

"All I know is he had one sack last year and it came against Austin Peay. You probably didn't even know Austin Peay had a football team."

The Pittsburgh front office does a tremendous job with the draft, so there is no doubt they are pouring through tape after tape on all potential draftees, Poe included, and if the Steelers do not see on-field performance matching 40 times and bench press reps, they will assuredly back away and make the right choice for the team.

For more on the Steelers, check out Behind The Steel Curtain. For more on the NFL Draft, there's Mocking The Draft. Here's SB Nation's latest mock draft.

The Pittsburgh Steelers are a team that is looking for help on defense entering the 2012 season. A good chance to get that help would be in the NFL Draft. Though the Steelers do not pick until No. 24, a name that could be available at that position, although you have to employ a little wishful thinking to get him to land there, is Memphis nose tackle Dontari Poe. In the latest mock draft from Behind the Steel Curtain, Poe is projected to be drafted by the Steelers.

This pick would be in within thirty seconds. While Donta Hightower is a great player and so is Cordy Glenn, I can't see any way in which the Steelers pass up on Poe if he is available. It is not often that you get the chance to draft an elite athlete who is 340+ pounds. Poe has all the tools to become a dominant NT in this league and with a year of tutelage from Casey Hampton, he could help the Steelers transition to the next wave of elite defenses.

Despite Poe's size, he has proven in workouts and at the Scouting Combine that he is quick off the snap and is very powerful. He is an athlete who could be the cornerstone in the next great Steelers defense if he is selected by Pittsburgh.

For more on the Steelers, check out Behind The Steel Curtain. For more on the NFL Draft, there’s Mocking The Draft.

The defense is a key area that needs addressing in this year's NFL Draft. With one month before the big event, the Steelers are looking at as many defensive prospects as they can. This will include Virginia Cavaliers linbacker/defensive end Cam Johnson, according to Steelers Depot.

Steelers reportedly will host Virginia OLB/DE Cam Johnson next week for a pre draft visit #steelers

— Steelers Depot (@Steelersdepot) March 30, 2012

Johnson played in both a 3-4 and a 4-3 defense in his time at Virginia so the experience playing both positions would be well suited in playing in the 3-4 defense that the Steelers have.

Johnson had four sacks last season with Virginia as the Cavaliers made the Chik-Fil-A Bowl against Auburn. At the NFL Scouting Combine, Johnson clocked a 40 time of 4.81 seconds. He's 6-foot-3 and weighs 278 pounds.

For more on the Steelers, check out Behind The Steel Curtain. For more on the NFL Draft, there’s Mocking The Draft.

Steelers Depot’s latest 2012 NFL mock draft only contains the Steelers’ picks, but it’s worth checking out. It has the Steelers taking Stanford offensive lineman Jonathan Martin at No. 24. That’s the first time I’ve seen Martin fall that far in a mock draft, but after Martin’s disappointing pro day a few weeks ago, it might not be the last. (Martin did not participate in drills in the NFL combine.)

Advertised as a top-notch athlete, the First Team All-Pac 12 left tackle was timed at 5.33 seconds in his first attempt at the 40-yard dash. Worse, this attempt was aided by the wind. Martin came in at 5.43 seconds, according to scouts, on his second attempt against the wind. Perhaps more alarming was that the 6-5, 307-pound Martin lifted the bar only 20 times during the bench press and wasn’t as fluid or explosive as DeCastro during position drills.

After that for the Steelers comes Miami (Ohio) guard Brandon Brooks, Alabama nose tackle Josh Chapman, and Nevada inside linebacker James Michael Johnson. Cincinnati DT/DE Derek Wolfe, who recently had a pre-draft visit with the Steelers, goes to them in Round 5.

For more on the Steelers, check out Behind The Steel Curtain. For more on the NFL Draft, there’s Mocking The Draft.

Todd McShay has come out with the latest edition of his 2012 NFL Mock Draft over at ESPN, and it addresses what have been described as need positions for the Steelers. Mike Tomlin identified inside linebacker and running back as two positions that need depth earlier this week, so McShay gives the Steelers one of each in his two-round mock. He starts with Alabama linebacker Dont'a Hightower in the first round.

Hightower has nailed the pre-draft process and is solidly in the first round, and, with his ability to control the interior against the run, he's a perfect fit for Pittsburgh's 3-4 system. There are few 263-pounders who run like Hightower.

Linebacker is a very serious need for the Steelers, and Hightower has been a very popular choice for them with the No. 24 overall pick in the draft.

McShay also provides a second round mock, and he has the Steelers taking running back Doug Martin from Boise State. He also has Virginia Tech running back David Wilson going a single pick later. If the Steelers are really serious about adding depth at the position, it seems like they'll have a good opportunity to in the early rounds.

For more on the Steelers, check out Behind The Steel Curtain. For more on the NFL Draft, check out SB Nation Pittsburgh’s 2012 NFL Draft StoryStream.

SB Nation’s Pitt blog, Cardiac Hill, looks at the likely NFL Draft rounds of departing members of the Panthers. There aren’t any Pitt players who are likely to go in the early rounds, with Todd McShay projecting that Brandon Lindsey and Lucas Nix will go in Round 5, with Chas Alecxih going in the sixth round and Antwuan Reed going in the seventh.

I certainly agree that Lindsey is the most talented Panther in this year’s draft, even though he had a bit of a down year compared to his stellar 2010 campaign when he earned second team All-Big East honors and ranked 16th nationally in both sacks and tackles for losses.

Among other local schools, Penn State’s Devon Still consistently projects as a first-rounder, while Behind The Steel Curtain’s latest seven-round mock draft also had Nittany Lions Jack Crawford and Derek Moye going in Round 7. (That might change, of course, with the discovery that police found drug paraphernalia in Crawford’s apartment.) BTSC has WVU’s Bruce Irvin and Julian Miller going in the fifth round, while Keith Tandy goes in Round 6.

The NFL has officially released the 2012 NFL Draft order, now complete with compensatory picks that were given to select teams based on talent they lost over the past year. For a complete list of picks for every team, you can head over to SB Nation. The Steelers will have ten picks in the upcoming draft, their own at No. 24 in each round and a few compensatory picks at the end. Here is the complete list of picks the Steelers own.

Round 1 - 24th Pick - No. 24 overall

Round 2 - 24th Pick - No. 56 overall

Round 3 - 24th Pick - No. 86 overall

Round 4 - 24th Pick - No. 119 overall

Round 5 - 24th Pick - No. 159 overall

Round 6 - 24th Pick - No. 193 overall

Round 7 - 24th Pick - No. 231 overall

Round 7 - 33rd Pick - No. 240 overall

Round 7 - 39th Pick - No. 246 overall

Round 7 - 41st Pick - No. 248 overall

Keep in mind that this is only how the picks will be laid out at the start of the draft, trades will dramatically alter the order even further.

For more on the Steelers, check out Behind The Steel Curtain. For more on the NFL Draft, check out SB Nation Pittsburgh’s 2012 NFL Draft StoryStream.

While a lot of the big-name players in free agency were scooped up within the first few days, there are still available players that could help the Steelers or other teams. Mike Tomlin recently addressed the positions that the Steelers still need to address, whether it be towards the end of free agency or during the upcoming NFL Draft.

Tomlin says Steelers need to address ILB, RB, NT/DT via free agency or the draft.

— Scott Brown (@ScottBrown_Trib) March 27, 2012

Notice he didn't list wide receiver, that could mean that he is confident that the team will be able to retain Mike Wallace, or that he is comfortable with the depth if he leaves. He also doesn't list cornerback despite losing starter William Gay to the Cardinals. He explained that the Steelers have a plan for filling Gay's spot in the lineup.

Tomlin says Lewis, Allen and C. Brown will battle for starting CB position opposite Ike Taylor.

— Scott Brown (@ScottBrown_Trib) March 27, 2012

That's Keenan Lewis, Cortez Allen and Curtis Brown, who all served in backup roles a season ago.

For more on the Steelers, check out Behind The Steel Curtain. For more on the NFL Draft, check out SB Nation Pittsburgh’s 2012 NFL Draft StoryStream.

Scott Brown of the Trib has some news regarding 2012 NFL Draft prospects in whom the Steelers might be interested. The Steelers have recently had visits with three players from outside Pittsburgh, and one of those was Ohio State’s Mike Adams, an offensive lineman who looks like a likely first-round pick.

The other two were Cincinnati defensive end Derek Wolfe and Florida International wideout T.Y. Hilton. The Steelers love their defensive linemen, of course, but Wolfe’s visit is still a bit surprising — the Steelers need a nose tackle, but not so much a defensive end, since two of their last three first-round picks have been defensive ends. I can’t find anything to suggest that Wolfe can be an NFL nose tackle. He’s a likely mid-round pick.

Hilton also will likely be a mid-round pick. It wouldn’t be surprising to see the Steelers take a wide receiver at some point after the first couple rounds, since the team can use a bit of depth behind Mike Wallace (assuming he returns), Antonio Brown and Emmanuel Sanders.

For more on the NFL Draft, check out Mocking The Draft.

The best teams in the NFL usually draft the best player available, even if they have some holes that need filling in their lineup. Sometimes the draft board works out well and the BPA happens to play a position of need. It seems the draft may shake out that way for the Steelers this year. The Steelers have a need at inside linebacker, and Dont'a Hightower might be the best player on the board when they pick No. 24. That's why SB Nation has the Steelers taking Hightower in its latest 2012 NFL Mock Draft.

The Steelers cut James Farrior, racing to get under the cap. Hightower is more than a suitable replacement, capable of working on the inside or rushing the passer from the strong side.

The Steelers have an immediate need at inside linebacker, and Hightower could help fix that and also infuse some much-needed young talent at that position.

For more news and analysis on the Steelers, make sure to visit Behind the Steel Curtain. For the latest NFL Draft news, please visit Mocking the Draft.

There’s almost no chance this will happen, but this community mock draft would be a dream for the Steelers. First, combine monster and Memphis nose tackle Dontari Poe falls to the Steelers at No. 24, which strikes me as unlikely. Then, the Steelers trade back into the first round, shipping their second- and third-round picks and their 2013 second-round pick to the New England Patriots, and grab Alabama linebacker Dont’a Hightower.

That would be an amazing haul for the Steelers. Both are very legitimate first-rounders, and both play positions where the Steelers have serious needs. The only unfortunate thing about it is that the Steelers wouldn’t be able to start addressing their offensive line issues until the fourth round.

Devon Still of Penn State goes to the Denver Broncos at No. 25.

For much more NFL Draft action, and to check out all the picks in this mock draft, check out Mocking The Draft.

Although many draft experts feel that the Pittsburgh Steelers will take Dont'a Hightower of Alabama in the first round of the 2012 NFL Draft, Don Banks of SI.com has them going in a much different direction in his latest mock draft. Instead of a defensive player, he has the Steelers taking offensive tackle Mike Adams out of Ohio State at No. 24 overall. Here is his reasoning behind it.

"After the offensive line issues the Steelers have suffered through the past two seasons, Adams would seem a godsend at No. 24. He's too inconsistent for some teams, but the Steelers like his build and the way he stood out against better competition."

Interestingly enough, he feels that the Steelers will pass on Hightower rather than seeing him snatched up before their turn to pick. Banks has Hightower going to the Patriots at No. 27 overall.

For more news and analysis on the Steelers, make sure to visit Behind the Steel Curtain. For the latest NFL Draft news, please visit Mocking the Draft.

Free Agency has changed the landscape of the upcoming NFL Draft as some teams have filled some of the holes that they might have addressed during the Draft. On the other hand, some team cuts have made positions that needed shoring up an even greater need; like inside linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers. The guys over at SB Nation have come out with their latest 2012 NFL Mock Draft, and as with most recent mock drafts, they have the Steelers plugging that hole with Alabama ILB Dont'a Hightower.

It was a massacre in Pittsburgh, a salary cap massacre. The Steelers' defense needs youth, and Hightower gives their linebacking corps just that. The Alabama product is more than just young; he looks like the spiritual heir to James Farrior and is a tough, versatile player who can contribute immediately.

Hightower might have gotten more publicity if he weren't part of such an incredible defensive unit for Alabama surrounded by other first-round picks. He could step right in and help alongside Lawrence Timmons, while making what was a position of need a position of young strength.

For more on the NFL Draft, check out Mocking The Draft. For more on the Steelers, there's Behind The Steel Curtain.

SB Nation’s latest 2012 NFL Mock Draft accounts for this weekend’s epic Redskins/Rams trade, which had Washington mortgaging the entire rest of its future in order to be able to grab Robert Griffin III with the second overall pick. In this mock, that means the Cleveland Browns elect to take quarterback Ryan Tannehill at No. 4, which would be quite a reach.

None of that changes the Steelers’ pick. SB Nation’s is about the two dozenth consecutive mock I’ve seen that has Pittsburgh taking Alabama linebacker Dont’a Hightower.

James Farrior became a cap casualty this year as the Steelers scramble to find cap space and a way to get younger. Hightower has a knack for knowing where the ball is. He can also rush the passer with his brute strength. They still need to find a replacement for Casey Hampton.

Penn State’s Devon Still goes to the Broncos at No. 25. Wisconsin offensive lineman Kevin Zeitler, who some longer mock drafts have predicted will go in the second round, actually is selected by the Baltimore Ravens with the No. 29 overall pick.

For more mock draft action, head over to Mocking The Draft.

Behind The Steel Curtain’s epic seven-round 2012 NFL mock draft is back. We’ll skip the first round, where the Steelers take Alabama linebacker Dont’a Hightower (if Hightower is suddenly appearing as the Steelers’ pick in every mock draft there is, that’s because he makes a whole lot of sense) and head to Round 2, where they take Wisconsin offensive lineman Kevin Zeitler:

If the Steelers bypass taking an offensive lineman in the first round they simply have to here. If he’s available I’m sure that Zeitler is going to be a fan favorite among those in Steelers Nation. Not only would he fill the team’s biggest need but he’s also a powerful road grader who can start from day one.

As more mock drafts start to expand to include more than one round, expect to see Zeitler here, just as you’ll see lots of Hightower for the Steelers in Round 1. Zeitler is a good match of likely ability and positional need — guard is the Steelers’ biggest problem on the much-maligned offensive line.

In Round 3, the Steelers take a safety, LSU’s Brandon Taylor. In Round 4 it’s Appalachian State wideout Brian Quick, and then ASU cornerback Omar Bolden in Round 5. That leaves the Steelers waiting until Round 7 to pick a nose tackle (Marshall’s Delvin Johnson) and going with Steve McLendon at the position while Casey Hampton starts the season on the PUP list.

At this point, I’d be a little surprised to see the Steelers go through the entire draft without picking a running back, but who knows?

For more on the NFL Draft, check out Mocking The Draft.

The Pittsburgh Steelers are making their rounds to Pro Day workouts in preparation for the 2012 NFL Draft. On Thursday Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin, general manager Kevin Colbert, and some other assistant coaches and coordinators attended the Miami Hurricanes Pro Day according to Steelers Depot.

Needing help on the offensive line, one player the Steelers could be looking at is guard Brandon Washington, who's currently projected as a mid-round pick. Another player the Steelers should have interest in is speedy Miami running back Lamar Miller. The Steelers have a big question mark at running back with the late season injury to Rashard Mendenhall, so a big play threat like Miller could entice the Steelers in the mid-rounds.

The Hurricanes also have a trio of wide receivers in LaRon Byrd, Travis Benjamin, and Tommy Streeter as well as tight end Chase Ford. Linebacker Sean Spence also turned some heads with his athleticism, but he's a bit small to fit into the Steelers defense.

For more on the NFL Draft, check out Mocking The Draft. For more on the Steelers, there's Behind The Steel Curtain.

The Pittsburgh Steelers will be looking for linebacker help in the 2012 NFL Draft and one of the players that has been linked to the Steelers is Alabama linebacker Don'ta Hightower. Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert was in attendance on Wednesday during Alabama's Pro Day.

Steelers gm Kevin Colbert among those on hand today at Alabama pro day. Second Tide workout will be March 29

— Dale Lolley (@dlolleyor) March 7, 2012

Colbert was likely in attendance to watch Hightower and some of his teammates in linebacker/defensive end Courtney Upshaw and nose tackle Josh Chapman. As mentioned, Hightower has been linked to the Steelers in plenty of mock drafts, but Chapman could also be of big interest for the Steelers. Chapman was the nose tackle in Alabama's defense, but played most of the season on a torn ACL. Chapman had surgery to repair his ACL in January and will likely miss much of the 2012 NFL season, if not all of it, but he was a dominating nose in the Alabama 3-4, which is another position at which the Steelers will be looking to get younger come April.

For more on the NFL Draft, check out Mocking The Draft. For more on the Steelers, there's Behind The Steel Curtain.

It’s getting to the point with 2012 NFL mock drafts where, even though 23 teams are making their selections before the Steelers do, the Steelers’ likely pick has become so obvious that there’s hardly even a need to report on it from day to day. After Dontari Poe played himself out of the Steelers’ draft range with an awesome combine performance, Alabama linebacker Dont’a Hightower is the new ‘it’ guy, simply because he’s the only obvious player who’s in the right range in terms of talent who also fills a need.

In practice, the draft won’t turn out to be so obvious, but for now, it’s hard to blame every analyst ever to watch a combine drill for suggesting the Steelers will pick Hightower at No. 24.

Todd McShay is the latest.

Offensive line and cornerback are bigger needs, but the there are no players at those positions worth this pick and the Steelers are not a team that reaches for need. Hightower carries a fringe first-round grade, but he eased durability concerns in 2011 and there are few 263-pounders who run like he does. Hightower is a perfect fit in Pittsburgh’s 3-4 scheme with his ability to control the interior.

That sounds about right to me.

For more on the NFL Draft, check out Mocking The Draft. For more on the Steelers, there’s Behind The Steel Curtain.

Mocking The Draft offers a scouting report on Alabama linebacker Dont’a Hightower. Now that Memphis nose tackle Dontari Poe has priced himself out of the vicinity of the Steelers’ No. 24 pick with his ridiculous Combine performance, Hightower’s is the name that comes up most frequently as a possible Steelers selection in NFL mock drafts.

Here’s Mocking The Draft’s conclusion:

Hightower was the leader of the talented Alabama defense the past two seasons. He’s an excellent run defender because of his instincts and strength. He’s one of the surest tacklers in this year’s draft and NFL-ready from a physical standpoint.

It sounds like the Hightower could help the Steelers right away, and with the recent departure of James Farrior, they can certainly use him. He also doesn’t have any obvious red flags that would prevent the Steelers from drafting him. The Steelers can often be unpredictable in the first round, but the idea that Pittsburgh would pick Hightower makes a ton of sense. If he’s not available in the first-round, and someone like Poe or David DeCastro doesn’t miraculously fall to them, I wouldn’t be shocked to see them go off the grid and pick a player they like at a position where they don’t have an obvious need.

For more on the Steelers, check out Behind The Steel Curtain.

The Pittsburgh Steelers could go many different ways in the 2012 NFL Draft. Most have projected offensive lineman to the Steelers because of the massive needs on their offensive line and protecting Ben Roethlisberger, who has been one of the most sacked quarterbacks in the NFL the past few seasons. I did my first mock draft for Big Cat Country over the weekend, and for me the best pick that fit the Steelers was Alabama linebacker Don'ta Hightower.

Hightower would fit right in at inside linebacker for the Steelers, coming out of a 3-4 defense in college at Alabama. Hightower is a great athlete for his size, clocking in at the 40-yard dash in 4.68 seconds at 6-foot-2 and 268 pounds. The Steelers recently released defensive veteran James Farrior, opening up a big need at inside linebacker, a need that Hightower could fill out of the gate as a rookie.

For more on the Pittsburgh Steelers, make sure to visit Behind the Steel Curtain. For more on the NFL Draft, stop by Mocking the Draft.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have the No. 24 pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, and many mock drafts predict the Steelers will attempt to get younger and more athletic along their offensive line. The fine folks at Steelers Depot broke down the work of some offensive lineman at the 2012 NFL Combine that Pittsburgh might be interested in come draft time. Their assessment of the combine work of possible first rounders David DeCastro and Cordy Glenn is below.

Round 1: David DeCastro was the only Guard believed to be a guaranteed 1st rounder. Cordy Glenn was a guy who some could see going in the 1st as well. DeCastro had an average combine. He impressed with his cone drill time, and disappointed with his 40 time. His bench and vert were solid. I believe someone will still snatch him up in the first round, and he will likely go in the middle of the round. Glenn had a little bit of a rougher combine. He showed speed in the 40 and strength in the bench, but failed to impress at the broad and vert jump and cone drill. I can't see him dropping too far, but he has probably become an early second round prospect now.

Glenn played both guard and tackle in college, flexibility that the Steelers might be happy to have. DeCastro's college resume comes only includes guard, but he's also more highly regarded and has more collegiate experience then Glenn, which may also appeal to Pittsburgh higher ups when considered who to draft at No. 24. Of course, it looks unlikely that DeCastro will be available when the Steelers pick, so if they happen to go for a guard, Glenn might be their best bet.

For more on the Pittsburgh Steelers, make sure to visit Behind the Steel Curtain. For more on the NFL Draft, stop by Mocking the Draft.

Ken Laird of Trib Total Media published a profile of Alabama linebacker Dont'a Hightower Friday afternoon, as many different mock drafts have the Steelers taking Hightower with the No. 24 overall pick in the draft.

Laird spoke with Hightower about a broad range of subjects, including overcoming a brutal knee injury that he suffered during his sophomore season at Alabama, and how he has felt since then.

"I feel as fast as I've ever felt, even before the knee injury," said Hightower. "I feel like I've got my speed back, and that was pretty much an open factor to my success. After the knee injury I knew what it was going to take, I knew I was going to be out for a time. After the knee incident and after the surgery I was going to work back to where I am and I definitely feel I'm just about to where I need to be."

After putting in a time of 4.62 in the 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine, ranking 10th among linebackers, Hightower thought he was where he needed to be, although he is working on cutting down his current weight of 265 pounds.

"Hopefully by Pro-Day [March 7th] I'll bump it down to 260, or 255 [lbs.]," he said. "I actually feel like I'm moving pretty good right now. As far as my 40 and my shuttle run and everything, I'm looking really good [like] back way before the knee injury. Way more fluent. I just feel like in order for me to maximize my performance in the NFL, playing inside linebacker I feel like I maybe need to drop a couple more pounds."

Laird also agrees that Hightower is the most likely target for the Steelers in the first round.

For more on the Pittsburgh Steelers, make sure to visit Behind the Steel Curtain. For more on the NFL Draft, stop by Mocking the Draft.

Walter Football’s latest 2012 NFL Mock Draft shows have the draft picture has changed since the NFL Combine. Memphis’ Dontari Poe, he of the 350 pounds, superhuman strength, and sub-five-second 40 time, heads all the way up to the Carolina Panthers at No. 9. Georgia offensive lineman Cordy Glenn, meanwhile, heads to the Bengals at No. 21.

That leaves the Steelers with Alabama linebacker Dont’a Hightower, and if you’re a Steelers fan, you’re probably going to hear a whole lot about Hightower in the coming weeks — not only because of the release of James Farrior, but because Hightower is the most obvious match of talent, availability and need for the Steelers now that Poe has lifted and run his way out of the equation. (Two offensive linemen, Wisconsin’s Peter Konz and Ohio State’s Mike Adams, drop to No. 28 and No. 29 in this mock; the Steelers take Wisconsin guard Kevin Zeitler in the second round.)

Penn State’s Devon Still heads to the Broncos at No. 25, while fellow defensive tackle Michael Brockers of LSU drops to the Patriots at No. 27.

For more mock draft action, head over to Mocking The Draft.

With the defensive line a big need for this upcoming season for the Pittsburgh Steelers, there's no shortage of speculation as to who the Steelers may be interested in. We do know that Steeler head coach Mike Tomlin talked with Michigan defensive lineman Mike Martin.

Martin talked about his meeting with Tomlin in an interview with WBBL in Grand Rapids, MI.

You know I had a lot of conversations with a lot of teams. I had a lot of formal interviews, but the meeting that I really enjoyed a lot was the one I had with the Pittsburgh Steelers and talking with Tomlin. We spoke and he's a great guy and we really enjoyed our conversation. So we will just have to see what happens

While Martin does sound like he would be a decent selection, his stats at the Scouting Combine show that he would be undersized at nose tackle for the 3-4 scheme that the Steelers run.

For more on the Steelers, check out Steelers Depot and Behind The Steel Curtain. For more on the draft, there's Mocking The Draft.

As the Pittsburgh Steelers look for players on the offensive and defensive line and at the linebacker position for the 2012 NFL Draft, there are a few players who really hurt themselves at the 2012 NFL Combine. One player in particular who was potentially a low first round pick, Arizona State linebacker Vontaze Burfict, saw his stock completely fall off a ledge at the combine. In Burfict's press conference, he blamed his lack of improvement on the Sun Devils coaching staff and completely bombed his workout. Burfict also came in much heavier than expected at 248 pounds and ran a very, very slow 5.09 40-yard dash. To cap it all off, Burfict looked absolutely miserable in linebacker drills. Some even think he might have bombed his way into undrafted territory with his horrendous workout.

Ohio State offensive tackle Mike Adams had quite a bit of hype coming off the Senior Bowl, but he didn't really do anything in the NFL Combine to keep the hype going and stopped it right in its tracks. Adams ran a lumbering 5.40 40-yard dash at only 323 pounds and then put up just 19 reps of 225 pounds in the bench press. Most have Adams kicking over to the right side to play tackle because his feet aren't generally quick, but the right tackle position is more of a power position and there are mumblings that Adams is a finesse player who's a little on the soft side. Adams didn't really do anything to dispel that belief at the combine.

For more on the Steelers, check out Behind The Steel Curtain. For more on the draft, there's Mocking The Draft.

The Pittsburgh Steelers could be looking at both lines and the linebacker position in the 2012 NFL Draft. A couple of the players the Steelers could be interested in were big winners at the NFL Combine. Most notably, Memphis nose tackle Donatri Poe had a stellar combine, showing off his strength and athleticism. Poe ran a 4.98 40-yard dash after weighing in at 346 pounds. Poe also put up 44 reps of 225 pounds on the bench, the most of any player at the combine. Poe also showed excellent feet and quickness in drills, drawing comparisons to Baltimore Ravens defensive lineman Haloti Ngata.

Alabama linebacker Don'ta Hightower also showed himself well in the combine after coming in much bigger than expected at 6-foot-2 and 265 pounds, which is excellent size for the inside linebacker position. Hightower clocked in a 4.68 in the 40-yard dash, which is a great time for a linebacker of his stature. He's currently expected to be a late first round or high second round selection, which would slot in nicely for the Steelers pick at No. 24 overall.

Georgia offensive lineman Cordy Glenn did well for himself as well, putting up 31 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press and running a 5.15 40-yard dash at 345 pounds. While it's not really fast, it's still fairly quick for a 345-pound tackle. Glenn is a kind of a tweener offensive lineman who could fit in at left tackle or kick inside to guard, but a lot of teams will draft him in the late first round to give him a shot at left tackle before kicking him inside, which would fit perfectly for the Steelers.

For more on the Steelers, check out Behind The Steel Curtain. For more on the draft, there's Mocking The Draft.

SB Nation's latest 2012 NFL Mock Draft has Memphis nose tackle Dontari Poe heading to the San Diego Chargers at No. 18.

Poe was a big winner at the Combine. At 346 pounds, he looked more explosive than players half his size, earning perfectly reasonable comparisons to Ravens' defensive lineman Haloti Ngata.

I believe this is the first time I've seen Poe go above the Steelers' pick at No. 24, but it won't be the last. Poe's brilliant combine performance likely took him out of the Steelers' range, which means they'll have to trade up (unlikely) or go for someone else, like Georgia offensive lineman Cordy Glenn or Alabama linebacker Dont'a Hightower. SB Nation's mock has Glenn going to the Bengals at No. 21, but Hightower falling to Pittsburgh at No. 24.

You have to think the Steelers would really like to have Poe, having gotten familiar with what Ngata can do and seeing the 34-year old Casey Hampton recover from a torn ACL. The Rams will not be the only team making a trade in the draft this year, but we lack those kind of predictive powers. As such, we put Hightower here. The Alabama product is solid replacement for the aging James Farrior.

That makes sense. Hightower would be a good value at No. 24.

For more on the Steelers, check out Behind The Steel Curtain. For more on the draft, there's Mocking The Draft.

The Pittsburgh Steelers are picking toward the end of the first round, but they should still be able to acquire some talent to fill their needs. There are two prospects that have been named frequently for them, and both were in action at the NFL Combine Monday. Dontari Poe and Dont'a Hightower each bring something unique to the table, and our Steelers blog Behind The Steel Curtain tried to separate them as prospects. Here is their conclusion.

To boil it down between these two, Hightower showed it on the field, leading the nation's best defense to a national championship, but won't be the best athlete available, should he be on the board when the Steelers pick at 24. Poe's production on the field doesn't match his freakish workout skills, and there are defensive tackles in this draft who played at a higher level and produced more.

Both players would fill need spots for the Steelers, and they both seem to be prospects who should pan out at the next level. It might come down to which position the Steelers value more, or if they are more comfortable taking someone based on production or someone based on athleticism. Of course, that assumes that Poe will be available at No. 24, and after his amazing combine performance, that might be a stretch.

For more NFL Draft coverage, visit Mocking the Draft. For all things Steelers, visit Behind the Steel Curtain.

Safeties and cornerbacks are running drills at the NFL Scouting Combine on Tuesday, and many of the results are in. The fastest 40-yard dash time belongs to LSU's Ron Brooks, who ran it in 4.35 seconds. Fellow Tiger Morris Claiborne, a likely early first round pick, ran a 4.47.

Unlike with the defensive linemen and linebackers on Monday, there aren't really any defensive backs who can be connected to the Steelers at this point. Cornerback probably won't be much of a priority, since the Steelers have Ike Taylor signed to a long-term deal and they drafted Curtis Brown and Cortez Allen last year. Safety might be, since Troy Polamalu and Ryan Clark aren't young, but this isn't supposed to be a great draft class for safeties. The might take one in the later rounds, but we might have to wait until pre-draft visits to get much of a sense of who that will be.

For more on the NFL Draft, check out Mocking The Draft.

Mocking The Draft writes about Arizona State linebacker Vontaze Burfict's flop at the NFL Scouting Combine, which might have been the straw that broke the camel's back, if by "camel" you mean "Vontaze Burfict's chances of being drafted in the first two rounds."

He ran 40-yard dash times of 4.93 and 5.10 seconds. Burfict also finished last amongst linebackers in the broad jump and second to last in the vertical leap.

Most analysts say the Combine process shouldn't devalue a player. But for Burfict, it certainly isn't helping. His comments to the media Sunday also won't win him many NFL suitors ...

"The coaches kind of messed me up. I didn’t know if I would start a game or be benched. It hurt me, but I tried to fight through it."

Vontaze, the NFL plays the world's tiniest violin for you ... and then turns away to look for more exciting talents. A lot of mock drafts have had the Steelers taking Burfict, but that's not going to happen now, unless he falls to the third or fourth round, or something. At this point, he's got character issues, performance issues and a poor combine showing on his resume. The Steelers probably won't even glance his way early on.

Memphis defensive tackle Dontari Poe earned rave reviews for his performance at the 2012 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis this week. Few would have doubted Poe’s status as one of the top defensive linemen available in the 2012 NFL Draft prior to the event. His Monday workout cemented that status.

All Poe did was run a 4.98 second 40-yard dash, not bad for a 346-pound defensive tackle. Poe’s workout results confirmed what the film reveals about his style of play and ability level. Nose tackles with that kind of explosion and athleticism are rare commodities, and the Steelers might not get a shot a Poe with the No. 24 pick in the draft.

Poe is being compared to another standout defensive lineman, one who the Steelers know very well: Baltimore Ravens defensive tackle Haloti Ngata.

The comparisons between Poe and Ngata came from Mike Mayock, the NFL Network’s draft guru. According to Steelers Depot, Mayock noted that both players have the ability to play all along the defensive line and can “get skinny” to shed blockers on their way to the backfield.

For more NFL Draft coverage, visit Mocking the Draft. For all things Steelers, visit Behind the Steel Curtain.

Arizona State linebacker Vontaze Burfict ran a 4.93 in the 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine Monday afternoon. Despite Burfict being attached to the Steelers in several mock drafts, a suppar 40 time could really lower his draft stock.

Burfict had already had conditioning concerns as his status as a top linebacker really fell off from his sophomore to junior years. He also had discipline concerns, getting flagged for rough play on the field quite a bit. A lack of speed thanks largely in part to some ballooning weight issues does not help. By comparison, another linebacker in whom the Steelers might have interest, Don'ta Hightower from Alabama, ran a 4.62 in the 40.

Hightower's big concern entering his process is a tendency to overshoot some plays. But given the fact that he was a player who got progressively better each of his years at Alabama, he looks as if he could be a great player for the Steelers to consider picking up.

For more on the NFL Draft, check out Mocking The Draft.

Memphis nose tackle Dontari Poe, a name that has been linked with the Pittsburgh Steelers in many mock drafts, had his workouts today in Indianapolis at the NFL Scouting Combine. His numbers certainly impressed the scouts there.

He wound up bench pressing the 225 pound bar a total of 44 times, the best at the combine so far Monday. What was also impressive in his workouts was his 40-yard dash time, clocking in at 4.87 seconds.

The big concern about this is that these performances will raise his draft stock to the point where the Steelers could possibly miss out on him. Pittsburgh has the overall No. 24 pick in April's draft and is currently looking for some new talent across the lines on both offense and defense. If Poe does get selected before the Steelers can take him, the Steelers might go in the direction of offensive line to help quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.

For more on the Steelers, check out Behind The Steel Curtain.

The NFL Scouting Combine is still underway in Indianapolis, with the defensive players still to undergo testing over the next few days. But that hasn't stopped the guys at SB Nation from pumping out a new edition of their 2012 NFL Mock Draft. There will be a lot of things changing as we learn more about the prospects, but the Steelers are still projected to take a player that has become a very popular choice for them: nose tackle Dontari Poe of Memphis.

Casey Hampton is recovering from ACL surgery, and his days could be numbered with the Steelers. The team could look at Poe or Alameda Ta'amu with this pick as they look for another big man in the middle. Poe and Ta'amu could alternate at this spot in mock drafts off and on for the next two months.

We know already that Poe would be a good fit for the team, but I think whether or not the Steelers elect to take him flies heavily on Casey Hampton's health, which is something the Steelers know a lot more about than we do.

For more on the Steelers, check out Behind The Steel Curtain. For more on the NFL Draft, there’s Mocking The Draft.

We are just about halfway through the NFL Combine in Indianapolis, and the Mock Drafts around the Internet are already starting to reflect the changes in stock each player has earned this week. The guys over at SB Nation released a new 2012 NFL Mock Draft over the weekend, and it has the Steelers taking Ohio State offensive tackle Mike Adams with the No. 24 overall pick.

If the Steelers take anything other than an offensive linemen at this spot, that might anger Ben Roethlisberger more than the Rooneys supposedly running his offensive coordinator out of town. It's pick No. 24, and Mike Adams is still hanging around out there. If keeping Roethlisberger healthy for a full season is a priority, GM Kevin Colbert needs to gets some talent on the O-line.

Adams is certainly a good value here, and the Steelers do need some help on the offensive line, but Adams doesn't really represent the type of offensive lineman they really need. They have two good tackles already and I'm not sure that Adams can slide into the middle of the line. But if they are drafting him for the future, it might be a solid pick.

For more on the Steelers, check out Behind The Steel Curtain. For more on the NFL Draft, there’s Mocking The Draft.

Devon Still had some pretty strong words for the assembled media at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis this weekend, claiming that he thought he was the best defensive tackle in the entire draft. That remains to be seen, but his spot on the board could fluctuate pretty strongly with his performance in the testing aspects of the Combine on Monday. SB Nation came out with a new 2012 NFL Mock Draft at the beginning of the weekend that has Still going to the Broncos with the No. 25 pick in the Draft, one slot after the Steelers.

Denver's defense was lights out in 2011, and adding Still will make an already tough interior defense even tougher. It could also adds some years onto the career of their outstanding young linebacker, Von Miller.

Still would be a good fit for a Broncos team that could still use some playmakers along the defensive line. And he would certainly enjoy the attention that Von Miller and Elvis Dumervil will receive along the outside, freeing him up to make plays. It would be a pretty good spot to work on backing up his claim.

For more on this and all things Nittany Lions football, head over to Black Shoe Diaries. For more on the upcoming NFL Draft, check out Mocking the Draft.

Monday's NFL Schedule Combine schedule is all about defensive linemen and linebackers, who have drills. The Steelers will surely be paying attention, since nose tackle and middle linebacker are both near the top of their list of needs. Behind The Steel Curtain's preview of Monday's action focuses on Dontari Poe, the mammoth Memphis nose tackle who has appeared as the Steelers' pick in one mock draft after another.

Few disagree Poe's size will make him a valuable 0-technique nose tackle in a 3-4 scheme. His strength will give him the ability to occupy inside blockers, a key trait of a nose tackle in that defense.

The questions are focused around his ability to do more than that, which leads to questions around whether he's worth a pick as high as the 24th in the first round ...

... [T]he Steelers have to ask themselves if they can risk using a first round pick - or at least the 24th pick - on a player with less of a chance to see the field his rookie year than a lot of the other guys they could draft.

The idea is that Poe's performance at the combine could tell us a lot about whether he's worth using the No. 24 overall pick on. Stay tuned.

A full NFL Combine schedule may be found here.

For more on the NFL Draft, check out Mocking The Draft.

Here's a look at the NFL Scouting Combine schedule for Sunday, February 26.

Quarterbacks, running backs and wide receivers will be under the microscope as they do drills on Sunday. None of those groups will be of primary concern to Steelers fans, since inside linebacker, nose tackle and guard are all higher-profile positions. But it wouldn't be at all surprising to see the Steelers take a running back or quarterback in the later rounds. With Rashard Mendenhall out, the Steelers could try to bolster their stable of backs with a draft pick. And the team's quarterback situation behind Ben Roethlisberger is unsettled.

Meanwhile, defensive linemen and linebackers -- and this is the group that will be crucial for Steelers fans -- will have psychological tests and interviews on Sunday before heading to workouts on Monday. Defensive backs will have measurements, medical exams and psychological tests on Sunday.

The entire NFL Scouting Combine schedule may be found here. The NFL Network will broadcast drills beginning at 9:00 a.m.

For more on the NFL Combine, check out Mocking The Draft and SB Nation's Combine StoryStream.

Former Penn State wide receiver and Rochester native Derek Moye is looking to make a good impression this weekend at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis as he's considered to be on the fringe of candidates to be selected in April's NFL Draft. This event, plus the Nittany Lions' Pro Day workout scheduled for March 14 in Happy Valley will be his last chance to show scouts he's ready to make an impact at the next level.

As Lions 247's Sean Fitz reports, he's hoping his route-running skills stick out.

"I feel like I'm pretty polished on all of my routes, and I think I got a lot better getting in and out of my breaks at IMG, working on a lot of different things," he said. "I don't really consider myself a short route runner, I just like to do everything as a receiver."

Moye caught at least 48 passes and six touchdowns in each of his first two seasons as a starter for Penn State in 2009 and 2010, but inconsistency at the quarterback position and injuries caused him to fall off to 40 receptions for 654 yards and three touchdowns in 10 games in 2011.

Making matters worse, he did not catch any passes in the final game of his Lions career a 30-14 loss to Houston in the TicketCity Bowl on Jan. 2.

Needless to say, he'll need to score highly in the lead-up to the draft if he hopes to ease scouts' concerns about him moving forward.

For the latest on Penn State football, be sure to stay tuned to SB Nation Pittsburgh.

Throughout his senior season at Penn State, defensive tackle Devon Still was humble about his success, choosing to talk about team goals while keeping the talk about his own play on the down low.

With the 2012 NFL Draft quickly approaching, however, Still is ready to sell himself and his accomplishments with some strong words as The Philadelphia Daily News' Les Bowen reports.

"I think hands-down I'm the best defensive tackle in this draft," Still said in a session with the media Saturday at the NFL Scouting Combine.

...

"To be honest, I don't think I would model my game after anybody," Still said. "My goal throughout college and my goal getting into the NFL is to make my own mark, to have somebody style their game after mine."

Certainly, there's no lack of confidence in the attitude of this 6-foot-5, 310-pound monster in the middle who finished 2011 with 55 tackles, including 17 for a loss to go with 4.5 sacks. Still is projected by many to be selected in the first round of the draft in April.

For more on Penn State football, be sure to stay tuned to SB Nation Pittsburgh.

Saturday is Day 4 of the 2012 NFL Scouting Combine, and it is also the first day potential draftees are participating in drills. The offensive lineman, tight ends and kickers are on display, doing timing, station and skill drills, and the Pittsburgh Steelers are particularly interested in the first group, as many mock drafts see them taking an offensive lineman with the No. 24 pick in the first round of the 2012 NFL Draft.

One such player who might be targeted by the Steelers is Georgia guard Cordy Glenn, and Glenn certainly made an impression Saturday morning. The 345-pound lineman ran a 4.96 40-yard dash, the second fastest time among all linemen who have run so far. His time was only topped by Adam Gettis of Iowa, who just so happens to be 50 pounds lighter then Glenn.

Two other lineman potentially on the Steelers' radar, Peter Konz and Kelechi Osemele, have yet to run. Local product Lucas Nix of Pitt posted a 5.43 time, with Johnnie Troutman of Penn State also running in Indianapolis Saturday morning.

NFL.com will be live streaming all of Saturday's combine workouts online:

9:00-11:45 A.M.: OL, PK, ST workouts
12:30-3:00 P.M: TE workouts

A full combine schedule is available here. And here's a full invite list.

For more on the NFL Scouting Combine and the NFL Draft, check out Mocking The Draft. For more on the Steelers, there's Behind The Steel Curtain.

Saturday marks Day 4 of the 2012 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, and it is the first day teams will get to see potential draftees participate in drills in earnest. The first arrivals to the combine, the offensive lineman, tight ends and kickers, will be finishing up their visit with timing, station and skill drills, while the final group of players, the defensive backs, will be arriving to begin their four day odyssey through the combine.

The Pittsburgh Steelers will be very interested in the workouts today, as many 2012 Mock Drafts see Pittsburgh drafting help along the offensive line, particularly at the guard position.

Here's the complete 2012 NFL Combine day four schedule:

• P, K, OL, TE: Workouts (timing, stations, skill drills)
• QB, WR, RB: NFLPA Meeting, psychological testing, interviews
• DL, LB: Measurements, medical examinations, media, psychological testing, interviews
• DB: Registration, orientation, interviews

NFL.com will also be streaming Saturday's combine workouts online:

9:00-11:45 A.M.: OL, PK, ST workouts
12:30-3:00 P.M: TE workouts

A full combine schedule is available here. And here's a full invite list.

For more on the NFL Scouting Combine and the NFL Draft, check out Mocking The Draft. For more on the Steelers, there's Behind The Steel Curtain.

In NFL Combine news of local interest, former Penn State wide receiver Derek Moye arrived and was measured in Indianapolis.

Moye comes into the workouts at 6-foot-4 and 209 pounds. His arm length was measured at 32 and three-quarter inches and his hand size is at 8 and one-quarter inches.

Derek is one of seven Nittany Lions that will be working out at the Combine. According to WalterFootball.com, Moye is currently ranked as the 32nd best wide receiving prospect in the draft and is projected to go in rounds five through seven.

According to his NFL.com scouting report, Moye's biggest strength is his height, as he can be an attractive red zone target. His potential weakness is his lack of athleticism for his size, something he could prove wrong in workouts.

For complete coverage of the 2012 NFL Combine and the 2012 NFL Draft, visit Mocking The Draft. For more on Moye and the other six former Nittany Lions at the Combine this weekend, head on over to Black Shoe Diaries.

SB Nation’s latest NFL mock draft has the Steelers taking Memphis nose tackle Dontari Poe, who has become the most common guess in the past couple weeks for the Steelers’ pick.

Poe is huge. 6’3, 350 pounds huge. Casey Hampton, the team’s current nose tackle, is entering his 12th season in the league. He’ll be 35 years old in September. The Steelers could use some youth at the position, and Poe has the size and strength to fit the bill.

Yep, that pretty much covers it. Poe looks like he’ll be the best nose tackle available, and he’ll probably be a better match for need and draft position than any other player. Of course, you never know what exactly the Steelers will be thinking until they do it.

Penn State’s Devon Still falls to the Broncos at No. 25, as his two most likely suitors early in the draft, the Carolina Panthers and Seattle Seahawks, take Michael Brockers and Ryan Tannehill, respectively.

For more on the Steelers, check out Behind The Steel Curtain. For more on the NFL Draft, there’s Mocking The Draft.

The Pittsburgh Steelers need a lot of help on their interior line, but they have a center locked up for the long term in Maurkice Pouncey, which is why I was surprised to see Behind The Steel Curtain profile Wisconsin center Peter Konz. But as part of their analysis they make sure to say that Konz could easily move over to guard and play alongside Pouncey.

Konz is an elite center prospect whose skill set should transition well and make him an elite guard in the NFL. The Steelers prize versatility among their linemen, and Konz is not only a guy who can come in and play guard right away, but with the recent rash of injuries to C Maurkice Pouncey, he provides depth at two other positions while potentially starting at one of the guard spots.

SB Nation's NFL Draft site Mocking The Draft has Konz as a top-20 prospect in the upcoming draft, but centers rarely tend to go that high; and guards aren't much more valuable either. But the Steelers are picking late enough in the draft and have the need to make a Konz pick very viable.

For more on the NFL Scouting Combine and the NFL Draft, check out Mocking The Draft. For more on the Steelers, there's Behind The Steel Curtain.

Mocking The Draft lists six players who have something to prove at this week's NFL Combine. At the top are wide receivers Alshon Jeffery and Jeff Fuller, who aren't likely to be Steelers targets. But one player, inside linebacker Vontaze Burfict of Arizona State, is probably one Steelers fans will want to keep an eye on.

The most obvious player of being in need of a strong performance this week is Burfict. There may not have been a single positive thing said about Burfict in six months. If he's being talked about, it's questions about his effort, on-field intelligence and the shape he's in. While he won't quiet his critics this week, he could do enough to convince one team of drafting him highly.

Right. If the Steelers do pick a linebacker in the first round, it will probably be because Dont'a Hightower slipped to them. But Burfict has been connected to them in mock drafts before. He's probably more of a second-round pick now, but with a great combine, he could potentially begin to work his way back into the first round.

Mocking The Draft also lists West Virginia's Bruce Irvin as a player who needs a good combine, in that Irvin's draft stock will improve if he can show his strength.

Here's a look at the NFL Combine Schedule for Friday. Defensive linemen and linebackers (including Pitt's Chas Alecxih and Brandon Lindsey; Penn State's Devon Still, Nate Stupar, and Jack Crawford; and West Virginia's Bruce Irvin and Najee Goode) will arrive in Indianapolis and will have x-rays, orientation, and interviews.

Meanwhile, quarterbacks, running backs and wide receivers will have medical exams, psychological tests and measurements. Placekickers and special teams players will have a workout.

The workouts will really begin in earnest on Saturday, when the offensive linemen start drills. The Steelers will surely be paying attention there, since they need plenty of help at the guard position in particular. Defensive linemen and linebackers work out on Monday, and that will be a crucial day for the Steelers as well -- they're also looking for help at nose tackle and middle linebacker.

A full combine schedule is available here. And here's a full invite list.

For more on the NFL Scouting Combine and the NFL Draft, check out Mocking The Draft. For more on the Steelers, there's Behind The Steel Curtain.

The guys over at Walter Football have come out with a new 2012 NFL Mock Draft and it allows for them to make a trade. They have the Cleveland Browns trading up to the No. 2 pick in the draft and the Rams acquiring their two first round picks. With their second first round pick, then, No. 22 overall, they have the Rams taking Penn State defensive tackle Devon Still.

The Rams have a lot of needs and could go a number of directions with this pick. Cornerback and offensive tackle are two options, but the best value would be to select Still. St. Louis has needed an interior presence on its line to help stuff the run. A presence like Still could also help edge rushers Chris Long and Robert Quinn.

The Rams need help all over the field, and defense is no different. Still is versatile enough to help all over the line, and considering how much the Rams need help there, he could be a good fit. But they would have to make this trade or reach for him at No. 2 for that to happen.

For more on this and all things Nittany Lions football, head over to Black Shoe Diaries. For more on the upcoming NFL Draft, check out Mocking the Draft.

The guys over at Walter Football have come out with their latest 2012 NFL Mock Draft and they have a pick for the Steelers which has become very popular over the past couple weeks: the mammoth defensive tackle from Memphis, Dontari Poe.

Poe is a massive load at the line of scrimmage. The 6-foot-5, 350-pounder is difficult for offensive linemen to move, and he is dependable to fill his gap and keep linemen off the linebackers. Poe had 41 tackles with 6.5 tackles for a loss and two sacks in 2010. This year, he totaled 33 tackles with eight tackles for a loss, one sack and one forced fumble.

Poe is the kind of big man who won't shoot up draft boards because his stats don't pop off the page, but could have an impact like Vince Wilfork at the next level by occupying blockers and allowing the talented Steelers linebackers to make the tackles behind him.

For more on the combine and all things Steelers football, head over to Behind the Steel Curtain. For more on the upcoming NFL Draft, check out Mocking the Draft.

Scott Brown's preview of the Steelers' approach to the NFL Scouting Combine lists a number of names you've read a lot about if you check this storystream regularly. On the offensive line, there's Stanford's David DeCastro and Georgia's Cordy Glenn, though Brown correctly notes that DeCastro is very likely to be gone by the time the Steelers pick.

At inside linebacker, there's Dont'a Hightower of Alabama. The next player down is probably Arizona State's Vontaze Burfict, who Brown doesn't mention, perhaps for good reason -- Burfict might not be worthy of the Steelers' pick at No. 24.

At nose tackle there's Memphis' Dontari Poe and Penn State's Devon Still. Poe has been connected to the Steelers in just about every mock draft ever written, but I hadn't seen Still connected to the Steelers much at all until this week. It seems like a stretch, not only because of the likelihood that Still will be gone before the Steelers pick, but because he might be more of a 4-3 player or a 3-4 defensive end (which the Steelers don't need) than a nose tackle in a 3-4 scheme (which they do).

For more on the NFL Scouting Combine, check out Mocking The Draft.

Mocking The Draft has its latest top 100 in time for the NFL Scouting Combine this week. This isn’t a mock draft, but a list of the 100 most talented players.

The Steelers consider a variety of factors in the first round, and need is only one of those. But the positions where they have the most need are guard, inside linebacker and nose tackle.

There won’t be a ton of talent available at the positions where the Steelers have the most need, so there might be the possibility of some sort of off-the-grid pick in the first round, with the Steelers hoping that someone like nose tackle Dontari Poe (No. 35) or (more likely) guard Kelechi Osemele (No. 43) falls to them in the second round. If inside linebacker Dont’a Hightower (No. 16) were to fall to them at No. 24, that might be a reasonable best-case scenario.

Penn State defensive tackle Devon Still ranks No. 12.

For more on the Steelers, check out Behind The Steel Curtain.

It's a big week for the NFL mock draft community, as the combine gets under way with the first set of arrivals scheduled for Wednesday. Many mock drafts have the Pittsburgh Steelers looking for help along either the offensive or defensive line. The Steelers have been projected to take a variety of mammoth defensive tackles to plug the middle - with many pegging Memphis tackle Dontari Poe going No. 24 overall to Pittsburgh.

The latest SB Nation mock draft from Ryan Van Bibber has the Steelers taking a different tackle. Van Bibber has Washington Husky Alameda Ta'amu becoming the newest toy for Dick LeBeau:

The latest Samoan sensation is getting more and more attention as one of the top defensive tackles in this draft class. Some teams will have Dontari Poe graded higher and vice versa. Wide, strong and big, he has everything teams want in a nose tackle. Pass rushing ability will separate him and Poe, a nice undercard to the spring workout sessions.

Ta'amu and Poe will be among the last to arrive at the combine this week, with defensive lineman scheduled to work out next Monday morning.

For more on the combine and all things Steelers football, head over to Behind the Steel Curtain. For more on the upcoming NFL Draft, check out Mocking the Draft.

The 2012 NFL Scouting Combine kicks off on Wednesday, here is the schedule of arrivals and events:

The first group to arrive in Indianapolis will be the kickers, punters, offensive linemen and tight ends, and they are scheduled to arrive on Wednesday. The quarterbacks, running backs and wide receivers are slated to show up on Thursday. The defensive linemen and linebackers are up next on Friday, while the defensive backs will be the last ones to go through testing starting on Saturday. The events are staggered, and each group will go through the following schedule of events. The first group will finish up their testing on Saturday, while the final group won't be done until Tuesday.

Day 1
Arrive in Indianapolis, Register, Exams and X-rays, Orientation Interviews

Day 2
Measurements, Medical Examinations, Media Session, Psychological Testing, Interviews

Day 3
NFLPA Meeting, Psychological Testing, PK/ST Workout, Interviews Saturday,

Day 4
Workout (timing, stations, skill drills), Departure from Indianapolis

For more on the combine and all things Steelers football, head over to Behind the Steel Curtain. For more on the upcoming NFL Draft, check out Mocking the Draft.

The NFL Combine starts Wednesday in Indianapolis and it will give the top players in the upcoming NFL Draft a chance to impress the scouts while wearing shorts and a t-shirt. Depending on how much importance your team puts on the combine, it's either a normal scouting day or the most important weekend in the history of human civilization.

The biggest event at the combine is the 40-yard dash, and the draft position of the participants can be altered drastically by a poor performance in the event. Here are the top finishers in the history of the 40-yard dash, as well as some of the other more important events, via Top End Sports.

40-Yard Dash
4.24 - Rondel Melendez, WR, Eastern Kentucky - 1999
4.24 - Chris Johnson, RB, East Carolina - 2008
4.28 - Jerome Mathis, WR, Hampton - 2005
4.28 - Champ Bailey, CB, Georgia - 1999
4.28 - DeMarcus Van Dyke, DB, Miami - 2011
4.28 - Jacoby Ford, WR, Clemson - 2010

Bench Press (Most 225-Pound Reps)
51 - Justin Ernest, DT, Eastern Kentucky - 1999
49 - Stephen Paea, DT, Oregon State - 2011
45 - Mike Kudla, DE, Ohio State - 2006
45 - Leif Larsen, DT, Texas-El Paso - 2000
45 - Mitch Petrus, G, Arkansas - 2010

Vertical Jump (In Inches)
46 - Gerald Sensabaugh, FS, North Carolina - 2005
45 1/2 - Derek Wake, OLB, Penn State - 2005
45 - Chris McKenzie, CB, Arizona State - 2005
45 - Chris Chambers, WR, Wisconsin - 2001
45 - Donald Washington, CB, Ohio St. - 2009

10-Yard Dash
1.40 - Cedric Peerman, RB, Virginia - 2009
1.40 - Chris Johnson, RB, East Carolina - 2008
1.40 - Justin King, CB, Penn State - 2008
1.41 - Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, CB, Tennessee State - 2008

20-Yard Shuttle
3.73 - Kevin Kasper, WR, Iowa - 2001
3.76 - Deion Branch, WR, Louisville - 2002
3.78 - Dunta Robinson, CB, South Carolina - 2004
3.79 - Champ Bailey, CB, Georgia - 1999

Three-Cone Drill
6.42 - Jeff Maehl, WR, Oregon - 2011
6.44 - Buster Skrine, DB, Tennessee-Chattanooga - 2011
6.45 - Sedrick Curry, CB, Texas A&M - 2000
6.48 - Rogers Beckett, FS, Marshall - 2000

For more on the combine and all things Steelers football, head over to Behind the Steel Curtain. For more on the upcoming NFL Draft, check out Mocking the Draft.

After a thrilling Super Bowl XLVI, the NFL returns to Indianapolis this week to stage the 2012 NFL Scouting Combine as the draft season kicks into high gear. Draft prospects begin to arrive on Wednesday, with special teams players and offensive linemen starting the workouts at Lucas Oil Stadium on Saturday.

The combine is by invitation only, and this year a total of 328 prospects were invited. Seven Penn State Nittany Lions are heading to Indy for workouts, led by consensus first round pick Devon Still. The defensive linemen are the second last group to arrive, with workouts scheduled for Monday, February 27. The other six PSU players joining Still are Jack Crawford, D'Anton Lynn, Chaz Powell, Derek Moye, Nate Stupar and Johnnie Troutman.

Brandon Lindsey, Lucas Nix, Chas Alecxih, and Antwuan Reed will represent the Pitt Panthers football program while Bruce Irvin and Najee Goode were the two West Virginia invitees.

The combine workouts will be televised on NFL Network, starting Saturday morning at 9:00 am with coverage lasting throughout the weekend and early next week. NFL.com has a full explanation of the drills that prospects are put though during their workout sessions.

For more on the combine and all things Steelers football, head over to Behind the Steel Curtain. For more on the upcoming NFL Draft, check out Mocking the Draft.

The Denver Broncos played with a greatly improved defense in 2011, but there is still plenty of room for improvement along the defensive front. That is why Mel Kiper projected them to take Penn State defensive tackle Devon Still in his latest Mock Draft over at ESPN. Here is his rationale.

Denver has the pass rush off the edge but could add some depth on the interior, and Still is a guy who can penetrate and get tackles for loss from the inside. The Broncos could go a few ways here, which is actually a good thing as they pursue value, and I could certainly look for them to target a corner at this spot, but Still makes a lot of sense in that scheme. I have wide receiver down as a need, but they have a pretty good combo there right now, and given the struggles the offense could face, they need to be able to get stops.

Still would fit along nicely on the inside and could thrive while Elvis Dumervil and Von Miller occupy the offensive line's attention from the outside. Still can get to the passer in his one right, and would add another dynamic playmaker to the Denver Broncos front line.

For more on this and all things Nittany Lions football, head over to Black Shoe Diaries. For more on the upcoming NFL Draft, check out Mocking the Draft.

If the Steelers really want to go with an inside linebacker in the first round of the upcoming Draft, there will likely be two options for them. Alabama's Dont'a Hightower may or may not still be on the board, but there is also Arizona State's Vontaze Burfict. The guys over at Mock Draft 101 have the Steelers taking Burfict at No. 24 in their latest 2012 NFL Mock Draft.

James Farrior's game is rapidly declining and towards the end of the season it really showed. Everyone knows about Burfict’s recklessness on the field, but there is no doubt he will be intriguing for the physical Steelers and nice compliment next to Lawrence Timmons on the inside.

Burfict is a little bit raw, but he has all the physical tools that a player needs to be successful at the position and a mean streak that can not be taught.

For more on this and all things Steelers football, head over to Behind the Steel Curtain. For more on the upcoming NFL Draft, check out Mocking the Draft.

Dan Kadar at Mocking The Draft notes that the Carolina Panthers are hosting LSU defensive tackle Michael Brockers on March 8 for a pre-draft meeting.

This is significant because the Panthers will pick at No. 8 or No. 9 in the upcoming 2012 NFL Draft, and many mock drafts have them picking Penn State defensive tackle Devon Still in the first round. A month ago, Still was the Panthers' pick in perhaps the majority of mock drafts, but if the Panthers take Brockers instead, it's not clear where he'll fall -- the Seahawks are a possibility at No. 12, but if they decide to go a different direction, Still could fall all the way into the 20s. (For example, this recent mock by Dane Brugler has Still dropping to the Tennessee Titans at No. 20.)

By the way, as Kadar points out, this begins this year's cycle of news about pre-draft meetings. Prepare yourself for much, much more news like this in the coming weeks and months.

For more on Penn State football, check out Black Shoe Diaries.

The NFL Draft is starting to come up on us fast and the Steelers need to weigh their options. Our Steelers blog Behind The Steel Curtain has been trying to make an argument for some positions that the team might need and today their talking inside linebacker. Here is their case.

Assuming that both Farrior and Foote are gone, this would leave the ILB position to be staffed by one stud (assuming that he doesn't have to move outside again and doesn't get injured) and a bunch of kids with less than a full season's game experience between them. The position they would be attempting to fill is arguably one of the most critical positions in the defense run by defensive coordinator Dick Lebeau.

Inside linebacker is one of the big needs for the Steelers, along with interior offensive lineman. If there is a great inside linebacker on the board when they are picking, it shouldn't be very difficult for the Steelers to talk themselves into making that pick.

For more on this and all things Steelers football, head over to Behind the Steel Curtain. For more on the upcoming NFL Draft, check out Mocking the Draft.

Devon Still is all over the board on the respective Mock Drafts we've been seeing across the Internet, but one of the most common places that he lands is at No. 12 with the Seattle Seahawks. Rob Rang of CBS Sports just came out with his latest 2012 NFL Mock Draft and that's exactly where he has Still going. He explains why this has become such a popular choice.

Still, a 6-4, 310-pound defensive tackle, showed his talent and despite all of the distractions in Happy Valley last year, was the Big Ten's Defensive Player of the Year. Still could help inside at defensive tackle as well as provide the Seahawks with some flexibility at the five technique defensive end position should incumbent starter Red Bryant be heavily pursued in free agency.

The Seahawks need another playmaker along the defensive line, and Red Bryant could leave. Still is versatile enough to replace him if he leaves via free agency or play alongside him if he opts to stay.

For more on Penn State, check out Black Shoe Diaries.

The Steelers have a known need in the middle of their offensive line surrounding center Maurkice Pouncey. The guard spots can certainly use an upgrade, and Rob Rang of CBS Sports delivers them one in his latest 2012 NFL Mock Draft. Rang projects the Steelers to take Georgia guard Cordy Glenn with the No. 24 overall selection in the first round.

The Steelers seemingly patch up their offensive line annually, only to struggle with injuries and consistency up front. Glenn lacks the consistency to earn a first round grade from all clubs, but the 6-5, 350-pounder has the size the Steelers prefer upfront and, as a rare four-year starter with experience at left tackle, left guard and right guard he has the durability and versatility the team prioritizes on draft day. Roethlisberger was sacked five times against the Broncos.

Glenn is widely regarded as the second best player at a position that doesn't typically have a lot of positional value in the Draft. David DeCastro would be much better value, but he is off the board in this mock, and almost all others. If Glenn is the best player left on their board, he would be a good positional fit as well.

For more on this and all things Steelers football, head over to Behind the Steel Curtain. For more on the upcoming NFL Draft, check out Mocking the Draft.

ESPN NFL Draft analyst Mel Kiper released his latest mock draft today. In that mock, he had the Pittsburgh Steelers selecting Memphis defensive tackle Dontari Poe with the No. 23 pick.

The Steelers are always going to find answers under the brilliant Dick LeBeau, but they have to get younger, particularly up front, and they know it. Poe is that rare zero-technique centerpiece to a 3-4 defense, the guy who simply eats up blockers and frees up the linebackers. If he develops, Poe can be the heir to Casey Hampton in the middle of that scheme, and these guys are just really tough to find. The value lines up as well.

The Steelers have always been a defense-oriented team. They could use the upgrade to their defensive package and if he can be the next great nose tackle in the Steelers 3-4 scheme, the linebackers could wreak even more havoc than they already do.

For more on this and all things Steelers football, head over to Behind the Steel Curtain. For more on the upcoming NFL Draft, check out Mocking the Draft.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have a few needs that have been hammered home again and again this offseason, and that is help along the offensive line, and some youthful depth at inside linebacker. There are other spots that could use upgrades for sure, but those are the big two. that must be why the people at Walter Football gave them Alabama linebacker Dont'a Hightower in their latest mock draft. But apparently it wasn't an easy decision for them.

It was a close call for me between Hightower and Dontari Poe, but the latter doesn't seem like someone Pittsburgh would pick in the first round because he's so raw. Hightower, on the other hand, seems like he was made to play for the Steelers.

Hightower is exactly the kind of player that could learn under than ultimately replace James Farrior in the middle, but I'm not sure that he will be around this late in the first round.

For more on this and all things Steelers football, head over to Behind the Steel Curtain. For more on the upcoming NFL Draft, check out Mocking the Draft.

Behind The Steel Curtain asks if the Steelers could trade up to get Stanford guard David DeCastro:

It’s hard to see Kansas City passing on DeCastro at 11 or 12. The Chiefs and Seattle are subject to a coin flip at the Combine Feb. 22 for the rights to the 11th pick.

Going off Jimmy Johnson’s Trade Chart (the concept, if not the exact numbers, are what teams use to weigh trading decisions) suggests jumping ahead to No. 12 from No. 24 would cost the Steelers their first, second and fourth round picks in this year’s draft. It would probably have to be a first, second and third to move to the 11th spot.

This is unlikely, obviously — the Steelers don’t typically make moves like this. But it’s fun to think about. The most likely scenario involving DeCastro dropping to the Steelers probably involves him having a poor performance at the NFL Combine, or something like that. Or, BTSC points out, he could take a tumble in the draft because guards don’t usually get drafted that high.

In any case, DeCastro is a great draft prospect, but three of the Steelers’ top four picks is a hefty price to pay.

Follow SB Nation Pittsburgh on Twitter.

In getting ready for the 2012 NFL Draft and the next step in their football careers, a handful of Pitt football players will showcase their skills March 16 during the the Panthers' Pro Day. The showcase will come after the NFL's Draft Combine, which will be held Feb. 22-28 in Indianapolis.

The event, which is a bit more personal than the NFL Combine and is held on the campus of Pitt, is important for those players wanting to improve their draft stock (like outside linebacker Brandon Lindsey and offensive lineman Lucas Nix) or players trying to be selected (like cornerback Antwuan Reed or defensive tackle Chas Alecxih).

Currently, NFLDraftScout.com projects both Lindsey and Nix are to be fourth- or fifth-round selections. The other two players, Reed and Alecxih, are not expected to be selected.

Check out the SB Nation's Cardiac Hill for everything on Pitt football. For more on the NFL Draft, check out Mocking The Draft.

In preparing for the 2012 NFL Draft and the next step in their football careers, a few West Virginia football players will showcase their skills March 16 during the the Mountaineers Pro Day. The showcase will come after the NFL's Draft Combine, which will be held Feb. 22-28 in Indianapolis.

The event, which is a bit more personal than the NFL Combine and is held on the campus of WVU, will give Mountaineer outside linebacker Bruce Irvin a chance to impress NFL scouts and front-office brass. Draft projections currently list Irvin as a second- or third-round selection, but there is a big need for guys who can rush the quarterback, and that's just what Irvin does best.

The quickest pass rusher available in the draft, he is lighting fast off the snap and has a tremendous first step.

Meanwhile, inside linebacker Najee Goode, who is participating in the combine, isn't expected to be drafted, but could make some heads turn his way with a solid performance.

Check out the SB Nation blog The Smoking Musket for more on West Virginia football. For more on the NFL Draft, check out Mocking The Draft.

In preparing for the next step in their football careers, a handful of Penn State Football will showcase their skills March 14 during the Nittany Lion Pro Day. The Nittany Lion Pro Day will come after the NFL Combine, which will be held Feb. 22-28 in Indianapolis.

The Pro Day, which is more personal showcase than the combine, will be important for defensive tackle Devon Still, who's projected as an early first-rounder, to heighten his stock and possibly solidify a draft position. However, the Pro Day is even more important for players like defensive end Jack Crawford, projected as a fifth-rounder by NFLDraftScout.com, and corner back D'Anton Lynn, a projected seventh-rounder, to be picked and earn a NFL roster spot.

Other Nittany Lion players to watch for during the Pro Day will be: Derek Moye, Chaz Powell, Nate Stupar and Johnnie Troutman, who NFLDraftScout.com does not project to be drafted.

For more on Penn State, check out Black Shoe Diaries. For more on the Steelers, there's Behind The Steel Curtain. For more on the NFL Draft, check out Mocking The Draft.

SB Nation has Penn State's Devon Still going to the Carolina Panthers at No. 8 in its latest 2012 NFL Mock Draft.

The hype machine is pushing Michael Brockers pretty hard, but Still looks like the best interior defensive lineman in this draft, especially for a 4-3 team like the Panthers. Still has the strength to bolster the inside wall and can also apply pressure to the backfield.

Still used to appear in this spot pretty routinely, until a few weeks ago, when the mock draft punditocracy decided it liked Brockers better, causing Still to fall down boards all the way to the 20s. We'll see what happens, but right now, assessments of Still's likely spot in the draft are all over the place.

More: Six-Round NFL Mock Draft

The Steelers, meanwhile, take Memphis nose tackle Dontari Poe. Poe has been a popular pick for the Steelers in recent weeks, since he represents a good match of value and need.

The Steelers have been busy clearing cap space, knowing that they need to make some major moves to add talent to an aging defense that had no answer for Tim Tebow in the playoffs. Poe is the best player available on the board in our manufactured history of the 2012 NFL Draft. The 350 pound tackle from Memphis would be an excellent replacement for Casey Hampton.

Well, the Steelers are clearing cap space not necessarily to make "major moves," but simply because they were a long way from getting under the cap. The rest of the point stands, though. Nose tackle is one of several positions at which the Steelers are aging.

For more on Penn State, check out Black Shoe Diaries. For more on the Steelers, there's Behind The Steel Curtain.

Behind The Steel Curtain wonders whether the Steelers could take a wide receiver at No. 24. The idea is that a wide receiver could end up being the best player available with that pick, and the Steelers don't have a lot of size at wideout.

Early projections show the wide receiver position is deep, but without multiple top 10 prospects. Oklahoma State's Justin Blackmon is a lock for the top five. After him, there is talent (Notre Dame's Michael Floyd, South Carolina's Alshon Jeffery and Baylor's Kendall Wright), and Floyd and Jeffery both possess something the Steelers receivers simply don't have.

Size.

The Steelers are smart, so if they ended up grabbing an exciting player like Jeffery in the first round, I'd know they did it because they really loved him, and I'd get excited. Still, I'd be pretty surprised if the Steelers took a wideout. Size is good, but it's arguably an overrated quality for a wide receiver, and as BTSC notes, the Steelers have a ton of talent at that position. They don't usually draft purely for need in the first round, but it does typically play some role.

For more on the NFL Draft, check out Mocking The Draft.

The Pittsburgh Steelers need some re-stocking up the middle of their front seven this offseason. They are starting to get old at nose tackle with Casey Hampton and at middle linebacker, and could use some youth in both spots. So it's no surprise that Dane Brugler of CBS Sports has the Steelers taking mammoth defensive tackle Dontari Poe out of Memphis at No. 24 in his latest 2012 NFL Mock Draft.

Pittsburgh's age on defense began to show late last season and the Steelers will need to get younger through the draft. With nose tackle Casey Hampton, the linchpin of the team's three-man front, undergoing ACL surgery and turning 35, Poe becomes an attractive target for the Steelers to groom as Hampton's replacement. He has impressive quickness and movement skills to do more than simply occupy blockers at the next level.

Despite his injury Hampton is probably not about to retire, so Poe could come in and learn the system under him for a year or so and then become his successor. If the Steelers decide that this is the position they most need to fill, or if Poe is the highest-rated player on their board, then this is a solid selection.

For more on this and all things Steelers football, head over to Behind the Steel Curtain. For more on the upcoming NFL Draft, check out Mocking the Draft.

Many of the 2012 NFL Mock Drafts have the Pittsburgh Steelers selecting an offensive lineman with the No. 24 pick in the draft, specifically Cordy Glenn from Georgia. The folks at NFLSoup.com are breaking down the best options by team in the 2012 Draft, and list five options for Pittsburgh. Glenn is listed, of course, as are defensive linemen Dontari Poe of Memphis and Alameda Ta'amu of Washington. The one option that jumps out is probably a pipe dream, but intriguing nonetheless:

Option #3: Janoris Jenkins, CB, North Alabama
Tim Tebow helped prove just why Pittsburgh needs a bit of help in the secondary in that Wild Card Playoff match-up. While Ike Taylor has played well, he cannot continue to be the only viable option at cornerback for Pittsburgh. Janoris Jenkins doesn't have a ton of size, but he's still thick and an aggressive tackler that could find a home in the AFC North. His speed would have helped against DeMaryius Thomas, that's for sure.

The Steelers most likely draft too late to be able to choose Jenkins, but if he were available, would Pittsburgh ponder taking the third-ranked cornerback available in the 2012 Draft? Who knows, but probably not. Playoff loss aside, the cornerback position wasn't in the top five of the Steelers' list of problems last year, and they picked two cornerbacks in the 2011 draft. The Steelers don't draft purely for need in the first round, but citing the Steelers' struggles against the Broncos as the reason the Steelers might pick a cornerback misses the point.

For more on this and all things Steelers football, head over to Behind the Steel Curtain. For more on the upcoming NFL Draft, check out Mocking the Draft.

Mocking The Draft has a ridiculous new six-round 2012 NFL Mock Draft. I marvel at the depth of knowledge -- or is it insanity? -- it takes to do something like this. Anyway, they've got the Steelers taking Ohio State tackle Mike Adams in the first round.

Their latest article is also a scouting report on Adams.

Mike Adams looks the part of a franchise left tackle. He has outstanding size, decent arm length and moves very well. It's tough to grade Adams because he is wildly inconsistent and looks lost on the field at times. He also never really displayed a mean streak during the games I watched.

Penn State's Devon Still goes one pick later, to the Denver Broncos at No. 25.

In the second round, the Steelers take Memphis nose tackle Dontari Poe. If Poe were to fall to the Steelers in Round 2, that would be a dream situation, where they get a good talent in the first round and still manage to find the likely heir apparent to Casey Hampton.

In Round 3, they take N.C. State linebacker Audie Cole.

Many mock draft experts have the Pittsburgh Steelers looking for help along the offensive line. The Steelers have been projected to take a range of guards or tackles in various mocks. But few have Pittsburgh winding up with Stanford's David Decastro, who many feel is one of the top offensive line prospects in this draft class. It's unlikely he falls to No. 24 but it's not impossible. It would be an ideal scenario and according to the experts, a relative no-brainer at that point of the first round.

One mock draft has this very scenario playing out. Russ Lande of the The Sporting News has Decastro falling right into the lap of the Steelers:

Pittsburgh's offensive line has been a weakness for a number of seasons and needs attention. DeCastro not only is a top prospect, but he plays with the aggressive, tough mentality the Steelers want in their linemen.

Lande has only four offensive linemen coming off the board before the No. 24 pick, allowing a top prospect like Decastro to still be available. Despite other needs on the defensive side of the ball, this would be an ideal scenario for Pittsburgh in April.

For more on this and all things Steelers football, head over to Behind the Steel Curtain. For more on the upcoming NFL Draft, check out Mocking the Draft.

The NFL Draft is coming, and the guys at Mocking the Draft are doing their best to make sure you are prepared when April finally gets here. They just came out with a new 2012 NFL Mock Draft, and it has the Steelers upgrading one of their biggest areas of need with offensive guard Kelechi Osemele of Iowa State.

Iowa State offensive guard Kelechi Osemele lined up at tackle on occasion during the Senior Bowl, but it is apparent that his best fit is inside at the next level. The Steelers need help all over the offensive line, so Osemele's versatility will be a plus.

This is a very good need selection for the Steelers because they could definitely use some upgrades on either side of Maurkice Pouncey, but guards are rarely taken in the first round and there is a reason for that. They don't usually carry a first round grade because of the importance of their position, and the Steelers could theoretically get a pretty good one later in the Draft.

For more on this and all things Steelers football, head over to Behind the Steel Curtain. For more on the upcoming NFL Draft, check out Mocking the Draft.

Penn State's DT Devon Still might not be waiting long for his name to be called during the 2012 NFL draft. In Rob Rang's recently-released mock draft for CBS Sports, he currently has the talented defensive lineman going at No. 12 to the Seattle Seahawks. Still, who earned the Big Ten's Defensive Player of the Year honors in his final year with Penn State, has the ability to fill a variety of positions for Pete Carroll's team on the defensive line.

The Pittsburgh Steelers' offensive line struggled with injuries and protection breakdowns last season, leading Rang to believe the team will seek help up front to better protect franchise quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. Roethlisberger suffered five sacks in the Steelers season-ending playoff loss to the Broncos, and help might come in the form of Georgia OG Cordy Glenn. Glenn fits the mold of Steeler lineman due to his 6-foot-5, 350-pound frame, and as a four-year starter in college, has the playing experience the organization looks for at the position.

For the latest news on Pittsburgh Steelers check out Behind the Steel Curtain

Penn State defensive tackle Devon Still is falling in the latest first round projections of the the upcoming NFL Draft, and I'm not really sure why. He hasn't really had an opportunity to impress scouts and move up the board, but then again, nobody else really has either. SB Nation's NFL Draft site Mocking the Draft just came out with their latest mock, and they have Still all the way at No. 20 to the Tennessee Titans.

The Titans could go down a number of paths with this pick. They could use with interior offensive line help, a wide receiver, and potentially a corner if the right man is available. But Devon is STILL on the board! (See what I did there?? I apologize...) The Titans ranked 24th in the league in run defense, and struggled to get sacks. Adding Still to the middle of that defensive line should help plug up a few holes in the middle, and allow the edge rushers more one on one match ups.

Pun aside, it seems like he is surprised that Still is available this late. Which should say something about his value in this draft. But that does raise the question, if he is that good, why isn't he going any higher?

A new 2012 NFL Mock Draft at Mocking The Draft has the Steelers taking Iowa State offensive lineman with Kelechi Osemele with the No. 24 overall pick.

The Steelers have to address their offensive line or their franchise quarterback is going to continue to get hurt. Big Ben has been fantastic for the Steelers in being able to extend the play and take some hits, but they can't keep letting him take those hits. Osemele offers the versatility to play tackle or guard, which helps justify the slight reach for him. The Steelers have suffered lots of offensive line injuries so Osemele's versatility provides much needed depth as well.

Osemele certainly makes sense from a positional standpoint, although the Steelers aren't generally too keen on reaching for players in the first round unless their evaluations of the players involved are very different from those of other teams. They certainly won't do so purely out of need. Osemele will certainly be on the Steelers' radar, but if he's the best guard on the board when they pick, they could easily take someone else and hope he falls to them in the second round.

Penn State's Devon Still falls to the Tennessee Titans at No. 20.

The NFL Scouting Combine has released its list of players heading to the combine in advance of the NFL Draft. The list is well-stocked with players from local schools. Here they are:

Pitt: Brandon Lindsey, Lucas Nix, Antwuan Reed, Chas Alecxih

Penn State: Devon Still, D'Anton Lynn, Derek Moye, Chaz Powell, Nate Stupar, Johnnie Troutman, Jack Crawford

West Virginia: Bruce Irvin, Najee Goode

Of these players, Still is a likely first-round pick, Irvin is probably about a third-round pick, and Lindsey and a couple others turn up in the later rounds of a bunch of mock drafts as well. Still's performance may turn out to be the biggest local storyline coming out of the combine -- there still isn't widespread agreement on his value, with some mocks predicting he'll go at the bottom of the top 10, and a few others predicting he'll drop out of the first round entirely.

The combine takes place from February 22 to 28.

For more on the NFL Draft, check out Mocking The Draft.

The good folks over at Revenge of the Birds, SB Nation's Arizona Cardinals blog, have come out with a new 2012 NFL Mock Draft for upcoming Draft in April. They have the Steelers taking USC outside linebacker Nick Perry at No. 24, which I think is the first time I've seen him in this spot.

Nick Perry, OLB, USC. Most boards I've seen have Perry going between 9-15, I think he's a talent but I think he'll fall due to the needs of other teams, which is exactly what the Steelers will hope for. Perry is an incredible talent at OLB and will learn with the best pass rushers in the business.

Perry does have a lot of talent, but the Steelers already have a lot of money tied up in their current outside linebackers (James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley) so unless Perry can slide over and take some snaps as a middle linebacker, I'm not sure Perry fits their needs.

SB Nation's latest 2012 NFL Mock Draft has the Steelers taking Memphis nose tackle Dontari Poe, a potential heir apparent for Casey Hampton, with the No. 24 overall pick in the first round.

Poe is an obvious replacement for the aging Casey Hampton, who also had to have his ACL surgically repaired after their Wild Card loss to the Broncos. A natural nose tackle, Poe also has the kind of pocket-crashing ability of an interior linemen who weigh 50 pounds less.

Elsewhere, the Seattle Seahawks trade with the Minnesota Vikings to take Robert Griffin III with the No. 3 pick. The Seahawks are often one of the teams projected to take a defensive tackle in the first round, so this trade really gums up the works, and the result is that Penn State's Devon Still, who disappears from the board in the first dozen picks in many mock drafts, disappears from the first round entirely. (The Carolina Panthers take another defensive tackle, LSU's Michael Brockers, at No. 9.) We're still at that point where there isn't widespread agreement on the values of a lot of these prospects.

For more NFL mock draft action, check out Mocking The Draft.

With the 2012 Super Bowl now in the books, we now know a little more about the 2012 NFL Draft order. Here it is. Ties between picks Nos. 8 and 9 and 11 and 12 will be broken with coin flips at the NFL Scouting Combine.

We already knew, of course, that the Steelers would have No. 24 -- that was determined after they lost in the NFL Playoffs to the Denver Broncos.

Teams will still be allowed to trade picks, of course, with the St. Louis Rams being one of the teams most likely to deal theirs.

Pk Team W-L
1. Indianapolis Colts 2-14
2. St. Louis Rams 2-14
3. Minnesota Vikings 3-13
4. Cleveland Browns 4-12
5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 4-12
6. Washington Redskins 5-11
7. Jacksonville Jaguars 5-11
*8t. Carolina Panthers 6-10
*8t. Miami Dolphins 6-10
10. Buffalo Bills 6-10
*11t. Kansas City Chiefs 7-9
*11t. Seattle Seahawks 7-9
13. Arizona Cardinals 8-8
14. Dallas Cowboys 8-8
15. Philadelphia Eagles 8-8
16. New York Jets 8-8
17. Cincinnati Bengals (from Oakland Raiders) 8-8
18. San Diego Chargers 8-8
19. Chicago Bears 8-8
20. Tennessee Titans 9-7
21. Cincinnati Bengals 9-7
22. Cleveland Browns (from Atlanta Falcons) 10-6
23. Detroit Lions 10-6
24. Pittsburgh Steelers 12-4
25. Denver Broncos 8-8
26. Houston Texans 10-6
27. New England Patriots (from New Orleans Saints) 13-3
28. Green Bay Packers 15-1
29. Baltimore Ravens 12-4
30. San Francisco 49ers 13-3
31. New England Patriots 13-3
32. New York Giants 9-7

For more on the NFL Draft, check out Mocking The Draft.

Mocking The Draft notes that Jeff Fisher of the St. Louis Rams has said the team might be willing to trade the No. 2 overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft. That makes sense in a way, in that there are teams who would love to trade up and grab Robert Griffin III with that pick, but the Rams aren't interested, since they're committed to Sam Bradford at quarterback. But Mocking The Draft says then the problem becomes whether they ought to keep the pick anyway and draft offensive lineman Matt Kalil.

While adding picks would be nice for the Rams, having a franchise left tackle is the most important piece this team can add. If the Rams trade down to a team wanting Robert Griffin III, they won't be able to get a player as good as (offensive tackle Matt) Kalil. That's what the Rams will be choosing between. If they want Sam Bradford to develop, they need Kalil more than anything else.

Whatever ends up happening will have a huge impact on the first round. Even the Steelers, picking for the first time at No. 24, will likely be affected, in that where Kalil is picked could have an impact on where exactly other offensive linemen are taken, and the Steelers will surely at least consider taking an offensive lineman. It's all obviously way too early to predict, but it's worth keeping an eye on.

For more on the St. Louis Rams, check out Turf Show Times.

Mocking The Draft's latest five-round NFL mock draft has the Steelers taking Ohio State offensive lineman Mike Adams with their first-round pick. In the second, they grab Washington nose tackle Alameda Ta'amu. Then in the third round it's another offensive lineman, this time Senio Kelemente, also out of Washington. They take Vanderbilt linebacker Chris Marve in the fourth, then Oklahoma wideout Ryan Broyles in the fifth.

This draft certainly addresses the Steelers' needs from a positional perspective, although Adams is a tackle, and the position on the offensive line at which the Steelers most need help is guard. Ta'amu would be groomed as a successor for Casey Hampton, and Kelemente could help slow the carousel at guard.

Penn State's Devon Still, by the way, falls all the way to the Patriots at No. 27. There still isn't much agreement on his value; before the Senior Bowl, he was routinely going in the top 10, and now he's starting to turn up near the end of the first round.

For more on the Steelers, check out Behind The Steel Curtain.

Todd McShay has one of the biggest voices in the Internet Mock Draft community, and in his latest Mock Draft over at ESPN, he has the Steelers taking Ohio State tackle Mike Adams with the No. 24 pick in the draft, a selection that is starting to become very popular for them around the interwebs.

The Steelers have been plagued by injuries and inconsistency along the offensive line, and there's no question Adams has the natural ability to quickly emerge as a starting tackle in the NFL. He's not as nasty as I would like a first-round tackle to be, but he's an easy mover for his size (6-foot-7, 323 pounds) and capable of upgrading the perimeter protection around battered QB Ben Roethlisberger.

Adams has the size and athleticism that is required for an elite tackle prospect, but it will be on his coach and teammates at the next level to teach him the toughness he'll need to succeed. The Steelers are a team that can probably do that.

Injuries, poor form and expiring contracts define the current situation on the offensive line of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Even if they feel a player at a different position provides better value in the first round, the Steelers will almost certainly be addressing the line in the draft's early rounds. In the most recent mock draft at National Football Post, Wes Bunting has the Steelers selecting Iowa State guard Kelechi Osemele with the No. 24 overall pick in the first round.

24. Pittsburgh Steelers Iowa State OG Kelechi Osemele
The Steelers have a ton of holes up front, but adding a talented body who can play some guard or right tackle like Osemele is a solid value at the end of round one.

Whether or not scouts will give Osemele a first-round grade remains to be seen, but he's a perfect fit for the Steelers' system. The three guards currently with the team -- Trei Essex, Chris Kemoeatu and Ramon Foster -- are all very large guards and much more powerful than they are quick, like Osemele. He played tackle in college, but projects to an interior position at the NFL level.

For more on this and all things Steelers football, head over to Behind the Steel Curtain. For more on the upcoming NFL Draft, check out Mocking the Draft.

Even with his great performance at the Senior Bowl, some NFL Draft analysts are still not sold that Mike Adams is a clear-cut first round pick. The Ohio State Buckeyes tackle has dealt with knee injuries and was suspended for the first five games of 2011 for impermissible benefits, but a solid second half of the year and a good week of Senior Bowl practice has Adams' stock rising. In the latest mock draft over at SB Nation's Mocking the Draft, Adams is projected as the pick for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

It's worth noting that this could represent a perceived drop for Adams, whose stock is currently rising. SBNation.com's latest mock draft has him all the way up at No. 12 overall. Adams doesn't have elite quickness, but at 6-foot-7 and 323 pounds, he fits in perfectly with the Steelers' history of drafting large, powerful offensive linemen.

For more on this and all things Steelers football, head over to Behind the Steel Curtain. For more on the upcoming NFL Draft, check out Mocking the Draft.

SB Nation's NFL Draft blog, Mocking The Draft, features plenty of unconventional but well-informed takes on draft prospects, and its latest one is unusual and certainly worth reading. Mocking The Draft has the Steelers picking Iowa State offensive lineman Kelechi Osemele in the first round.

As much as the Steelers may need a replacement nose tackle for Casey Hampton, the team can no longer overlook their need on the offensive line. Osemele is a mammoth, physical blocker who has some versatility. He'd infuse the team's offensive line with power and size.

That's not such a surprising pick. But what's odd about this mock, compared to others recently, is that the Carolina Panthers at No. 8 and the Seattle Seahawks at No. 12 both pass on Devon Still and Michael Brockers, the best defensive tackles in the draft. Mocking The Draft has Justin Blackmon falling all the way to the Seahawks (wow) and Still falling all the way to the Denver Broncos at No. 25. That currently looks like it would be a surprisingly poor outcome for Still, who has often gone in the top 10 picks in mock drafts since the start of 2012.

We know that the Steelers need some help along their offensive line, but until now we've heard them taking guards to help shore up their line. Their tackle position wasn't great last year, but they were experiencing some injuries so that position isn't technically their biggest area of need. But that's not what the guys over at Draft King think, as they have the Steelers taking Ohio State tackle Mike Adams in their latest Mock Draft.

One of the big winners from Senior Bowl week was Adams, who looked impressive, particularly with the other elite offensive tackle prospects (Kalil, Reiff, and Martin) not able to take part in the event since they left for the NFL with remaining NCAA eligibility. Pittsburgh has two huge needs in offensive tackle and cornerback, and Adams would be an immediate boost for a position that has been overlooked in recent years in Pittsburgh.

Adams doesn't seem particularly likely, given that the Steelers' main offensive-line problems are at guard. It's still possible that the Steelers could pick a tackle, but the fact that these mock drafters think the Steelers' needs are at tackle and cornerback makes us at SB Nation Pittsburgh disinclined to trust them.

For more on this and all things Steelers football, head over to Behind the Steel Curtain. For more on the upcoming NFL Draft, check out Mocking the Draft.

Dane Brugler's latest NFL mock draft for CBSSports.com is the latest to have the Steelers taking Memphis nose tackle Dontari Poe, a big man who would take over for Casey Hampton at nose tackle.

With nose tackle Casey Hampton, the linchpin of the team's three-man front, undergoing ACL surgery and turning 35, Poe becomes an attractive target for the Steelers to groom as Hampton's replacement. He has impressive quickness and movement skills to do more than simply occupy blockers at the next level.

Brugler also has Penn State's Devon Still falling all the way to the Tennessee Titans at No. 20. Most mock drafts recently have had Still going to the Carolina Panthers at No. 8 or the Seattle Seahawks at No. 12, but Brugler has the Panthers taking LSU's Michael Brockers, and UNC defensive end Quinton Coples falling to Seattle. So in this scenario, Still would fall a long way, and the Titans would get a bargain.

For more on the Steelers, check out Behind The Steel Curtain. For more on Penn State football, there's Black Shoe Diaries.

The latest version of Rob Rang's 2012 NFL Mock Draft has the Steelers taking Georgia offensive lineman Cordy Glenn with the No. 24 overall pick. Rang's reasoning hasn't changed from his previous drafts, and Glenn still makes sense as a player who might be available that late in the draft who plays a position of need for the Steelers.

Rang has Penn State's Devon Still going at No. 12 to the Seattle Seahawks:

Still, a 6-4, 310-pound defensive tackle, showed his talent and despite all of the distractions in Happy Valley last year, was the Big Ten's Defensive Player of the Year. Still could help inside at defensive tackle as well as provide the Seahawks with some flexibility at the five technique defensive end position should incumbent starter Red Bryant be heavily pursued in free agency.

Many mocks had Still going at No. 8 to the Carolina Panthers, but Rang isn't the only mock drafter recently to replace him with LSU defensive tackle Michael Brockers, who has big-time upside. No. 12 is nothing to sneeze at for Still, however.

For more NFL mock draft action, check out Mocking The Draft.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have quite a few needs they could address in the first round of the 2012 NFL Draft. Nose tackle Casey Hampton is having ACL surgery, so it's possible the Steelers could look for another defensive lineman. There is always the concern over the Steelers offensive line as well. Pete Schrager of FOX Sports has the Steelers going in a bit of a different direction, however.

24. Pittsburgh Steelers: Coby Fleener, TE, Stanford: If the success of Rob Gronkowski, Jimmy Graham, Aaron Hernandez, and Vernon Davis showed us anything this season, it's that a dynamic tight end can make a good offense into a great one. Heath Miller's had a great run in Pittsburgh, but Fleener would be a tremendous addition to the already potent Steelers offense. Andrew Luck's top target at Stanford, Fleener is a 6-6, 240 pound athletic big man who could make an immediate impact on the next level. Other pundits have different tight ends as their top prospects at the position. I love Fleener's NFL potential and think he's the first one off the board come April.

The addition of Fleener could make sense for the Steelers if they plan on going to more of a run-oriented offense with the departure of Bruce Arians. As Schrager mentions, quite a few teams have gone to a double tight end set and have had much success with it. Pairing Fleener with Heath Miller could make the Steelers offense a little more dynamic while also focusing on rushing the football. Of course, while the Steelers don't draft purely for need, they have many more pressing ones than tight end, and it isn't as if Fleener is a consensus first-rounder.

For more on this and all things Steelers football, head over to Behind the Steel Curtain. For more on the upcoming NFL Draft, check out Mocking the Draft.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have one major area of need on the offensive line. Keeping quarterback Ben Roethlisberger upright and healthy is a top priority. In order to do that, the Steelers will need to bolster an offensive line that has been an issue for a few seasons. SI.com's new mock draft has the Steelers addressing exactly that.

Pittsburgh Steelers
Cordy Glenn, OG-OT, Georgia. The Steelers are being given Memphis DT Dontari Poe in plenty of mocks, and he makes sense as a replacement for veteran Casey Hampton, who is coming off ACL surgery. But have you seen the state of the Steelers' offensive line the past two seasons? Until convinced otherwise, we consider Pittsburgh's OL issues to be its top priority.

Glenn is an interesting pick for the Steelers there, because he does offer some versatility on the offensive line. Glenn has the ability to play left tackle, right tackle, and both guard positions.

For more on this and all things Steelers football, head over to Behind the Steel Curtain. For more on the upcoming NFL Draft, check out Mocking the Draft.

Behind The Steel Curtain’s massive multi-round mock drafts are always a lot of fun. The newest one is five rounds long, and it has the Steelers addressing a variety of needs — linebacker, offensive line, nose tackle, and quarterback.

Wait, quarterback? Yes, BTSC has the Steelers taking UT-Chattanooga QB B.J. Coleman in the fifth round, to serve as a potential backup to Ben Roethlisberger.

In the first round, the Steelers take inside linebacker Dont’a Hightower out of Alabama:

With this pick I really struggled between Hightower and UNC’s Zach Brown. Many tab Brown as a 4-3 player only but I look at him and see a potential next Lawrence Timmons. He’s extremely athletic and can cover running backs, tight ends, and even slot receivers across the middle. He has easily been the best linebacker at the Senior Bowl. With the NFL going to a more pass-heavy system with each passing season it’ll be important to have another athlete like Timmons patrolling the middle of the field. Hightower on the other hand is an absolute beast against the run and in the pass rush.

In the second round, the Steelers take Iowa State guard Kelechi Osemele, who some analysts predict will go to the Steelers in the first round. That might be a bit of a reach, but I’m not sure he’ll be around when the Steelers pick in the second round, either. The Steelers take another offensive lineman in the third round, then a nose tackle in the fourth.

SB Nation’s latest mock draft has the Steelers selecting Memphis nose tackle Dontari Poe with the No. 24 overall pick. That’s been a popular Steelers pick in mock draft, due to the Steelers’ need to think about a replacement for Casey Hampton. Here’s SB Nation’s rationale.

Casey Hampton is 35, which is like 65 in football years. He also tore his ACL last year. Poe is unquestionably the top nose tackle prospect in the draft. The Steelers defense will appreciate a young new anchor up front, especially one with the athleticism to go with a 350 lbs frame.

That makes sense, of course.

Elsewhere, SB Nation has the Carolina Panthers taking LSU defensive tackle Michael Brockers with the No. 8 overall pick. A lot of recent mock drafts have had the Panthers taking LSU’s Devon Still instead, but here he falls to the Seattle Seahawks at No. 11. Still and Brockers are probably the top two talents in the draft at defensive tackle.

For more mock draft action, head over to Mocking The Draft.

Devon Still has a very important quality that will greatly enhance his draft position, and that is his versatility. He can play on the end in a 3-4 defense, but he can also mix it up in a 4-3 as well. As a result, any team that needs help along the defensive line, no matter the base defense they play, will have to consider Still with their first round pick. That's why the guys at Mock Draft 101 has them to the Seahawks at No. 12.

While a true DE is the biggest need Devon Still makes some sense here for the Seahawks. Seattle runs a base 4-3 Defense, but they like to switch things and show a variety of looks from different formations. Still is talented enough to offer a pass rush anywhere along the line, not to mention, current DT Red Bryant is set to be a FA this offseason.

Still has an unusually large range that he could be drafted in this coming Draft. He could go anywhere from the top ten to the end of the first round. It will be interesting to see how his stock is affected after the Combine.

For more on this and all things Penn State Nittany Lions football, head over to Black Shoe Diaries and be sure to keep following SB Nation Pittsburgh. For more on the upcoming NFL Draft, check out Mocking the Draft.

Heath Miller is the definition of a solid tight end in the NFL. He makes a positive impact in the run game and pass protection when that his assignment, and he is a reliable receiver for Ben Roethlisberger. But he doesn't fit the mold of a the new NFL tight end; big, athletic and able to cause matchup problems with everyone on the opposing defense. That kind of presence could change the Steelers offense completely. With that in mind, Peter Schrager at Fox Sports has the Steelers taking Coby Fleener in the first round of his latest Mock.

If the success of Rob Gronkowski, Jimmy Graham, Aaron Hernandez, and Vernon Davis showed us anything this season, it's that a dynamic tight end can make a good offense into a great one. Heath Miller's had a great run in Pittsburgh, but Fleener would be a tremendous addition to the already potent Steelers offense. Andrew Luck's top target at Stanford, Fleener is a 6-6, 240 pound athletic big man who could make an immediate impact on the next level.

If Fleener can in fact make that kind of difference, he is worth the pick. But the Steelers have a few needs that are far more pressing than tight end, and their first round pick may be better spent in those areas.

For more on this and all things Steelers football, head over to Behind the Steel Curtain. For more on the upcoming NFL Draft, check out Mocking the Draft.

Most experts expect monster Penn State defensive tackle Devon Still to go in the top ten of April's NFL Draft. Still is almost unanimously projected to go No. 8 overall to the Carolina Panthers. Ron Rivera, a defensive-minded coach, is in desperate need of a difference-maker up front, and Still would fill a huge gap in the middle of the team's front seven. The Panthers' defense was among the worst in the league, with running backs consistently gashing the Cats.

Included among those NFL mock draft experts is Peter Schrager of FoxSports. Schrager has Still landing in Carolina as well, with the pick as a relative no-brainer:

Via Peter Schrager of FoxSports.com:

8. Carolina Panthers*: Devon Still, DT, Penn State: Though not the flashiest of picks, Still to Carolina makes a whole lot of sense. The Big 10 Defensive Player of the Year from 2011, Still can rush the passer and provide the run stuffing up front that Carolina's D so desperately needs. The unit gets Jon Beason back next season and showed improvements down the stretch. Still would be a huge addition up front.

There's still obviously plenty of time for movement in these projections, but based on current circumstances, one wouldn't blame Still for humming a little James Taylor these days as he prepares for the draft.

For more on this and all things Steelers football, head over to Behind the Steel Curtain. For more on the upcoming NFL Draft, check out Mocking the Draft.

Despite not being able to play in the 2012 Senior Bowl due to injury, Penn State defensive lineman Devon Still is considered one of the best, if not the best, 3-4 defensive tackles available in the 2012 NFL Draft.

Mock drafts have Still being chosen anywhere from the eighth pick to the 25th pick, and in several instances his name has been linked to the Carolina Panthers. Fansided site Phinphanatic makes just such a prediction in their Mock Draft 1.0:

Carolina Panthers: DT Devon Still Penn State - The Panthers will flip a coin with the Dolphins to see who gets the privilege of drafting in the 8th spot. Neither team are truly looking at the same personnel in the first round and the talent at this level simply isn't enough to grab the interest of later first round teams to move up to these spots. The Panthers finished dead last in defensive pass rushing last season so it only strengthens their resolve to go after a DT with their first pick.

For more on this and all things Penn State Nittany Lions football, head over to Black Shoe Diaries and be sure to keep following SB Nation Pittsburgh. For more on the upcoming NFL Draft, check out Mocking the Draft.

Don Banks' latest 2012 NFL mock draft for Sports Illustrated has the Steelers taking Georgia offensive lineman Cordy Glenn. Glenn has been a popular guess for mock drafters trying to predict the Steelers' pick at No. 24 at all, due to Pittsburgh's problems on the offensive line, and at guard in particular.

The Steelers are being given Memphis DT Dontari Poe in plenty of mocks, and he makes sense as a replacement for veteran Casey Hampton, who is coming off ACL surgery. But have you seen the state of the Steelers' offensive line the past two seasons? Until convinced otherwise, we consider Pittsburgh's OL issues to be its top priority.

That makes sense, although the Steelers could also draft someone like Poe (or an inside linebacker) in the first round, figuring they can address their offensive line situation in later rounds. That's more or less what they did last year, when they had serious needs at offensive line and cornerback, but they took defensive end Cameron Heyward in the first round anyway. They then grabbed offensive lineman Marcus Gilbert and cornerbacks Curtis Brown and Cortez Allen in the second through fourth rounds.

Penn State's Devon Still goes to the Chiefs at No. 11 in this mock.

For more mock draft action, check out Mocking The Draft.

At SBNation.com, sometime SB Nation Pittsburgh contributor Alfie Crow looks at five players who haven't helped themselves during Senior Bowl week: Texas A&M wideout Jeff Fuller, North Carolina wideout Dwight Jones, Boise State quarterback Kellen Moore, Alabama linebacker Courtney Upshaw, and Florida State offensive lineman Zebrie Sanders.

Of these five, the one who's most relevant to Steelers fans is Sanders, who has been connected to Pittsburgh in a couple mock drafts. (Well, actually, Dwight Jones has too, but not by anyone who knows what they're talking about.) Here's Crow on Sanders:

Sanders just had an awful week going up against a slew of very good pass rushers on the South team. He was beaten up badly by Quinton Coples and Melvin Ingram day after day and even struggled handling a bull rush and some of the more powerful defensive ends.

Sanders is one of those players who never seemed to show up in the first round of any mock drafts going to anyone except the Steelers, so that will probably stop now. There are a lot of offensive line prospects out there (including some who play guard, which is a bigger need for the Steelers than tackle is), and the Steelers could also draft a nose tackle or linebacker in the first round and wait until later to address their offensive line issues.

Mocking The Draft ranks the top 3-4 defensive ends in the 2012 NFL Draft class, and the top player, unsurprisingly, is Penn State's Devon Still.

1. Devon Still, Penn State – Still had an incredible year at Penn State and that will likely end up rewarding him with a spot in the first round of the draft. His stock ranges from the 10 to 25 range.

Actually, Still routinely goes at No. 8 to the Carolina Panthers in mock drafts, and it wouldn't surprise me at all to see him taken there, even if we're at an early enough point in the process that a drop to the lower part of the first round is certainly a possibility as well.

Mocking The Draft notes that this year's crop of 3-4 defensive ends is "very, very bad," which only 10 players MTD deems to be worthy of a pick. After Still, the list also includes LSU's Michael Brockers, Boise State's Billy Winn, Cincinnati's Derek Wolfe, and Nebraska's Jared Crick.

The 2012 Senior Bowl kicks off Saturday, Jan. 28 at 3:00 PM, which affords SB Nation Pittsburgh an opportunity to look at the game's history, as well as highlight some key stories. Three Penn St. Nittany Lions players are set to take the field Saturday, so there's plenty of incentive to pay attention.

The first Senior Bowl took place in 1950, with the goal of allowing the nation's top seniors strut their stuff prior to the NFL Draft. For all but three seasons, teams have been split along geographical lines: North and South. An early-1990s experiment for naming teams after the NFL's divisions was abandoned after three tries.

In 2012, the Minnesota Vikings will coach the North squad, with the Washington Redskins set to coach the South. That means former Penn State players Jack Crawford, D'Anton Lynn, and Johnnie Troutman will work with the Vikings' coaching staff, including head coach Leslie Frazier.

Penn State players have fared better than most throughout the Senior Bowl's history, having won three MVP awards, all in the last 21 years. Blair Thomas was the first back in 1990. More recently, Larry Johnson took home MVP honors in 2003, while Tony Hunt earned the award in 2007.

The Pittsburgh Steelers enter the offseason with a few holes on their roster that need to get filled. But a new mock draft at Walter Football has an interesting tidbit about how the Steelers draft, and what that means for their likely selection in April. As Walter Football points out, the Steelers typically just take the player on top of their big board, not their greatest need, and they believe that player will be Alabama inside linebacker Dont'a Hightower.

The Steelers usually take the top player on their board, and it would be hard to imagine that it wouldn't be Dont'a Hightower in this case. Pittsburgh has some aging inside linebackers on its defense, so Hightower would be a great long-term solution.

Hightower would be a great fit for the Steelers defense, now and into the future. He also happens to play the position of one of the Steelers three biggest needs. If their pick rolls around and Hightower is the highest-rated player on their board, this should be a pretty solid selection.

For more on the 2012 NFL Draft, head over to Mocking The Draft. For more on Steelers football, there's Behind The Steel Curtain.

Mocking The Draft has a good post about a dream 2012 NFL Draft for the Steelers. It starts with them taking Stanford guard David DeCastro with the No. 24 overall pick, which is interesting, because a top-notch offensive guard prospect like DeCastro falling to the Steelers is about the best thing they could hope for without diving headlong into fantasyland. I've never seen a mock draft where DeCastro falls to the Steelers, but he does last into the late teens quite a lot (sometimes going to the Bengals at No. 17), and if that can happen, then who knows? Anyway, here's Mocking The Draft's take.

DeCastro falling here is highly, highly unlikely but it is possible. Maybe he comes to the Combine slightly out of shape. Maybe he is slightly injured (but decides to play) and gets abused by Defensive prospects. Who knows, but his kid is going to be a top 5 guard in the NFL and I dream of landing him.

The dream draft continues with Miami OG Brandon Washington in the second round, Oregon RB LaMichael James (which seems pretty unlikely, even in a dream scenario) in the third, and NC State ILB Audie Cole in the fourth. The Steelers would then wait to take a nose tackle (Marshall's Delvin Johnson) until the sixth round.

Mel Kiper lists Penn State's Devon Still as the top defensive tackle in the 2012 NFL Draft. Still is almost universally regarded as a first-round pick, and might go as high as the latter part of the top 10.

Here are the Big Ten players in the top five for each position.

Wisconsin's Bradie Ewing, No. 1 fullback
Iowa's Riley Reiff, No. 2 offensive tackle
Ohio State's Mike Adams, No. 4 offensive tackle
Wisconsin's Kevin Zeitler, No. 4 guard
Wisconsin's Peter Konz, No. 1 center
Ohio State's Mike Brewster, No. 2 center
Michigan's David Molk, No. 3 center
Illinois' Whitney Mercilus, No. 4 defensive end
Penn State's Devon Still, No. 1 defensive tackle
Michigan State's Jerel Worthy, No. 5 defensive tackle
Nebraska's Lavonte David, No. 3 outside linebacker
Nebraska's Alfonzo Dennard, No. 4 cornerback
Wisconsin's Philip Welch, No. 2 kicker
Illinois' Derek Dimke, No. 4 kicker
Iowa's Eric Guthrie, No. 5 punter

Obviously, Still is the only Penn State player represented. But he still makes a mark among the Big Ten players above -- he's likely to be drafted higher than any of them, except perhaps Reiff.

For more on the NFL Draft, check out Mocking The Draft.

The Pittsburgh Steelers are going to have three major needs that they are going to have to fill in free agency and the draft (guard, nose tackle, inside linebacker) , and it would make sense that they look to address one of those needs with their first round pick, No. 24 overall, in the upcoming NFL Draft. The fellas over at Mocking The Draft put together a four-round Mock (also known as a fool's errand) that has them drafting inside linebacker Dont'a Hightower from Alabama in the first round.

The Steelers have 3 major needs and will probably look to fill them all in this draft since they have no cap room. The ILB class is weak outside the top 3 so they will probably take an ILB in round one and hope that a guard and a NT fall to them in rounds 2 and 3.

Hightower was one of the best players on a defense that ranked historically in college football. He could step in and start right away, or spend a year or two learning on the bench, then stepping in to form a pretty dangerous group of linebackers for the Steelers.

For more on the 2012 NFL Draft, head over to Mocking The Draft. For more on Steelers football, there's Behind The Steel Curtain.

The Pittsburgh Steelers need to add some depth to their defensive line, that much we know. Whether or not they try to take that depth in the first round of the NFL Draft this Spring remains to be seen. But there is a pretty good defensive lineman right in their backyard at Penn State named Devon Still. A new Mock Draft at Revenge of the Birds connects those two dots and has the Steelers taking Still in the first round.

Still is a very good defensive tackle, and would instantly fill a major need on the Steelers at the 3-4 nose tackle spot. In my mind, Still will fall a little bit, due to injuries keeping him out of this weekends Senior Bowl, and overall, not a lot of need for defensive tackles, especially over the players already drafted.

Still is all over the place in Mocks around the Internet, going as high as the top ten in some while hovering around the early 20's in others. His position will depend a lot on how he does at the NFL Combine and during interviews with the respective teams.

For more on the 2012 NFL Draft, head over to Mocking The Draft. For more on Steelers football, there's Behind The Steel Curtain.

With the imagery of a hobbled Ben Roethlisberger being chased around the backfield fresh in Pittsburgh fans' minds, many mock draft experts continue to have the Steelers looking for help on the offensive line in April's 2012 NFL Draft. This includes Rob Rang of CBSSports.com, who last week had the Steelers drafting Jerel Worthy to plug a hole on the defensive line.

Rang now has the Steelers taking big offensive guard Cordy Glenn out of Georgia. Glenn is a name that many Steelers' fans have come to know as they familiarize themselves with potential draft targets.

Via Rob Rang of CBSSports.com:

Cordy Glenn, OG, Georgia: The Steelers seemingly patch up their offensive line annually, only to struggle with injuries and consistency up front. Glenn lacks the consistency to earn a first round grade from all clubs, but the 6-5, 350-pounder has the size the Steelers prefer upfront and, as a rare four-year starter with experience at left tackle, left guard and right guard he has the durability and versatility the team prioritizes on draft day. Roethlisberger was sacked five times against the Broncos.

Earlier in the first round, Rang continues to have Devon Still going No. 8 to the Carolina Panthers, who desperately need help on their defensive front.

For more on the 2012 NFL Draft, head over to Mocking The Draft. For more on Steelers football, there's Behind The Steel Curtain.

In SB Nation's latest 2012 NFL Mock Draft, released by Ryan Van Bibber, the Pittsburgh Steelers are expected to select Memphis defensive tackle Dontari Poe. Van Bibber describes the selection this way.

In case you didn't notice, the Steelers lost to the upstart Denver Broncos in the playoffs. They have needs along the offensive line, but they also need an injection of youth into their vaunted defense. Poe can replace the aging Casey Hampton.

Poe was a 6-foot-5, 350-pound monster in the middle of the Tigers defense in 2011. The Memphis native racked up 33 tackles and registered eight sacks. He could certainly help beef us the Steelers' front.

Meanwhile, the mock expects Penn State's Devon Still to go No. 11 overall to the Seattle Seahawks.

For more on the Steelers, please visit Behind the Steel Curtain, SB Nation's Steelers blog. And for more on the upcoming NFL draft, be sure to check out Mocking The Draft, SB Nation's NFL draft site.

Penn State defensive tackle Devon Still was originally going to participate in the 2012 Senior Bowl, but according to a tweet by the Senior Bowl's official Twitter account, he's no longer participating in the game.

Out on the North: D.Still-PennSt., Amini Silatolu-Midwestern St; Mychal Kendricks-Cal. #SeniorBowl

— Senior Bowl (@seniorbowl) January 23, 2012

There was not a reason given for Still pulling out of the game, but according to Jason La Canfora of NFL Network, it's due to a sprained big toe.

Penn State stud DT Devon Still will miss Senior Bowl due to a sprained big toe, but he should be ready for the combine.#insideslant

— Jason La Canfora (@JasonLaCanfora) January 23, 2012

Still is a likely first-round pick in the 2012 NFL Draft. Many mock drafts have had him going to the Carolina Panthers at No. 8 overall.

For more on this and all things Penn State Nittany Lions football, head over to Black Shoe Diaries and be sure to keep following SB Nation Pittsburgh. For more on the upcoming NFL Draft, check out Mocking the Draft.

Charlie Campbell's latest 2012 NFL mock draft at Walter Football has the Steelers taking Alabama linebacker Dont'a Hightower with the No. 24 pick in the first round.

Hightower, Vontaze Burfict or Ronnell Lewis would be good fits for Pittsburgh. All are intimidating, violent football players who could replace James Harrison in the long term.

At 6-foot-4, 260 pounds, Hightower is a physical, in-the-box defender. He takes on and beats offensive linemen regularly without difficulty. The intelligent junior is the signal caller for the Crimson Tide defense, a complex collegiate scheme.

Hightower and Burfict have been names that have come up fairly regularly in connection with the Steelers, and they both make a fair amount of sense -- either would represent good value at No. 24, and the Steelers definitely do need help at linebacker. Their problems at guard might be more pressing, but they might choose to wait until a later round to address that problem. Nose tackle is another possibility, with Dontari Poe being the most likely if the Steelers choose to pick one in the first round.

Campbell has Penn State's Devon Still going to the Seattle Seahawks at No. 12.

For more on the 2012 NFL Draft, head over to Mocking The Draft. For more on Steelers football, there's Behind The Steel Curtain.

The deluge of 2012 NFL Mock Drafts continue, with ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper releasing his Mock Draft 1.0. Most of Kiper's work is behind a paywall, but his selection for the Pittsburgh Steelers at No. 24 is captured below. Kiper, unlike many experts, does not have Pittsburgh taking an offensive lineman. Rather, he see the Steelers helping themselves on the defensive side of the ball:

Pittsburgh Steelers: Dontari Poe, DT, Memphis
Dick LeBeau can do a lot of things, but he can't scheme around age. The Steelers were very good on defense this season, but they simply have to get younger, particularly up front, if they want to maintain it. Poe has risen a lot for me in terms of value, but he's also a rarity, that zero-technique centerpiece to a 3-4 defense, the guy who simply eats up tacklers and is a human wall in the run game. If he develops, Poe can be the heir to Casey Hampton in the middle of that scheme, a human boulder who will free up those linebackers.

For more on the Steelers, please visit Behind the Steel Curtain, SB Nation's Steelers blog. And for more on the upcoming NFL draft, be sure to check out Mocking The Draft, SB Nation's NFL draft site.

This 2012 NFL mock draft by Steve Wyche at NFL.com features a top five of Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III (with the Cleveland Browns trading with the St. Louis Rams for the pick), Matt Kalil, Justin Blackmon (that’s the Rams) and Morris Claiborne. Penn State’s Devon Still goes to the Panthers at No. 8, as he often has recently.

The Steelers take Iowa State offensive lineman Kelechi Osemele at No. 24. Osemele certainly makes sense from a positional standpoint, but I never seem to see any other teams picking Osemele in the first round, and in longer mock drafts, he often drops into the middle of the second round. Need is a consideration for the Steelers in the first round, but it’s hardly the only one, and they aren’t going to take the best offensive lineman available if that player isn’t a good value. Of course, there’s plenty of time for Osemele to move up in the ranks.

For more on the NFL Draft, check out Mocking The Draft.

Preparation for the 2012 NFL Draft begins in earnest Saturday, as players take the field in St. Petersburg, Florida for the annual East-West Shrine Game, the longest-running college all-star game.

The two sides will be coached by former NFL head men Brad Childress and Bobby Ross. Childress will take the reins for the West Team, a roster featuring Northern Illinois quarterback Chandler Harnish, Michigan wide receiver Junior Hemingway and Arkansas wideout Greg Childs.

Ross will coach the East Team, with Florida quarterback John Brantley, Michigan State wide receiver B.J. Cunningham and Illinois wideout A.J. Jenkins looking to shine. Pittsburgh linebackers Brandon Lindsey and Max Gruder are also on the East roster.

Complete rosters can be found on the official game site. Here is what you need to know for the game:

Date & Time: 4:00 PM ET, Saturday, January 21, 2012

Location: Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, Florida

TV: NFL Network

Announcers: Paul Burmeister, Mike Mayock, Charles Davis, Rebecca Haarlow

For more on the upcoming NFL draft, be sure to check out Mocking The Draft, SB Nation's NFL draft site. And for more on the Steelers, please visit Behind the Steel Curtain, SB Nation's Steelers blog.

Many 2012 NFL mock drafts have the Pittsburgh Steelers, with the No. 24 pick in the draft, selecting offensive line help. Not the case in Rob Rang's latest mock draft, courtesy of CBSsports.com and NFLdraftscout.com. He sees Pittsburgh taking a lineman, but on the defensive side of the ball:

24. Jerel Worthy, DT, Michigan State: The headliner in a dominant Michigan State unit that led the Big 10 in both run and total defense, Worthy has the build of a run-stuffer (estimated at 6-3, 320) but has remarkable burst off the snap, making him an intriguing pass rusher, as well. Only bouts with inconsistency push him outside of the top 20.

Worthy could be a suitable complement and eventual replacement to Casey Hampton, who was knocked out of Pittsburgh's playoff loss to the Denver Broncos. Hampton's linemate Chris Hoke had neck surgery during the season, so added Worthy as defensive line depth certainly makes sense for the Steelers.

For more on the Steelers, please visit Behind the Steel Curtain, SB Nation's Steelers blog. And for more on the upcoming NFL draft, be sure to check out Mocking The Draft, SB Nation's NFL draft site.

Behind The Steel Curtain explains how strong drafting has helped the Steelers navigate salary-cap difficulties, and highlights potential picks for the Steelers’ defense.

First on the list is nose tackle:

Odds are very good 2011 was [Casey] Hampton’s last year as a Steeler. The team will almost certainly ask him to take a paycut to remain with the team, and Hampton isn’t likely to agree to it, considering he could still get relatively close to that $7 million next year (the last of the three year deal he signed before the 2010 season) somewhere else. That decision, though, gets a bit murkier considering Hampton’s long-standing back-up Chris Hoke had neck surgery this season. Going into the year with Steve McLendon (not the run-stopper Hampton is) and no back-up is a risky proposition.

I can’t argue with that. Memphis’ Dontari Poe tops the list of nose tackles the Steelers could potentially take in the draft.

Another possibility is linebacker, and two possibilities there are Alabama’s Dont’a Hightower and Arizona State’s Vontaze Burfict.

The Steelers could also look for cornerbacks and safeties, but probably not in the first round — they currently have several workable pieces at cornerback, and while their safeties are aging, there probably won’t be a safety available in the draft who is worthy of the No. 24 pick.

Alex Groberman at Opposing Views just came out with a new 2012 NFL Mock Draft, and he is one of the few people who does not have the Steelers investing in some help along the offensive line. He has them taking Dontari Poe, a nose tackle out of Memphis, with their first round pick.

The Steelers really need offensive line improvement, unfortunately there won’t be any first round-caliber talent available at this point. Because of that, Pittsburgh will shift the focus to defense. Out of all the talent available, the absolutely massive Poe makes more sense than anyone else with this pick.

Casey Hampton has been the anchor of the Steelers defensive line for a number of years now, but he was knocked out of their game against the Broncos and he isn't getting any younger. It would make sense for the Steelers to bring in a guy who could play behind him and ultimately take his spot at some point this offseason, considering how important that position is to what they want to do on defense.

Elliot Harrison of NFL.com just came out with his latest 2012 NFL mock draft, and like most mocks you'll see around the Internet these days, it has the Steelers adding to their offensive line. He has them taking Georgia guard Cordy Glenn, and this very glib description to go along with it.

Anyone in 2012 but Chris Kemoeatu. Please.

ESPN NFL Draft guru Mel Kiper just put out his first Mock Draft of the young NFL Draft season. It's behind a paywall, so you might not be able to see the whole thing, but you can find it here. He has Penn State defensive tackle Devon Still going fairly high in the first round, at No. 11 overall to the Kansas City Chiefs. Here is some of his rationale.

Romeo Crennel could use a disruptive interior line presence in his system, and Still can be a penetrator in the 3-4, capable of occupying blockers and making plays in against the run while also splitting gaps against the pass. He came on in 2011 at Penn State and should help this defense up front, as the Chiefs also get Eric Berry back in the secondary in 2012.

Still will be a big time talent and just general big person for whichever team drafts him. It's not inconceivable that he could end up going as high or higher as Kiper projects him.

For more on this and all things Penn State Nittany Lions football, head over to Black Shoe Diaries and be sure to keep following SB Nation Pittsburgh. For more on the upcoming NFL Draft, check out Mocking the Draft.

There are quite a few Pittsburgh Panthers players in the 2012 East West Shrine Game in St. Petersburg, Florida. One player in particular really stood out in practice on Wednesday, according to National Football Post's Wes Bunting.

It was good to see Pittsburgh OLB Brandon Lindsey rush a little off the edge Wednesday during 1 on 1 drills. He showcased a good first step and even after one day looks the most natural of the group of pass rushers so far this week. He displays the ability to cleanly change directions off his speed rush and keep tackles off balance with the spin as well. However, he's still not dynamic enough in any area of the game to warrant much more than mid-round pick.

Earlier in the week, Lindsey had struggled in practice in normal linebacker drills, but he seemed to shine on Wednesday when he was able to showcase his ability to get to the passer.

For more on this and all things Pittsburgh Panthers football, head over to Cardiac Hill and be sure to keep following SB Nation Pittsburgh. For more on the upcoming NFL Draft, check out Mocking the Draft.

The Pittsburgh Steelers select Memphis Tigers defensive tackle Dontari Poe with the No. 24 pick in Mel Kiper Jr.'s first 2012 NFL mock draft. The ESPN analyst praises the Steelers' defense, but says "they simply have to get younger, particularly up front," if they are serious about maintaining their excellence on that side of the ball.

Poe fits the bill, Kiper says, despite the fact that he is a "zero-technique player." According to Kiper, Poe can develop into "a human boulder" in Pittsburgh's defense, one able to "free up those linebackers" to make plays.

Poe made 33 tackles (18 solo) in his junior season at Memphis, including eight tackles for loss and one sack. In addition, he forced three fumbles and broke up a pass.

The age of Pittsburgh's defenders became a talking point for many NFL observers throughout the regular season, with critics deriding their lack of speed and athleticism. Nonetheless, the Steelers ranked No. 1 in points allowed and in yards allowed.

For more on the Steelers, please visit Behind the Steel Curtain, SB Nation's Steelers blog.

Peter Schrager’s new 2012 NFL mock draft at FOX Sports is a strange one. He has Penn State’s Devon Still going at No. 10 to the Buffalo Bills, a team that already has talent on its defensive line. I’ve never seen Still going to the Bills before. And then there’s this.

Pittsburgh Steelers: Coby Fleener, TE, Stanford: If the success of Rob Gronkowski, Jimmy Graham, Aaron Hernandez, and Vernon Davis showed us anything this season, it’s that a dynamic tight end can turn a good offense into a great one. Heath Miller’s had a great run in Pittsburgh, but Fleener would be a tremendous addition to the already potent Steelers offense. Andrew Luck’s top target at Stanford, Fleener is a 6-foot-6, 240-pound athletic big man who could make an immediate impact on the next level. Other pundits have different tight ends as their top prospects at the position. I love Fleener’s NFL potential and think he’s the first one off the board come April.

Wait, what? That’s great if you love Fleener’s potential, but that doesn’t make it a good idea to just send him to some random team. Most other mock drafters don’t even project him as a first-rounder, and the Steelers don’t even really need a tight end. True, they don’t always draft for need in the first round, but this pick would be completely off the grid.

For more mock draft action, check out Mocking The Draft.

SB Nation's latest 2012 NFL mock draft has the Carolina Panthers picking Devon Still at No. 8. The title of the draft aptly notes that while all, or nearly all, prognosticators agree that while Andrew Luck will be the first overall pick in the draft, there isn't much agreement after that. In particular, by the time you get down to No. 8, no one really knows what's going to happen. Still has been the most common pick in that spot, but other mock drafts have him in the middle or bottom of the first round. Anyway, here's what SB Nation has to say.

Carolina's run defense bleed yards in buckets. This is a thin class of defensive tackles, and Still is the top player at the position ... for now. The Penn State product has the strength to bolster a soft middle for the Panthers.

Still will have to maintain his position for several months. It seems unlikely he would go higher than No. 8.

For more on Penn State football, check out Black Shoe Diaries.

The Pittsburgh Steelers will be picking towards the end of the first round, which they've been doing for what feels like a decade now. But they didn't get very far in the Playoffs this year, so they will be picking a little bit earlier than they are accustomed to. In the latest edition of the 2012 NFL Mock Draft over at SB Nation, the Steelers take Dontari Poe, a nose tackle from Memphis to replace the aging Casey Hampton.

Pittsburgh needs to get younger all over the defensive side of their roster. Casey Hampton tore an ACL in their playoff loss to the Broncos. He'll be 35 in September, and will count $8.1 million against the salary cap. Even if he does stick around on a restructured contract, the Steelers have to start thinking about a long term replacement.

Simply put, Poe is a giant human being and is ideally suited to play in the middle of the defensive line for a 3-4 team like the Steelers.

For more on the NFL Draft, check out Mocking The Draft.

Revenge Of The Birds, SB Nation's Arizona Cardinals blog, has an unconventional take on a 2012 NFL Mock Draft. There are a number of things here I'm not sure I see happening, like Trent Richardson falling to No. 17 or Penn State's Devon Still falling to No. 27, but it's still fun to look at. At No. 24 overall, the Steelers take linebacker Luke Kuechly out of Boston College.

Kuechly is a standout athlete who is well decorated. The Steelers have an aging LB corps and will get a steal if Kuechly falls this far in the draft. Kuechly is the type of player that would fit well with the Steelers organization and would receive at least half a season behind the veterans to learn the complicated scheme of Dick LeBeau.

The Steelers do indeed need a linebacker; the question is whether Kuechly would fall that far -- he often goes earlier in mock drafts. Other needs for the Steelers include offensive guard and nose tackle.

For more on the NFL Draft, check out Mocking The Draft.

Former Pitt linebacker/defensive lineman Brandon Lindsey is in St. Petersberg, Fla. preparing for the 2012 East-West Shrine game, set to be played at Tropicana Field on Saturday, and CBS Sports Dane Brugler believes the game will be very important for his draft stock.

Pittsburgh DE/OLB Brandon Lindsey didn't blow anyone away with his performance as a senior, but he showed enough to intrigue scouts. Lindsey is a solid all-around athlete, but he doesn't have that sudden burst or violent hand use that teams look for in an edge rusher. He has tweener size and scouts want to see if he has the footwork and coordination to cleanly drop in space. I was very disappointed with Lindsey this season, but he can really help his draft stock with a productive week of practice.

The 23-year old Aliquippa native racked up 54 tackles and 8.5 sacks in 2011 after registering 51 tackles and 10 tackles during his junior season in 2010.

For more on this and all things Pittsburgh Panthers football, head over to Cardiac Hill and be sure to keep following SB Nation Pittsburgh. For more on the upcoming NFL Draft, check out Mocking the Draft.

Dane Brugler's latest 2012 NFL mock draft is just one of many recently to predict that Penn State's Devon Still will head to the Carolina Panthers with the No. 8 overall pick.

The Panthers need to improve the interior of their defensive line and Still would provide an immediate upgrade. The Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year has top-10 overall ability with rare movement skills, flexibility and footwork for his size (6-5, 310), but his inconsistency can be frustrating. However, he won't last long on draft day.

There still isn't unanimous agreement about exactly where Still will go in this year's draft, but enough mock drafts now have him going at No. 8 that it's probably smart to start listening to them.

Notably, Brugler has Justin Blackmon falling all the way to the Jacksonville Jaguars at No. 7. Blackmon is typically a top-five pick, and has often appeared going to the Rams at No. 2.

Brugler's pick for the Steelers is Iowa State guard Kelechi Osemele. That certainly makes sense from a positional standpoint, although I can't remember seeing Osemele turn up in the first round of a mock for any team except the Steelers, and I've even occasionally seen him falling all the way to the Steelers in the second round. If the Steelers feel Osemele doesn't represent good value for the pick, they could easily take a linebacker, nose tackle, or safety and wait until the second round to pick an offensive lineman. That's about what they did last year, when they had needs on the offensive line and at cornerback but took defensive end Cameron Heyward in the first round, followed by offensive lineman Marcus Gilbert in the second.

Rob Rang's latest 2012 NFL mock draft has a top five of Andrew Luck, Justin Blackmon, Matt Kalil, Robert Griffin III, and Trent Richardson. (The Browns would get Griffin, ending the Colt McCoy era in Cleveland.)

Penn State's Devon Still heads to the Carolina Panthers at No. 8.

Carolina owes the fact that they are currently slated to have a top ten pick due to an inability to stop the run. The 6-4, 310-pound Still hasn't always played with the consistency scouts would like but emerged as a leader and difference-maker as a senior for the Nittany Lions, earning recognition as the Big Ten's Defensive Player of the Year.

Rang still has the Steelers taking Georgia offensive guard Cordy Glenn, leaving players like Memphis nose tackle Dontari Poe, Wisconsin offensive lineman Peter Konz (who ends up with the Ravens in this mock draft), and Arizona State linebacker Vontaze Burfict still on the board. Anyway, Glenn would solve problems for the Steelers at their biggest position of need, although it's unclear if he's actually someone the Steelers are thinking about at this point.

For more on the NFL Draft, check out Mocking The Draft.

The 2012 East-West Shrine game will be played January 21 in St. Petersburg, Florida, at Tropicana Field. The game is a showcase for the upcoming NFL Draft, and is often a place for NFL teams to find some lesser-known and -discussed talent. The rosters have been finalized, the coaches (Brad Childress and Bobby Ross) have been named and practice begins Monday, January 16.

Several players from the region will participate in the game, including two Pittsburgh Panthers linebackers. One of those players, OLB Brandon Lindsey, has drawn the attention of National Football Post writer Wes Bunting, who thinks an impressive performance at the game could help his draft stock:

OLB Brandon Lindsey: Pittsburgh (6-2, 250)
A good athlete with a compact frame who knows how to get after the quarterback in a number of ways, but isn't dynamic in any area. Doesn't look like a playmaking type pass rusher, but his lateral quickness will give him a shot as a rush backer.

For more on this and all things Pittsburgh Panthers football, head over to Cardiac Hill and be sure to keep following SB Nation Pittsburgh. For more on the upcoming NFL Draft, check out Mocking the Draft.

This is the time of year when literally hundreds of NFL 2012 Mock Drafts are floating around the internet, but it seems they all agree on virtually one thing: the Pittsburgh Steelers need to protect Ben Roethlisberger and thus should draft an offensive lineman of some variety. The website NFLmocks.com agrees, suggesting Pittsburgh take guard Cordy Glenn from Georgia:

With Max Starks solidifying left tackle the only offensive hole is the right guard spot.

Georgia offensive lineman Cordy Glenn plays left tackle at Georgia. The 6 foot 5 348 pound offensive lineman lacks the footwork to play tackle at this point. Even if Glenn kicks inside to guard Pittsburgh will like Glenn as an offensive line prospect because Cordy Glenn has the size that the Steelers look for in an offensive lineman.

The Steelers are locked into the No. 24 pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, and even at that position should have their choice of quality offensive linemen available. Pittsburgh currently has sufficient talent at tackle with Marcus Gilbert and Willie Colon, but they are bereft of productive offensive guards and a choice such as Cordy Glenn would make sense for the team.

For more on this and all things Steelers football, head over to Behind the Steel Curtain. For more on the upcoming NFL Draft, check out Mocking the Draft.

The annual East West Shrine game begins practice on Monday and quite a few players from the Pittsburgh region will be participating in the game, all on the defensive side of the football. For the Pittsburgh Panthers, a pair of linebackers will be participating in the game. Linebackers Brandon Lindsey and Max Gruder both received an invite into the game. Gruder was a tackling machine for the Panthers, finishing his senior season with 116 tackles.

Meanwhile, the Penn State Nittany Lions have safety Nick Sukay in the game, but he will be playing linebacker, making three of the seven linebackers in the game from a school in the state of Pennsylvania. Sukay is a bigger safety, so some NFL teams may look to shift him to outside linebacker to take advantage of his athleticism in coverage.

The West Virginia Mountaineers fall in with the most players out of the region however, with three players in the game. The three players won't be all on the same team in the game, though, as cornerback Keith Tandy will be playing on the West roster. On the East roster, there's defensive lineman Julian Miller and linebacker Najee Goode.

For more on the NFL Draft, visit SB Nation's Mocking The Draft.

After Ben Roethliserger took a beating this season, many mock drafts have the Pittsburgh Steelers looking for help on the offensive line in the first round of the 2012 NFL Draft. The Steelers are locked in to the No. 24 pick in the first round where plenty of big-time college offensive tackles are projected to be available. Mocking the Draft, however, has the Steelers taking an interior lineman out of Wisconsin in Peter Konz. New Pitt Panther coach Paul Chryst is very familiar with Konz, who was an All-American this season.

Peter Konz, OG/OC, Wisconsin - The Steelers top 3 needs are all glaring but the position where the Steelers are hurting for talent the most it OG. Konz is the top center prospect and the #2 guard prospect in the draft and would likely start right away at LG

In the second round, Mocking the Draft has the Steelers switching sides of the ball and looking to add a piece on the defensive front. With the No. 24 pick in the second round, they project Pittsburgh selecting Alameda Ta'amu out of Washington.

Alameda Ta'amu, NT, Washington - Ta'Amu is the 2nd best NT in the draft and with no ILBs worth the pick, the Steelers can fill their 2nd biggest need. They may give Lamar Miller a strong look here as you won't be able to tell if Mendy can come back after his injury.

For more on this and all things Steelers football, head over to Behind the Steel Curtain. For more on the upcoming NFL Draft, check out Mocking the Draft.

In the 2012 NFL Draft, the Steelers could look for an offensive guard, linebacker or nose tackle with the No. 24 pick in the draft. Or they might do something else entirely, given their penchants for drafting talent before need in the first round and for valuing players differently than other teams do. So far, though, most mock drafts have sensibly focused on offensive line, linebacker and nose tackle as the Steelers' possible areas of interest (although many mock drafters have guessed the Steelers will pick a tackle, which seems unlikely despite the amount of talent available in the draft at that position -- the Steelers already have a pair of decent tackles in Marcus Gilbert and Willie Colon, but they have very little talent at guard).

Anyway, a new mock draft at Walter Football by Charlie Campbell predicts the Steelers will take a linebacker, Arizona State's Vontaze Burfict.

Burfict (6-3, 250) has ideal size with excellent speed. Before 2011, he ran around the field like a heat-seeking missle who was constantly looking to knock out an opposing player ...

NFL sources who know Burfict well from coaching him have told us that he is not a bad kid, just ultracompetitive, and as a result can be overly aggressive during games. Burfict should be told to go all out, and the team that drafts him should just accept having some penalties in exchange for an intimidating playmaker in the middle of its defense.

That sounds like the kind of player who would get a lot of love from the organization that developed James Harrison.

This draft has Penn State's Devon Still falling all the way down to the Patriots at No. 30. The Steelers take Virginia Tech running back David Wilson in the second round; a couple weeks ago, I would have thought that pick was strange, and I'd still be pretty surprised if the Steelers got through the second round without addressing their offensive line somehow, but depending on what the Steelers might know about Rashard Mendenhall's injury, I suppose anything's possible. They take West Virginia DE/OLB Bruce Irvin in the third round, which a lot of Mountaineers fans would get pretty excited about, but that seems pretty unlikely.

For more mock draft action, check out Mocking The Draft.

Yet another 2012 NFL mock draft has the Steelers taking an offensive tackle, and this time it's Zebrie Sanders from Florida State.

Last season the Steelers spent a high pick on current RT Marcus Gilbert. While Gilbert as played well for a rookie, the Steelers still need help in the trenches. Sanders might be a reach at this point, but with the importance that OT play in this game, and the lack of talent that the Steelers have on the O-line, Sanders is well worth the reach at this point.

The Steelers will not reach for a tackle. While they could certainly use another good one, they have at least a halfway-reasonable amount of talent at that position between Gilbert and Willie Colon. Where they don't have much talent -- at all -- is at guard. And they can use help at linebacker and nose tackle, too, so it's funny that the two players who follow Sanders in this particular mock (Memphis nose tackle Dontari Poe and Arizona State linebacker Vontaze Burfict) are guys the Steelers could pretty clearly use.

For more mock draft action, head over to Mocking The Draft.

Real Sports Hype's latest 2012 NFL Mock Draft has the Steelers taking Ohio State tackle Mike Adams at No. 24:

Mike Adams has potential to be a very good starting tackle, though he may be a slight reach here. However, I have no problem with the Steelers drafting an offensive lineman to protect Ben Roethlisberger.

Adams keeps coming up in connection with the Steelers, but here's the thing: They picked a tackle, Marcus Gilbert, in the second round of the 2011 draft. They also have Willie Colon for the foreseeable future. There was no doubt that the Steelers' entire offensive line was a problem this year, but part of that was due to injuries. It doesn't follow that drafting a random offensive lineman is the right thing to do, especially if they have to reach to do it. What they need is guards, not really tackles. If they draft a tackle in the first round, it will be because they believe he's the best player on the board by far. The Steelers don't always draft purely for need, of course, but if they do draft a tackle this time, it will be a pretty strange move. Depending on who's available, guard, linebacker or nose tackle would all make a lot more sense.

A recent NFL mock draft at the Miami Dolphins blog the Phinsider has a top five of Andrew Luck, Matt Kalil, Justin Blackmon, Trent Richardson and Morris Claiborne, with Robert Griffin III falling to the Washington Redskins at No. 6. Devon Still heads to the Seattle Seahawks at No. 12.

For better or worse, Pete Carroll does like Tarvaris Jackson and I don't think Ryan Tannehill is on their radar this high in the draft. Seattle desperately needs help on the DL to help rush the QB. They'd be ecstatic if [Quinton] Coples fell this far. I just don't expect that to happen.

After that, the Steelers take Alabama linebacker Dont'a Hightower.

Dontari Poe could be another option if they look for a future NT, but the Steelers also need to inject some youth at ILB. Hightower has been a great leader on the Alabama defense and is another one of the great Alabama LBs.

A lot of mock drafts recently have connected Hightower and Poe to the Steelers, because they currently represent the best matches of need and opportunity (although it's obviously far from guaranteed that's how the Steelers will see it). The Steelers also need help -- actually, a lot of help -- at guard, but right now it doesn't look like they'll have a shot at Stanford's David DeCastro, and maybe not at Georgia's Cordy Glenn, either.

Andrew Perloff's new 2012 NFL mock draft for Sports Illustrated features Andrew Luck at the top, and, in a twist, another quarterback -- Baylor's Robert Griffin III -- going to the Cleveland Browns with the second pick. The Rams currently have that pick, and it's unclear what they'll do with it. Trading down to No. 4 and taking Justin Blackmon, as Perloff has them doing, does make some sense -- they're set at quarterback, and Blackmon might be a slight reach at No. 2. The Browns have struggled under current quarterback Colt McCoy.

Penn State's Devon Still -- who tends be anywhere from No. 8 to about No. 21, depending on what mock draft you're reading, is all the way up with the Jacksonville Jaguars at No. 7.

The Steelers' pick is Memphis nose tackle Dontari Poe.

Nose tackle Casey Hampton is 34 and will likely have knee surgery. The 6-5, 350-pound Poe is cut out of the same mold and should be a strong force in the middle of a 3-4 line.

The Steelers keep winning, but they're either aging or weak at several different areas, so it's hard to see where they'll go. The offensive line, which was often a mess this season, is a possibility, and so is linebacker, but nose tackle makes sense too.

For more on the NFL Draft, head over to Mocking The Draft.

A new NFL Mock Draft at Mocking The Draft has Justin Blackmon going to the Rams at No. 2 and Texas A&M quarterback Ryan Tannehill to the Redskins at No. 6. The rest of the early picks are fairly standard, with Andrew Luck of course going No. 1 overall. Penn State's Devon Still goes to the Seattle Seahawks at No. 12.

The 2012 draft is at a point now where analysts still have fairly different opinions of what's going to happen after the first dozen or so picks, which means the Steelers' pick at No. 24 is difficult to project, and not just because the Steelers tend to follow their own playbook when it comes to the draft. In this one, the Steelers take Alabama linebacker Dont'a Hightower.

James Farrior is old and in rapid decline and the Steelers need an infusion of young talent in their LB corps. Hightower plays with the hard-hitting, downhill style that Pittsburgh fans have grown accustomed to seeing from their LB's. He projects as a top run defender with some ability in the pass game and would be a great complement to the smaller, more athletic, Lawrence Timmons.

That sounds about right. Other linebackers to whom the Steelers have been connected include Arizona State's Vontaze Burfict and North Carolina's Zach Brown. They could also look for help on their offensive line.

The Pittsburgh Steelers will be picking towards the the back end of the first round, but there are always impact players to be had on the first day. Most of the mocks you will find around the Internet will have the Steelers taking an offensive lineman in the first round, but in this latest mock draft at the Sporting News, the Steelers take a nose tackle in Dontari Poe from Memphis. But they do note that he is an underclassman, so he might stick in the draft. Here is their rationale.

Casey Hampton, who is nearing the end of a good career, suffered an ACL injury in the Steelers' playoff loss to Denver. The 350-pound Poe has the strength and athleticism to be the Steelers' next long-term solution at the position.

Once Hampton and Brett Keisel went out with injuries on Sunday, the Steelers had a tough time generating any pressure on Tim Tebow. If Hampton is going to be limited and the Steelers really like Poe, this could be a good time to draft his eventual successor.

For more on this and all things Steelers football, head over to Behind the Steel Curtain. For more on the upcoming NFL Draft, check out Mocking the Draft.

Behind The Steel Curtain's new mock draft has Penn State's Devon Still going to the Denver Broncos at No. 21, Pitt's Brandon Lindsey and Lucas Nix and West Virginia's Bruce Irvin going in the third round, and the Steelers taking North Carolina linebacker Zach Brown in Round 1.

But with the talent available the player who makes the most sense is North Carolina linebacker Zach Brown. Many tab Brown as a 4-3 player only but I look at him as the next Lawrence Timmons. He's extremely athletic and can cover running backs, tight ends, and even slot receivers across the middle. James Farrior has clearly lost a step and at 36 years old may be playing his last season.

BTSC has Iowa State guard Kelechi Osemele falling to the Steelers in Round 2, which would be pretty sweet if it happened. A number of mock drafts have the Steelers taking Osemele in Round 1, and the Steelers badly need help at guard. They then take another guard, Washington's Senio Kelemete, in the third, before taking Wisconsin safety Aaron Henry in the fourth round.

For more mock draft action, check out Mocking The Draft.

There are literally hundreds of mock drafts around the Internet put together by all different kinds of people in completely different walks of life. When almost every single one of them thinks that the Steelers need an offensive lineman, it should say something about the state of that unit. Dane Brugler at CBS just came out with his latest mock, and he has the Steelers taking Keleche Osemele, a guard out of Iowa.

It doesn't matter how tough Ben Roethlisberger is, the human body can only take so much and the Steelers need to address the offensive line in a big way this offseason. Osemele has the skill-set to play both tackle and guard at the next level and has the strength and natural ability to start early in his career. He's a similar prospect to Ravens RT Michael Oher when he came into the league.

The Steelers' entire offensive line was a problem last year, and they probably need to address the guard position in the draft, whether that's in the first round or elsewhere. They chose tackle Marcus Gilbert in the second round last year.

For more on this and all things Steelers football, head over to Behind the Steel Curtain. For more on the upcoming NFL Draft, check out Mocking the Draft.

One day after Tim Tebow and Demaryius Thomas ended the Pittsburgh Steelers' Super Bowl hopes, the organization's focus now turns to the offseason and the draft. The Steelers will have the No. 24 pick in the first round. Ben Roethlisberger took a beating on a pretty consistent basis during the 2011-12 season, and many mock draft experts have the Steelers taking an offensive lineman.

That includes Fox Sports' mock draft by Peter Schrager, who has Pittsburgh taking a big offensive tackle out of Florida State.

24. Pittsburgh Steelers: Zebrie Sanders, OT, Florida State: The FSU offensive line was incredibly young and had its challenges this season, but Sanders was a rock. The Steelers have repeatedly ignored drafting a tackle in the first round, but after this year's struggles out of the position and Ben Roethlisberger's continued injury issues, I think they address the position. Sanders is an experienced college player with good NFL size. Sign him up.

For more on this and all things Steelers football, head over to Behind the Steel Curtain. For more on the upcoming NFL Draft, check out Mocking the Draft.

We linked to SBNation.com's latest 2012 NFL Mock Draft earlier, and noted that it had the Steelers taking Ohio State's Mike Adams. That's a pick I don't necessarily love, since if the Steelers are going to take an offensive lineman, a guard would be better than a tackle -- they drafted tackle Marcus Gilbert in the second round last year.

Anyway, the reason I wanted to mention SB Nation's mock again was to point out the presence of Penn State's Devon Still to the Panthers at No. 8:

Carolina could go any number of directions here, though defense is a big priority. The Panthers were soft in the middle of their line. Still bolsters the middle and makes Charles Johnson a more effective rusher off the edge. Dre Kirkpatrick is another option here, as their pass defense had trouble covering anyone.

Still typically showed up in the bottom of the first round just a few weeks ago, but he's become an increasingly popular mock pick by Carolina at No. 8.

For more on the NFL Draft, check out Mocking The Draft.

The Steelers just got knocked out of the Wild Card round of the playoffs by the plucky Denver Broncos. The big story was that game was Ben Roethlisberger struggling to remain upright on an injured ankle behind a patchwork offensive line. There is no surprise that the first edition of the SB Nation 2012 NFL mock draft after that game has the Steelers taking an offensive lineman in the first round, more specifically, Mike Adams of Ohio State. Here is their rationale.

Ben Roethlisberger was sacked five times by the Broncos. He came into the game limping after a season of abuse behind a front five that struggled to contain the pass rush, particularly the offensive tackles. Adams is giant of a man at 6'8" and can help seal off the edge for Big Ben.

At this point, the Steelers will probably take all the help they can get along the front line.

For more on this and all things Steelers football, head over to Behind the Steel Curtain. For more on the upcoming NFL Draft, check out Mocking the Draft.

With the Steelers’ playoff loss to the Denver Broncos Sunday evening, we now know the Steelers will pick No. 24 in the NFL Draft. Rob Rang’s latest 2012 NFL Mock Draft, which he features the entire known draft order, has the Steelers taking Georgia offensive lineman Cordy Glenn, noting that Ben Roethlisberger was “sacked five times against the Broncos.” The offensive line’s issues in one playoff game won’t have much of an effect, obviously, but the line has been a weakness all season.

Other noteworthy picks include wideout Justin Blackmon to the Rams at No. 2 (which frankly doesn’t seem all that likely – that’s a bit of a reach, and as Rang notes, the Rams could trade the pick instead), Penn State’s Devon Still to the Carolina Panthers at No. 8, Stanford offensive lineman Jonathan Martin to the Chiefs at No. 11, and another Stanford o-lineman, David DeCastro, to the Bengals at No. 17.

For more on the NFL Draft, check out Mocking The Draft.

Penn State defensive tackle Jordan Hill has told ABC 27 in Harrisburg that he will be returning for his senior season, according to Penn State sports information director Jeff Nelson's Twitter account.

Hill racked up 59 tackles in 2011, including 8.0 for a loss to go with 3.5 sacks. He also recovered three fumbles. He ranked No. 6 overall on the team in tackles and No. 1 among defensive linemen.

It'll be interesting to see how he performs without fellow defensive linemen Jack Crawford, Eric Latimore and All-American and Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year Devon Still playing alongside him, though. That graduating trio took a lot of pressure off the underclassman Hill, especially Still, who drew frequent double-teams from Penn State's opponents.

With this announcement, he'll obviously step into a leadership role along the Nittany Lions' defensive front.

For more in the 2012 NFL Draft, visit Mocking The Draft.

Former Penn State All-American defensive tackle Devon Still will lead a group of four Nittany Lions to the 63rd Annual Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala. on Jan. 28. Defensive end Jack Crawford, cornerback D'Anton Lynn and guard Johnnie Troutman will join Still in hoping to impress scouts at the game ahead of the 2012 NFL Draft.

Still, a projected first-round pick by most publications, had 55 tackles, including 17.0 for a loss, to go with 4.5 sacks for the Lions this past season. As a result, he was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and was a finalist for a number of national awards.

Crawford posted big numbers, too, racking up 40 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks coming off the edge. NFL Draft Scout ranks him No. 16 among defensive ends and expects him to be a seventh-round draft pick.

Lynn had one interception this season to go with 49 tackles. He was second on the team in tackles last season despite playing in the Lions' secondary. NFL Draft Scout ranks him the No. 20 defensive back in the draft and expects him to go in the sixth round.

Troutman started a majority of three seasons at guard for Penn State, dating back to 2009. NFL Draft Scout does not currently project he'll be selected in the draft, but does say his stock is on the rise.

For more in the 2012 NFL Draft, visit Mocking The Draft.

The latest version of Walter Football's 2012 NFL Mock Draft has the Steelers taking Alabama ILB Dont'a Hightower. They've typically had the Steelers going back and forth between Hightower and Arizona State ILB Vontaze Burfict (who goes to the Ravens in this mock), and it's hard to argue with the idea that the Steelers could use some help at that position.

For more mock draft action, check out Mocking The Draft.

Among local players, Penn State's Devon Still goes to the Seattle Seahawks at No. 12.

The Seahawks are in the bottom 10 in sacks. A lacking pass rush, both on the exterior and interior, is their greatest issue, outside of the quarterback position. Devon Still had a fantastic 2011 campaign and is the top consensus player on the board, so this pick makes a ton of sense.

Two more local players - Pitt offensive lineman Lucas Nix and WVU defensive end Bruce Irvin, go in the second round. In that round, the Steelers take Washington nose tackle Alameda Ta'Amu.

For more on the Steelers, check out Behind The Steel Curtain.

Stanford guard David DeCastro says he's ready for the 2012 NFL Draft.

I have decided to enter the NFL draft. Thanks to all who have supported me and Stanford football. I wouldn't have wanted to be anywhere else

This isn't a huge surprise, but it's still interesting news for the Steelers, who have needs at guard. This doesn't mean the Steelers will be able to get DeCastro, who National Football Post calls "the best offensive line prospect I’ve evaluated since Maurkice Pouncey in 2010." He'll likely be gone before the Steelers pick at the end of the first round. But since his decision to enter the draft increases the amount of first-round offensive line talent, it also increases the chances that the Steelers will get someone they want when they do get to pick.

Of course, the draft is a very long way away, the Steelers' decisions are very hard to project, and so on.

DeCastro will likely join Andrew Luck and fellow offensive lineman Jonathan Martin - who also recently declared - as top 20 picks out of Stanford.

For more on Stanford football, check out Rule Of Tree.

Rob Rang's latest 2012 NFL mock draft features Andrew Luck at the top, as pretty much all mocks do. Wide receiver Justin Blackmon goes to the Rams at No. 2. That's the highest I've ever seen him, although Rang notes that it might make sense for the Rams to trade down a few spots.

For more 2012 NFL Draft coverage, check out Mocking The Draft.

Penn State's Devon Still goes to the Carolina Panthers at No. 8; Rang has consistently predicted that the Panthers would pick Still.

Looking further down, Rang officially has the Steelers taking Ohio State offensive lineman Mike Adams, although his entry actually describes Georgia's Cordy Glenn.

The Steelers seemingly patch up their offensive line annually, only to struggle with injuries and consistency up front. Glenn lacks the consistency to earn a first-round grade from all clubs, but the 6-5, 350-pounder has the size the Steelers prefer upfront and, as a rare four-year starter with experience at left tackle, left guard and right guard he has the durability and versatility the team prioritizes on draft day.

That's pretty confusing, since Adams and Glenn both come up a lot as the Steelers' picks in mock drafts, but of the two, I'll take Glenn right now. Glenn is more of a guard (although he has also played tackle), and Adams is a tackle; the Steelers' greater position of need is guard.

For more on the Steelers, check out Behind The Steel Curtain.

Just a day after finishing his college football career with a 30-14 loss against Houston in the TicketCity Bowl, former Penn State defensive tackle Devon Still has hired agent Drew Rosenhaus to represent him, according to the Delaware News Journal's Martin Frank, who said he's talked to Still's brother.

Currently, most mock drafts have Still slated to be selected in the first round, including a mock by the Sporting News' Russ Lande that projected he'd go No. 7 overall to the Washington Redskins. He'll likely command a hefty signing bonus if he goes that high, so it's no surprise Rosenhaus, one of the most prominent names in the agent business, is interested in representing him.

Still didn't do much for Penn State against Houston, though. Cougars' quarterback Case Keenum's quick release, rare running attempts and frequent double teams combined to keep Still from making a tackle on the evening.

For more in the 2012 NFL Draft, visit Mocking The Draft.

The Pittsburgh Steelers came within a hair of winning the AFC North Division this year, but there are still plenty of holes on both sides of the field that they will need to address if they want to get over the divisional hump next year. One of the holes is along the offensive line, where many mock draft organizers have focused on so far this season.The latest is from NFL Mocks, who have the Steelers taking Iowa State lineman Kelechi Osemele. Here is their rationale.

Smart offensive line prospect who can play either guard position or right tackle. Fits exactly what the Steelers look for in an offensive lineman.

Ben Roethlisberger took a beating this season and the offensive line is definitely an area where they can find some long-term solutions to help remove some of the patchwork that they were forced to use last year.

For more on the Pittsburgh Steelers, visit SB Nation's Steelers blog Behind The Steel Curtain. For more in the 2012 NFL Draft, visit Mocking The Draft.

The NFL Regular Season is officially in the books and we can start looking ahead to the Playoffs. But after the Playoffs, however they may go, is the 2012 NFL Draft, a time for supreme optimism and hope. The Pittsburgh Steelers figure to be drafting towards the back of the first round again (a good problem to have) but they can still add a playmaker. SB Nation just came out with their first edition of their 2012 NFL Mock Draft for the offseason, and they have the Steelers taking Florida State offensive lineman Zebrie Sanders. Here is his rationale.

Ben Roethlisberger was among the most sacked quarterbacks in the NFL this year. Pittsburgh did a fine job repairing the outside of their line with patches. Sanders gives them a big upgrade along the edge of the line.

The Steelers need to replace some of those patchwork players with some long-term solutions, and Sanders might be a good option for them if they choose to pursue an offensive lineman.

For more on the Pittsburgh Steelers, visit SB Nation's Steelers blog Behind The Steel Curtain. For more in the 2012 NFL Draft, visit Mocking The Draft.

Dane Brugler's latest 2012 NFL mock draft for CBSSports.com features what has become a pretty traditional top six: Andrew Luck, Matt Kalil, Morris Claiborne, Robert Griffin III, Justin Blackmon and Trent Richardson. The only local player is Penn State's Devon Still, who goes at No. 17 to the Tennessee Titans. (West Virginia's Bruce Irvin has been popping up at the bottom of some mock drafts recently, but he isn't represented here.)

Brugler has the Steelers taking Iowa State guard Kelechi Osemele. A guard would, of course, be a very good pick in terms of need. Here's Mocking The Draft's scouting report on Osemele from back in May. He was a All-Big 12 first-teamer this year, and will play in the Senior Bowl. He doesn't usually appear in first rounds of mock drafts and is often seen as a second-rounder, but that doesn't necessarily mean much at this stage.

Obviously, it's very early, the Steelers often don't draft for need in the first round, and so on, but Osemele is probably worth keeping an eye on.

The Sporting News' latest 2012 NFL mock draft is a little different from most mocks I've seen recently, even in the top five. After Andrew Luck and Matt Kalil, the Sporting News goes with Stanford's Jonathan Martin and Alabama corner Dre Kirkpatrick at Nos. 3 and 4, followed by Robert Griffin III, Riley Reiff ... and then Penn State's Devon Still, all the way up at No. 7. That drops LSU's Morris Claiborne, often a top-fiver, all the way down to the Seahawks at No. 14.

Of course, the Sporting News' pick for the Steelers demonstrates that this is all just madness, not iconoclastic genius of some kind.

28. Pittsburgh Steelers: Dwight Jones, WR, North Carolina. The Steelers have downfield threats in Mike Wallace and Antonio Brown, but they need to find a big receiver because Hines Ward is nearing the end of his career. Jones (6-4, 225) could fill that role in time.

Um, what? There's practically no chance the Steelers, who might have more depth at wide receiver than at any other position, will take a receiver in the first round. And what does the departure of Hines Ward - by no means a big receiver himself - have to do with acquiring a big receiver? The Steelers are aging at several positions and have serious needs at inside linebacker and on the offensive line. While they tend not to draft purely for need in the first round, I can't see them taking a wideout in the first round, and probably not in the second round, either.

The Sporting News has West Virginia's Bruce Irvin going to the Patriots at No. 31.

This four-round 2012 NFL mock draft over at Mocking The Draft is entertaining, but perhaps not ideal for the Steelers, who would get these players:

1. Mike Adams, T, Ohio State
2. Ronnell Lewis, OLB, Oklahoma
3. LaMichael James, RB, Oregon
4. Tommy Streeter, WR, Miami

As John Stephens of Behind The Steel Curtain points out in the comments, this doesn't address the Steelers' needs particularly well.

Their 3 biggest needs are not addressed at all, being G, ILB, and NT.

The Steelers need to do a better job protecting their QB, but that needs to start with the Gs who are bad to awful. At Tackle we just signed Colon long term and we’ve got Marcus Gilbert who’s done very well for a rookie. I also believe the Steelers will likely resign Starks to another 2 year deal.

OLB, I can see, but not as much as ILB.

It's true that the Steelers don't always draft for need, and especially not in the first round. But they do usually get to their needs eventually. A lot of fans wanted the Steelers to pick a cornerback in the first round last year, and they didn't, but they did take corners in the third and fourth rounds. It's very hard to see them taking a wide receiver in the first four rounds, as they're in great shape at that position even if Hines Ward departs, and the LaMichael James pick seems a little farfetched as well, for the same reason.

Two local players go in the first round in this one: Penn State's Devon Still at No. 24, and West Virginia's Bruce Irvin at No. 31.

The first six picks in Walter Football's latest 2012 NFL mock draft are very familiar: Andrew Luck, Matt Kalil, Morris Claiborne, Justin Blackmon, and Robert Griffin and Trent Richardson. It's in the later picks that a lot of the intrigue, and most of of the uncertainty, in these mock drafts lies. Walter has the Dallas Cowboys taking Penn State's Devon Still at No. 19, which is about a median pick for Still over the next couple weeks.

The Cowboys had the option of picking J.J. Watt at No. 9 overall in the 2011 NFL Draft. They went with Tyron Smith, who has been great thus far, but they're hurting at the defensive end position as a consequence. Kenyon Coleman should not be starting anymore.

Devon Still is enjoyed a tremendous 2011 campaign and has vaulted himself into mid-first-round consideration.

The Steelers pick at No. 27 (remember that picks in the 2012 NFL Draft aren't set yet), and Walter has them taking Alabama ILB Dont'a Hightower. With James Farrior getting older, the Steelers could easily take an inside linebacker, but they're always a tough team to project, given that there are usually dozens of teams picking ahead of them, and they don't usually draft for need in the first round.

For more on the NFL Draft, check out Mocking The Draft, which has a scouting report on Hightower.

Rob Rang's latest 2012 NFL Mock Draft for CBSSports.com features Andrew Luck at the top, as usual. Further down, Devon Still of Penn State goes to the Carolina Panthers at No. 10, which is the highest I've ever seen him go.

Like the Rams and Vikings picking ahead of them, the Panthers would appear to be in prime position to take advantage of team's needing quarterbacks to trade down, fill a need, and acquire more picks. Fielding one of the league's most porous run defenses, the Panthers would be wise to consider Still, whose play this season has vaulted him to the top of the defensive tackle rankings.

Rang has the Steelers taking Ohio State offensive lineman Mike Adams. Adams might be considered a slight reach at the end of the first round at this point, but obviously, that's not overly important right now as far as the Steelers are concerned, since we're not even sure where they'll be drafting. We're still at the point where mock draft valuations of players beyond the top 10 are all over the map, as Still's case demonstrates -- he's usually down around the 20's. All we really know at this point is that the Steelers need offensive line help -- although Adams is a tackle, and what the Steelers really need right now are guards..

In his initial 2012 NFL Draft first-round projections ($$), ESPN's Todd McShay selects Penn State defensive tackle Devon Still to go off the board at No. 23 to the Denver Broncos.

Of course, at this point, with the NFL season still in full swing and the order of the draft still dramatically in flux, it's really not at all clear where Still will actually end up. The real take away from this projection is that a leading draft prognosticator believes the 6-foot-5, 310-pound senior from Wilmington, Del. to be a first-round-level talent.

Still has been named a first-team All-American by several publications and organizations and earned recognition as the Big Ten's Defensive Lineman of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year. He was also a finalist for the Chuck Bednarik and Bronco Nagurski Trophies, awarded to the nation's top defensive player, and the Outland Trophy, awarded to the nation's top interior lineman.

The Pittsburgh Steelers picked up their tenth win of the season on Thursday night with a 14-3 defeat of the Cleveland Browns. The win pushed the Steelers' potential draft pick down a few spots and it could fall further with a win over the San Francisco 49ers, it could push it down further. If the 2011 NFL season ended today, the Steelers would have the No. 29 overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft. Picking this late is nothing new for the Steelers recently.

The big areas for the Steelers entering the draft are on the offensive line, nose tackle position, linebacker, and potentially a safety. The current SB Nation 2012 NFL Mock Draft has the Steelers looking to bolster their protection of quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.

29. Pittsburgh Steelers - Cordy Glenn, OL, Georgia
Pittsburgh could use an upgrade on their offensive line, particularly on the outside. Glenn's power fits nicely on the right side, and his wide body would help reroute pass rushers.     

Someone like Glenn would immediately bolster the Steelers offensive line. Someone like Arizona State linebacker Vontaze Burfict could also be a person of interest here, to fit in at the inside linebacker position. While Burfict is a bit of a hothead, he seems to fit right in as a Pittsburgh Steeler.

For more on the Pittsburgh Steelers, visit SB Nation's Steelers blog Behind The Steel Curtain. For more in the 2012 NFL Draft, visit Mocking The Draft.

Chad Reuter's latest 2012 NFL mock draft features the familiar quartet of Andrew Luck, Matt Kalil, Morris Claiborne and Justin Blackmon in the top four. Penn State's Devon Still goes at No. 16 to the New York Giants and is, as we've come to expect from these mock drafts, the only local player selected in the first round. Reuter is the latest mock drafter to have the Steelers taking Georgia offensive lineman Cordy Glenn near the end of the first round.

The Steelers seem to have trouble keeping their offensive lineman healthy, and love wide tackles with great length and toughness like Glenn, who can play guard or tackle in their scheme.

Glenn often goes in the lower end of the first round of mock drafts, and the Steelers need an offensive lineman. That's not to say the Steelers will be predictable, however - last year, many fans wanted them to take a cornerback or an offensive lineman, but they went with defensive end Cameron Heyward in the first round instead (before taking offensive lineman Marcus Gilbert and cornerbacks Curtis Brown and Cortez Allen in the second through fourth rounds).

Earlier this week, Ryan Van Bibber released SB Nation's 2012 NFL Mock Draft and had pegged Georgia offensive lineman Cordy Glenn going to the Steelers at the end of the first round. Many have the Steelers drafting a big body to put up front on the offensive side of the ball, including CBSSports.com's latest mock draft.

Rob Rang of CBSSports.com and The Sports Xchange has the Steelers plucking a big offensive tackle out of neighboring Ohio, taking Mike Adams with the No. 27 pick in the first round.

Via Rob Rang of CBSSports.com:

The Steelers seemingly patch up their offensive line annually, only to struggle with injuries and consistency up front. Adams (6-6, 320) has the monstrous frame that Pittsburgh has traditionally preferred up front and would reunite the Buckeye left tackle with his old practice partner -- Steelers' 2011 first-round pick DE Cameron Heyward.

Adams missed nearly half the season this year, as he was one of the "Tattoo Five" in Columbus. He has been highly touted at every level, playing right away as a true freshman in Columbus. He would join Santonio Holmes and Heyward as Buckeyes taken in the first round by the Steelers in the last seven years.

Rang also has Penn State's Devon Still going No. 6 overall to the Carolina Panthers.

For more on the Steelers, be sure to check out Behind The Steel Curtain.

Ryan Van Bibber’s new 2012 NFL Mock Draft for SBNation.com features a lot of the usual names at the top, with Andrew Luck, Matt Kalil, Morris Claiborne, and Justin Blackmon going with the first four picks. Van Bibber has the Steelers taking Georgia offensive lineman Cordy Glenn at No. 29 overall:

Pittsburgh could use an upgrade on their offensive line, particularly on the outside. Glenn’s power fits nicely on the right side, and his wide body would help reroute pass rushers.

The Steelers have serious needs at guard, so that would make sense. However, the Steelers have been very hard to predict in recent drafts – they don’t really draft for need in the first round, and even if they did, they also need help at linebacker, nose tackle and a couple other positions. They’ll also have 20-plus teams picking before them, and they tend to value players differently than most teams do. So it’s hard to predict exactly what the Steelers will do, especially this far out.

Van Bibber has Penn State’s Devon Still going at No. 32 to the Green Bay Packers.

The 2012 NFL mock draft at Draft Countdown has one local college player going in the first round, and it’s Penn State’s Devon Still, who heads to the Denver Broncos at No. 24.

With the Steelers at No. 31, Draft Countdown goes with Wisconsin guard Kevin Zeitler, while also noting that the Steelers will also need to replace James Farrior at inside linebacker, and could use a nose tackle or safety as well. Draft Countdown also notes that since the Steelers don’t typically draft primarily for need, actually predicting what they’re going to do is pretty difficult. That pretty much sums it up. (There are a couple curious picks elsewhere in the draft, like Vontaze Burfict all the way up at No. 6, but the description of the Steelers’ situation is accurate.) It’s not hard to guess that Andrew Luck might be the first overall pick, but guessing what the Steelers will do at the end of the first round is pretty darn difficult. For now, Zeitler is just a placeholder.

For more on the Steelers, be sure to check out Behind The Steel Curtain.