2012 NFL Mock Draft Has Steelers Taking Dontari Poe

Jan 12 10:00a by Charlie Wilmoth

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.