NFL Mock Draft 2012: Steelers Take Dontari Poe In Latest SB Nation Mock

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.