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2011 NFL Mock Draft: Defenders Crowd Top Ten

SB Nation's latest 2011 NFL mock draft is out, and like several others recently, this one is dominated at the top by defenders, with Nick Fairley going first overall and Robert Quinn, Patrick Peterson, Von Miller, Da'Quan Bowers, Prince Amukamara, Marcel Dareus and Cameron Jordan joining wideouts A.J. Green and Julio Jones in the top ten. Beyond that, offensive skill players are almost a non-factor here, with quarterbacks dropping down the board and only one running back (Alabama's Mark Ingram) going in the first round.

Pitt's Jon Baldwin, usually the third wideout in most mock drafts behind Green and Jones, falls behind Maryland's Torrey Smith here, but Baldwin is still in the first round, landing with the New York Jets at No. 30. The Steelers, meanwhile, are connected to a new name, Baylor nose tackle Phil Taylor:

There are several directions the Steelers could take with this pick - the offensive line being the chief need area - but Taylor would be a great fit here. He had a fantastic week at the Senior Bowl, and Pittsburgh's two nose guards, Casey Hampton and Chris Hoke, are in their mid-30s.

Photographs by dizfunk used in background montage under Creative Commons. Thank you.