After adding two key pieces on the offensive line in the first two rounds, the Pittsburgh Steelers selected Miami linebacker Sean Spence with the No. 86 overall pick, and 23rd selection of Round 3. Spence was one of the top recruits in the country coming out of high school in the Miami area, and had a good four-year career as a defensive leader at Miami, but he never completely lived up to high expectations. Spence is undersized at 5-foot-11 and 231 pounds, but he has elite speed which he uses to gather momentum and deliver some big hits. He is the kind of athlete who can certainly contribute right away at the next level, and find a place on Dick Lebeau's defense.
Pittsburgh is not scheduled to pick again in the 3rd round. If they stand pat, the Steelers will wrap up the first two days of the draft with David DeCastro, Mike Adams, and now Spence in the fold. Their next selection will be Saturday afternoon with the 24th pick of the 4th round, and No. 159 overall.
For more on Steelers picks David DeCastro and Mike Adams, follow this storystream. For more on the Steelers, check out Behind The Steel Curtain. For more on the draft, there’s Mocking The Draft.