Our own Michael Bean contributed to the 2011 NFL Mock Draft currently going on at MockingTheDraft.com, and deep in the second round, he found a guy who would make a lot of Steelers fans happy, as Virginia cornerback Ras-I Dowling was surprisingly still available there. (The Steelers had taken Colorado offensive lineman Nate Solder in the first round.)
Dowling is 6’2" so check on the size front; he’s got 4.3-4.4 speed; he’s physical and tough at 200 pounds; his ball skills are solid; and he’s a high character guy. I don’t see there being any way that he lasts this long next weekend in the draft, and I can tell you that Steeler Nation would be thrilled to see his name still on the board when the six-time Super Bowl champs select late in the second round.
Right. I doubt Dowling will be around to see pick No. 50, let alone No. 63, where the Steelers' pick is. But if he is, and the Steelers take an offensive lineman in the first round, it's obviously a huge win for them. They would be getting a big, physical corner to provide depth at the position and eventually play alongside Ike Taylor, assuming Taylor sticks around.