2013 NFL Mock Draft: Steelers take DaMontre Moore

Pittsburgh is getting old on defense and could use some young talent such as Moore to rebuild.

By Matt Verderame Mar 4, 2013, 9:51am EST

For years, the fans at Heinz Field have been able to rely on a dominant defense to seize the day if Ben Roethlisberger and the offense were struggling.

Now, the defense has become long in the tooth, making the team have to think about taking some defensive talent early and often in the draft. SB Nation's Matthew Fairburn and Dan Kadar have defensive end DaMontre Moore headed to the Steel City with the No. 17 overall pick in their latest mock, giving coordinator Dick LeBeau a new toy to work with.

Moore was considered a top five pick until he underwhelmed at the NFL Combine last week, causing his stock to take a hit.

In Pittsburgh's 3-4 defensive scheme, Moore would be an outside linebacker, presumably taking the place of James Harrison, who can't seem to stay healthy in recent times. At 250 pounds, Moore isn't equipped to play a defensive end here, so he would have to stand up and rush.

Moore could be an interesting fit for the Steelers, a team that finds great defensive talent consistently.