The Pittsburgh Steelers returned to postseason play after sneaky into a wildcard birth on the last week of the season. This Steeler team doesn’t replicate those of the past, this one instead is filled with high powered offense rather than defense. Will the Steelers attempt to rebuild the Steel Curtain in the 2016 NFL Draft?
The Steelers took Bud Dupree last year in the first round who by all accounts had an up and down year. His development might be the most important aspect of the Steelers young core moving forward. Having said that Pittsburgh could still use a pass rusher or two. A player like Georgia’s Leonard Floyd could have an interesting impact on this defense due to his elite speed. Floyd could either be the next Jamie Collins or Dion Jordan, its pretty hard to tell.
Another area the Steelers could target is a pure nose tackle. Steve McClendon signed with the Jets over this past offseason leaving a hole in the middle. Daniel McCullers is expected to fill the void, however adding another player such as D.J. Reader from Clemson could allow the team to rotate fresh players into the game. This is a very deep year for defensive lineman.
The secondary is another place Pittsburgh could look to improve. Cortez Allen is one of the worst signings in Steelers history, Senquez Golson is coming off an ACL injury, and Brandon Boykin left for Carolina. William Jackson from Houston could be the pick for Pittsburgh who could work wonders in the slot. Kendall Fuller, Mackensie Alexander, and Eli Apple or the other players who could interest Pittsburgh early in the draft. A side note for Steeler fans, check out my notes on Mles Killebrew. I think he will remind a lot of people of the Steeler hard nose football from the past.
