Hello! Welcome to the Pittsburgh Steelers Mock Draft 5.0. If you have not been following along, I have (obviously) done four previous iterations of my Steelers Mock Draft. You can check them out here.

We are now past the initial wave of NFL Free Agency. So it is now a good time to look into some more prospects that could potentially be picked by the Steelers.

If this is my first Steelers Mock Draft you’ve checked out, here is how I go about this process:

1. First and foremost, I do this because a) its fun, and b) it is a good opportunity to learn about the prospects in the upcoming draft.
2. I always start with “assumptions” about what I think will happen between writing the article and the draft. This way you have an idea of why I make certain selections.
3. Each of my mocks tends to have a different theme. I went defense-heavy in my previous mock. This was because I wanted to see what would happen if the Steelers focused on offense in FA. I like to bring different flavors to each mock, even if I don’t always think that’s the way it will/should go.

With all that said let’s look into what we know for this mock!

Assumptions

We’ve seen Pittsburgh sign a quarterback, center, guard, inside linebacker and cornerback so far in free agency. They also re-signed an offensive tackle and cornerback. The two positions that have yet to be filled are wide receiver and strong safety. So, let’s assume:

1. The Steelers are comfortable building around QB Mitchell Trubisky until he proves otherwise (meaning no QB in this draft)
2. Pittsburgh signs a veteran strong safety. Either Terrell Edmunds, or an outside free agent.
3. Stephon Tuitt decides not to return to football.

Now let’s get to our Pittsburgh Steelers Mock Draft 5.0!

Round 1 – Perrion Winfrey DL, Oklahoma

It is now mid-March and we still have no confirmed news on Defensive End Stephon Tuitt. Pittsburgh showed heavy interest in defensive linemen at both the Senior Bowl and NFL Combine. So they are clearly considering adding to the room this offseason. Obviously my preference would be for Tuitt to come back, but if he decides he is does with football the Steelers should attack the position early.

Perrion Winfrey is a great fit for the Steelers as a 4i/5 tech defensive lineman. At 6’3, 290 pounds he might be a smidge smaller than they like in the position. But he makes up for his with long arms (35 1/4″) big hands (10 1/4″) and a lot of athleticism. He has an explosive first step and runs a 4.89 40. Winfrey uses his quick first step more than anything to penetrate the line of scrimmage. But his long arms and strong hands help keep offensive linemen at bay. As a run defender Winfrey struggles with double-teams, but with Cam Heyward and T.J. Watt on the same defensive line Winfrey likely wouldn’t deal with that too often.

Winfrey also has experience as a nose tackle. While a bit undersized for the position in the NFL, should Tuitt decide to return Winfrey could still see work rotating in at any position. Heyward and Tuitt both took a couple years to come into their own. Winfrey could see the same type of progression whether he starts or is a backup in year one.

Round 2 – Lewis Cine S, Georgia

Lewis Cine is a super intriguing prospect out of Georgia. First, he has experience playing all over the defense. His best position will likely be strong safety because of his tackling and run defense, but he also has the athleticism and ball tracking to play free safety and nickel corner. Because of this flexibility he can be an asset in the Steelers defense as a backup while playing special teams as a rookie. Then be a full time starter in year two.

What stands out first for Cine is the traits. At 6’2, 199 pounds he ran a 4.37 40, jumped 34.5″ in the vert and 10’4″ in the broad. He is also a very physical and willing tackler. Whether he is closer to the LOS or playing deep safety and using that speed, he is always looking to get to the ball and make a play.

Cine also has some abilities in coverage. He has experience as a nickel corner, or even going out wide with tight ends and running backs. His athleticism also makes him great at tracking the ball in the air and making a play at the catch point. He doesn’t have great ball skills (just two interceptions in three years) his speed and physicality make him great at jarring the ball loose.

Round 3 – Alec Pierce WR, Cincinnati

Alec Pierce is an uber-athletic prospect out of Cincinnati. At 6’3, 210 pounds he turned a lot of heads at the combine. He ran a 4.33 40 and jumped 40.5″ in the vert and 10’9″ in the broad. He also ran a 7.13 3-cone. The combination of straight-line speed, explosiveness and agility were outstanding.

Pierce combines his athleticism with a lot of physicality for the position. He has no problem using his hands at the LOS to defeat press coverage, then add in his speed and he can really create separation. He also uses that physicality as a blocker. His ball skills are also top-notch and added to his vert he is an excellent jump ball player. He has experience playing in the slot as well as on the outside, increasing his opportunities to be productive as a rookie.

With JuJu Smith-Schuster signing with the Kansas City Chiefs the Steelers definitely need to fill the slot receiver position. Pierce’s experience and size could definitely put him in that role, while his downfield ability can add an additional element to it.

Round 4 – David Anenih EDGE, Houston

With all of the moves Pittsburgh has made on the offensive line, I’m using my last mid-round draft pick to improve the edge rushers. Last year Pittsburgh went through the ringer when it came to rotational pass rushers. Melvin Ingram started the year as a strong number three, but was traded to the Chiefs when the role wasn’t big enough for him. After that the Steelers utilized Taco Charlton and Derrek Tuszka. Charlton played well but is a UFA and does not contribute on special teams. Tuszka is a strong special teamer, but doesn’t bring much to the table defensively.

Enter David Anenih. An outside linebacker out of Houston. Anenih has excellent measurables at 6’2, 251 pounds and over 34″ arms. Anenih is a capable pass rusher with his size and speed and has been productive at Houston with 20 sacks and 31.5 TFLs. He may not be technical enough at this point to play even half the defensive snaps in a game, but his size and speed alone will make him a good rotational player for Pittsburgh.

Round 6 – Luke Tenuta OT, Virginia Tech

With Pittsburgh addressing offensive line so heavily in free agency, they can wait until late Day 3 to add to the group. With Dan Moore Jr, Chukwuma Okorafor and Joe Haeg, Pittsburgh should look to take a shot on a developmental player with high upside.

No one may be higher than the 6’9 Luke Tenuta of Virginia Tech. The massive man played both left and right tackle comfortably and productively for the Hokies over the last three seasons. For his height and size (322 pounds) he is a sufficient athlete with good coordination. His best traits are definitely his aggressive temperament and football IQ. Tenuta is always looking to get his hands on someone and put them in the dirt, and he’ll look for work to do that if no one is in front of him.

With Okorafor’s contract easy to get out of and Haeg being a UFA next year, Tenuta could develop into an important role by year two.

Round 7 – Nate Landman LB Colorado

Nate Landman was a very productive linebacker at Colorado. Seeing defensive snaps all the way back to his freshman season he is a strong tackler and reader of the game from the middle of the field. His football instincts makeup for just average athleticism when it comes to playing both the run and pass.

For the Steelers, Landman would start as a practice squad player unless his play on special teams could get him on the 53. Landman could certainly be a core special teamer, and end up playing in the mold of a Robert Spillane. Defensively Landman will be limited and might never be more than a rotational player for run downs. But his strength and IQ would make him a good run defender which Pittsburgh needs more of from their linebackers.

Round 7 – Samori Toure WR, Nebraska

With three receivers going to new teams in free agency I wanted to hit the position again late Day 3. Samori Toure is another big slot option from Nebraska. At 6’3 he has the size and has primarily played in the slot giving him the experience. He was at the FCS for three seasons and dominated (155 catches, 2,488 yards and 20 TDs). In his one year at the FBS level for Nebraska Toure had 46 catches for 898 yards and five TDs.

Toure has the ability to separate and stack corners to get deep thanks to his fluid route running, long strides and good athleticism. Neither of my receiver picks are huge YAC guys, but both are productive with good hands, size, and separating ability. Both would make good compliments to Dionte Johnson and Chase Claypool who have home run ability.

Be sure to check out my previous Steelers Mock Draft versions, and our other work on Fantom Sports!

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