Final Pittsburgh Steelers 2013 NFL Mock Draft

Pittsburgh Steelers 2013 NFL Mock Draft

We are less than 48 hours from the 2013 NFL draft, and so that means it is time to put out one last Pittsburgh Steelers full seven-round mock draft. It would be nice to think that the there is a clear picture as to what direction the Steelers front office is going, but alas that is not the case.

Instead we are all left to wonder what direction the Steelers will go. One thing Steelers fans have come to understand with the philosophy of general manager Kevin Colbert; he will draft the best player on the Steelers board in the first round, almost regardless of position and let that shape the rest of the draft.

So, the debate then comes with who will be available at pick No. 17? For this scenario I used my first round mock draft, and as it played out the top four pass rushers went off the board, the top two cornerbacks, the top offensive guard, the top wide receiver, and the top safety all gone. That left me with some decisions to make, and I chose to go with the most athletic defensive playmaker left.

Another important note as you go through all eight picks: None of them are offensive line. I’ve said this several times this offseason, the Steelers offensive line is very young and has a ton of promise. I acknowledge the Steelers need to add depth, but I would prefer if they do that via free agency after June 1 cuts, and add some veteran leadership to what is a very talented group heavy with youth.

And with that here’s my final full seven-round Steelers mock draft. Be sure to share it and comment below.

Curt covers the Pittsburgh Steelers, the NFL draft, and college football for Rant Sports. Connect with Curt on Twitter @nfldraftboard.

First Round-Arthur Brown, LB Kansas State

Brown represents not only the best player on the board, but also a definite need for the Steelers. Inside linebacker Larry Foote is playing on a one year contract and with that almost no depth behind him. Brown is an uber-athletic inside linebacker who can work sideline to sideline as a run stopper and be effective as a blitzer and coverage player as well.

Second Round-Justin Hunter, WR Tennessee

The Steelers were able to salvage their wide receiving corps for the upcoming season, but the reality is wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders is likely gone at the end of the season. Hunter represents the total package at wide receiver with the size and skill set to be a WR3 as a rookie and plug into the starting lineup in his 2nd season. Hunter might be the most complete wide receiver in this entire draft, and really just needs some good coaching to bring it all out.

Third Round-Shamarko Thomas, S Syracuse

Eventually the Steelers will have to acknowledge that they must add a new athlete in the defensive secondary. Thomas is a throwback type of player as many view him as a pure strong safety. But you can't typecast a player as athletic and fast on the field as Thomas. The more I watch Thomas the more I like him, and think he's be a very nice fit with what the Steelers do on defense.

Fourth Round-Lerentee McCray, DE/LB Florida

I am a little late getting around to McCray but I am a big fan late in the game. He's a smooth athlete with nice size and underrated strength. As a developmental player to move to the rush OLB spot he's almost too good to be true in the 4th round. But there is almost no hype around him, which is a good thing for the Steelers.

Fifth Round-Nick Kasa, TE Colorado

Kasa is an interesting developmental prospect. He's a massive kid and very athletic for his size. He's probably the best run blocking tight end in the draft and has all the tools to be a very good pass catcher. This late in the draft Kasa is well worth a flyer especially with tight end Heath Miller coming off an injury.

Sixth Round-Montori Hughes, DT Tennessee-Martin

I remain on the Hughes bandwagon as an eventual starting nose tackle for this team. He's enormous and surprisingly athletic for his size. he can play a 0-technique in a 3-4 or a 1-technique in a 4-3 which gives the Steelers plenty of options.

Sixth Round-Brad Sorensen, QB Southern Utah

The theme again is low risk/high reward developmental athlete with Sorensen. If Sorensen had been at an SEC school everyone would have heard of him. I love his athletic ability and he appears to love the game and is very coachable.

Seventh Round-Onterio McCalebb, RB Auburn

The draft wraps up with one of my favorite players in the NFL draft. McCalebb is a slight player, but his speed and quickness is elite and then some. With the release of running back Chris Rainey, McCalebb could be a very viable replacement. McCalebb is an underrated receiver out of the backfield and dynamic return man as well.