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Hitman Mock 5.0 This is it!


Steeler Hitman

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Coming up on the 11th hour, here is my final mock.

Round One -- With the 28th pick of the NFL's 2018 draft. The Pittsburgh Steelers select:

Leighton Vander Esch - - ILB Boise State 6'4 255

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Despite Kevin Colbert saying the inside Linebacker class is weak.  He goes ILB.  It should be between Rashaad Evans.  I predict that the Bengals or someone will take Evans before the Steelers pick.  If Evens is there he will be the pick.  Not upset about this as I think Vander Esch is a high character guy and I think he will work well with Watt and give our defense an edge.  Other possible picks:  Eric Reid, Mike Gesicki,  or Derrius Guice

Round Two: With the 60th selection in the second round of the NFL Draft. The Pittsburgh Steelers select:

Safety Jessie Bates III Wake Forest 6'1 200

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Eric Reid, Sam Hubbard, and Lorenzo Carter are gone.  The Steelers consider a WR, here but take the young safety to solidify the depth at the safety position.

Round Three: With the 92nd selection in the Third round of the NFL Draft. The Pittsburgh Steelers select:

Rashaad Penny RB SDSU 5'11 220

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The Steelers consider edge here, but Penny is too good to pass up.  I may be being generous here as many think there will be a second or early third round run on RB's.  Penny would be in an ideal situation in Pittsburgh and offers insurance if Bell leaves and takes some rep from him if he stays and prolongs his career and Coonor's as well.

Round Five: With the 148th selection in the 5th round. The Pittsburgh Steelers select:

Joe Ostman OLB/DE Central Michigan

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Joe Ostman will be a sleeper in the NFL.  A former state HS Wrestling champion who uses good leverage and hands in the run defense and setting the edge. Not a great athlete, but can develop into a great professional.  He will surprise with his motor and pass rush ability/  He can be a surprise addition to the LB corps and will give the GM's pause about long term contract with Bid Dupree the following year.  High character, high motor and a football player.

Round Five: With the 165th  selection in the 5th round. The Pittsburgh Steelers select:

Joshua Frazier NG Alabama 6'2 321

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Insurance to help the run defense and I believe that new DL Coach Carl Dunbar will rotate him in the base and in some nickel situations. Takes a burden off of Hargraves in the run defense and allows him to shine and do what he is good at in four man fronts.  Good value and would consider BJ Hill, Poona Ford in the position as well.

Round Seven: With the 220th  selection in the 7th round. The Pittsburgh Steelers select:

WR Justin Watson Penn 6'2 3/4 215

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Local kid whose dream comes true playing for the Steelers.  A poor man's Jordy Nelson, but someone who I see like Ostman being a huge draft value and eventual major contributor to the offense.  He has size and is deceptively fast.  Didn't get a Combine invite, but will surprise and could very well make the final 53 man roster. 

Round Seven: With the 246th  selection in the 7th round. The Pittsburgh Steelers select:

CB/PR Greg Stroman VA Tech 5'10 190

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I have had him going higher, but for some reasons he is not getting praise or high marks from the draft sites, but some of the so called experts are talking about him.  I love his return ability and I think he could eventually be a decent slot CB. He will contribute on special teams and returns.  Great value here if he last this long.  If he is gone, I am looking at a Center to groom behind Pouncey.

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First 3 picks are great.  I would really be pissed if they waste a 5th round pick on Frazier. That is one only really complaint I would have with the entire draft.

Normally, Tomlin will show his hand for a player he likes. I am not seeing it this year or I missed it.  I think the MIKE LB is weak in this draft.  Plenty of BUCK LB.

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I think he is closer to the 500th best player in the draft than the 200th.  I think he will go undrafted and the Steelers have his DL coach to try to pull him in.  Grab Poona Ford  or Bilal Nichols if you think a NT is needed.

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1 hour ago, jebrick said:

I think he is closer to the 500th best player in the draft than the 200th.  I think he will go undrafted and the Steelers have his DL coach to try to pull him in.  Grab Poona Ford  or Bilal Nichols if you think a NT is needed.

Or Kendrick Norton. 

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I like the first pick.  I personally do not think he will be there, but stranger things have happened.  He would be an immediate fit for us.

LOVE BATES... do not think he will be here.  If we wait till 60, he will be gone.  He is exactly what we need in our D.

Not a fan of Penny... I AM a fan of this idea and this pick, just not of him as a player.  I would MUCH prefer Nyheim Hines here for the same reasons.  Just my personal preference.

Like all four of the players you have in 5 + 7.  Watson is a steal, Stroman is a beast, Frazier fits a need, and Ostman is a low-key beast.  I personally think that they will be more likely to have them switched, but who knows this late??  Watson fits our depth chart and our needs at WR, Stroman would make our ST better and slot corner more competitive, Ostman is also a ST guy and development for comp with Adams and Frazier is used to the coach and system.

 

Great work, and some nice projections.  Again, not a draft I would hate, but not a draft I would love.  Penny is the only real issue that I have, and that is role and needs based in regards to the RB position.

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8 minutes ago, mwalker said:

Like the first three (prefer Evans to Vander Esch, but).

Love Penny. Your kick return game is immediately interesting.

Think the two 5ths are significant reaches. 

 

I don't know why a lot of people think that Ostman, Frazier, Strohman and Watson are more free agent types or even reaches. I have heard that before.  There are players who fit the criteria of good draft prospects and then there are guys who are football players. I understand  draft value.  You hae so many picks and after you get out of the premium rounds 1 - 4, it is about getting the players that you like best.  I don't think Ostman makes it out of the fifth round, so I took him then. I like Watson and Strohman as well.

As for Frazier, there are other options and I like Ford, Hill and many others mentioned. I am not sure they make it that far.  I took Frazier because we have no 6th round pick.  I do believe that we will try to trade to get a 6th rounder and possibly even a 4th rounder. No proof or insider information, just my gut.

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12 minutes ago, Steeler Hitman said:

I don't know why a lot of people think that Ostman, Frazier, Strohman and Watson are more free agent types or even reaches. I have heard that before.  There are players who fit the criteria of good draft prospects and then there are guys who are football players. I understand  draft value.  You hae so many picks and after you get out of the premium rounds 1 - 4, it is about getting the players that you like best.  I don't think Ostman makes it out of the fifth round, so I took him then. I like Watson and Strohman as well.

As for Frazier, there are other options and I like Ford, Hill and many others mentioned. I am not sure they make it that far.  I took Frazier because we have no 6th round pick.  I do believe that we will try to trade to get a 6th rounder and possibly even a 4th rounder. No proof or insider information, just my gut.

Totally fair man. I didn't say Watson and Stroman were reaches, by the way, but you're point is fair.
I do think Frazier and Ostman will be available later, but that's just my opinion.

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5 minutes ago, kurgan said:

I like the first pick.  I personally do not think he will be there, but stranger things have happened.  He would be an immediate fit for us.

You may be correct. I still think Evans is ranked higher and I could see him going sooner than many of us believe. Vander Esch is a climber and hopefully more teams stick to their boards and he or Evans will be there.

LOVE BATES... do not think he will be here.  If we wait till 60, he will be gone.  He is exactly what we need in our D.

He has climbed. I prefer Reid, but I honestly don't see Bates as a second round talent, I do Reid.  Picking at the end of each round you are essentially at the top of the next which was my thinking with most of my picks.  I included Reid in my first round possibilities because of this.

Not a fan of Penny... I AM a fan of this idea and this pick, just not of him as a player.  I would MUCH prefer Nyheim Hines here for the same reasons.  Just my personal preference.

I have to admit that you got me doing research on Nyheim and I liked what I saw.  I heard an interview with him on Moving the Chains and he sounded like a first class kid. My thinking was his speed and shiftiness would have him gone.  I think he is more than a third down back and is a faster version of MJD and former Giant Joe Morris. I have been and am a fan of Penny's, so I would not lose sleep if we drafted either player here.  I am like 43mafia in that I really don't want to see a RB or WR round one or two. If the board falls that way (BPA), I might moan, but I can understand.

Like all four of the players you have in 5 + 7.  Watson is a steal, Strohman is a beast, Frazier fits a need, and Ostman is a low-key beast.  I personally think that they will be more likely to have them switched, but who knows this late??  Watson fits our depth chart and our needs at WR, Stroman would make our ST better and slot corner more competitive, Ostman is also a ST guy and development for comp with Adams and Frazier is used to the coach and system.

Good point about the order, but I like Ostman like you like Nyheim, so I wanted to make sure I got him.  I like Frazier, but I am not married to him. My thought was a lot of the other guys I like are gone.  Certainly if Hill were there or even Poona Ford, I would take them because I like them better and have them rated higher.

Great work, and some nice projections.  Again, not a draft I would hate, but not a draft I would love.  Penny is the only real issue that I have, and that is role and needs based in regards to the RB position.

I didn't go for love, but tried to be real in the scenarios that I presented myself with.  If it came down to Evans or Vander Esch, I think they draft Evans. If both are gone, there is a real chance they could go Reid or an Edge rusher.  I don't know how they really feel about Guice. He has talent, but again, we have other needs and have been fairly successful drafting RB's later. If no ILB round one, then they may look to get Leonard or Moore round two or three.  It changes my picks depending on the scenarios.

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21 minutes ago, FourThreeMafia said:

Bates is the only pick I like in the first 3 rounds. 

I know where you are coming from based on other posts and discussions.  A lot of this was just how I played my board and what I think the team would do in that scenario, not necessarily what I would do. I, personally, would go defense, defense, defense and defense again.....

I prefer Evans to Vander Esch, but I do not dislike Vander Esch and would not be unhappy about drafting him. Again if both are there, I think they draft Evans.

I am not as high on Bates as many others are.  I took him because I think that is what the Steelers would do if he is there. He is a third round value, but he would fit our system.

I well know how you feel about drafting a RB in the first three rounds. I felt the same, but I have softened my stance some based on Lev's situation.

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No offense to you @Steeler Hitman, but I dont know how anyone can get behind drafting RB early unless we trade Bell.        Why in the world would people basically want to tell Bell, before the season even starts, that we have no intention of resigning him?             Ive asked this question before and people have failed miserably at answering it.    The answer is always about having his replacement ready to go NEXT YEAR.     

Beyond that, we are in win-now mode.     You dont draft the same way in win-now mode as you do regularly....you draft to WIN NOW....not fill future needs.  

Again, Im not knocking on anyone who feels differently, but if it comes to fruition, there is a good chance I will lose most of my faith in Tomlin/Colbert's ability to produce a SB caliber team.

27 minutes ago, jebrick said:

You only take Bates if you have given up on Davis.

He was arguably the worst safety in the entire league last year.

Drafting Bates isnt necessarily giving up on him, but moreso pushing him to be better, and if he isnt....oh well.

If they drafted Bates and Davis turned it around....then you have another good safety.     Nothing wrong with that.   Safeties are very very hard to find. 

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