Mock draft season is slowly coming to an end with the 2015 NFL Draft now almost one week away and on Monday, Dane Brugler of CBSSports.com finally released his latest prediction of the first two rounds.
After previously having the Pittsburgh Steelers selecting UCLA outside linebacker Owamagbe Odighizuwa with the 22nd overall selection, Brugler now has Washington cornerback Marcus Peters as the black and gold’s first-round draft pick in his latest offering.
Brugler writes:
The Steelers need a pass rusher, but with the top names off the board the focus shifts to another need on defense: cornerback. Peters has his baggage, but the talent is among the best in this class.
While Brugler states that Peters’ talent is among the best in this year’s cornerback class, he does have Trae Waynes, Kevin Johnson and Byron Jones all being drafted ahead of him in his latest mock draft.
The Steelers brought Peters in for a pre-draft visit and combining that with the fact that defensive back coach Carnell Lake was present for the Washington Pro Day, clearly shows that the organization has more than just a passing interest in the cornerback.
By now, the Steelers have fully sorted through whatever character red flags that Peters may or may not have and at this point his final position on the teams big board has more than likely been decided.
Should Peters, or any other cornerback for that matter, ultimately be selected by the Steelers with the 22nd overall pick, it will mark the first time since 1997 that the position has been addressed in the first round.
As far as Odighizuwa goes this time around, Brugler now has him being drafted by the New Orleans Saints with the 31st overall selection.
Brugler’s latest offering also includes a mock of the second round and surprisingly he has Minnesota tight end Maxx Williams headed to the Steelers with the 56th overall selection.
Brugler writes:
With Heath Miller turning 33 years old this season, Williams would be an ideal understudy and eventual replacement for the Steelers.
It certainly is hard to fathom that Williams, who many draftniks consider to be the top tight end in this year’s draft, will still be on the board come the Steelers second-round selection, but I suppose stranger things have happened. Earlier in the offseason, Williams was regarded by most as being a sure-fire first round pick, so he’s certainly fell considerably down the overall rankings since the combine took place.
One would think that Brugler might have one final mock draft left in him and we’ll pass it along to you as soon as it’s available. In the meantime, how many of you see the Steelers first two rounds playing out the way Brugler currently does?
