The 2015 NFL Draft is just a few days away, and there’s plenty of reason to be excited about the festivities in Chicago if you’re a Pittsburgh Steelers fan. Here’s our breakdown of everything Steelers fans need to know heading into draft week.
Steelers targeting a pass rusher in the first round?
The Pittsburgh Steelers worked out Nebraska’s Randy Gregory in the pre-draft process, according to Trib Total Media, and have him high on their draft board if he falls to them in the first round.
Gregory was a potential top-five pick before he failed a drug test at the NFL Scouting Combine in February, though Gregory said he hadn’t smoked marijuana since December. The 6’6″, 245-pounder recorded 54 tackles, seven sacks, and 16 quarterback hurries for the Cornhuskers last year.
The Steelers have taken a player in the draft despite a failed drug test. Back in 2012, Pittsburgh drafted tackle Mike Adams with their second-round pick after he failed the drug test at the combine.
However, NFLDraftScout.com’s Dane Brugler believes the team’s top target would likely be Kentucky’s Bud Dupree, and cites the retirement of Jason Worilds and Jarvis Jones’ general ineffectiveness as the reason why.
Here’s PennLive.com’s Jacob Klinger with his analysis of Brugler’s mock draft pick for the Steelers:
There’s a little bit of chatter out there that Dupree is “soft,” which always strikes me as a heinously stupid thing to say about someone who runs through human walls as a career choice. Regardless, the excitement about Dupree comes from the physical facts of him running a 4.56-second 40-yard dash and vertical jumping 42 inches, all while weighing standing at 6 feet, 4 inches and weighing 269 pounds.
He’s also tested and proven against SEC competition.
That last bit could be the clincher. Drafting a pass rusher who dealt with some of the nation’s most highly-touted offensive linemen in the SEC could ensure a shorter learning curve when it comes to Dupree acclimating to the NFL game.
Is Arizona State WR Jaelen Strong a target or backup option?
The Steelers hosted Arizona State wide receiver Jaelen Strong for a visit and workout earlier this month, someone the Steelers think could be the big, physical receiver they've been lacking since Hines Ward retired.
Strong had a banner season during his junior season at Arizona State, posting 82 catches for 1,165 yards and 10 touchdowns over the course of the 2014 college football season. After his breakout campaign, Strong made the decision to forgo his senior season in order to declare himself eligible for the NFL Draft.
The meeting was first made public by Kirk Larrabee of 247Sports.
Follow our Pittsburgh Steelers team page for all the latest Steelers news and rumors!
Back to the Pittsburgh Steelers Newsfeed