Everyone pony up 37 1/2 Cents

[TucsonSteeler]

Winner takes all.  Who do we pick??  I am going with: Wisconsin guard Kevin Zeitler

[pensodyssey]

Mark Barron is the pick here.

[Brinker]

Mark Barron is the pick here.

That would be the ideal pick, however he will not be there at 24.

I'll put in 75 cents and the Steelers will choose Cordy Glenn or Stephen Hill

Reaching on Hill, but better than giving the vanilla pick - Poe or Hightower

[jonzr]

I'd be OK with Hightower.

[Finnegans Wake]

I don't think Barron gets past the Cowboys.  Kuechly and DeCastro would be worth trade-ups, but won't fall far enough IMO.  The mock sights seem locked into Hightower, but something doesn't feel right about that.  Poe could fall, but I think someone takes a shot at him before 1.24.  JMO, I don't think Cordy Glenn or Zeitler are on their 1(c) board.

Won't take a R1 RB.  Won't take a R1 QB.  Probably won't take a WR, but it is possible, with Wallace conditionally on a 1-2 year deal.  TE in Fleener if they like him enough.  OL is a strong possibility.  They've been looking at DE and OLB again, which begs the question of when these guys would ever start. 

Assuming Barron, Kuechly, DeCastro and Poe are off, and no draft trade of Wallace occurs, I think they may go off the radar a bit.  They loved Mike Adams, according to Tony Pauline, and have met with Jonathan Martin (not one of the 30, though), and they got hit hard with the injuries to OTs last year.  Starks is a big ? to return here, Colon is coming off injury again, and everyone outside of Gilbert is pure dogshit.  Kugler is screaming, and Haley has to be too, so a RT at 1.24 could solve some issues, whether he kicks inside for a season to OG or Colon finally does.  That means my dark horse prediction is OT Bobby Massie, Ole Miss.  After that, I'd say my best guess would be the chalk with Hightower, the big RZ target and size/speed guy who can line up with the young money crew, Fleener.  Nick Perry looks like a nice bookend to Woodley and would need a year or so to learn the spot, so he's a dark horse for me.

In fact, if Tannehill falls and we can trade down, we might still get Massie.

[pensodyssey]

With 4 picks, finny has to pay $1.50 to play.

[aj_law]

Hate to keep beating this dead horse, but here's my Mel Kiper, Top 3 Draft List:

(1) Hightower
(2) Poe
(3) Perry
(4) Jonathan Martin
(5) Brandon Brooks or Amini Silatolu (Silatolu might even get the nod ahead of Brooks due to versatility and following Weird Name Theory, of course)

[LambertsFrontTeeth]

I think (hope) it will be G Kevin Zeitler, and then we can grab NT Chapman round 2. Would be ideal if we trade down for Zeitler so some idiot team can draft a sure-to-fail QB prospect, but I doubt that will happen.

Don't think there is any chance that Poe falls, see him as a risky pick anyhow. Don't think Barron falls. Suspect most of the not-complete-reaches at OT will be gone as well.

I think we can survive with the middling (no pun intended) ILB's we have , and hope we can add depth in the 3rd or beyond.  I worry that Hightower is too slow.  The only benefit of taking Hightower is that it would screw the Ratbirds, as I suspect they would pick him.

I don't want them to reach for a pure OT in the 1st. Unless someone falls, I'd prefer they pick a solid ready-to-play G. 

[Finnegans Wake]

I'll go all in for a 7-round Steeler mock, both the "chalk" picks and my "against the grain" picks.  NFLDS rank in parens/NFLDS round.

Chalk

1. ILB Dont'a Hightower, Alabama.  Foote gets the starts until the week 4 bye, then Thumper comes in.  Comes out on passing downs against pass-heavy teams but for the most part is a 3-down backer who adds a physicality the ILBs have lacked.

2. RB Isaiah Pead, Cincinnati.  No secret the Steelers love Pead, who rocked the Senior Bowl.  Plays bigger than his size (against college athletes), but can he do it in the pros?  Vote of no confidence for Mendy, lightning for Redman's thunder.

3. NT Josh Chapman, Alabama. Raiding the Bama roster, Chapman falls due to injury, also gets consideration post-bye.   Hamp Jr.

4. WR T.Y. Hilton, Florida International.  Smallish speed receiver to help us offset a possible loss of Wallace, adds KR value to save Antonio Brown from injury.

5. CB/S Keith Tandy, WVU. Similar skill set to Cortez Allen, Tandy could be replacement for William Gay, or could be groomed to be our FS backup.

6.  CB Chris Greenwood, Albion.  Ike type of CB adds depth to a nascent group.

7. DE Akiem Nicks, Regina.  Rangy DT fits as a DE backup here, could be groomed to be more.

7. OLB Olivier Vernon, Miami.  Raw and immature, but with great pass rush potential.  Can sit for a while to be groomed behind the starters.

7. TE Adrien Robinson, Cincinnati.  Two Bearcats, and two Bama guys?  Robinson has nice measurables and upside, Steelers take a shot after missing on other TEs earlier.

Fin's Against the Grain 7-rounder to follow.

[Brinker]

This would be great, love picks 1-4, especially I Pead