Once known as the "Steel Curtain", the Pittsburgh Steelers had a down year in 2013. Somehow, they were still able to be position to make the playoffs in week 17. The Steelers had a ton of injuries on the offensive line, and that really hurt them throughout the season. Fortunately, Pittsburgh still has one of the best quarterbacks in the game in Ben Roethlisberger. Here are a few needs for the Steelers as the NFL Draft nears.
Wide Receiver
After losing Emmanuel Sanders in free agency, the Steelers should look to draft a wide receiver early in this year's draft. Antonio Brown is one of the best receivers in the league, but Pittsburgh doesn't have much behind him. Markus Wheaton was selected by the Steelers in last year's draft, but he is still raw. Some options for the Steelers are Mike Evans and Allen Robinson.
Offensive Tackle
There was a time last year wheen the Steelers had to use tight ends to play tackle. That is never a good thing. In the NFL, having quality offensive tackles is extremely important. Each year, there are a ton of good college offensive tackle prospects that could come in day one and make an impact. The Steelers should look at Morgan Moses or even Cyrus Kouandjio in this year's draft.
Defensive Tackle
Defensive tackle is becoming the popular pick for the Steelers in mock drafts against the web. The Steelers use a 3-4 defensive scheme. In the 3-4, a nose-tackle who can clog the middle of the field is important. I look at a player like Louis Nix III who could become a stud in this defense. A late-round player could be Daniel McCullers from Tennessee. McCullers is 6'7", and 350 pounds. McCullers could take on double teams in the middle of the defense early in his NFL career.
Middle Linebacker
Lawrence Timmons and Jason Worilds are good linebackers, but they need a player inside who can improve this run defense. Jarvis Jones is also a young player, and he had a decent rookie season. The Steelers selected Jones in the first round last year so I doubt they would address the linebacker group early this year. Some options in the middle rounds include Shayne Skov and Max Bullough.