The Pittsburgh Steelers finished the regular season as the number two seed in the AFC with a 13-3 record before being bounced in the playoffs by the Jaguars. Despite finishing with one of the best records in the NFL, Pittsburgh still has a few weaknesses going forward they need to sure up if they're going to continue to be Super Bowl contenders. As such, here are four players they could target with the No. 28 pick in the NFL Draft:
1) Malik Jefferson, LB, Texas Longhorns
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A big concern for the Steelers entering the season was their talent and depth at the inside linebacker position after Lawrence Timmons left in free agency last offseason, and that concern has only gotten worse after losing Ryan Shazier to a scary spinal injury sustained in early December against the Bengals. With Shazier's career being uncertain, this leaves a serious void in the Steelers linebacking core.
Jefferson has all of the tools to be a game breaker against both the run and in coverage. Jefferson is finally starting to live to his potential as a dynamic linebacker, leading the Longhorns in tackles, tackles for loss, and sacks.
2) Tremaine Edmunds, LB, Virginia Tech Hokies
Edmunds' NFL Draft stock is soaring due to athletic ability plus his size and speed, making him another linebacker the Steelers could turn to. He led the Hokies with 109 tackles, adding 5.5 sacks, 14 tackles for loss, and three forced fumbles this past season.
3) Quin Blanding, S, Virginia Cavaliers
Mike Mitchell is aging and the Steelers will need to pair a safety to play along with Sean Davis. Blanding is an excellent tackler and more of a strong safety at this point, but given the tackling struggles Pittsburgh has had, he's someone who makes a lot of sense.
4) Mason Rudolph, QB, Oklahoma State Cowboys
If the Steelers decide to target their eventual replacement for Ben Roethlisberger, Rudolph could be the guy they target. He has the size NFL teams covet, checking in at 6-foot-5, 235-pounds with functional mobility. He doesn't have the best arm in the class, but it's more than strong enough and he's best deep ball thrower in the group. He completed 65 percent of his passes for 4,904 yards, 37 touchdowns, and nine picks.
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