Let’s all just admit it’s a long cold period of speculation and dreams that falls between the end of the Super Bowl and the beginnings of the NFL draft. Along the way we get to consider free agents, we get to drool over the combine, and we get to imagine a variety of “what if” scenarios.

The NFL Draft has become perhaps the second biggest event during the NFL season. Crazy as that sounds, there is no doubt that the marketing geniuses at the NFL have found a way to turn the reading of names into something captivating and dramatic. It’s almost hard to imagine a time when nobody really cared about the draft (but trust me, it did exist).

Regardless, I decided to dedicate some time to create my first-ever Steelers 2017 5-round Mock Draft. I like using Fanspeak’s On the Clock Draft Simulator, because I am just not interested enough in other teams to try and figure out all their needs and do a full mock (and I’m not nuts enough to ever try and figure out what the hell the Browns are going to do).

I let the simulator pick for everyone else, and I just handle the drafting for the Steelers. I should also mention that I use their “Pro version”, because it allows trades, and that sounded like it might be a lot of fun.

Little did I realize!

The ground rules are this – I did not “initiate” any trades on behalf of the Steelers. Knowing my craziness, and my fan-boy dreams of pairing Mike Williams with Antonio Brown and Martavis Bryant, wasn’t safe!

However, I was willing to listen when other teams approached me, and out of ten scenarios I ran, I only held on to the 30th pick twice; trading it away to various players and gathering picks in the 2nd through 5th rounds.

I’m picking one of the 10 scenarios I ran as my “mock” draft, but will detail some of the other options that did occur.

Round 1 – Pick 30

The Steelers trade their 1st round (30th overall) pick to the Jacksonville Jaguars, in exchange for the Jags’ 2nd round pick (35th overall), their 4th round pick (108th overall) and their 5th round pick (149th overall).

This moves the Steelers out of the 1st round, but why?

One of the primary reasons I did this was that Green Bay, who picks right before the Steelers, has many of the same needs. In this version of the draft, the Packers snatched Takkarist McKinley right out from under my fingers – so I traded back.

I did leave some notable players on the board: Jabril Peppers (who I have no interest in), Charles Harris and even O.J. Howard.

I did this because I have my sights set on several guys who will go outside the first round, and to get all the guys I want, I needed picks. With McKinley gone, I traded.

In the two scenarios where I stayed in the first round, I took Taco Charlton (EDGE) out of Michigan, and Quincy Wilson (CB) out of Florida. Both were too big of values at that spot based on the draft boards I was using, and I didn’t get any trade offers for 30 in those two scenarios.

Round 2

After the trade with Jacksonville, the Steelers have two 2nd round picks (the 3rd and the 30th). I had been hoping to scoop up Charles Harris with the 3rd pick in the 2nd, but the Browns grabbed him with the 1st pick. Before you knew it, along came the Cincinnati Bengals offering their 9th pick in the second, and their 9th pick in the fourth, for the Steelers pick.

So, I traded again.

I’m now sitting at 9, with two extra 4th rounder’s and an extra 5th.

I’ve got my eye on a particular player, and I think he will last until at least 25 or 26, but I’m prepared to snatch him at 9… but then Houston comes a-callin’ and offers me their 2nd round 25th, 3rd round 25th, and 4th round 24th, for my little number 9 in the second.

So, I traded again.

Now I’m sitting at 25 and 30 in the second round.

(Can you see why this column is called “Mock Draft Insanity”?)

Carl Lawson, EDGE (25 ,57th overall)

With the 25th pick in the second round, the Steelers finally select someone – Carl Lawson, EDGE from Auburn.

If Lawson falls this far (and he might, in a pretty solid/deep EDGE draft class) he would be a steal for the Steelers here at 25. Lawson is an NFL caliber pass-rusher directly out of college, and some scouts think he may be the best pass rusher in this draft. When Lawson faced off against Laremy Tunsil of Ole Miss, Tunsil came away saying he felt Lawson was the best pass rusher he faced all year: and he played against potential number one pick Myles Garrett as well.

I like Lawson, and I would have snatched him at 9, but I thought, based on who was drafting between 9 and 25, that he might still be there.

Eddie Jackson, S (30, 62nd overall)

I took a chance, and got my man (Lawson) so with the 30th pick, I get another: safety Eddie Jackson from Alabama, who is one of the better safeties available in this draft.

Again, having him fall to the late 2nd round seems unlikely, but not completely impossible. If he’s there, he’s a bargain.

Jackson can play well in man coverage, mirroring receivers well, and leaving tight windows for opposing quarterbacks to hit. He has great tracking skills when the ball is in the air, and has elite ball skills. He will be a solid backup to Mike Mitchell or Sean Davis, and give the Steelers some real depth at the safety position.

Everyone else

In 10 scenarios, with the first pick I had in the 2nd round, I took Lawson 5 times.

T.J. Watt was the second-most targeted guy at 4. Once I also took Chidobe Awuzie, a CB out of Colorado who I really like.

In most cases, my second pick in this round was Awuzie (6 times), but I also hit on Eddie Jackson one other time, Raekwon McMillian once, and Derek Rivers from Youngstown State once.

Round 3

I don’t think that the Steelers need a tight end. I’m a glass half-full guy, so I’m hoping Ladarius Green can find a way to stay healthy, and be the guy we all want him to be.

But there is no denying that the possibility exists that he can’t. And if he can’t, we might need some help at tight end.

Jake Butt, TE (25, 89th overall)

Jake Butt is a solid tight end with prototypical size. He’s difficult to handle in the red zone. He is also a willing run and pass blocker. When he does get out in the pattern, he has deceptive speed. He may drop this far because of the torn ACL he suffered, and he may not be available for the start of the season.

I’m okay with that, because in my mind, this is kind of a luxury pick anyway.

Derek Rivers, EDGE (30, 90th overall)

Derek Rivers, on the other hand, is not. Rivers is kind of a “tweener” at 6’ 4” and 250, but he’s just a tad lighter than Bud Dupree was when he came out. It’s also true, playing at Youngstown State, he hasn’t faced top level competition.

Still neither had Javon Hargrave, and the point was that against the competition he did face, he dominated.

The same is true of Rivers, who rang up 14 sacks and 44 tackles, with 19 tackles for loss. He’s a strong kid, and he’s moving up the draft boards. He could catch a lot of people’s attention at the Combine, so it’s possible he’s not around at the 9th overall pick in the 2nd.

If he is, I run the card up to the podium as fast as I can.

Everyone else

Butt and Rivers were often seen as the 3rd round picks I made (both 4 times).

Chidobe Awuzie got picked 3 times in this spot, with Jordan Leggett, Tyus Bowser, Ryan Anderson and Eddie Jackson making an appearance.

Round 4

Out of the 10 scenarios I ran, the one player picked at some point in every single scenario was Chidobe Awuzie.

Chidobe Awuzie, CB (3, 108th overall)

Awuzie hit as high as the 2nd, or as low as the 4th. In this case, he was still hanging around early in the 4th (and this is where all those trades really paid off for me, because I ended up with 4 picks in the fourth round).

I snatched him up.

Awuzie is a CB from Colorado, and he’s really good, and at 6’0”, 205 has really good length. His technique is solidly consistent, and he is something that the Steelers don’t really have right now (much as I love Artie Burns) – he’s a shutdown corner.

He is also extremely versatile and can play nickel corner, strong and free safety as well as corner. If he’s around when other needs have been addressed, the Steelers can’t go wrong taking this kid.

Malachi Dupre, WR (9, 114th overall)

With my gaggle of 4th round picks, I started to feel like I could be adventurous, and there is a receiver who is out there that I love, and would love for the Steelers to grab. So, when he was here in the 4th round, I snagged him.

His name is Malachi Dupre, and this kid could be special. Dupre is a WR out of LSU. He’s got size (6’2”) and speed and he has great hands. I mean his hands are soft, like butter. He can catch anything.

And he can block. I watched some film on this kid that proved he is more than willing to lay the wood as a blocker.

That’s a Steelers receiver right there!

He might need to add a little muscle, but that can be handled. I know we have a jammed receiving corps as it is, but let’s be honest, there is some uncertainty there, and this is a great player to have in the wings.

Marquez White, CB (24, 129th overall) and Ejuan Price, EDGE (29, 124th overall)

I also picked up a second CB, Marquez White from Florida State, I don’t know a ton about the kid, and I’ll be honest and say I took him because at that point in time he was the BPA on the board.

The same is true of Ejuan Price, who I think I took in all but one of the 10 scenarios, although normally in the 5th round. Price is out of Pittsburgh, so he gets a little bit of hometown love. I am viewing him more as a special teams guy, but who knows. At this point in the draft, it’s all a crap shoot.

Everyone else

Dupre was a mainstay in the fourth round, getting picked 6 times. Noah Brown was also a favorite getting picked 4 times. Derek Rivers fell this far once, and Ryan Switzer, Tyus Bowser, Marcus Maye Jarron jones and Donta Foreman all showed up a few times.

Round 5

Best Player Available (BPA) strikes again!

Ryan Switzer, WR (4, 149th overall)

I took Ryan Switzer, a WR out of North Carolina simply because he was there; a value pick.

This kid is a possession receiver, not a deep threat, but we don’t need any more of those. If we draft Malichi, we are super stocked!

I probably took him because that way the Patriots can’t…

Alex Anzalone, LB (29, 174th overall)

Alex Anzalone is a LB from Florida who I again am thinking could be a spot player and a special teams guy.

I don’t know much about him, but that’s why I am only ever going to do 5 rounds. I’m stretching my limited knowledge and having to do too much research.

He is another BPA guy, and that’s why he makes it here.

Jerod Evans, QB (37, 182nd overall)

Lastly, I decided to throw a bone to the Landry Jones haters. I drafted Jerod Evans with the 37th pick of the 5th round 8 times.

I know that I said there is no replacement for Ben in this draft, and there isn’t.

I am looking at Evans as somebody to push Landry, or maybe provide insurance if he decides to leave as a free agent. Evans is okay, but he’s going to be a backup, not a starter, so don’t get all hyped up about him being the next coming. He’s a solid 5th rounder, who needs a lot of time in the system to develop… into a backup.

Everyone else

For the most part, the 5th round belonged to Ejuan Price and Jerod Evans. Matt Milano made a few appearances, and so did Eddie Vanderdoes. Noah Brown fell this far twice, and I snapped him up. Brown was the exception, as I knew who he was, and had familiarity with his game.

Conclusion

Nation, if this draft came to fruition, I’d be so happy I’d wet myself!

We get Carl Lawson and Derek Rivers to boost our EDGE game, a solid safety in Eddie Jackson, and one really good corner (Awuzie) and another solid one (White). T

op that off with a TE named Butt and a guy named Malachi and this would be an awesome haul.

But this is insanity. There’s a lot of trades to be made for this to work. To be honest, I’ll be happy if we manage to snag Carl Lawson at 30, so I’m not holding my breath.

But it sure was fun to play General Manager and think about it for an afternoon.

Next, I’ll do a version two mock draft sometime after the Combine, so we can see how much has changed.

Until next time Nation!