While it's anyone's guess how the first round of this year's draft will play out, Pittsburgh enters the process with a handful of clear needs on defense.
The Steelers must find help at cornerback and certainly could use another pass rusher after Jason Worilds announced his surprise retirement in March.
Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert gushed on Monday about this year's cast of talented outside linebackers, calling the crop the best he's seen in 10 or 15 years.
"It's an exceptional group with a lot of impact guys," Colbert said, per the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "It's an unusual year. It's just better than it has been. I'm talking about some real impact-type players. That's encouraging."
Top pass rushers Dante Fowler, Vic Beasley and Bud Dupree will likely be long gone by the time Pittsburgh picks at No. 22 overall, but keep an eye on Randy Gregory. While the Nebraska outside linebacker tested positive for marijuana at the combine, he's one of 29 players the team brought in for a pre-draft visit.
Still, all six of our NFL Media draft experts pegged the Steelers to pick up a cornerback in the first round. Colbert has long preached a best-player-available philosophy, but the front office can't get too cute this time around. We'd be stunned if Pittsburgh doesn't snag a defensive prospect come Thursday night.
The latest Around The NFL Podcast previews the 2015 NFL Draft and breaks down the biggest rumors and storylines. Find more Around The NFL content on NFL NOW.
