Mack - Unger - Wood

So draft day is finally here and the Steelers find themselves in a great position - if drafting 32nd is ever great. The first part of the good news is that their first rounder will cost them less than any other!. The second is that they have no real "needs" for the coming year - so they can consider developmental prospects. Third, if they want an interior offensive lineman it is very likely that they will have three great options - each has showed up on a number of mock draft boards and all should be starters in the NFL for years to come.

There is however, a need for some caution. Kevin Colbert seemed to reflect this in his statement that he would like to go "three for three" in his top three choices. Twelve players have expiring contracts that will need to be addressed after this year and a good draft would make some of these twelve expendable.

In addition, others have noted the very real aging problem on the D-Line - none of the starters are under 30 and Hampton is one of the 12 expiring contracts.

So what sort of strategy would make sense? The first step could be to trade back a few picks from #32 (assuming that their is a willing buyer). The goal would be to acquire the currency that would make improving the current draft positions in rounds two and three possible. For example a trade back four spots should net them a late fourth or early fifth. The second step would be to use this pick and their current fourth to move up their current #2 and current #3 about 6 to 6 slots in round 2 and 8 to 10 in round 3. .

Depending on who is on the board their current 2nd and two fourths (current and acquired) could allow them to move up to the mid fifties from their current 64 slot.

In any case they will have options - no pressing need makes that possible.

Here are my three round picks for what they are worth...

Unger - taken at 36 or 37
Fili Maola - will have to trade up to get him - but he could be Hamptons backup
Dion Butler - a wide out to develop...