Pittsburgh Steelers 1st Round Options: 2013 NFL Draft
By Blake Meek
Jan 26, 2013; Mobile, AL, USA; Senior Bowl north squad defensive back Jonathan Cyprien of Florida International (37) prior to kickoff of a game against the Senior Bowl south squad at Ladd-Peebles Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
Jonathan Cyprien – All the reasons I stated for why the Steelers should draft Vaccaro can be said for Cyprien. Cyprien totaled 93 tackles last year as a Senior, along with 4 interceptions. One of his INTs was against Louisville and possible top pick next year Teddy Bridgewater. He has a very aggressive and active playing style, much like Troy Polamalu does. Cyprien has shown good ball skills, showing the ability to extend and grab the ball out of the air. Has played some of his best games against the top competition he has faced. Can at times be overaggressive and get sucked up on play action plays, but can also recover because of his athleticism.
Oct 13, 2012; South Bend, IN, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish tight end Tyler Eifert (80) makes a catch in the end zone for a touchdown against Stanford Cardinal cornerbacks Devon Carrington (5) and Terrence Brown (6) at Notre Dame Stadium. Notre Dame defeats Stanford in overtime 20-13. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Tyler Eifert – This may be a little high for Eifert, but the Steelers are in need of a TE. Miller will be 31 this year and is coming off of a bad knee injury in which he tore his ACL, MCL and PCL. Eifert has really good ball skills and is very tough in a crowd, showing his physicality in going up and getting the ball. Eifert is a good route runner, and goes up and attacks the ball at its highest point. Gets off of press coverage without a lot of problems because of his strength. Is a better than talked about blocker, but not an elite one. CBS Sports has actually compared him to Heath Miller, which would be an outstanding find for the Steelers.
Sep 8, 2012; Winston Salem, NC, USA North Carolina Tar Heels guard Jonathan Cooper (64) blocks during a pass play in the second quarter against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at BB
Jonathan Cooper – The Steelers spent their 1st two picks last year on offensive linemen, one of those being OG David DeCastro. So conventional wisdom says the Steelers won’t use another 1st round pick on a guard, especially since they brought Ramon Foster back. However, the Steelers much prefer Foster to be their 6th offensive lineman, giving them good depth. Cooper is an elite guard prospect, who if paired with DeCastro, would give the Steelers one of the best, young guard duos in the league. Pair them up with Maurkice Pouncey and you have the best interior line in the league. Cooper is outstanding at getting out and into the 2nd level. He is an exceptional athlete at the guard position.
Follow @bmeek23