2017 NFL Mock Draft: Mad Rush At Start For Top Defenders

55. The Pittsburgh Steelers remain a team defined by their linebackers. When the unit is loaded with young, able bodies the entire defense benefits. It was true in the 1990s and again in the 2000s. So far they have found quite the right mix yet but they’re close. Ryan Shazier and Bud Dupree look like keepers, though health remains a concern with both. Adding another standout talent at the inside or outside spots could make this front seven fierce. <p>It’s hard not to love Zach Cunningham. He’s stuck in a downtrodden program at Vanderbilt where they hardly win. Yet he doesn’t let that stop him from being one of the best players in the country. Cunningham is a tough, instinctive linebacker who is so good at anticipating what the offense is going to do. He’s a tackling machine, can blitz and isn’t terrible when dropping in coverage. Maybe not the fastest guy in the world, but he doesn’t have to be.</p>. ILB. Vanderbilt. Zach Cunningham . 17. player