The Pittsburgh Steelers have received a key warning before the NFL Draft.
The Pittsburgh Steelers own the 21st overall pick in the NFL Draft this Thursday, and they have some very clear needs that must be addressed.
One of those needs is their offensive line, and there should be plenty of good prospects available when the Steelers are on the board.
So who should Pittsburgh consider?
One possibility is Alabama tackle Kadyn Proctor, who could ultimately serve as a replacement to Broderick Jones, who underwent spinal fusion surgery at the end of this past season.
The Steelers could also kick Proctor inside to guard, where some actually feel he would be a better fit on the professional level.
However, Bleacher Report's Alex Ballentine feels that Pittsburgh should bypass the 6-foot-7, 360-pound behemoth altogether.
"Theoretically, guard is a need for the Steelers too. Proctor playing left guard this season while Jones proves whether he can play tackle or not is not the worst thing. But then the question becomes whether it's a good idea to go after guard this early in the draft," Ballentine wrote.
Kadyn Proctor. Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images.There are slated to be quite a few good guards available in Round 2, and Ballentine thinks that would probably be a better solution than nabbing Proctor on Day 1.
"Pittsburgh needs to go after a player who is going to fill a need at a premium position before taking a player who might get kicked inside to guard in the first round," Ballentine added.
Proctor is one of the most polarizing prospects in this year's draft class. While there are some who still feel he could be a top-10 pick, others believe he will slip into the latter half of the first round.
Either way, he is viewed as a risky pick, but perhaps the Steelers would be willing to take the plunge?
Proctor is definitely a boom-or-bust type of player, and a contending team like Pittsburgh should have more risk appetite than a struggling ballclub drafting in the top five. If Proctor pans out, he could ultimately become one of the very best players in this year's class.
There are definitely concerns when it comes to the Crimson Tide product, but the Steelers might just want to pull the trigger on selecting him.
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