Throughout the pre-draft process, the Pittsburgh Steelers have been consistently paired with the same names in mock drafts.<\/p>\n
From Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson and Alabama offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor to Washington wide receiver Denzel Boston, Indiana wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr., and even Texas A&M wide receiver KC Concepcion, the names have been largely the same.<\/p>\n
But on Tuesday morning, ESPN NFL insider Peter Schrager pivoted hard in his first mock draft and paired the Steelers with a new name, one that doesn\u2019t make much sense at all.<\/p>\n
That player? Clemson EDGE T.J. Parker.<\/p>\n
Schrager has the Steelers selecting Parker at No. 21 overall, and it\u2019s a good reminder his mock drafts are based on what he\u2019s hearing.<\/p>\n
\u201cAlabama\u2019s Ty Simpson\u00a0is still available, but I\u2019m expecting\u00a0Aaron Rodgers\u00a0to return to Pittsburgh for another season. On defense, the Steelers started getting younger along the line with the\u00a0Derrick Harmon pick a year ago, and I wouldn\u2019t think they\u2019re done there,\u201d Schrager writes<\/a>. \u201cParker has played a big role on the Clemson defense since his true freshman season, with 21.5 sacks over his three years there.\u201d<\/p>\n Parker measured in at 6035, 263 pounds, so he\u2019s undersized to be a 3-4 defensive lineman in the Steelers\u2019 scheme.<\/a> He\u2019s also a bit heavy to be a true outside linebacker in their system, too. Therefore, the fit is very puzzling.<\/p>\n The Steelers are loaded at outside linebacker with T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith, Nick Herbig and Jack Sawyer, and they have invested heavily in their defensive line in recent years. The selection of Derrick Harmon last year in the first round, as well as the drafting of Yahya Black, too, the extension of Cameron Heyward, and the free agency signing of Sebastian Joseph-Day, makes that group deep too.<\/a><\/p>\n It\u2019s hard to see how Schrager got to the connection with Parker. He\u2019s not a fit in the Steelers\u2019 scheme as a defensive lineman, which is how Schrager is projecting him.<\/p>\n Yes, Parker has some good tape and has been productive in recent years, but it\u2019s a baffling selection.<\/p>\n