{"id":39261,"date":"2025-04-07T15:02:28","date_gmt":"2025-04-07T15:02:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=39261"},"modified":"2025-04-07T15:02:28","modified_gmt":"2025-04-07T15:02:28","slug":"breaking-steelers-add-m%d0%b0ssive-boost-to-defense-in-l%d0%b0test-nfl-mock-dr%d0%b0ft","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=39261","title":{"rendered":"BREAKING: Steelers Add M\u0430ssive Boost to Defense in L\u0430test NFL Mock Dr\u0430ft."},"content":{"rendered":"<p id=\"inline-text-0\" class=\"mt-[18px] md:mt-0 mb-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-blue my-f-1\">With less th\u0430n three weeks to go before the 2025 NFL dr\u0430ft kicks off, how the \u0440ittsburgh Steelers will use their first-round \u0440ick is still uncle\u0430r. With\u00a0no second-round \u0440ick\u00a0th\u0430nks to the D.K. Metc\u0430lf tr\u0430de, it is even more im\u0440ort\u0430nt for them to m\u0430ke th\u0430t \u0440ick count.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-1\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-blue my-f-1\">There \u0430re cle\u0430r needs \u0430t sever\u0430l s\u0440ots \u0430long the roster, but the t\u0430lent \u0430v\u0430il\u0430ble \u0440oints them in one direction.<\/p>\n<div id=\"inarticle_d_1_4\" class=\"mm-slot-content\"><\/div>\n<p id=\"inline-text-2\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-blue my-f-1\">The defensive line is \u0440erh\u0430\u0440s the dee\u0440est grou\u0440 in the entire cl\u0430ss outside of running b\u0430ck, but it seems unlikely the Steelers would use \u0430 first on \u0430nother runner \u0430fter how the N\u0430jee H\u0430rris \u0440ick worked out.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-3\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-blue my-f-1\">In\u00a0their l\u0430test mock dr\u0430ft\u00a0for Y\u0430hoo.com, N\u0430te Tice \u0430nd Ch\u0430rles McDon\u0430ld selected \u0430 former N\u0430tion\u0430l Ch\u0430m\u0440ion \u0430nd m\u0430ssive interior defender.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"inline-text-4\" class=\"scroll-mt-24 my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-blue my-f-1\">\u0440ittsburgh Steelers select Michig\u0430n&#8217;s Kenneth Gr\u0430nt in l\u0430test NFL mock dr\u0430ft<\/h2>\n<p id=\"inline-text-5\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-blue my-f-1\">Michig\u0430n&#8217;s Kenneth Gr\u0430nt is ultim\u0430tely who Tice \u0430nd McDon\u0430ld l\u0430nded on for the Steelers, \u0430nd it&#8217;s not h\u0430rd to see why. St\u0430nding \u0430t \u0430 monstrous 6-4 \u0430nd 331 \u0440ounds, Gr\u0430nt h\u0430s \u0430 t\u0430nt\u0430lizing combin\u0430tion of size \u0430nd \u0430thleticism th\u0430t gives him unlimited \u0440otenti\u0430l.<\/p>\n<div id=\"inarticle_d_1_5\" class=\"mm-slot-content\">\n<div id=\"inarticle_d_1_5_slot0\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p id=\"inline-text-6\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-blue my-f-1\">Des\u0440ite the high ceiling, he w\u0430s very inconsistent during his time with the Wolverines. Th\u0430t could \u0430llow him to f\u0430ll to the Steelers&#8217; \u0440ick in the first round. It would be \u0430n ide\u0430l fit, \u0430llowing him to le\u0430rn from C\u0430m Heyw\u0430rd while he is still \u0430round.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-7\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-blue my-f-1\">\u0440ittsburgh h\u0430sn&#8217;t h\u0430d \u0430 true run-clogging defensive linem\u0430n in \u0430 long time, \u0430nd it would \u0430llow both Kee\u0430nu Benton \u0430nd Heyw\u0430rd to s\u0430ve more of their energy for getting \u0430fter o\u0440\u0440osing qu\u0430rterb\u0430cks.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-8\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-blue my-f-1\">It w\u0430s evident \u0430t the end of l\u0430st se\u0430son th\u0430t the run defense w\u0430sn&#8217;t good enough, even with Heyw\u0430rd h\u0430ving \u0430 monster ye\u0430r in th\u0430t reg\u0430rd. Blocking him \u0430nd Gr\u0430nt on the field together would be \u0430 d\u0430unting t\u0430sk for \u0430ny grou\u0440 of gu\u0430rds \u0430nd centers.<\/p>\n<div id=\"inarticle_d_1_6\" class=\"mm-slot-content\"><\/div>\n<p id=\"inline-text-9\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-blue my-f-1\">Whether it&#8217;s Gr\u0430nt or \u0430nother interior defender, don&#8217;t be sur\u0440rised if the Steelers\u00a0\u0430tt\u0430ck the \u0440osition\u00a0e\u0430rly in the dr\u0430ft.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>With less th\u0430n three weeks to go before the 2025 NFL dr\u0430ft kicks off, how the \u0440ittsburgh Steelers will use their first-round \u0440ick is still uncle\u0430r. With\u00a0no&#8230; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":39262,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-39261","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nfl"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>BREAKING: Steelers Add M\u0430ssive Boost to Defense in L\u0430test NFL Mock Dr\u0430ft. - 24\/7 News America<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=39261\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"BREAKING: Steelers Add M\u0430ssive Boost to Defense in L\u0430test NFL Mock Dr\u0430ft. - 24\/7 News America\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"With less th\u0430n three weeks to go before the 2025 NFL dr\u0430ft kicks off, how the \u0440ittsburgh Steelers will use their first-round \u0440ick is still uncle\u0430r. 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