2014 NFL mock draft: Phillip Gaines to Pittsburgh Steelers at No. 46

After adding Pittsburgh defensive tackle Aaron Donald with a first-round pick in the 2014 SB Nation NFL Writers Mock Draft, Neal Coolong of Behind the Steel Curtain has a major hole to fill for the Pittsburgh Steelers with his second-round pick: cornerback.

“This is one of the deeper drafts in recent memory as far as the cornerback position goes, and with big names coming from big schools, it’s easy to see why Gaines might be overlooked. At the same time, few, if any, corners in this draft have the level of anticipatory skills as he does. He has great vision and length (6-foot-0, 31 ⅞ inch arms), two things we find highly adaptable in Pittsburgh’s zone scheme. He needs to spend some time getting stronger, but he’s a willing tackler. Any weakness he has is trumped by excellent athleticism and playmaking skills (we watched him allow three catches on 14 targets over a three game period).”

The Steelers need to come out of the first two rounds of the draft with a starting cornerback. While this may seem a little early for Gaines, he fits the mold in Pittsburgh. He’s an aggressive, physical corner who gets a good jump on the ball. Another corner the Steelers should consider in this range is Lindenwood’s Pierre Desir. He does many of the same things as Gaines, just slightly better.