2014 NFL mock draft: Steelers select Donte Moncrief

With the 46th pick in Pride Of Detroit's 2014 NFL mock draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers select Ole Miss wide receiver Donte Moncrief. Ncbur10 is serving as the Steelers' general manager, and his reasoning for the pick is below.

It is no secret the Steelers are looking for a WR in the draft. Antonio Brown proved he could be a No. 1 receiver in a big way. The Pro Bowl WR set a new team record in yardage (1,499) and became only the second Steeler to catch over 100 passes (110) in a single season. That's the good news. The bad news is that they lost both Emmanuel Sanders and Jerricho Cotchery, who combined to score 16 TDs last year, in free agency. They will try to make up that production with Markus Wheaton and free-agent pick-ups Lance Moore and Darrius Heyward-Bey. That's a tall order given that Wheaton has had trouble staying healthy and Heyward-Bey has yet to develop into the player Al Davis thought he would be.

Knowing your needs and filling them with the best possible players are two different things. After filling the most pressing need in the first round, I looked for more of a luxury pick in the second. Luckily for me, this year's draft is loaded with top receiver prospects. The pick basically came down to a three-horse race between Donte Moncrief, Jordan Matthews and Davante Adams. In the end, I chose the best fit for what makes the Steelers offense go -- a long, athletic, speedy receiver. Moncrief's speed (4.40) and 6'3 frame won out over the others. History also played a little into the pick. Winners continue to do the things that work, and the last time the Steelers nabbed a speedy receiver from Ole Miss, he went on to be a Pro Bowler (and one giant headache). Can anyone say Mike Wallace?

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Check out the 2014 POD Community Mock Draft tracker for a look at all of the picks.