FanHouse Brannan Southerland

With the draft less than a week away, it's time to start firming up the draft boards. When the draft begins, the Steelers will have multiple needs, although thankfully there is no position where the Steelers don't bring back a projected starter with some experience.

The Steelers bigger need is to plan ahead for 2010, when free agency could rip apart much of this past year's Super Bowl champs. With that in mind here are four plausible draft classes for the Steelersn as prepared by friend the Steelers draft nut, all of these include no trades. Every player is projected to go in a round where multiple draft experts still have them available on the board. There are a few spots where it is noted that it is less likely that player is still on the board when the Steelers pick in that round, but none of these are absurd stretches. Which of these classes would you prefer and why?

I love the draft, but a friend of mine puts me to shame. He has set aside a chunk of his brain to analyze the draft year-round. And when spring arrives he shifts into top gear, putting together mock drafts throughout the spring,

With his permission, here's a reprint of one of his recent seven round mock drafts, and another scenario that maps out why it may make sense for the Steelers to trade down. The mock drafts assume that the Steelers will receive a fourth-round supplemental pick for losing free agent Alan Faneca last year, and they pick up an additional seventh-round pick from last year's trade of Sean Mahan to the Buccaneers.

Both drafts requires players to be available per the NFL Draft Scout overall player rankings when the Steelers select, and include no trades by the Steelers.