Steelers Should Draft Honey Badger

The thought of the Steelers drafting Tyrann Mathieu is almost comical. It would likely never happen as the organization strives to bring in high character guys and "Honey Badger" already has an off the field track record bad enough to make most teams shy away. However, the Steelers aren't in a position to be picky. The team has a great need for playmakers coming off of a season that featured very few splash plays. Mathieu is a first round talent that has the playmaking skills the Steelers so desperately need. SunSentenial.com describes Mathieu as having "an Ed Reed-like knack for ball-hawking and making big plays whether it was a game-changing interception or fumble recovery as a defensive back, or as a crafty and elusive punt returner."

In my estimation, there's a possibility Mathieu will be available when the Steelers draft in the 3rd round. Over the last decade, the 3rd round has been one of the Steelers most productive rounds. The Steelers 3rd round picks have netted several current and former NFL starters and significant role players like Chris Hope, Max Starks, Trai Essex, Matt Spaeth, Mike Wallace, Kraig Urbik, Emmanuel Sanders, Curtis Brown, and most recently Sean Spence. Drafting Tyrann Mathieu in the 3rd is still a low risk - high reward pick that could add to the organization's 3rd round success.

Tyrann Mathieu is a first round talent and should absolutely be considered. Ike Taylor isn't getting any younger and Keenan Lewis is a free agent. Mathieu would help to fill an immediate void and he has the potential to be a great NFL cornerback. More importantly, Mathieu is trying very hard to turn his life around and to repair his damaged reputation. He's been to rehab, counseling, and he has a support system constructed of current NFL football stars like Patrick Peterson, Corey Webster, Darrelle Revis, and Morris Claiborne. He communicates with his support team on a daily basis.

Mathieu was asked if he was aware of how much money he's lost with his off the field issues. He responded by saying, "Yeah, millions. At the end of the day I'm not focused on money right now. I just want to start playing football again because for my whole life I played it for free. To play now for a couple hundred thousand dollars, it's still football to me." Mathieu also wants to drop the Honey Badger monikor as it's not representative of who he is today.

Tyrann Mathieu is doing and saying all of the right things. People deserve a second chance and the Steelers would be blessed to land him in 3rd round. He would fill a definite void on the team and could help solidify the aging secondary for years to come. He's worth the risk.