L.T. Walton’s selection gave the Steelers four defensive players among their first six draft choices.
The Steelers went outside the Big Ten and SEC for the first time when they drafted defensive lineman L.T. Walton of Central Michigan with their first of two picks in the sixth round.
Walton is 6-5, 319 pound and played in the interior at CMU but will be used at defensive end where the Steelers are thin after their two starters, Cam Heyward and Stephon Tuitt.
Walton’s selection gave the Steelers four defensive players among their first six draft choices.
The Steelers chose Penn State tight end Jesse James, who played at South Allegheny High School in Glassport, in the fifth round.
James stands 6-7 and weighs 261. He is the first Nittany Lions player drafted by the Steelers in six years. He started every game the past two seasons and leaves Penn State with a year of eligibility left.
They started off the third and final day of the draft by selecting Ohio State cornerback Doran Grant in the fourth round.
Grant is 5-10, 200 pounds and was timed at 4.4 in the 40. He is strong with good speed, a good tackler and cover man. He was the third three defensive player among their first four picks – a linebacker and two cornerbacks – as they try to rebuild a defense that slipped to No. 27 against the pass last season.
