Jeremy Fowler breaks down the 2016 Pittsburgh Steelers draft class.

Round 1, Pick 25: Artie Burns, CB, Miami | Highlights

My take: New Cincinnati Bengal William Jackson III (picked No. 24) would have been perfect. The Steelers will never know. But they deserve credit for doing whatever possible to improve the secondary. And maybe they simply liked Burns better. We might never know that, either. Evaluators are split on Burns, who needs zone-coverage improvement and faces lingering questions about technique. But he's a proven playmaker with six interceptions in 2015. And the Steelers are betting on Mike Tomlin, with his background coaching the secondary, to make sure this one's right. Steelers fans can roll with that. Plus, the Steelers' track record with mid- to late-first-rounders says they'll likely prevail here. Many talented defensive linemen were available in the late first round, but there will be more on Day 2.

Burns suffered tragedy: In October, Burns, 20, lost his mother, Dana Smith, to a heart attack. The Steelers mentioned this during the press conference while highlighting Burns' character, which they believe is high. Colbert said Burns has a child and is in a stable relationship with the mother. He's close to his two younger brothers. The Steelers got to know Burns at Miami's pro day, taking the prospect out to dinner and watching him work out on a rain-soaked Miami day. "Special kid," Colbert said. Burns, who turns 21 in May, also lost his father to jail while in elementary school. "It was definitely a roller coaster," Burns said of his mother's passing. "That motivated me to keep on going."

Tomlin touch: The Steelers head coach's next big task is molding Burns and Senquez Golson, last year's second-round pick, into championship corners. Tomlin assesses Burns as a natural bump-coverage corner who's great at tracking the ball. The Steelers aren't a bump-heavy team but seem to like Burns' natural makeup and attitude for the position, which is probably more important. The Steelers value a prospect's skill set over the scheme. "Good piece of clay to work with," Tomlin said. Colbert said Burns will enter his "senior season" with the Steelers since Burns played three years at Miami. That's Colbert's way of saying class starts now. Burns plans to trust Tomlin. "You can tell everything he says is legit," Burns said.

Round 2, Pick No. 58: Sean Davis, S, Maryland

My take: There's a lot to like here. Davis has experience at corner and safety. He's covered tight ends and slot receivers. He's 6-foot-1 and well-sculpted. He loves to tackle, particularly with delivering hits in the running game. But for a team that needs coverage help, I liked Ohio State's Vonn Bell a little better here. Davis has question marks in that area, particularly with missed tackles and footwork. He has the chance to prove me wrong, of course. Perhaps Maryland's switch from a 3-4 to a 4-3, forcing Davis to play two positions, affected his coverage ability at times. Defensive backs coach Carnell Lake said Davis can find a home at strong safety next to veteran Mike Mitchell.

Tight end help wanted: The 2015 Steelers struggled with those freak tight ends in the middle of the field. Davis is eager to help. "That's where I feel my skill set comes in handy," he said. "I'm big as a safety, strong as a linebacker and quick and fast as a corner." Lake believes Davis' physical attributes -- 200 pounds, 37 1/2-inch vertical leap, third among defensive backs in 20-yard shuttle -- will aid the secondary. "Exceptional athlete," Lake said. "Makes good plays on the ball."

He really is versatile: Davis learned Chinese while in high school. He considers the language very hard to speak, and when jokingly asked to say "Who's got Gronkowski?" in Chinese, he worked through it and got a few laughs. "For me to take that for three years as a high school language ... is one of the most wonderful challenges I've done in my life," Davis said. Growing up in the Washington, D.C., area, Davis said his father always wanted him to be a Steeler. "Something about that black and yellow," he said.

Round 3, Pick No. 72: Javon Hargrave, DT, South Carolina St. | Highlights

My take: The Pittsburgh Steelers needed run-stopping help after losing Steve McLendon, but they got something extra with the 89th overall pick -- pass-rush-happy tackle Javon Hargrave, a 295-pounder with 37.5 career sacks at South Carolina State. This has been an all-business, needs-heavy draft for Pittsburgh, filling voids at tackle, cornerback and safety. The Steelers believe Hargrave can help right away, unafraid of the perceived lack of competition in his Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.

Every-down DT? The Steelers played a true nose tackle less than 40 percent of the snaps last season because of the league's passing trends. That's why Hargrave's pass-rush ability makes sense here. Defensive line coach John Mitchell believes Hargrave didn't go higher in the draft because he played in a small-school conference. "This guy's impressive," Mitchell said. "One of the few big men I've seen you can leave on the field on third down." Another rotational tackle will help spell overworked ends Cam Heyward and Stephon Tuitt. Hargrave needs to improve his hand techniques at the line of scrimmage, Mitchell said.

Nimble 300-pounder: Hargrave believes a high school basketball career helped with his stamina and footwork in football. Hargrave was an All-State basketball player out of North Rowan High in Salisbury, N.C. He ventured out to the perimeter to handle guards. "I can be on the field 30 or 50 plays. That's how I've been my whole life," Hargrave said. "Of course that's a plus, being able to stay on the field that long, play every down." Hargrave didn't qualify academically out of high school, forcing him to a small school. "I had to take a different route," he said.

Round 4, Pick No. 123: Jerald Hawkins, OT, LSU | Highlights

My take: Good running backs were available, but it's easy to forget during draft week that the Steelers are loaded at the playmaker spots. It never hurts to stockpile the line. Hawkins is a multi-year starter who comes from a pro-style LSU offense and has experience with what the Steelers do up front. "We feel he has a lot of growth, a lot of talent," offensive line coach Mike Munchak said.

The Steelers don't have a fifth-round pick, so they were likely less averse to take a risk in the fourth round. This is a safe play, and rightfully so. Hawkins was possibly a Day 2 pick, so the value here is quality. This isn't an overly exciting pick -- we're talking about a backup tackle -- but Hawkins accentuates a team strength.

Round 6, Pick 220 Travis Feeney, OLB, Washington | Highlights

In Washington's Travis Feeney, the Pittsburgh Steelers got a rotational pass-rusher who instantly injects athleticism into the outside linebacker group. Feeney's an All-Pac-12 second-team performer who had 17.5 tackles for a loss and eight sacks last season.

My take: This is ridiculous upside for the sixth round. Check out these measurables for a 6-foot-4, 226-pounder: 4.5-second 40-yard dash, 40-inch vertical, 130-inch broad jump. This is Day 2 ability on paper. Feeney said he doesn't know exactly why he fell - a transition from safety to linebacker while at Washington probably contributed -- but that it's "freakin' awesome" to be a Steeler and that his dad's from the Pittsburgh area. Pass-rusher is one area where you can never have enough good guys. The Steelers have a crowded group here but Feeney will have a chance to make an impact on defense and special teams.

Round 6, Pick 220 Travis Feeney, OLB, Washington | Highlights

In Washington's Travis Feeney, the Pittsburgh Steelers got a rotational pass-rusher who instantly injects athleticism into the outside linebacker group. Feeney's an All-Pac-12 second-team performer who had 17.5 tackles for a loss and eight sacks last season.

My take: This is ridiculous upside for the sixth round. Check out these measurables for a 6-foot-4, 226-pounder: 4.5-second 40-yard dash, 40-inch vertical, 130-inch broad jump. This is Day 2 ability on paper. Feeney said he doesn't know exactly why he fell - a transition from safety to linebacker while at Washington probably contributed -- but that it's "freakin' awesome" to be a Steeler and that his dad's from the Pittsburgh area. Pass-rusher is one area where you can never have enough good guys. The Steelers have a crowded group here but Feeney will have a chance to make an impact on defense and special teams.

Round 7, Pick 229 Demarcus Ayers, WR, Houston

My take: No speed, no problem? Ayers' 4.7 40-yard dash time coupled with his listed height of 5-foot-9 makes him an underdog to make the receiver rotation. But special teams coordinator Danny Smith loves Ayers as a returner. "The kid plays fast," he said. But because of the Steelers' receiver depth, they will likely need any returner to contribute on offense. It's not like he can't play that side of the ball. In 2015, Ayers caught 98 passes for 1,222 yards, the latter good enough for the No. 18 national ranking. Ayers faces an uphill battle to make the 53-man roster and will likely be in contention for slot receiver Eli Rogers for a spot somewhere. running back or more of a fullback to compete with Michael Burton. Washington also left Washington early to declare for the draft.

Round 7, Pick 246 Tyler Matakevich, ILB, Temple | Highlights

The Pittsburgh Steelers concluded their 2016 NFL draft with linebacker Tyler Matakevich, the 2015 Bronko Nagurski Award winner who helped usher Temple football back into prominence. Matekevich would likely compete at inside linebacker and special teams for the Steelers.

My take: The rep on Matakevich is he's not big, not strong, not fast. Translation: Not good. But he was highly productive in college against good teams and posted nearly 500 tackles in his career. He was also the top player on the Steelers' board. "We like to use the term, 'He's a football player,'" general manager Kevin Colbert said. Coach Mike Tomlin called it "football justice" for Matakevich to get drafted. For the seventh round, this is a solid pickup.