Draft Notes: Steelers, Hurst, Guice, Bears

It’s been a busy couple of days here at Pro Football Talk, and that’s partly due to a record-breaking number of trades. As ESPN’s Jenna Laine tweets, there were 14 trades yesterday, the highest Day 2 total since the draft expanded to three days. There have also been 21 total trades through the first 48 hours, which is also the most since 2010.

Let’s check out some more draft notes from around the NFL…

• The Steelers were targeting Alabama linebacker Rashaan Evans with their first-round pick, reports Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (via Twitter). When he was taken by the Titans with the 22nd pick, Pittsburgh shifted their focus to another position, selecting safety Terrell Edmunds. As Dulac notes, the team ultimately didn’t rate the remaining linebackers high enough to dedicate a first-rounder at the position.
• Michigan defensive tackle Maurice Hurst Jr. hasn’t fallen down draft boards solely because of injuries. Rather, as Yahoo’s Charles Robinson tweets, the prospect’s tape “was a little more up and down than expected.” While the player showed flashes of brilliance, he also had some glaring “empty stretches.” Meanwhile, Jason La Canfora attributes Hurst’s fall to medical reasons, as the reporter tweets that teams are concerned about the defensive lineman’s heart condition. This concern has caused the player to completely fall off some teams’ draft boards.
• Meanwhile, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport provides insight into why LSU running back Derrius Guice is sliding (Twitter link). The player has been described as “immature” and “high-maintenance,” and his visits did not go well, according to the reporter.
• The Bears selected Memphis wideout Anthony Miller midway through the second round yesterday, but it sounds like they had their eye on a receiver in the first round. ESPN’s Vaughn McClure tweets that Chicago tried to trade up for Alabama wideout Calvin Ridley, who was selected 26th overall by the Falcons.