Second Guessing the Draft

April 24, 2001 by Steel Hammer

The other day I was looking through some old files and ran across my draft selections for the past several years (the guys I thought the Steelers should have drafted)

Since 1996� I�ve been second guessing the Steelers draft. Each year as the draft unfolds, I select a player who I believe would be the best pick for the Steelers at the position the Steelers actually draft. In other words, I�m stuck with their trades and draft position. I don�t try to figure out what would happen if I traded picks even though I often would like to trade because it adds to many variables. Further, if I don�t take the player the Steelers actually take, he can�t be picked later.

Here�s my picks from this year:

Who I think the Steelers should have picked & who I would have taken in the 2001 draft

1^st round pick #19

Casey Hampton DT Texas (Brees was tempting. Real world I would have tried to trade up later for him.)

2^nd round pick #39

Kendrell Bell� LB Georgia

4^th round pick #111

Carlos Polk� LB� Nebraska (Thought about Ben Hamilton, but Hartings is signed & Holmes will be a UFA)

5^th round pick #146

Brandon Winey� OT� LSU

6^th round pick #181

Carey Scott� CB Kentucky State

6^th round pick #182

Dan� Alexander� FB� Nebraska� (DT Mario Monds looked good, but Alexander allows us to cut Witman)

7^th round pick #218

Ross Kolodjziej� DE� Wisconsin

If you scroll down, you�ll find a roster of the players I�ve �drafted� since 1996. Keep in mind that I was drafting for the actual Steelers needs each year. Therefore, I have 4 FBs on the roster, etc. Another interesting aspect of this roster, is that it shows where I thought we have had a need for the past several years.� Obviously the D-line was one of those areas, since I drafted 11 players there, most of whom would best be described as big run stuffers.� Obviously if I were drafting for this pretend team, my drafts would have changed some.� I realize the roster is a bit thin at spots (like no TEs), but that�s because I felt it wasn�t a big need for the Steelers or would be better addressed in free agency. Obviously, I could have gone back and weeded out some of my busts (Staat, Howard, Finkes, etc) and claimed to have know that Zach Thomas would be a stud, but what�s the point in that.� Let me know what you think.

OFFENSE

QB: �� Chad Pennington QB Marshall

�� Joe Germaine QB OSU

WR: �� D�Wayne Bates WR Northwestern

Laveranues Coles WR FSU

E.G. Green WR FSU

Mike Adams WR Texas

Dietrich Jells� WR Pittsburgh

�� Michael Wiley WR/RB/KR OSU

RB:�� Jerome Bettis RB Notre Dame

�� Chris Fuamati-Ma�afala RB Utah

FB:�� Mike Alstott� FB Purdue

�� Cecil Martin FB Wisconsin

�� Dan� Alexander� FB� Nebraska

�� Steve Lee FB Indiana

TE: �� None selected since 1996

LT: �� John Tait OT BYU

Marvel Smith OT Arizona State

Brandon Winey� OT� LSU

RT:�� Jason Fabini� RT Cincinnati

�� Jason Odom OT Florida

Jamie Nails� RT Florida A&M
G:�� Darnell Alford OT/G Boston College

Benji Olson� G� Washington

�� Scott Shaw� G Michigan State

C:�� Mike Malano� C/G� San Diego State

�� Aaron Taylor C/G Nebraska

�� Dusty Ziegler� C� Notre Dame

DEFENSE

CB:�� Chad Scott CB Maryland

�� Carey Scott� CB Kentucky State

�� Michael Hawthorne CB Purdue

�� Deshea Townsend CB Alabama

�� Ty Howard CB OSU

SS:�� Ray Farmer� S� Duke

FS:�� Tony George� S Florida

OLB:�� Sam Cowart LB� FSU

Gary Stills OLB West Virginia

Carlos Emmons OLB Arkansas State

�� Kory Minor LB Notre Dame

ILB: �� Earl Holmes LB Florida A&M

�� Kendrell Bell� LB Georgia

�� Brandon Short LB PSU

�� Carlos Polk� LB� Nebraska

Chad Kelsay LB Nebraska

�� Matt Finkes DE/LB OSU

DL: �� Jason Ferguson DT Georgia

Casey Hampton DT Texas

Christian Peter� DT Nebraska

Brandon Mitchell� DE� Texas A&M

Jason Wiltz DT Nebraska

Steve Warren NT Nebraska

Ross Kolodjziej� DE� Wisconsin

Jeremy Staat DE� Arizona State

Antonio Dingle DT Virginia

Angel Rubio� DT� S.E. Missouri State

Kerry Hicks DL/LB� Colorado

K: �� Jeff Hall K Tennessee

P: �� None Selected since 1996

Here�s the order of the rest of the picks:

Who I think the Steelers should have picked & who I would have taken in the 2000 draft

1^st round pick #8

Chad Pennington QB Marshall

2^nd round pick #38

Marvel Smith OT Arizona State

3^rd round pick #72

Steve Warren NT Nebraska

3^rd round pick #77

Laveranues Coles WR FSU

4^th round pick #103

Brandon Short LB PSU

5^th round pick #137

Michael Wiley WR/RB/KR OSU

5^th round� pick #163

Michael Hawthorne CB Purdue

6^th round pick # 173

Darnell Alford OT/G Boston College

6^th round pick #204

Mike Malano� C/G� San Diego State

Who I think the Steelers should have picked & who I would have taken in the 1999 draft

1^st round pick #13

John Tait OT BYU

2nd round pick #59

D�Wayne Bates WR Northwestern

3rd round pick #73

Gary Stills OLB West Virginia

3rd round pick #74

Tony George� S Florida

3rd round pick #95

Joe Germaine QB OSU

4th round pick #109

Jason Wiltz DT Nebraska

5th round pick #136

Cecil Martin FB Wisconsin

5th round pick #166

Jeff Hall K Tennessee

7^th round pick #214

Antonio Dingle DT Virginia

7^th round pick #219

Chad Kelsay LB Nebraska

7^th round pick #228

Kory Minor LB Notre Dame

Who I think the Steelers should have picked & who I would have taken in the 1998 draft

1st round pick #26

Sam Cowart LB� FSU

2nd round pick #41

Jeremy Staat DE� Arizona State

3rd round pick #66

E.G. Green WR FSU

3rd round pick #92

Jason Fabini� RT Cincinnati

4^th round pick #117

Deshea Townsend CB Alabama

4^th round pick #123

Benji Olson� G� Washington

5^th round pick #137

Scott Shaw� G Michigan State

6^th round pick #178

Chris Fuamati-Ma�afala RB Utah

6^th round pick #186

Aaron Taylor C/G Nebraska

7^th round pick #221

Angel Rubio� DT� S.E. Missouri State

Who I think the Steelers should have picked & who I would have taken in the 1997 draft

1st round pick #24

Chad Scott CB Maryland

2nd round pick #53

Brandon Mitchell� DE� Texas A&M

3^rd round pick #82

Ty Howard CB OSU

3rd round pick #91

Jamie Nails� RT Florida A&M

5^th round pick #154

Steve Lee FB Indiana

6^th round pick #186

Matt Finkes DE/LB OSU

6^th round pick #199

Jason Ferguson DT Georgia

7^th round pick #223

Mike Adams WR Texas

Who I think the Steelers should have picked & who I would have taken in the 1996 draft

1st round pick #29

Mike Alstott� FB Purdue

2nd round pick #59

Traded to Rams for Jerome Bettis RB Notre Dame

3rd round pick #72

Jason Odom OT Florida

3rd round pick #92

Ray Farmer� S� Duke

4^th round pick #126

Earl Holmes LB Florida A&M

4^th round pick #132

Christian Peter� DT Nebraska

5^th round pick #163

Dietrich Jells� WR Pittsburgh

6^th round pick #202

Dusty Ziegler� C� Notre Dame

6^th round pick #203