Tom's
Draft Selections -- the Past 4 Years
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). Given that a team can generally expect to keep a rookie 4 years
under the present free agency system, I wondered what a roster of my picks
since 1996 would look like. So here it is, but first keep in mind that I was
drafting for the actual Steelers needs that year. Therefore, I have 3 FBs on
the roster. 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 9 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 this roster is only draft picks and doesn�t
reflect the vets already on the roster or free agents I would have signed.� Anyway, looking at it I think it�s a pretty
promising roster, maybe as good as the one we actually have this year.� Obviously, I could have gone back and weeded
out some of my busts (Staat, Howard, Finkes, etc) and claimed to have known
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
����������� Steve Lee FB Indiana
TE:
����� None selected since 1996
LT:
����� John Tait OT BYU
Marvel Smith OT Arizona State
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
����������� 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
����������� Kory Minor LB Notre Dame
����������� Carlos Emmons OLB Arkansas State
ILB:
��� Brandon Short LB PSU
����������� Earl Holmes LB Florida A&M
����������� Chad Kelsay LB Nebraska
����������� Matt Finkes DE/LB OSU
DL:
���� Jason Wiltz DT Nebraska
Steve Warren NT Nebraska
Jason Ferguson DT Georgia
Brandon Mitchell�
DE� Texas A&M
Christian Peter�
DT Nebraska
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 picks:
Who I think the
Steelers should have picked & who I would have taken in the 2000 draft
1st round pick #8
Chad
Pennington QB Marshall
2nd round pick
#38
Marvel
Smith OT Arizona State
3rd round pick
#72
Steve
Warren NT Nebraska
3rd round pick
#77
Laveranues
Coles WR FSU
4th round pick
#103
Brandon
Short LB PSU
5th round pick
#137
Michael
Wiley WR/RB/KR OSU
5th round� pick #163
Michael
Hawthorne CB Purdue
6th round pick #
173
Darnell
Alford OT/G Boston College
6th round pick
#204
Mike
Malano� C/G� San Diego State
should have picked
& who I would have taken in the 1999 draft
1st 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
7th round pick
#214
Antonio
Dingle DT Virginia
7th round pick
#219
Chad
Kelsay LB Nebraska
7th 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
4th round pick
#117
Deshea
Townsend CB Alabama
4th round pick
#123
Benji
Olson� G� Washington
5th round pick
#137
Scott
Shaw� G Michigan State
6th round pick
#178
Chris
Fuamati-Ma�afala RB Utah
6th round pick
#186
Aaron
Taylor C/G Nebraska
7th 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
3rd round pick
#82
Ty
Howard CB OSU
3rd round pick #91
Jamie
Nails� RT Florida A&M
5th round pick
#154
Steve
Lee FB Indiana
6th round pick
#186
Matt
Finkes DE/LB OSU
6th round pick
#199
Jason
Ferguson DT Georgia
7th 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
4th round pick
#126
Earl
Holmes LB Florida A&M
4th round pick
#132
Christian
Peter� DT Nebraska
5th round pick
#163
Dietrich
Jells� WR Pittsburgh
6th round pick
#202
Dusty
Ziegler� C� Notre Dame
6th round pick
#203
Kerry
Hicks DL/LB� Colorado
7th round pick
#242
Carlos
Emmons OLB Arkansas State