Draft - Winners and the Draft
By CK Stiller
Kevin Colbert had gone
without criticism throughout most of tenure in
I have yet to see a
thorough break down of how the Steelers draft history matched up with the rest
of the league.� I decided to look into it
myself by comparing the Steelers draft history since Colbert�s hiring in 2000
to other top AFC teams.� I chose two
division rivals with the Ravens and the Bengals. I then took the two teams who
have been the most successful this century; the Colts and the Patriots.� The final team,
Guidelines:
1. Numbers in parentheses
indicate how many ended up as starters. Numbers outside indicate how many are
on roster.
2. �FA Lost� are guys that
were drafted, and are currently playing for other teams.
3. �FA Signed� is not
broken down by round, obviously.� The
�Success� box shows the number of starters drafted by the team. This goes back
from before 2000. For instance, three Steelers are starting who played before
Colbert became GM.
4. �FA Signed� indicates
the number of players who originally played for another team on the
active roster as well as injured reserve.�
Excluded are rare cases like Rodney Bailey, who jumped to another team
and then returned to the Steelers.
5. Lastly, everything may
not be 100%. Things like FA�s and UDFA�s aren�t clear
to track. I tried to limit FA�s to guys who played a significant number of
games over the course of a season, as opposed to guys who were signed for a few
weeks to fill in.� Some UDFA�s may have simply been missed. In other words, take
those aspects of the tables with a grain of salt.
|
Steelers |
R1 |
R2 |
R3 |
R4 |
R5 |
R6 |
R7 |
UDFA |
Success |
|
2000 |
0 |
1 (1) |
0 |
0 |
1 (1) |
0 |
0 |
1 |
2/9 |
|
2001 |
1 (1) |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
3/7 |
|
2002 |
1 (1) |
0 |
0 |
1 |
2 (1) |
0 |
1 (1) |
2 |
5/8 |
|
2003 |
1 (1) |
0 |
0 |
1 (1) |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
3/5 |
|
2004 |
1 (1) |
1 |
1 (1) |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
3/8 |
|
2005 |
1 (1) |
1 (1) |
1 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
3 (1) |
5/8 |
|
2006 |
1 (1) |
0 |
2 (1) |
1 (1) |
0 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
5/9 |
|
Total |
6 (6) |
3 (2) |
4 (2) |
3 (2) |
6 (2) |
3 |
1 (1) |
9 (1) |
26/54 |
|
FA Lost |
1 (1) |
2 (1) |
3 (2) |
0 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
35/54 |
|
FA Signed |
14 (4) |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
18/22 |
|
Ravens |
R1 |
R2 |
R3 |
R4 |
R5 |
R6 |
R7 |
UDFA |
Success |
|
2000 |
1 (1) |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 (1) |
0 |
0 |
2/6 |
|
2001 |
1 (1) |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1/7 |
|
2002 |
1 (1) |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 (1) |
1/10 |
|
2003 |
2 (1) |
0 |
1 |
2 (1) |
2 (1) |
1 |
0 |
0 |
8/11 |
|
2004 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
5/7 |
|
2005 |
1 (1) |
2 |
0 |
1 (1) |
1 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
6/7 |
|
2006 |
1 (1) |
1 |
1 |
2 |
2 (1) |
2 (1) |
0 |
2 |
9/10 |
|
Total |
7 (6) |
4 |
3 |
5 (2) |
6 (2) |
5 (2) |
2 |
5 (1) |
30/58 |
|
FA Lost |
1 (1) |
2 (2) |
1 (1) |
2 (1) |
0 |
4 (1) |
0 |
0 |
40/58 |
|
FA Signed |
20 (6) |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
16/22 |
|
Bengals |
R1 |
R2 |
R3 |
R4 |
R5 |
R6 |
R7 |
UDFA |
Success |
|
2000 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 (1) |
1 |
0 |
2/7 |
|
2001 |
1 (1) |
1 (1) |
0 |
1 (1) |
0 |
0 |
1 (1) |
0 |
4/7 |
|
2002 |
1 (1) |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1/6 |
|
2003 |
1 (1) |
1 (1) |
1 |
1 (1) |
0 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
6/9 |
|
2004 |
1 |
2 (1) |
2 (1) |
2 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
8/11 |
|
2005 |
1 (1) |
1 (1)* |
1 |
1 (1) |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
7/7 |
|
2006 |
1 (1) |
1 (1) |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
10/10 |
|
Total |
6 (5) |
6 (6) |
5 (1) |
6 (3) |
2 |
5 (1) |
6 (1) |
3 |
38/56 |
|
FA Lost |
0 |
2 (2) |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 (1) |
0 |
0 |
43/56 |
|
FA Signed |
13 (8) |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
14/22 |
NOTES:
1. 2005�s second rounder
was O�Dell Thurman. Status is up in the air.
2. Dick LeBeau
is coach from 2000 to 2002.� Surprisingly,
a number of the Bengals core players were taken during that time.
3. Ahmad Brooks is added to
the 2006 draft total. They actually had 9 picks, and all 9 made the team.
|
Patriots |
R1 |
R2 |
R3 |
R4 |
R5 |
R6 |
R7 |
UDFA |
Success |
|
2000 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 (1) |
1 |
0 |
2/10 |
|
2001 |
1 (1) |
1 (1) |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2/10 |
|
2002 |
1 (1) |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2/6 |
|
2003 |
1 (1) |
1 (1) |
0 |
1 (1) |
1 (1) |
0 |
1 (1) |
0 |
5/10 |
|
2004 |
1 (1) |
2 (1) |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
3/8 |
|
2005 |
1 (1) |
0 |
2 (2) |
1 (1) |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
5/7 |
|
2006 |
1 (1) |
1 |
1 |
2 (1) |
1 (1) |
0 |
1 |
1 |
6/10 |
|
Total |
6 (5) |
5 (3) |
3 (2) |
4 (3) |
2 (2) |
1 (1) |
4 (1) |
2 |
25/61 |
|
FA Lost |
0 |
3 (1) |
1 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
34/61 |
|
FA Signed |
19 (9) |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
14/22 |
NOTES:
1. 2003 was an exceptional
draft class. Of the 10 players they took, 8 of them are still in the league.
2. Counted Daniel Graham as
a starter, along with Watson.� Dillon is
listed as a �starter� for �FA Signed,� and Maroney
for the draft picks in 06.
|
Colts |
R1 |
R2 |
R3 |
R4 |
R5 |
R6 |
R7 |
UDFA |
Success |
|
2000 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1/7 |
|
2001 |
1 (1) |
0 |
0 |
1 (1) |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 (1) |
2/7 |
|
2002 |
1 (1) |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1/8 |
|
2003 |
1 (1) |
1 (1) |
0 |
0 |
1 (1) |
1 (1) |
0 |
2 (1) |
4/8 |
|
2004 |
0 |
1 (1) |
1 (1) |
1 (1) |
1 (1) |
1 |
0 |
2 |
5/9 |
|
2005 |
1 (1) |
1 |
0 |
2 (1) |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
5/10 |
|
2006 |
1 (1) |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
2 (1) |
1 |
1 |
6/7 |
|
Total |
6 (5) |
4 (2) |
2 (1) |
4 (3) |
3 (2) |
4 (2) |
1 |
7 (2) |
24/56 |
|
FA Lost |
0 |
2 (2) |
3 |
1 (1) |
0 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
33/56 |
|
FA Signed |
16 (4) |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
19/22 |
NOTES:
1. Tony Dungy was
hired in 2002. Polian has been the GM since the 98
season.
2. It must be noted that,
while 19 of their starters are listed as homegrown, two of those were late rounders or waiver wire guys they picked up from other
teams. They deserve credit for finding them.�
They are Jeff Saturday, and Raheem Brock.
Anthony McFarland is the third guy.
|
Chargers |
R1 |
R2 |
R3 |
R4 |
R5 |
R6 |
R7 |
UDFA |
Success |
|
2000 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0/8 |
|
2001 |
1 (1) |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2/8 |
|
2002 |
1 (1) |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1/8 |
|
2003 |
0 |
2 (2) |
0 |
1 |
1 (1) |
0 |
1 |
4 (1) |
5/8 |
|
2004 |
1 (1) |
1 (1) |
2 (2) |
1 (1) |
1 |
1 |
2 (1) |
0 |
9/11 |
|
2005 |
2 (2) |
1 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
4 |
7/7 |
|
2006 |
1 |
1 (1) |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
4/8 |
|
Total |
6 (5) |
5 (4) |
3 (2) |
4 (1) |
4 (1) |
2 |
4 (1) |
11 (1) |
28/58 |
|
FA Lost |
1 |
3 (2) |
2 (2) |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
38/58 |
|
FA Signed |
15 (7) |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
15/22 |
NOTES:
1. 2004 is an incredible
draft class. Of the 11 players taken, only one is out of the league.
2. Unusual number of UDFA�s. Either this is a result of their website being
easier to read, or they really give them a shot to make the team.
The most frequent complaint
levied against Colbert is his inability to find day-2 talent. As you can see
from the list above, 14 players drafted in R4 or higher remain on the team. 5
of those players are now starters.�
However, the Steelers had a large number of UDFA�s
on the roster. Two of them, Willie Parker and Nate
Washington, made large impacts last season. To put that in perspective, let�s
see how other teams did on day 2 and with free agents:
-
-
-Bengals: 18 (5 starters),
3 UDFA�s (0 starters), 21 in all
-Patriots: 11 (7 starters),
2 UDFA�s (0 starters), 13 in all
-Colts: 11 (7 starters), 7 UDFA�s (2 starters), 18 in all
-Chargers: 14 (3 starters),
11 UDFA�s (1 starter), 25 in all
The figures aren�t
drastically different. The Colts have maybe the most production out of this
group, although fewer of them make up their team altogether. There is little
difference between any of these teams.�
The Patriots are the only team that stands out. They are also the oldest
team of the group, and have depth concerns in the secondary and linebacking corps.
The Stillers clearly fared
well overall. That�s better than the Patriots, and Colts. It�s comparable to
the Ravens and Chargers.� The Bengals are
the standouts here, and that can be explained by the fact that they are a team
that just recently turned over their roster.�
Marvin Lewis dumped off a significant number of players when he came in.
Ironically, he would get rid of some talented players because of their
character.� The Chargers have a
comparable figure when UDFA�s are tossed in, and also
just rebuilt.
The idea that Colbert has
failed on day-2 seems more myth than reality. Colbert has hit consistently over
the years. Outside of 2002, though, it is true that no single draft class
contributed a significant number of players to the team. That doesn�t seem very
different from the other teams on this list, though. The Patriots and Chargers
found a significant number of key players. The Colts are similar to the
Steelers. They lacked a monster year like the Chargers in 04, or the Pats in
03, but they consistently picked up 5 or so players in each draft. The Ravens,
too, average out the same. The Bengals kept most of their draft picks over the
years, and would be the exception.
In the end, most of the
complaints seem overblown. The only team with more starting draft picks is the
Colts. I would say that the Ravens and Chargers have the teams with the
greatest amount of overall talent.� The
Ravens probably did the best consistent drafting over the years, and lost the
most players to free agency.� The
Chargers have stockpiled a great deal of talent in a few draft classes. Then,
the Patriots, Colts and Steelers are the only ones with rings to show for
it.� Each has one in the past three
seasons, obviously. The Bengals have kept the largest number of their own draft
picks, but I would peg them as having the weakest roster. No team is as
imbalanced as they are.� The talent they
are supposed to have consists of a handful of big name players. The rest are
scrubs.� That�s why they�ve been forced
to sign so many FA�s. They lack quality starters across their defense, and
clearly have no depth.
None of this should be very
surprising. Some people have seen fit to overreact to a down season. Some
people want to dismiss motorcycle accidents and retiring head coaches as lame
excuses. It�s become more common to bash every Steelers player and point out
their flaws (some real, some imaginary/exaggerated).� The reality is, all
of these teams have comparable talent levels. They have weaknesses and
strengths.� The truth is, they are one
year removed from a Super Bowl, and the players who won it remain on the team.� They have a number of young guys who already
make up the core of the team, and many more waiting to contribute.