View topic - Too early to talk draft?

[JumboHeadYouks Profile]

I am assuming we cannot pull a miracle and trade up like we did for Troy.. would like to grab Ray-Ray from USC... That being said...after watching Foote, I would not mind seeing any of these three..

James Laurinaitis
William Moore
Michael Johnson

[Steel_Buckeye Profile]

I would love to see the "Animal" (Laurinaitis), well, becaue I am a BigTen homer and a MAC alumni! But seriously, I'm sick of the experts saying the BIG 10 and smaller conferences are trash compared to the SEC and BIG 12. In the pro's, lets take a look at who made the big plays in SBXLIII!

J. Harrison - Kent St. (MAC)
B. Roethlisberger - Miam of Ohio (MAC)
S. Holmes - Ohio State University (Big 10)
L. Woodley - Michigan (Big 10)

K. Warner - some small school in IOWA??
L. Fitzgerald - Pitt (BIG EAST)

Now I know Ward is from the SEC and Boldin went to FLorida State, but the the main "playas" on the biggest stage in football were very well represented from the mid-west!

[JumboHeadYouks Profile]

DOT the I's in Laurinaitis!

Dot the I's baby! After Santonio's performance I love me some THE Ohio State!

[McLovin Profile]

McLovin loves the draft enthusiasm...but have you been watching the OL this year?
2 OT's who could be within range in 1st round
Michael Oher LT ol' Miss--trade up
Ebon Britton LT Arizona

Center a deep position--get one in rd 2
Alex Mack Cal--first round
Eric Wood Louisville
Max Unger Oregon
Antoine Caldwell Alabama
Some dude out of Arkansas Mayock likes

MLB a deep group don't need to burn #1 pick to get 1...can get Jasper Brinkley or Scott Mckillop in mid rounds. Darry Beckwith intriguing out of LSU.

[thesteelhammer Profile]

I agree with McLovin.

Got to go O-line in the first 2 rounds.

[darthsteel Profile]

first 3-4 should be oline if its a deep draft.

[Steel Holiday Profile]

I would love to get Animal #2 or Ray-Ray, but Pitt would likely have to move up in round 1. Given the current roster status such a move isn't likely.

McLovin makes good points about the O-line... I like Tony Hills at least somewhat, and believe he will have something to offer at some point next season. Absolutely, 100%, the Steelers need some new blood though. Scouts should be looking for guys who are athletic, move feet well, are relentless, and can understand that blocking for Ben can be unlike protecting other QBs because of his pocket capabilities.

Jasper Brinkley is an intriguing prospect. I remember watching him towards the end of the 06 college season and thinking that he would make a nice pick. If he had gone pro there was every chance his stock would have climbed until he was chosen. He stayed, got injured the next year, and then hasn't gotten the respect he's due. Despite his age, 24 to start next season, he could make for a good thumper in the middle.

Because we are still yet to see what free agency leaves the Steelers with, speculation is difficult. Cb, Ol, and Dl all look to potentially need attention.

edit: edited for editing purposes

[Steelhope Profile]

OL.......FIX IT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[El Nino Profile]

im gonna be pissed if we dont address o-line in rd 1 or 2.

sure we won the sb, but i've seen ben get hit way too many times for my liking. we need to upgrade the o-line and protect our 100 million dollar qb

[hschultz Profile]

clearly we get 2 OL and 1 DL in the first 3 rounds. No way Oher is there (he might go top 10), but we have a shot at Britton at 1.32 (some drafts have him going as high as 1.20/1.21), so it's no gimme.

I also think we can pick up a quality C in either the 2nd or 3rd, so it wouldn't surprise me if we went DL with 2.32.

[thesteelhammer Profile]

Never too early to talk draft

Here's one:
http://www.profootballweekly.com/PFW/NFLDraft/Draft+Extras/2008/mock2329.htm

32. Pittsburgh Steelers
C Max Unger / Oregon

The Steelers’ most glaring hole is on the offensive line. What better way to improve than select a five-position player who can be plugged in at any spot? Unger’s versatility could potentially bring him off the draft board in the first round, especially once the elite OT talent clears out early.

Here's what PFW lists as our needs (I agree with the first 2) :

Pittsburgh Steelers

OT — OLT Marvel Smith missed most of this season with a back injury and has finished the last two campaigns on injured reserve. Also, ORT Willie Colon has struggled in pass protection in his two seasons as a starter.

OG — Neither OLG Chris Kemoeatu nor ORGs Darnell Stapleton and Kendall Simmons played exceptionally well this season.

NT — The Steelers don’t have any pressing concerns about the play of NTs Casey Hampton and Chris Hoke, but finding a young run stuffer to groom behind the veterans might be on their offseason to-do list.

http://www.profootballweekly.com/PFW/NFLDraft/Draft+Extras/2008/needs011209.htm

[thesteelhammer Profile]

Don Banks Mock has us taking :

G Duke Robinson Oklahoma Sr. 6-5 335
The Steelers offensive line didn't keep them from making the Super Bowl, but upgrades are still required. Robinson is a big body who plays equally well in pass protection and the run game. Pittsburgh needs to protect Ben Roethlisberger better, and its running game took a step back this season too.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/don_banks/01/22/mock3/index.html

3 OT's off the board in top 10 picks
4th at 21.

[KYSteelersFan Profile]

OL HAS to be fixed. For all the talk of them protecting Ben when it counted, the run game is still a big problem. We got lucky as hell that it didnt come back to haunt us in the end. We lost 2 touchdowns thanks to it.

The big problem is last year the OL had high demand in the draft. I suspect this years will be the same way. But damn there has to be more than a few guys we can pick up to do some premium blocking for Willie P.

[IronCityPsycho Profile]

With the 32nd pick in the 2009 NFL draft. The Pittsburgh Steelers will pick William Beatty, OT, Connecticut.

Hyped by Running Back Donald Brown. Beatty's luster may be propelled by the excellent running back he helped become the NCAA's leading rusher.

A decent first round pick. But I don't see the Steelers taking him at 1:32. Look for BPA to be taken, whomever that may be.

[Teegre Profile]

R1 - OL
R2 - OL
R3 - OL
R4 - OL
R5 - OL
R6 - OL
R7 - OL

Really though, I do not see any LT dropping to #32. I know that Jordan Gross will be vastly overpaid, but he would be my #1 priority, were I Pittsburgh's GM. Think about it this way: would you rather spend $12 million to sign 3 mediocre players (e.g. Kemo, Colon, Essex) or $12 million to sign the premier LT in the league (i.e. Gross)?
In my opinion...
1 top-tier player > 3 scrubs

That said, assuming the Gross is not signed...
Again, I do not see a LT worthy of the 32nd pick.
Duke Robinson will also be gone.
And, while Mack & Unger are possibilities, but I do not think that they are all that much better than Eric Wood (who would be available in R3).

Also, DE is an aging position. And, Fili Moala was almost unblockable at the Senior Bowl.

With no LT available, Duke being gone, and the OC class being strangely deep this year, I propose the following:
R1 - Fili Moala, DE, USC
R2 - Jamon Meredith, OT, South Carolina
R3 - Eric Wood, OC, Louisville
R3* - OG

*(comp pick for Alan Faneca)

[McLovin Profile]

Really though, I do not see any LT dropping to #32. I know that Jordan Gross will be vastly overpaid, but he would be my #1 priority, were I Pittsburgh's GM. Think about it this way: would you rather spend $12 million to sign 3 mediocre players (e.g. Kemo, Colon, Essex) or $12 million to sign the premier LT in the league (i.e. Gross)?
In my opinion...
1 top-tier player > 3 scrubs

That said, assuming the Gross is not signed...
Again, I do not see a LT worthy of the 32nd pick.
Duke Robinson will also be gone.
And, while Mack & Unger are possibilities, but I do not think that they are all that much better than Eric Wood (who would be available in R3).

Also, DE is an aging position. And, Fili Moala was almost unblockable at the Senior Bowl.

With no LT available, Duke being gone, and the OC class being strangely deep this year, I propose the following:
R1 - Fili Moala, DE, USC
R2 - Jamon Meredith, OT, South Carolina
R3 - Eric Wood, OC, Louisville
R3* - OG

*(comp pick for Alan Faneca)

We all know that Colbert isn't going to sign a franchise LT in Free agency so give up that pipe dream. He could sign an AVERAGE RT in John Stincomb and put the worst RT in football on the bench or on the streets.
Again McLovin still basking in Super Bowl and has not done all of his research yet for the draft. McLovin DVR'd senior bowl practices and watched all Path to the drafts so far that's about all as Super Bowl coverage took enough time away from the future Mrs. McLovin.

The Steelers NEED a franchise OT...they do not need projects like Beatty from UCONN or Meredith from SC. They've struck out on enough of those types in Starks, Colon, Essex, and maybe Hills. If we can agree that Michael Oher and Ebon Britton are the 4th and 5th ranked LT's respectively, then McLovin wants to try to sell you on the idea that Colbert will in fact trade up for one of those 2 LTs this year. The main reason is based on the assumption that the Steelers will have comp picks this year. He can trade the Steelers own 3rd round pick and move up a few spots to get a OT that he has targeted. He did this with Santonio Holmes as he slid down the board in the draft immediately following the Steelers last victory in Super Bowl XL. Colbert knew he was a WR away from possible Super Bowl repeat so he traded up and picked the sliding Holmes. This year, Steelers an AVERAGE offensive line away from a repeat. To say that the 4th or 5th best OT in the draft is capable of starting is a reach, but would you really miss Max Starks? McLovin sees Starks sticking around 1 more yr as stop gap for the #1 pick...anyway...It can be done...Sam Baker started for Falcons all year at LT...Marcus McNeill a 2nd round pick for the Chargers was an immediate starter as a rookie.

McLovin always a fan of BPA, but this year the OL is so bad he looks for Colbert to target an OT in the first round of the draft and upgrade the center position with the second pick in the draft with Eric Wood who WON'T be there in round 3 based on grades he was given at Senior Bowl practices. Center and MLB very deep this year and look for Steelers to find an eventual successor for James Farrior with Darry Beckwith, Jasper Brinkley, or Scott McKillop beginning in the 3rd round. As for DL Filli Maola, he is a 2nd round talent as well. Peria Jerry from Ol' Miss and BJ Raji were the DL stars at the Senior Bowl. Only Peria Jerry has a shot a dropping into the 20's of the 1st round. McLovin likes him a lot. He dominated in big wins against Florida and Texas Tech. McLovin sees the need for a successor to Hampton, but it won't be there at pick 32 and if you target a player to trade up for its done to shore up your teams biggest weakness and that is clearly the OL.

[Rocket Rashard Profile]

Wow, those are some bad picks.

1st round - Alex Mack or Phil Loadholt. I like Beatty a lot, but he wouldn't be ready to contribute much his first year. The boy needs to put on about 15 pounds of muscle, first, but he has as much talent as any LT prospect. Oher has been dropping after an uneven season and Senior Bowl. I've seen him projected in the 20s now by some. If he drops far enough, I say we make a play for him in Rd. 1.

[McLovin Profile]

Wow, those are some bad picks.

1st round - Alex Mack or Phil Loadholt. I like Beatty a lot, but he wouldn't be ready to contribute much his first year. The boy needs to put on about 15 pounds of muscle, first, but he has as much talent as any LT prospect. Oher has been dropping after an uneven season and Senior Bowl. I've seen him projected in the 20s now by some. If he drops far enough, I say we make a play for him in Rd. 1.

Bad picks? Phil Loadholt is a 2nd-3rd round developmental prospect (also strictly a RT) at best and that's after a good showing at the Senior Bowl. Haven't you guys seen enough mid-round lineman underachieve? Good of you to quote Mike Mayoch and say Beatty needs to add 20 pounds. The part you didn't quote from Mayoch was that Beatty is a project who will need at least 2 yrs before he is a starter. Colbert has missed on these types with, Essex, Starks, Colon, and maybe Hills. It's time to focus on ELITE first round talent and the only 2 OTs SO FAR (its way early for draft talk) that can fall into the 20's of the first round are Oher and Britton. Colbert has proven he WILL trade up for a player he likes. Holmes the case in point after last Super Bowl win.
As for Alex Mack...Kiper has him as our first pick. Don't listen to that guy Rocket. This is a deep draft and you can get a center with that last pick in round 2 and since you like Mayoch so much you'll know that Eric Wood is his top ranked center. Steelers lucky to get a player of his calibur but if you don't like him plenty of good centers this year...Unger, Luigis, Caldwell, hell even Shipley out of Penn St. a brawler. All of these guys can be had in 2-3rd round and would EASILY replace Hartwig within a year.
What's wrong with finding a future replacement for Farrior? Hell Mill hates the guy so he would love getting a big, fast LB like Darry Beckwith, or a 260pd thumper like Jasper Brinkley. Even McKillop of Pitt is a throwback tackler who would look good playing along Timmons in the middle some day! Bad picks??? McLovin thinks not

[El Nino Profile]

some of those mock drafts i don't think are going to pan out anything close to that. like the chiefs picking a qb with their 1r pick? i thought tyler thigpen had a shaky start but really started to come into his own late in the season. those guys need to spend picks on defense which has been absolutely terrible. even if thigpen managed to have a good game, they'd lose because the defense is allowing 30+ points a game. if they spend a 1r on any offensive player besides a lineman, it will probably be a RB. larry johnson has had off the field issues and hasn't been in good standing with the front office. they're going to be looking to trade him

[McLovin Profile]

some of those mock drafts i don't think are going to pan out anything close to that. like the chiefs picking a qb with their 1r pick? i thought tyler thigpen had a shaky start but really started to come into his own late in the season. those guys need to spend picks on defense which has been absolutely terrible. even if thigpen managed to have a good game, they'd lose because the defense is allowing 30+ points a game. if they spend a 1r on any offensive player besides a lineman, it will probably be a RB. larry johnson has had off the field issues and hasn't been in good standing with the front office. they're going to be looking to trade him

McLovin agrees Nino it's just too early for draft talk but McLovin does enjoy it. McLovin doesn't even look at mocks until April and even then forms his own opinions based on watching a ton of college football. This is just general line of thinking stuff. McLovin believes OL is HUGE weakness and needs to be addressed hopefully with top 2 picks. The actual players are kind of speculation right now since the combine hasn't even happened yet. Right now McLovin just going off watching Senior Bowl practices and the game itself. All we can do is identify areas of weakness...OL, DL, maybe DB if McFadden goes, maybe find MLB to groom behind Farrior etc.