Final 2008 Steelers' Mock Draft Roundup

by cgolden on Apr 25, 2008 9:12 AM EDT in News

The Network problems yesterday was an unfortunate tragedy but if you're like me, my boss was wondering why I was able to get so much work done.

With around 32 hours until draft time, the ‘mock’ season is coming to a close. We’ve seen a near consensus pick (Branden Albert) shoot up draft boards leaving the Steelers with several different options. With all that being said we’ll take one more spin around the mock network.

New Era Scouting recently released their 87 page Draft Preview (April edition). It includes player rankings, positional breakdowns and an insane 7 round mock draft.

1^st Round: Jeff Otah OT Pittsburgh – If he somehow slips to 23, there’s almost no doubt in my mind that he’s the Steelers pick. He’s a bust candidate but his ceiling could be as high as any lineman in the draft.

2^nd Round: Chilo Rachal OG USC – The second best guard in the draft could team up with Otah and both would be starters for years to come. The 6’5 315 pound linemen plays nasty and could be a starter early in his career.

3^rd Round: Kevin Smith RB UCF – This is the only pick that makes me scratch my head a bit. Smith runs hard but isn’t considered a power runner. He’s only 8 pounds heavier than FWP despite being over 3 inches taller. Just for the record, Kendall Langford is still on the board so he’d be my pick.

4^th Round: Jonathan Goff ILB Vanderbilt – The two time defensive captain and All-SEC linebacker started 40 consecutive games at Vandy. Some project his as just a two down run stopper but he’s arguably the best tackler of the LB crop. If the Steelers envision Timmons taking over for Farrior after this season, Goff might be perfect ‘thumper’ compliment.

5^th Round: Mario Urrutia WR Louisville - At over 6’5 Urrutia might make Ben smile but he had a disappointing junior season that left scouts surprised that he left early. The Steelers might be suckered into his comparisons to Plaxico Burress.

6^th Round: Darnell Terrell CB Missouri – The classic ‘upside’ pick, Terrell has the size (6’2 203) and speed (4.46) to be a heck of a player but he’s got the label of a workout warrior who doesn’t always play up to his measurables. He could benefit from some stability though as he’s moved back and forth between safety and cornerback during his collegiate career.

NFL Draft Scout’s Rob Rang updated his mock this morning with two rounds on the books and it's hard to argue with two 'big uglies' in the first two rounds.

1^st Round: Gosder Cherilus OT Boston College – We’ve dissected this guy enough and we know all the varying opinion and reports.

2^nd Round: Dre Moore DT Maryland – Moore would be a DE in the 3-4 considering he’s just over 300 pounds but he made a name for himself with a strong showing at the Senior Bowl after an impressive senior season. His 8.5 sacks were the most for a Maryland defender since Shawne Merriman's 8.5 in 2004.

NFL Draft Scout’s Chad Reuter went above and beyond with a full three rounds. I was ok with each one of these picks individually but in total they don't address either of our biggest needs.

1^st Round: Limas Sweed WR Texas – Ben would do cartwheels and Hines would probably make a public statement but Sweed would give the Steelers a great WR group. At 6’4 he’d be the tallest receiver for the Steelers and his 4.48 speed would team up well with Holmes in the future.

2^nd Round: Matt Forte RB Tulane – Forte is a power runner who could be an impressive goal line threat. We’d all get tired of the inevitable ‘Thunder and Lightening’ references but he’d be a nice change of pace to FWP none the less.

ck 3^rd Round: Tyvon Branch CB UConn – He’s already being touted as a special teams terror and he’s got the size (6’0 204) and speed (4.31) to play anywhere in the secondary. He’s already being looked at by some at safety because he’s a physical player and above average tackler. Like a lot of guys though he’s a workout warrior who doesn’t always play up to his physical skills.

So what do you guys think? Any last minute names you want to throw into the mix or are you like me and just keep asking "is it draft time yet?"

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Comments

The first one...

Does not have the Steelers taking a defensive lineman in any of the six rounds. I am sensing more and more that Tomlin might be focusing in that area as much as any other. He saw, we all saw, how David slayed Goliath in the Super Bowl. Tomlin also said the best way to improve your defensive backfield is to not let the quarterback throw the ball. He also said when you can pressure the quarterback without blitzing great things happen, and he also said we need to get younger and quicker on both lines.

Coaches don’t talk much prior to the draft, yet most of what we’ve gathered from Tomlin has something to do with defensive line. Our ends don’t get pressure. Of course, the 3-4 is different than the 4-3, but we’re not getting younger and we saw what happened when depth was nonexistent at the end of last year.

I’d still like to take one offensive skill guy, two O-line, two D-line and maybe a corner. There’s not a whole lot of argument with that. The million dollar question is, in what sequence? There’s where the arguments come in. The more I am sensing Tomlin, the more I think the D-Line might get the best of that “sequence.”

by maryrose on Apr 25, 2008 9:58 AM EDT reply reply 0 recs

good point rose

They have to take at least one DL and with the Starks signing, I might even go as far to say 2 DL/1 OL.

I’d probably rather take a DL in the second instead of a guard, but I might have too much faith in the group of Colon, Simmons and Chris K. If they were able to get Moore in the second and Langford in the third, they’d be set at DE for a while. They’d also have two guys w/ experience at DT, if they ever wanted to go to a 4-man line in passing situations.

by cgolden on Apr 25, 2008 10:18 AM EDT up reply reply 0 recs

I guess

I’m just ready for it to be here. I’m looking forward to tomorrow. I probably won’t be able to watch it all this weekend, because I have two young kids. But, I plan on recording the whole thing on my DVR and watching it all in the coming days and weeks while I use my treadmill. :) There is little that I enjoy more than listening to or reading discussions about football.

by WolfpackSteelersFan on Apr 25, 2008 10:20 AM EDT reply reply 0 recs

DL or OL

Lets take a quick look at our OL:
LT – M. Smith, T. Essex
LG – W. Colon, C. Kemoatu, S. Mahan
C – N. Hartwig, S. Mahan
RG – K. Simmons, S. Mahan
RT – M. Starks, W. Colon
-With this lineup do you really think we’ll go OL in the first round? Consensus says that G. Cherilus (RT) is going to be the best OL at #23. We have two starting RT’s already and it’s arguably our deepest position along the OL. G. Cherilus is not a LT in the NFL, he struggled at this position in college.

We have needs along our DL at every position. I could see us going DL in the first two rounds. I could also see picking Sweed, because he is a heck of a player, catches everything with his hands and would solidify our receiving core for years to come. N. Washington would be in make or break mode then.

I would love to see us pick J. Stewart if he’s there. Since we have capable linemen, what will protect our quarterback… a great running game!!! Imagine this FWP, Stewart, M. Moore as our RB group with G. Russell to help if injuries occur. We were a very good offensive team until we lost FWP last year. Then we became one dimensional. No team will win when they’re one dimensional.

Tony - Huge Fan in Raleigh

by Tshaff on Apr 25, 2008 10:21 AM EDT reply reply 0 recs

OL problem

The main problem with that OL is that Smith, Starks, Colon, Chris K, and Essex will be unrestricted free agents after this year. Obviously they can’t keep every one of these guys, they’ll have to get at least one young guy who can develop this year with the hope that he’s ready to step and play next year.

by cgolden on Apr 25, 2008 10:30 AM EDT up reply reply 0 recs

Colon

I’m pretty sure Colon will be a RFA next year.

by BadMaafala on Apr 25, 2008 10:47 AM EDT up reply reply 0 recs

but

you’re definitely right that we need to find someone that will hopefully be able to play next year.

by BadMaafala on Apr 25, 2008 10:49 AM EDT up reply reply 0 recs

colon

Yea that sounds right. Forgot he was still on his rookie contract.

by cgolden on Apr 25, 2008 10:52 AM EDT up reply reply 0 recs

Assuming

that Hartwig is enough of an improvement at Center to reduce the number of sacks this year. And, that we were right that Faneca is not as good as years past, meaning Colon replacing him at LG is not as big of a dropoff. If those two things are true, then all of those UFAs are the biggest problem. If those two things are not true, our OL could be worse this year than last. One way or another, it looks like our OL will not have to solid continuity that we want for a couple years.

by WolfpackSteelersFan on Apr 25, 2008 10:56 AM EDT up reply reply 0 recs

Contract situation

The contract situations throw a huge variable in the draft. Great point! My guess is that we’ll address this later in the draft. Think of all the productive Guards in the NFL that have been drafted after round 4.

Tony - Huge Fan in Raleigh

by Tshaff on Apr 25, 2008 11:06 AM EDT up reply reply 0 recs

Sweed

The main concern I would have with taking Sweed is that he may turn into another Plax. We’ll have him for a few years as he develops. He’ll make some contribution, but then he’ll sign a bigger contract than we’re willing to offer because of his size and speed. And, we’ll have to replace him in 4 years.

by WolfpackSteelersFan on Apr 25, 2008 10:26 AM EDT reply reply 0 recs

That's possible

and WR is definitely not a position of need. I highly doubt we’ll go in that direction until later in the draft.

Tony - Huge Fan in Raleigh

by Tshaff on Apr 25, 2008 10:28 AM EDT up reply reply 0 recs

DL

Yeah, there will be several DL’s available from rounds 2-4, and there’s no way we pass on that group. I think maryrose is right about 2 DL’s being a priority. I don’t think 2 OL’s are a priority, but if the right ones are there, we could use the help. I sincerily doubt that we pick OL in the first unless one of the top 5 guys is available, which is even less likely after the Long signing.

This is how I think it will play out:
1. If a top 5 OL isn’t there, trade down or take BPA.
2. If no OL with our first pick, draft OL in the second (Collins, Pollack, and others are a nice value pocket here). If we get OL early, look at the second group of DT’s: Sims, Laws, Moore. Also look for CB’s King or Cason if they fall.
3-4: If we haven’t addressed DL, look for values in this range like Bryant, Rubin, Hayden, Langford, etc. Also look at LB’s if we didn’t draft Mayo or Groves. There could be some decent CB’s here as well. Orlando Scandrick is either Ike Taylor or Colclough, but would be worth a pick in the 4-5 range.
5-6: look for DL depth that fell, LB’s depth/ST, RB/FB

I like Sweed, btw, and if we take a WR in the first, I hope it’s him. He’s big and fast and has a longer track record than most.

by BadMaafala on Apr 25, 2008 10:44 AM EDT reply reply 0 recs

Trade down in first round

I would love to see us trade down in the first round and get a couple more round 2’s or a later first round. Let’s hope that C. Long goes #2 and Dorsey goes #3 because Ryan will then go #8 to the Ravens. Then we will have Atlanta looking for a QB and they have three 2nd round picks, not to mention other teams knowing ATL still needs a QB and wanting to make a move.

Say we trade down into round 2 and then have three 2nd round picks getting guys like: Dre Moore, Q. Groves (who I love), Pollack, Laws, M. Harrison.

Tony - Huge Fan in Raleigh

by Tshaff on Apr 25, 2008 11:02 AM EDT reply reply 0 recs

I have heard that Falcons may

trade from 3 up to 2 to get Dorsey. That may make it less likely for them to trade up for another QB. But, there should be enough teams interested in a second round QB to have some trade partners. The Lions, Bears, Panthers, and Falcons could all possibly be interested in moving up.

by WolfpackSteelersFan on Apr 25, 2008 11:17 AM EDT up reply reply 0 recs

I know there was another team or two, but I was too lazy to look it up.

by WolfpackSteelersFan on Apr 25, 2008 11:18 AM EDT up reply reply 0 recs

Sleeper RBs

Hey, just thought I’d highlight a couple potential “sleeper” picks that may be a good fit for us as a late round pick or FA.
We all would love to have another “Bus” type of player and I’ve noticed a few of these bigger backs that no one seems to be mentioning. The first is Lex Hilliard out of Montana. He’s a high energy, short yardage back who can also block. NFLdraftscout.com says he “is a sure thing in short-yardage situations.” Kregg Lumpkin from Georgia is another power back with some explosiveness, who also has decent hands. Finally, Jerome Felton, a fullback/tailback tweener whom NFLdraftscout.com likens to Bettis, but quicker. At 6-0 247, his straightline speed isn’t jaw dropping (4.75 40), but he has the strength to move the pile with the quickness to bounce a run outside.

by manonthemoon on Apr 25, 2008 4:10 PM EDT reply reply 0 recs

Mock invloving trade with ATL and real prospects we've been eyeing

First if all the trade and why:

Pittsburgh trades #23 overall to Atlanta for 37 & 68 overall. The trade is equal value, so any arguments stating either side is getting ripped off are irrelevant. It makes total sense for Pittsburgh because we see no value at that pick. We don’t have an immediate need and it is becoming very apparent that the best tackles for their value will be gone (Bradon Albert, Jeff Otah, Ryan Clady, & Chris Williams). Gosder Cherilus is a 2nd rounder plus there is better talent in the pool. Lastly for Pittsburgh is our guy will still be there in the early 2nd to go along with our extra 3rd rounder. This draft is weak in first round talent and deep in the 2nd and 3rd round. For Atlanta it makes total sense. They possess four of the top 48 picks and 8 of the top 138. They have major buying power and moving up in the first to take a receiver or corner that won’t be on the same level as guys available after the 33rd pick, plus they still get the QB they want at #34(3rd overall in the 2nd). Atlanta comes away with Chris Long or Glenn Dorsey, Limas Sweed, and Brian Brohm…not bad.

Let’s post the Steeler’s Mock and get some reactions and insight.

2nd Round

37(ATL) Dan Connor ILB Penn State

Tell me if you think we are interested. The man won the Bednarik Trophy and is rated as the best tackler ever out of Linebacker U. I like his instincts on tape. Not bad for a 2nd rounder. I’ve seen Jerrod Mayo slip out of the first so drafting Connor here is definatley a possibility.

#53 Chilo Rachal G USC

This guy is a serious talent, he didn’t allow a sack or hurry the entire season last year. He is coming out as a Junior due to a medical condition of his mother. If he had stayed he probably would be an easy first rounder next year.

3rd Round

68(ATL) Cliff Avril DE/LB Purdue

Typical 3-4 guy and he has come to town to visit. He is an athlete and very similar to Purdue’s Shawn Philips. Read the April 4th post.

88 Jerome Simpson WR Coastal Carolina

Big Ben got $100 million this off season, do you think he is going to get $100 million and a first rounder? This guy is a freak. 11 inch hands

4th Round

123 Kendall Langford DE Hampton

This guy has NFL size and we could use some depth on the line. He is supposedly one of the top small school players in the draft. Wasting a 2nd rounder on Ricardo Colclough a small school guy was major risk reward and we lost. Picking a small school guy in the 4th has value.

5th Round

156 Kirk Barton OT Ohio State
We need depth at line and a tackle from the Big Ten is always nice. Tressell spoke very highly of his character, something we like in Pittsburgh. He started almost all 4 years at one of the best all around college football programs in the country.

6th Round

188 Jerome Felton FB Furman

I love this guy. He is a young bus. He is listed as a fullback but he can carry the rock. He is smart too, he was taking college courses in the 7th grade and turned down a scholarship to Duke. His bio is almost as impressive as his runs, and he can block.

Now this is a realistic Mock that fits the Steelers’ style. A very realistic scenario, my trade was a gamble ,in time we will tell. Although I would be delighted with this scenario.

by TheCommish on Apr 25, 2008 9:40 PM EDT reply reply 0 recs

welcome!

What a first post. I really like your thought process and REALLY hope we’re able to trade up tomorrow afternoon.

If there’s a potential partner out there, I agree, it is Atlanta. We’ve discussed this possibilty for a couple of months. Thanks for the links to some of these guys. I would say that this is ceratinly a very reasonable, realisitc scenario for us tomorrow. Kirk Barton in particular intrigues me, and is someone I hadn’t heard much about or paid much attention to.

I hope you join me/us tomorrow for my live blogging of this. Should be fun.

by Blitzburgh on Apr 26, 2008 12:10 AM EDT up reply reply 0 recs