After calling a few of my Steeler buddies and my father, I am a bit upset on how they rated the steelers in this years draft.  Most of them state that our picks were not what was expected nor what we needed.  After trying to explain to them that the quality of players that we needed were not there when the steelers were on the clock we had to make the picks we had.

Rashard Mendenhall was the best player on the board hands down, any one that says anything different just go on youtube and watch this man/boy(he only 20) run over OSU and USC.  He will be much like a M. Barber from the Cowboys got a tough mindset of hitting between the tackles hard. (isnt this willies weakness running between the tackles).  Having willie and Mendenhall should make our line much better this year (as far as running the ball goes).  Also I read about Mendenhall hes got a lot of miles left in him like willie did not really play much until recently so he should be healthy and ready for the physical demands of an NFL running back.  Side note this guy could help us out on special teams as well, returning Kick offs and Punt returns.  Him and Moore as kick returners sounds awesome and only time will tell if it can become one of the best in the league.

Our second pick with Limas Sweed couldn't of been a better choice, he fell to us so we took him.  I personally love the guy he runs hard and  seems to break out of the routs well.  Hopefully tomlin and CO. can keep him in line when he is not on a football field alot of people compare him to Plex which is great but I want him to be compared to Plex as a football player not as a person.  Hopefully he will not turn into the ego head case like Plex.

Davis and HIll are what i would like to call a shine or bust prospect.  Both of them have great physical talent Hill is 6 foot 6 while Davis 6 foot 3 DE which is a bit small for a DE but because of steeler history I think tomlin will move him to a Backer and a 6 foot 3 line back is the ideal size for a line backer in the NFL today.  I do not expect much from them next year, Davis may be a ST head hunter while Hill watches and learn the ropes.  If we do not see Hill this year on OL that means one thing, the steelers starting OL are getting things done.  To all those people out there that think we should of drafted a OL in the first round, why draft someone in the first round if they are not going to be playing this year.  Why reach for a number 8 OL when in reality that person will have to sit out and learn.  I much rather have the OL we have now than make a reach for a OL men that will never see a snap in 2008.  Thus we get a guy like Hill that will take a few years and if everything goes well we can use our future draft picks on other needs in the future. 

With the other picks we made with Dixon, Humpal and Mundy, they were value picks if there is one thing i do not agree with it would be Dixon.  I feel we could of gotten an owen schmit but I knew that it would be unlikly since Tomlin has high hopes for Russell as our Full Back.  The only thing I can think of why pick Dixon is to give us some insurance on the  Sweed pick, because i think Dixon will be converted into a WR.  Dixon himself has nice speed as well as some size thus if the Sweed pick falls through we can develop Dixon into being the next Hines ward, but only bigger and faster. 

Thus I give the steelers an A, not because they drafted the players that they needed but because they refused to reach for anyone that was overvalued at their draft position.  Since the steelers simply took the best players on the board in the first 3 rounds it gives our chance of having a successful draft a closer reality than reaching for some players that we "pray" and hope that they will be successful.

Lastly, for all you BTSC viewers please do not think that the Steelers blew it, much of needs to be tested but do not start doubting our steelers now after what some people call a failed draft just because we did not pick the players we needed.  The steeler simply picked the players that gave them the best chance to have a successful draft which will make our  beloved steelers successful for many years to come during and after the 2008 season.  So let this draft sink in and give it a chance before you decide if this years draft picks were the correct and best choices.