FanPost

The draft is it



I am now forced to do what I hate most, rooting against my beloved Steelers. With all hopes for the playoffs dashed by another late game meltdown, this time to the lowly Raiders, I need them to lose the rest of the season so that we can cement a top 10 pick in next years draft. It's painfully evident that we need an upgrade at corner as well as safety. Tyrone Carter is great in run support but has become a complete liability in pass coverage. With Troy P. missing at least a handful of games every year it's become very important that we find someone who can fill in when he's MIA due to injury. I've stated this several times in differnt posts as well as in my weekly mock draft but as of now this is our dire immediate need. Also, Willie Gay is definitelty not getting the job done either. Not only is he giving huge cushins to opposing receivers but he's also not playing physical at all. And if that weren't enough, he's being eluded on a constant basis due to him taking poor angles on tackles. In my opinion there are only three players we should be focusing on this upcoming draft.

1. Eric Berry Safety, Tennessee

Everyone wants Eric Berry. Not only myself but every draft pundit you hear, including Mel Kiper and Todd McShay of ESPN, have said that Berry is an absolute stud and top player of this draft. He's drawing comparisons to Ed Reed, which is just about the best compliment a safety can get. Berry is a nightmare for oppsoing QB's. College teams don't even throw in his direction. He's got a nose for the ball and is a serious threat to take a pick back to the house every time. And if that weren't enough, he also loves dropping his shoulder to lay out punishing hits. Eric Berry should be every Steeler fans WET DREAM pick. Unfortunately, Eric Berry is also everyone elses dream pick as well. He's an almost lock to go in the top 5. So even if we do lose out the rest of the season the Steelers will have to trade up to get him. If the cost isn't too great I say he's worth it. If we lose out and end up draft somewhere between pick 8-10 it would probably cost us our 3rd and 5th rounders. If we win even a couple more games though the cost may become too great for the Steelers to consider.

2. Joe Hayden Cornerback, Florida

Hayden is by no means just a consolation prize in the event that we don't land Berry. He's a true shutdown corner and the unquestioned cream of this years cornerback crop. Hayden has solid size at about 6' and 190 lbs., great speed, and plays physical. Oh and he's also a ballhawk, which is something the Steelers haven't seen in a corner since Rod Woodson. He could start immediately and slide Willie Gay into the nickel slot and into a permanant position onto our special teams. If we lost the remaining games on our schedule we should be into a position where we wouldn't have to trade up to get him, as many feel he could go somewhere between picks 8-14.

3. Morgan Burnett Safety, Georgia Tech

Probably the most realistic option for the Steelers is Burnett. He could go anywhere in the later half of the first round, between 15-32. He's a great all around defender with good size, speed, hands, and run-stopping ability. He could fill-in for Troy when he's hurt and be the eventual successor to Ryan Clark.

In the event that none of these players are available when the Steelers draft it would probably be in the teams best interest to trade out of the first round. This is going to be a very deep draft with plenty of value picks in the second round. If we could add another 2nd round pick we could be in a position to draft someone like Virginia CB/FS Ras-I dowling, Bamas' Javier Arenas, or Kentucky's Trevard Lindley and still get a quality safety like South Florida's Nate Allen or Georgia's Reshad Jones.

The opinions shared here are not those of the editorial staff of Behind the Steel Curtain or SB Nation. These posts are not approved in any way by the editorial staff of this web site.