Five Different Draft Scenarios

Well I do this a couple times a year after the Steelers are eliminated from the playoffs. I will post five different drafts and make a poll and you guys will vote on your favorite one. I am assuming we get two 7th round compensatory picks because that is what everything I have read is assuming.

Scenario 1

No Trades - Stay put and pick BPA

In this scenario they make no trades and take what falls to them. Paige-Moss was a 1st round prospect entering the year but after an awful year, his stock is in the toilet. However he still has the potential to be an elite pass rusher and maybe, just maybe, James Harrison can motivate him to get him to reach his full potential. If not, you cut him after camp. It is worth the risk.

Round 1 Pick 24: Peter Konz, OG/OC, Wisconsin

Round 2 Pick 24: Alameda Ta'amu, NT, Washington

Round 3 Pick 24: Amini Silatolu, OG/OT, Midwestern State

Round 4 Pick 24: Chris Marve, ILB, Vanderbilt

Round 5 Pick 24: Harrison Smith, FS, Notre Dame

Round 6 Pick 24: Caleb Sturgis, K, Florida

Round 7 Pick 24: Donte Paige-Moss, DE/OLB, North Carolina

Round 7 Compensatory: Derek Moye, WR, Penn State

Round 7 Compensatory: Austin Davis, QB, Southern Miss

Scenario 2

Trade up in round 1 with Arizona Cardinals - Round 1 Pick 13 and Round 6 Pick 13 for Round 1 Pick 24 and Round 2 Pick 24

In this scenario the Steelers make a big move to get David DeCastro by jumping the Dallas Cowboys. They decide they want two new starting guards and take Edwards, who had an awesome year this year. Fangupo has a ton of potential at the NT and could replace Hampton in the future. He is the only NT in the draft class with some pass rushing skills. They get Harnish as the backup QB of the future and Powell, Dye, and Rainey all have loads of potential. I like Powell because of his versatility. He, like Paige-Moss, came into the year as a 1st/2nd round prospect but had a sub-par year. He can also play DT in 4 down sets. Dye is a big hitter who just needs to learn the position. In this scenario, the Steelers wait until round 7 to get a kicker and get the 2nd best kicker in the class.

Round 1 Pick 13: David DeCastro, OG, Stanford

Round 3 Pick 24: Lonnie Edwards, OG, Texas Tech

Round 4 Pick 24: Hebron Fangupo, NT, BYU

Round 5 Pick 24: Chandler Harnish, QB, Northern Illinois

Round 6 Pick 24: Tydreke Powell, DT/DE, North Carolina

Round 7 Pick 24: Randy Bullock, K, Texas A&M

Round 7 Compensatory: Tony Dye, S, UCLA

Round 7 Compensatory: Chris Rainey, RB/WR/KR, Florida

Scenario 3

Trade back in round 1 and up in round 2

Trade Round 1 Pick 24 and Round 5 Pick 24 to the Baltimore Ravens for Round 1 Pick 30 and Round 3 Pick 30

Trade 2013 2nd round pick and Round 3 Pick 24 to the Minnesota Vikings for Round 2 Pick 3

This scenario involves lots of wheeling and dealing and a trade with a rival. However, the Ravens are going to covet Vontaze Burfict and might be willing to move up to get him. The Steelers then take Barron in round 1 to groom as the safety of the future. They double dip on the OL in round 2 and get two franchise guards. In round 7 they take a chance on the injured Omar Bolden. Bolden came into the season as a possible 1st round pick but tore his ACL. He excels in man coverage and if he can work out at the combine, might be a 5th round pick. If not, he will be lucky to get picked. However, the Steelers can afford to be patient with him and let him develop. He has the potential to be a #1 corner in the league. Nassib is a good QB that does not have much potential to become a starter but he should be a good backup that can be trusted to take care of the ball.

Round 1 Pick 30: Mark Barron, S, Alabama

Round 2 Pick 3: Kelechi Osemele, OT/OG, Iowa State

Round 2 Pick 24: Kevin Zeitler, OG, Wisconsin

Round 3 Pick 30: Audie Cole, ILB, N.C. State

Round 4 Pick 24: Hebron Fangupo, NT, BYU

Round 6 Pick 24: Caleb Sturgis, K, Florida

Round 7 Pick 24: Omar Bolden, CB, Arizona State

Round 7 Compensatory: Ryan Nassib, QB, Syracuse

Round 7 Compensatory: Chris Rainey, RB/WR/KR, Florida

Scenario 4

Trade Mike Wallace, Round 2 Pick 24 and 2013 3rd round pick to Jacksonville for Round 1 Pick 7, Round 4 Pick 7, and 2013 Round 6 Pick

In this scenario the Steelers make a blockbuster trade to move up to #7 and keep their #24 pick. At #7 they select a franchise LT in Jonathan Martin. With Max Starks health a ?, they might think a LT is needed. I think our OL would be Martin/Konz/Pouncey/Gilbert/Colon, which would make our OL go from one of the worst in the league to potentially, one of the best. In the 4th round they take two potential starters in Taylor and Fangupo. I described Fangupo above, but Taylor is an athletic, hard-hitting safety with good ball skills. He could play ST while being groomed by Ryan Clark and Troy Polamalu. In the 5th round, the Steelers take burner Joe Adams to attempt to replace Mike Wallace. With the compensatory picks, the Steelers try and improve the H-Back position and add a RB to the mix in case Mendenhall can't be back for next year.

Round 1 Pick 7: Jonathan Martin, OT, Stanford

Round 1 Pick 24: Peter Konz, OG/OC, Wisconsin

Round 3 Pick 24: Audie Cole, ILB, N.C. State

Round 4 Pick 7: Brandon Taylor, FS, LSU

Round 4 Pick 24: Hebron Fangupo, NT, BYU

Round 5 Pick 24: Joe Adams, WR/KR, Arkansas

Round 6 Pick 24: Caleb Sturgis, K, Florida

Round 7 Pick 24: Omar Bolden, CB, Arizona State

Round 7 Compensatory: Philip Lutzenkirchen, FB/TE/H-back, Auburn

Round 7 Compensatory: Andre Ellington, RB, Clemson

Scenario 5:

1st and 3rd round tender for Mike Wallace and another team signs him despite of this (I think the Jaguars have the combination of cap space and desperate need for a #1 WR to make this move) - Trade 2013 Jaguars 1st Round Pick and Round 3 Pick 24 to Dallas Cowboys for Round 1 Pick 14 and Round 5 Pick 17

In this scenario the Steelers tender Mike Wallace but can't work out a deal and the Jaguars claim him. The Steelers get the Jaguars 1st and 3rd round picks which gives them the versatility to trade in the 1st round. They make a deal with the Cowboys by giving up the #1 pick that the Jags gave them to get Wallace and in the 1st round the Steelers get DeCastro and a franchise #1 WR to replace Wallace. Sanu is the best route runner in the class, has 4.4 speed, and incredible hands. The Steelers take Massie in round 5, who is a swing tackle prospect that projects as a very good backup tackle with starting potential. With Starks questionable to be healthy by next year, adding a tackle in the middle rounds would make sense. The Steelers also take Lindsay and Martin, who are both 4-3 prospects that excel in the pass rush. They would be able to pair Lindsay and Martin with McClendon and Hood to create a 4 down linemen set and give Dick Lebau another option. That pairing would likely be used on passing downs with Timmons, Woodley, and Harrison at the LB spots. How lethal would that be?

Round 1 Pick 14: David DeCastro, OG, Stanford

Round 1 Pick 24: Mohammed Sanu, WR, Rutgers

Round 2 Pick 24: Alameda Ta'amu, NT, Washington

Round 4 Pick 24: Chris Marve, ILB, Vanderbilt

Round 5 Pick 17: Bobby Massie, OT, Mississippi

Round 5 Pick 24: Brandon Lindsay, DE, Pittsburgh

Round 6 Pick 24: Mike Martin, DT, Michigan

Round 7 Pick 24: Omar Bolden, CB, Arizona State

Round 7 Compensatory: D.C. Jefferson, TE, Rutgers

Round 7 Compensatory: Randy Bullock, K, Texas A&M