The Pittsburgh Steelers 1st round pick should be...

I think it’s clear whith the retirement of BA, forced or otherwise, the front office (Art Rooney) is saying we have to get better offensively. Specifically, we need more young, capable offensive lineman.

However, I do not think we should reach for an OL. If they are all of equal value as this sceanario suggest then too me, it’s an easy choice.

1. Best offensive guard after David DeCastro from Stanford(Cordy Glenn from Georgia or Brandon Washington from Miami Fla. However, if nose tackle Dontari Poe from Memphis(Sylvester Williams from North Carolina or Alameda Ta’amu from Washington) falls to us at pick 24. He is Steelers nose tackle for next 10 years.

2. either offensive guard or nose tackle not selected in first round.

3. inside linebacker Audie Cole from N.C. State if available

. . . as a 2nd rounder. At least it’s starting to seem that way with the few mocks and bits of analysis I’ve already seen. I have an ESPN Insider account and I don’t think Kiper had anyone taking him, not that his opinion necessarily means anything.

Maybe this is good news.

NFL Draft 2012: Alameda Ta’amu Stock Dropping After Alamo Bowlhttp://seattle.sbnation.com/washington-huskies/2012/1/8/2693159/nfl-draft-2012-alameda-taamu-washington-uw-mock-draft-pick

Excerpt
“Though Ta’amu is projected by many NFL mock drafts to go in the second round, some have him slipping into the third round.”

NT can be manned by Hood or McLendon, DB is not a starter need.

OL is a complete shambles with Gilbert and Colon the only decent OT under contract and desperate need at OG for years running…

He is a beast, and Hamptons 8 million cap hit will force this pick, as we are way over the cap.. As noted this draft year is filled with a deep OL class, and good lineman are to be found later with our wizards in the FO. I would be very surprised if we took a OL in the first with all the talent there is. I would not be surprised if we picked up Barron(SS) as he is a ball hawk (think troy) with ideal size for the Steelers.

The Pittsburgh Steelers 1st round pick should be…the Best Player Available.

Taking the OP’s idea that all three guys are equal (something that can’t happen, by definition, on a draft board), then you take the highest valued position. The OP aggregated the OL, which isn’t the right thing to do since some positions, like LT, are more highly valued than others (RG, for example). So I’d take the LT before I’d take a comparable DT – or trade the pick to someone who needed a LT. It’s the most valued position.

But assuming that players were weighted by position and all was equal, I’d take the DT as it’s the biggest position of need. Casey’s injury is a problem. Casey’s cap number is a major problem and will prevent him from coming back without serious renegotiation of his deal. Hoke isn’t coming back and that leaves McClendon or moving Ziggy to DT. Hence we absolutely need a DT right now.

Sign a solid OG in FA and take another in the 2nd round. Then grab an ILB in the 3rd. And yesterday taught me that we need a bad-ass kicker in this draft too- ha!

the person who is working out the contracts that helps to give us “cap space”. I am not in favor of holding on to our vets who are past their prime and are not producing. We need to get over the sentimentality and thank (respectfully) these vets for what they have done for the organization and release them to find employment elsewhere – if possible. After all, as the saying goes – “it is a business”. We have a lot of “in-house cleaning” that needs to be done. It’s tough – but it NEEDS to be done.

I don’t need to say anything else, just check him out on Yahoo! or Google.