Analyzing the Steelers 2008 Draft
by seton hall and steelers on Feb 10, 2012 5:45 PM EST
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PrintRound 1 (23) - Rashard Mendenhall, RB, Illinois - Grade: B
Other Possible Selections: Chris Johnson, Duane Brown, Kenny Phillips, Brandon Flowers, Matt Forte, DeSean Jackson,
Round 2 (53) - Limas Sweed, WR, Texas - Grade: F------
Other Possible Selections: Ray Rice, Terrell Thomas, Jamaal Charles
Round 3 (88) - Bruce Davis, LB, UCLA: Grade: F-----
Other Possible Selections: Jermichael Finley, Cliff Avril, Mario Manningham, Red Bryant
Round 4 (130) - Tony Hills, OT, Texas - Grade: F
Other Possible Selections: Josh Sitton, Brandon Carr, Tim Hightower
Round 5 (156) - Dennis Dixon, QB, Oregon - Grade: F
Other Possible Selections: Carl Nicks, Jonathan Goff
Round 6 (188) - Mike Humpal, OLB, Iowa - Grade: D
Other Possible Selections: Ahtyba Rubin, Pierre Garcon, Matt Flynn, Peyton Hillis,
Round 6 (194) - Ryan Mundy, FS, West Virginia - Grade B+
Draft Grade: D
This was a terrible, terrible draft. Had Colbert done a good job on this draft, we would have at least one more Super Bowl and probably more. There was soooooooooo much talent available in every round we picked and other than Mundy, there was a better pick to make at every spot. The only two picks that worked out at all were Mendenhall and Mundy.
Pro Bowlers: 1 (Mendenhall)
Contributors: 2 (Mundy, Dixon)
Failures/Wasted Picks: 4 (Sweed, Davis, Hills, Humpal)
Dream Draft (How much does it hurt reading this?)
Round 1: Ray Rice, RB
Round 2: Terrell Thomas, CB
Round 3: Mario Manningham, WR
Round 4: Brandon Carr, CB
Round 5: Carl Nicks, OG
Round 6: Matt Flynn, QB
Round 6: Ryan Mundy, FS
Oh how good we would be with the most versatile RB in the game, two lockdown corners, a slot WR, the best OG in the game and a valuable trade chip in Matt Flynn.
Flynn would have gotten to play in spot starts all those times Ben got hurt and had he done as well as he did in spot starts for Rodgers, we would have been able to trade him before the start of this past season for a 2nd or 3rd round pick.
Dear Kevin Colbert,
I love you and you are a great GM and drafter, but this was a complete and epic failure. Total failure. If an outsider looks at your draft here and not the team name, they would mistake us for the Cleveland Browns and that is an utter embarassment. Please never do something this awful again.
Sincerly,
Adam
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Mendenhall should be a B+ at least.
"If you havin' dragon problems I feel bad for you son, I got 99 arrows but my knee took one."
He would have been if not for the incredible amount of talent we past up on there
There were four RBs we could have taken there that are better than Mendenhall (Johnson, Rice, Forte, and Charles)
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by seton hall and steelers on Feb 10, 2012 5:53 PM EST up reply actions
I like Rice better
but I prefer Mendy to the other two. Yes I know they were very successful but I like Mendy better.
anyone trying to contact me via my yahoo account should be aware it has been hacked
by Cold_Old_Steelers_Fan on Feb 11, 2012 2:00 AM EST up reply actions
Disagree
Rice has been better, and Mendy hasnt quite lived up to that 1st round billing. Blame it on the OL or whichever, but Mendy himself has only been above average, when by now he should be in elite conversation
Formerly known as Steeler_
BTSC's token Kiwi fan. That means I'm a New Zealander. Yes, that small country next to Australia....no we are not part of Australia
by Michael Hewitt on Feb 11, 2012 6:39 AM EST up reply actions
Of course Rice has been better, but Mendy hasn’t been horrible. There is the O line thing, but there is also the fact that he is underutilized big time. That may change with Haley.
When the rest of the team does their job, Mendy shows flashes of elite-ness
*Random Movie/Music/Comedy/TV quote of the week*
Yes, my guard stood hard when abstract threats, too noble to neglect
Deceived me in to thinking, I had something to protect
Good and bad, I define these terms, quite clear, no doubt, somehow
Ah, but I was so much older then, I'm younger than that now.
Dolphin's slot receiver Davone Bess
left college early to go pro after the 2007 season and was picked up as an undrafted free agent. Based on his production as a Dolphin, he could’ve and probably should’ve been at least a mid round draft pick. And since he ended up going undrafted, he would’ve still been available in the 6th and 7th rounds.
by Masatoshi-san on Feb 10, 2012 6:02 PM EST via Android app reply actions
Dude, re-reading this makes me realize how sick of a draft this was.
But I disagree with your dream draft. I would have gone this way:
Rd 1: Brandon Flowers, CB
Rd 2: Ray Rice, RB
Rd 3: Red Bryant, DE
Rd 4: Brandon Carr, CB
Rd 5: Carl Nicks, G
Rd 6: Matt Flynn, QB
Rd 6: Ryan Mundy, S
This would be the sickest draft of all time. We have probably the best guard in the game in Nicks, the most versatile RB in Rice, a superstar defensive end who would own in the 3-4 (and thus allowing us to use our first round picks later at different spots), an outstanding backup quarterback/potential trade gem, and Flowers and Carr gives us the excellent CB group the Chiefs field to pair with Ike Taylor, guaranteeing us the top secondary in the NFL. We’d never lose.
I'll admit, I was torn on Flynn or Rubin
But Hampton was still in beast mode and with Hoke on the roster as well, I think Flynn gives more value.
Dude,
EPIC FAILURE. Sickest draft ever? Shit man, you do realize the Steelers drafted a few decent ballplayers in 1974, right?
Your draft falls somewhere between “hot garbage” and “did this guy start rooting for the Steelers in 2008?” when it’s compared to the 1974 Steeler draft.
(Nothing personal, as those 7 make a NICE draft, but to be the best ever, you have to BE THE BEST, EVER.)
by HandsofSweed on Feb 10, 2012 9:07 PM EST up reply actions
Hey look, I'm HandsofSweed and I take everything as literally as possible.
Yes, the 1974 draft is the best ever – 4 Hall of Famers will do that.
For the record, I was born in Pitt, and my entire family is from Johnstown or the Allegheny Valley – I’m well aware of the history, nor am I the bandwagon fan you are so subtly implying.
I’m just saying it was a sweet draft, and with an absolute hit on all seven picks, including certain players with all time potential (Ray Rice, Carl Nicks, and probably Red Bryant in a 3-4) this would be amazing. It’s worth noting that while the 1974 draft (albeit having far more picks due to the state of the NFL those days) got those four and almost nothing else. Certainly, things are different, but getting at least a solid backup player or above with every single pick you have would be unheard of, and easily up there with the greatest of all time, so take it down a notch.
Hey look, I’m HandsofSweed and I take everything as literally as possible.
I think you’re lying about being HandsofSweed……
*Random Movie/Music/Comedy/TV quote of the week*
Yes, my guard stood hard when abstract threats, too noble to neglect
Deceived me in to thinking, I had something to protect
Good and bad, I define these terms, quite clear, no doubt, somehow
Ah, but I was so much older then, I'm younger than that now.
Ok, due to recent events, I feel obligated to clarify.
I said that you were lying (i.e..taking you literally)
*Random Movie/Music/Comedy/TV quote of the week*
Yes, my guard stood hard when abstract threats, too noble to neglect
Deceived me in to thinking, I had something to protect
Good and bad, I define these terms, quite clear, no doubt, somehow
Ah, but I was so much older then, I'm younger than that now.
Almost certainly (don't feel like checking out the exact players/teams to confirm)
But I assumed we were doing this as if everyone else picked exactly the same except for changes forced by our different picks. In an actual redraft, there’s no way we pull this. Flynn probably goes in the second or third, Finley in the first or second, Rubin up higher as well, and Nicks is a surefire top 15 pick. :)
I did not say a redraft
I said my dream draft had we been able to simply redo all of our picks in that draft
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by seton hall and steelers on Feb 11, 2012 2:26 PM EST up reply actions
I'd easily give Dixon a higher grade than Humpal.
Although, he probably gets no more than a C-.
I remember EUPHORIA in STeeler Nation when we drafted Sweed.
Stay thirsty my friends.
by SteelerMessican on Feb 10, 2012 7:59 PM EST reply actions
carl Nicks
I still remember this draft b/c I was high on Nicks…and he was still available in the 5th round…I know he had some “off the field” issues his senior year but most of it was dismissed as immaturity.
i thought for sure he would be the pick…and when it was announced i almost fell over. Ever since, when I would see or hear about Dixon, I would say to myself, “we could have had Carl Nicks!”
Oh well…
Oh how good we would be with the most versatile RB in the game
I remember getting laughed at (particularly John S) when I mentioned that Ray Rice was the most complete RB in the league back around week 4. Even better, people wanted to ban me when I argued that Ray Rice was better than Spinthenfall.
"Picture Me Rollin"
it wasn’t because you mentioned Rice was the most complete RB
Can I get some hot sauce for my doughnut?
Let me guess, he said that Rice was the best RB in the game, right?
"If you havin' dragon problems I feel bad for you son, I got 99 arrows but my knee took one."
No, I don’t think the reason people laughed at him had anything to do with football at all.
Can I get some hot sauce for my doughnut?
I never did that
I love Ray Rice and he is the olny player I like on the Ravens. He is not the best RB in the game but he is the most versatile
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by seton hall and steelers on Feb 11, 2012 2:27 PM EST up reply actions
I for one am glad Ray Rice went to Baltimore
Honestly, how much would Steeler Nation value Ray Rice under the Bruce Arians 12 carries a game offense?
Redman > Rice
umad?
"If you havin' dragon problems I feel bad for you son, I got 99 arrows but my knee took one."
im a little confused at some of your grades here
how is a linebacker who never made it out of the preseason graded higher than a QB who’s made it into games and is still on the roster 4 years later?
Because in the 6th round the lowest grade I will give is a D
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Follow @steelersrule124
by seton hall and steelers on Feb 11, 2012 2:28 PM EST up reply actions
The good & bad of BPA
This was the classic (or sick) example of BPA with Mendenhall & Sweed (‘We never thought that they would fall to us.’) In retro, I remember screaming for OLine-but it was not a great year for OL. Then we took Bruce Davis (who?). Davis’ futility and complete bust status has been overshadowed by Sweed. Limas looked so damn impressive coming out of Texas. Did the rest of the league know something; was it just a fluke or did he have it and lose it?? Dixon was intriguing at the time as we had visions of ‘slash’ and exotic packages with Ben. Mundy has ben a pleasant surprise for a 7th rounder.
I must say under the ‘Who Knew’ category – imagine Matt Forte on the Steelers and be happy we weren’t the Jets who took Gholston at #6!
Forte or Rice
I realize what a mendenhall hater I am, but Forte and Rice are among the best NFL backs. And they don’t spin so much, don’t run standing straight up, drop their shoulders, get through 1st contact…
by Nate36bus on Feb 12, 2012 5:43 AM EST via mobile reply actions
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