With their second fourth round pick, the Steelers selected defensive tackle Ryan McBean out of Oklahoma State. Once more, another Big 12 player is drafted by Pittsburgh, which makes it all the easier for me to offer commentary.
McBean is a late bloomer, in football terms, due to his late arrival in the United States. He grew up in Kingston, Jamaica before emigrating to Brooklyn when he was 14 years old. His family later moved to Texas while he was in high school, which was when McBean began playing football. He then spent two years at a Texas junior college before transferring to Oklahoma State for his junior and senior seasons, during which he started every game.
As a player, McBean may be one of those guys who still has some development left in him, and he's already a pretty good football player. At 6-4, 290 pounds, there are some who wondered before the draft if McBean could play defensive end in the 3-4 at the pro level. He's got a tremendously quick first burst up the field, which makes it an intriguing possibility. Casey Hampton's not going anywhere in the middle, but there's clearly room for help on the ends.
McBean represents another intriguing pick for the Steelers, and a pretty interesting one for the late fourth round. Pittsburgh has yet to address its needs at running back or along the offensive line, and it looks increasingly like they won't get much help there in this draft.
--PB--