I recently published a piece illustrating my ideal Steelers Draft which is linked here. In that scenario, the Steelers decided that they would not be able to sign Mike Wallace to a long term deal so they traded him to the Vikings for a second and third round pick. This time however, the Steelers decide to re-sign Mike Wallace and do not trade any of there draft picks. Remember that all of these picks are available within five spots of Walter Footballs Mock Draft that was published on April 18.
Round 1 Pick 24 - Jonathan Martin, OT, Stanford (6'6" - 304 pounds)
- Back when I published my first ideal draft, I stated that I was considering Cordy Glenn, Dontari Poe, and Donta Hightower at this spot. However, since then, Jonathan Martin's stock has fallen (and I don't know why) from the top ten to the bottom third of the first round. I understand that there are concerns about his strength but when you look at his frame, there is no reason to think that an NFL strength and conditioning program won't allow him to gain ten to 15 pounds of muscle to add strength. Martin is an incredible run blocker and a good pass blocker. He has the potential to be an elite LT and at worst, I see him as a long term starter at RT. Before the draft process began, no "experts" saw any real weaknesses with him and he was viewed as a possible top five pick. I also considered Stephen Hill and Nick Perry here.
- Player Bio
- Draft Profile
- Stanford vs. Notre Dame (2011) - focus on Martin
- Stanford vs. UCLA (2011) - focus on Martin
- Stanford vs. Arizona (2010) - focus on Martin vs. Brooks Reed
- Stanford vs. USC (2011) - focus on Martin vs. Nick Perry
- Draft Analysis
Round 2 Pick 24 - Amini Silatolu, OG, Midwestern State (6'4" - 311 pounds)
- After getting a franchise offensive tackle in the first round, the Steelers three biggest needs, ILB, OG, and NT, are all still unfilled. Looking at the value of each position, the best talent available is at guard and there are a couple of nose tackles and inside linebackers that can be landed in rounds three to five. With that in mind, I considered three guards. I looked at Amini Silatolu, Kelechi Osemele, and Brandon Brooks. I ultimately decided to take Silatolu because of his upside (he could become the best guard in this class) and scheme fit as well as his versatility. Along with his ability to play guard, Silatolu could also play right tackle. Silatolu has elite strength and is very explosive. He uses his hands well and is a good pass protector. Had he played at a big time school, he likely would have been a first round pick.
- Player Bio
- Draft Profile
- Scouting Report
- Highlights
Round 3 Pick 24 - Mike Martin, NT, Michigan (6'2" - 304 pounds)
- If the Steelers are unable to land a nose tackle in the first two rounds, they will be forced to select one in round three. Martin and Chapman are both options but in this scenario, Chapman was taken at pick 74. Martin has tremendous strength and gets great push. He does a great job handling double teams and can get some pressure up the middle. He would likely need to gain ten pounds to be able to handle the strength and power of NFL guards and centers.
- Player Bio
- Draft Preview
- Michigan vs. Indiana (2010) - focus on Martin
Round 4 Pick 24 - Greg Childs, WR, Arkansas (6'3" - 217 pounds)
- At this point in the draft, the Steelers have not addressed ILB but there is simply no value here. However, there is the massive, fast, and explosive Greg Childs available. Childs was once thought of as a possible top ten pick but an injury set him back and almost took away his football career. However, he has made an incredible recovery and at the Arkansas Pro Day, he looked like him oldself again. If the Steelers can land him in round four, they can put some pressure on Mike Wallace and put themselves in a better position at wide receiver incase Wallace's hold out lasts through part of the season.
- Player Bio
- Greg Childs vs. Georgia and Arkansas (2010)
- Highlights
- Draft Profile
Round 5 Pick 24 - James Michael Johnson, ILB, Nevada (6'2" - 240 pounds)
- And the Steelers finally land themselves an ILB. James Michael Johnson, who I was able to interview earlier in the year, has flown up draft boards and likely will go in round three, however, in Walter's mock draft, he was available in round five. Johnson is considered the most fluid of the ILB prospects in this class and he has all the tools to be a dominate ILB in the league. He is fast, athletic, strong, and is very instinctual. He has versatility and can play outside linebacker in a 3-4 or Sam in a 4-3. Johnson looks like a great candidate for replacing James Farrior and if the Steelers got him anytime after round three I would be thrilled.
- Player Bio
- Nevada vs. Southern Miss (2011) - focus on JMJ
- Nevada vs. Boise State (2011) - focus on JMJ
- Nevada vs. Idaho (2011) - focus on JMJ
- James Michael Johnson vs. California, Boise State, and Boston College (2010)
Round 6 Pick 24 - Justin Bethel, FS, Presbyterian (6'0" - 200 pounds)
- At this point in the draft you are simply looking for players with upside. Bethel presents exactly that. Bethel has great athleticism and is a natural football player. He has a great feel for the game, is a big hitter, and can also play nickel corner. While he did not play against great competition, he looked great doing it and with his attitude and work ethic, he could become a very good special teams player and possibly even a starter down the road.
- Draft Profile
- Highlights
- 60 inch vertical jump (incase you thought I was lying about his athleticism)
- Draft Profile Video
Round 7 Pick 24 - Desmond Wynn, OG, Rutgers (6'6" - 303 pounds)
- Wynn is a hard worker with positional versatility and a four year body of work, which are all things Mike Tomlin loves. He played in spurts in his freshman and sophomore years but then was a two year starter at guard for Rutgers. He played center when needed as well. He has the ability to be a solid, Doug Legursky type player for the Steelers. He also has the height to play right tackle. His lack of upside it what makes him a late Day three pick.
- Draft Profile
- Draft Profile Video
Round 7 Pick 33 - Randy Bullock, K, Texas A&M (5'9" - 212 pounds)
- Randy Bullock was one of, if not the best kickers in college football (as seen by the Lou Groza award he won). He displayed incredible accuracy, hitting 29 of 33 field goals (which, even though it does not seem good by NFL standards, is impressive because the college hashmarks are wider) and showed some leg strength, hitting a 52 yard field goal vs. Texas. He also hit 10 out of 12 field goals between 40 and 49 yards.
- Player Bio
Round 7 Pick 39 - Michael Smith, RB, Utah State (5'9" - 205 pounds)
- Michael Smith is a tiny man with great speed and explosiveness. He is similar in body and size to Darren Sproles and he can do a lot of what Sproles does. The Steelers have a ton of big backs with great power but lack a true homerun threat. Smith would possibly give them that homerun threat and add the final dimension to the Steelers offense.
- Player Bio
- Utah State vs. Ohio (2011) - focus on Smith (12 carries, 157 yards, 2 TDs)
- Draft Profile
- 40 yard dash under 4.3
Round 7 Pick 41 - Miles Burris, OLB, San Diego State (6'3" - 235 pounds)
- Burris is an under the radar pass rusher with great athleticism and big upside. However, he is very raw and needs to develop some true pass rushing moves. Luckily for him, he would get to learn from some of the best coaches in football along with two of the best outside linebackers in the league. He can also play special teams and has a four year body of work.
- Player Bio
- 2010 highlights
- 2011 highlights
- Draft Profile Video