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The votes are in and once again the result is clear. In the first two rounds of our mock draft the BTSC Steelers have selected...
1:22 Marcus Peters, Cornerback, from the University of Washington; and
2:24 Nate Orchard, Outside Linebacker, from the University of Utah.
[Insert cheers and sound of backslaps]. Here are the raw results:
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
|
|
OLB Nate Orchard |
113 |
88 |
43 |
42 |
26 |
16 |
15 |
10 |
20 |
1 |
|
TE Maxx Williams |
97 |
52 |
59 |
38 |
41 |
16 |
19 |
12 |
14 |
26 |
|
OLB Hauoli Kikaha |
57 |
59 |
45 |
37 |
27 |
35 |
22 |
33 |
25 |
34 |
|
OLB Markus Golden |
33 |
41 |
49 |
46 |
48 |
48 |
41 |
29 |
24 |
15 |
|
CB/S Byron Jones |
19 |
18 |
33 |
46 |
46 |
51 |
40 |
46 |
41 |
34 |
|
CB/S Eric Rowe |
12 |
26 |
38 |
40 |
43 |
43 |
33 |
58 |
43 |
38 |
|
OLB/DE Trey Flowers |
10 |
29 |
29 |
25 |
40 |
57 |
62 |
56 |
38 |
28 |
|
DL Carl Davis |
16 |
17 |
37 |
44 |
33 |
31 |
39 |
48 |
49 |
60 |
|
OLB/DE Preston Smith |
11 |
24 |
19 |
33 |
34 |
39 |
52 |
46 |
66 |
50 |
|
OT/G Cedric Ogbuehi |
6 |
20 |
22 |
23 |
36 |
38 |
51 |
36 |
54 |
88 |
And here are the results as tallied by points:
|
12 |
10 |
8 |
7 |
6 |
5 |
4 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
TOTAL |
|
|
OLB Nate Orchard |
1356 |
888 |
344 |
294 |
26 |
80 |
60 |
30 |
40 |
1 |
3119 |
|
TE Maxx Williams |
1164 |
520 |
472 |
266 |
41 |
80 |
76 |
36 |
28 |
26 |
2709 |
|
OLB Hauoli Kikaha |
684 |
590 |
360 |
259 |
27 |
175 |
88 |
99 |
50 |
34 |
2366 |
|
OLB Markus Golden |
396 |
410 |
392 |
322 |
48 |
240 |
164 |
87 |
48 |
15 |
2122 |
|
CB/S Byron Jones |
228 |
180 |
264 |
322 |
46 |
255 |
160 |
138 |
82 |
34 |
1709 |
|
CB/S Eric Rowe |
144 |
260 |
304 |
280 |
43 |
215 |
132 |
174 |
86 |
38 |
1676 |
|
OLB/DE Trey Flowers |
120 |
290 |
232 |
175 |
40 |
285 |
248 |
168 |
76 |
28 |
1662 |
|
DL Carl Davis |
192 |
170 |
296 |
308 |
33 |
155 |
156 |
144 |
98 |
60 |
1612 |
|
OLB/DE Preston Smith |
132 |
240 |
152 |
231 |
34 |
195 |
208 |
138 |
122 |
50 |
1502 |
|
OT/G Cedric Ogbuehi |
72 |
200 |
176 |
161 |
36 |
190 |
204 |
108 |
108 |
88 |
1343 |
Voters expressed a clear desire to vote according to need, just like Round 1, though it is once again hard to say that the winner is a ‘worse' prospect than any of those who followed. Round 3 promises to be a little different because there is much less agreement about team needs once a Corner and an Edge Rusher are both in hand.
Perhaps a Tight End? That would make sense but there are none left who even approach Heath Miller's level of talent, and there is a decent young prospect on the team in the form of Rob Blanchflower. An Offensive Lineman to push Ramon Foster and Mike Adams? Perhaps, but Foster isn't exactly expensive and one has to question whether a 3rd Round pick should be spent on a pure backup. A Running Back (possibly obsolete since the team hired Deangelo Williams on a two-year deal)? A Defensive Lineman to complete the rotation (but who would once again be mostly for backup, and would be the third defensive player in a row)? An extraordinarily early double-dip at Corner or Edge Rusher? Or maybe a backup Safety (a position with questionable talent in the starters but an extreme amount of depth and developmental prospects)? There is no clear answer, which will force us to decide purely on our opinion of talent and fit.
As before you must vote for every prospect, like him or not, but we will offset that requirement by giving extra weight to 1st and 2nd place votes (12 and 10 points respectively), and declining weight to all that follow (going down from 8 to 1). If I have this figured out correctly the order of the candidates in the poll should be random, but you should obviously give it now weight in any event.
Here are the prospects to choose from. If your favorite is missing, assume that he was either picked already or somehow flunked his team interview. The underlying truth is that the possibilities multiply as one gets deeper in the draft and it is impossible to include everyone who might be picked in a poll that will become unwieldy once there are more than ten names. NOTE: There are dozens of new links scattered through these descriptions. Please use them if you're not as familiar with the player as you'd like to be. The system also allows you to change your vote, and if someone posts a Comment that convinces you one way or the other you should do so. Nothing like a healthy debate!
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Jeff Heuerman, TE, Ohio State (Interviewed) - 6'5", 254 lbs. with 33-1/4" arms. Heuerman is one of the best in a weak class for tight ends. He isn't a miracle, basketball-star-turned-receiver athlete, but he is a well-balanced, multi-skilled player at one of the few offensive positions where the Steelers could do some upgrading. Or at least some future-grading, since Spaeth is nearing the end of his contract and Heath is approaching the end of his all-star career. The nfl.com scouting report is less complimentary than others you'll see. Here is an article from late February. |
TE |
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Jesse James, TE, Penn State (Interviewed) - 6'7", 261 lbs. with 33" arms. According to this ESPN article "Jesse James is a freak of nature." Height, speed, strength: he's got it all. What he hasn't got is developed skill as either a blocker or a receiver. On the other hand, Heath Miller probably has another good year in his historic career. If the coaches think a year or two of professional work can turn James' pure potential into actual reality, this local Pittsburgh boy could really be the next hometown hero. This is another fine article focused more on his background. This January Post-Gazette article examines his decision to leave early, while this February article examines his pre-Combine prospects. This brief scouting profile comes from our sister site for the Giants. This nice, detailed scouting report was put up as a BTSC Fanpost. (We do good work around here. Kudos to TheSixRingSting). This article ties James to the Steelers in particular, as does this article from the Tribune Review. This is a somewhat critical, gif-supported scouting report from a Baltimore site. |
TE |
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Henry Anderson, DE, Stanford - 6'6", 294 lbs. but with 33-1/2" arms (that somehow measured 32-3/4" at the Senior Bowl, causing upset). Stanford plays a base 3-4 and Anderson has spent time at both NT and DE. Last year the Steelers got Josh Mauro out of Stanford and were very happy with the find until he got poached off the practice squad. Anderson is a better prospect than Mauro was. If the team believes that Big Dan McCullers can be a true backup for Steve McLendon, a guy like Henry Anderson could be the ideal way to set the complete defensive line of the future. He looked really good at the Senior Bowl despite playing out of position (mandatory 4-3 sets), which is encouraging. The nfl.com scouting report will give you an idea of why a guy who would fit so well might fall to the Steelers well into Day 3 - basically, his tape is so-so and there are legitimate questions about his final ceiling. Here are a nice little two-game scouting report from a Lions-oriented site, a very well-done scouting report from our sister site for the Chargers, and another scouting report from our sister site for the Giants (which compares Anderson to Brett Keisel). This is a short but even-handed scouting report comes from a Patriots site. This link goes to a Q&A article by ESPN. |
DL |
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Ali Marpet, G/C, Hobart - 6'3-3/4", 307 lbs. with 33-3/8" arms. Well, well, well! Perennial D-III lacrosse powerhouse Hobart has produced a football player, and potentially a really good one. Reports and results show top notch quickness and mobility, and it should be noted that he was also one of the few players (along with Laken Tomlinson) who anchored well enough to give the 343-pound 1st Round NT prospect Danny Shelton a genuine run for his money. Mike Mayock opined that Marpet "Has the ability to be a starting Center in this league," but there's little doubt he could play Guard as well. Here is a brief scouting profile from retired NFL scout Greg Gabriel, and a fuller scouting report from the well respected scout Dave-Te Thomas. This goes to a long and excellent article published by Bleacher Report, and this to a Q&A article from U.S. News & World Report. This goes to a brief but fact-oriented scouting report from a Denver source. DISCLAIMER: I attended Hobart [mumblety-mumble] years ago and therefore have a personal bias about of anyone who can share stories with me about life in Medbery Hall or road tripping to the Rongo, and who'd like to hear stories about some of his professors from back when they had all their hair. I've done my best to keep that bias out of this summary. |
OL |
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Donovan Smith, OT/G, Penn State (Interviewed) - 6'5-3/4", 338 lbs. with 34-3/8" arms to match. As discussed in this January Post-Gazette article, the general opinion was that Smith should have stayed in college for another year to hone his skills. He was an outright star at the Senior Bowl, however, which with those measurables is enough to propel him into serious consideration. Mike Mayock and Charles Davis went so far as to use words like "dominating," "terrific," and "he's winning on almost every snap" during that broadcast. This brief scouting profile from a retired NFL scout gives Smith a 2nd-round grade. This article by the respected scout Dave-Te Thomas has nice summary reports for several offensive linemen, including Donovan Smith (you'll have to do a search). |
OL |
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David Cobb, RB, Minnesota (Interviewed) - 5'11", 229 lbs. A big, strong, reliable, and productive downhill back who would be ranked much higher if he had top end speed. He may well be better than his already-admirable numbers suggest, however, because it would take a generous man to describe Minnesota's offensive line as merely "below the line "during Cobb's career. Cobb looked terrific at the Senior Bowl, flashing a really nice jump cut and other nifty moves that he supposedly lacked during his college career. This scouting report sums up the popular (pre- Senior Bowl) opinion, and this thorough (but pre- Senior Bowl) scouting report from our sister site for the Jets gives a Day 3 grade after saying that Cobb "compares favorably to Leveon Bell." This is a fun double scouting report comparing David Cobb to Jay Ajayi. This is a good article/interview focused on Cobb's all-around game. This is a lightweight but okay scouting profile from our sister site for the Bills. Both this scouting profile and this scouting profile are comparable to the Bills one: okay to build a sense of the common perspective, but not a place to start. This video scouting report is for our football geeks; let me know in the comments if you love it or hate it! |
RB |
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David Johnson, RB, Northern Iowa (Interviewed) - 6'1", 224 lbs. As you can see in this Fanpost by our own PsychoKuz (read the Comments too), the young Mr. Johnson blew up the Senior Bowl and jump-cut himself into serious consideration for the Steelers' 3rd or 4th Round pick. He demonstrated a really nifty move or three in the whole, good eyes on an outside zone touchdown run, and even some nice kick returns. Pretty much everyone agrees he looks, run, catches, and blokes like a poor man's version of Leveon Bell. Or maybe a middle-class version. This nice little scouting report compares Johnson to Steven Jackson, but I think he's a little niftier than Jackson and runs with less oomph... which is what I'd say about Lev Bell as well. David Johnson does have a tendency to run tall (a coachable issue) and may lack some top-end speed, but there's little doubt that the main thing that's likely to keep him out of Day 2 is the ridiculous depth of the running back class as a whole. Here is a pre-Senior Bowl scouting report from our sister site for the Giants. This is an interview with our sister site for the Eagles. This on-the-fence scouting report comes from a Cowboys blogger who seems to do nice work. |
RB |
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Cody Prewitt, S, Ole Miss (Interviewed) - 6'2", 208 lbs. with 32-5/8" arms. A big, powerful safety with good but not great range, and who seems to be willing but not eager to stick his nose in on tackles. Combined with some issues with coverage that's enough to drop him a bit, and even this ranking depends on whether the Steelers are happy with what they already have. Matt Bowen (retired NFL safety) commented on a "good range" toward the end of this article on a Senior Bowl practice. This scouting profile comes from our sister site for the Giants says he'd be hard for that team to pass him over in the 2nd. NOTE: Ran a 4.46 at his pro day, which was needed after a 4.60 at the Combine. If you're tired of reading, here is a video scouting report. This is a brief scouting profile from a Broncos perspective, and this somewhat better scouting profile from a Dallas POV. |
S |
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Senquez Golson, CB, Ole Miss (Interviewed) - 5'8-1/2", 178 lbs. with short, 29-3/4" arms. Weakness: size, both in height and overall mass. He'd be yet another mighty mite in the Steelers secondary. Strengths: pretty much everything else. Golson is athletic enough that the Red Sox spent a draft pick on him too. As for football-specific skills, Mike Mayock has consistently lauded his "rare ball skills" and high football IQ, and even gone so far as to say "he tracks the ball as well as anyone I've ever seen". Golson is everyone's favorite "sleeper," to the point that I feel confident in saying that he'd be in the conversation for the Steelers pick at 1:22 if he was even two inches taller. But of course he is not. This scouting report from the NFL site is a good place to start. Golson's skill set really impressed former NFL strong safety Matt Bowen at the Senior Bowl, along with most other observers. This scouting profile comparing Golson and Steve Nelson comes from retired NFL scout Greg Gabriel. This is another joint scouting report (CB Kevin White and Golson), this time from our sister site for the Panthers. |
CB |
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Lorenzo Mauldin, OLB, Louisville (Interviewed) - 6'3-1/2", 259 lbs. with 33" arms. Mauldin is very strong and will have no problem setting the edge, but can he learn to dip around it and defeat NFL tackles? Or to cover running backs in space? Those are the questions that Colbert & Co. will have to answer - a process they have undertaken by meeting with Mauldin and being there to study him in more detail at his pro day. This is a fine article for background material on Mauldin's life - once you know his story (16 different foster homes?!) you can't help but root for him. No exaggeration: this is one of the most inspiring tales of sports saving and creating lives that you'll ever hear, and you'll be a better person for the experience. Check this article out when you're done with that one: he's a kid who stands by his beliefs in a dignified and very adult way. This November scouting report from a Bills fan site gives an introduction to his skills as a player, with some nice gifs for fun viewing. The NFL.com scouting report is another must-read, with good information on both strengths and weaknesses. Mauldin did make one nice play during the Senior Bowl when he dropped into coverage, which is encouraging, but he's also earned criticism for coachable flaws like playing too upright and giving offensive linemen easy access to his chest. This is a brief scouting profile from a Bears site. This scouting report comes from a Cowboys blogger who does nice work despite his poor taste in teams. This odd mock sends Mauldin to the Steelers in Round 2, with a little explanation. |
OLB |