Personnel News Dominates

Naturally last weekend's draft dominated the news, and with so many media outlets covering what has become a circus we did not feel inclined to get into a "blow-by-blow" reportage of what we (and, probably, you) were seeing on the NFL Network/ESPN. However, with Tuesday's news that Larry Foote is soon to be an ex-Steeler (a rumor that was floating around during the week leading up to the Super Bowl) we decided to add our two cents to everything going on.

So far as Mr. Foote goes, like many of you we are a bit nervous about turning over the starting position to Lawrence Timmons. There is no doubt that Mr. Timmons showed flashes of brilliance during the 2008 season (and he may be the fastest player on the roster), but we just do not see him as an inside linebacker. If LaMarr Woodley had not performed at a Pro Bowl level last season we would wonder if there were not plans to move him inside and Mr. Timmons outside. Then again, how many times does Dick Lebeau have to dazzle us with his genius before we all just relax?

As for the draft . . .

1. We just want it noted for the record that we were one of the first "media outlets" to report on Frank Summers (a.k.a. "Little Bus") as a potential late round pick for the Steelers. The young man has an interesting story (not the least of which is his dyslexia), one that involved going to Cal, redshirting, being placed on academic probation, leaving Cal, being offered a scholarship to play at USC but choosing UNLV instead. The folks at Pro Football Weekly like his size and his hands, but rated him as someone to be signed after the draft because of his lack of burst and inconsistent blocking.


2. It speaks to how little we know about player evaluation that A.Q. Shipley lasted until the seventh round. We were impressed by his work at the Combine, he was well-regarded by NFL Network's resident expert Mike Mayock, and was described by Ourlad's Draft Service as a "[t]ough and intense player." Mr. Shipley has the fundamentals to be a serviceable offensive lineman in the NFL; and that fact makes this a terrific pick for the seventh round.


3. We should know better than to doubt Kevin Colbert and the scouts of the Pittsburgh Steelers, but we are very dubious about the choice of Ra'Shon Harris in the sixth round. He certainly has good size ~ 6'3", 312 pounds ~ but Ourlad's rated him near the bottom of available defensive tackles (a score of 3.49, which in their system is indicative of a player who has some potential but is also borderline). Additionally, Pro Football Weekly in their very critical analysis indicated that Mr. Harris has "[q]uestionanle work habits."


4. Conversely, we like the choice of Keenan Lewis in the third round. On the field, Ourlad's describes him as a "[g]ood man to man cover corner with long arms . . . Can . . . drive quickly on the ball in the air." Pro Football Weekly sees him as a below average tackler who lacks toughness (ouch!). Off the field Mr. Lewis and his family have a pretty compelling story, having been displaced from the home in New Orleans by Hurricane Katrina.

The Steelers have their minicamp next weekend, and then "organized team activities" (OTA) May 19-21, May 26-28, June 2-4, and June 9-11. With so much activity on the horizon we believe that there will be more personnel moves in the offing.

Getting Draft Ready: Who is best?

Lost in most mock drafts is just how good any one player is irrespective of their respective positions ~ i.e. is Alex Mack/Max Unger/Ebeb Britton the thirty-second best player available or just the player that best fits the Steelers' needs, or both?

A nice resource that came our way today is the Super 99 Ranking from the Sporting News. The rankings, which include 40-yard dash times, performance in the bench press, and other Combine-ish metrics; have USC quarterback Mark Sanchez as the best player available ~ and Matthew Stafford at #9.

As for players mentioned as being of interest to Pittsburgh, the highest rated player known to be on the Steelers' draft board is Alex Mack (Center, California) who comes in at #18, which would make him quite a value if available at the end of the first round. D.J. Moore, the cornerback out of Vanderbilt is #27; Ebben Britton, tackle from Arizona is #61; and Max Unger, center from Oregon, is #65.

Getting Draft Ready: The Draft Bible

Like all of you, we are always looking for new mock drafts to satisfy our "need" for information about how the Steelers will use their picks in the upcoming NFL draft.

We came across NFL Draft Bible recently, and love its format.

Rather than simply predicting a particular player at a particular point in the draft the folks behind Draft Bible provide information about previous drafts ~ i.e. the player choices that worked out well (e.g. Ben Roethlisberger) and those that were not quite as . . . inspired (e.g. Ricardo Colclough) ~ as well as team's five-year record, and (most significant in terms of the draft) the team's areas of need and the players who will best fill those needs.

The site is as close to comprehensive as a single page can be; and, overall, a great resource

Getting draft ready: Multiple Mocks, multiple rounds

Scott Wright's Draft Countdown: In his previous effort Mr. Wright had the Steelers choosing Max Unger at #32 and Jarron Gilbert, a defensive end from San Jose State University, at #64. However now that the Steelers have re-signed Chris Kemoeatu and Max Starks he believes offensive line is less of a concern. In this newest draft Mr. Writght projects Pittsburgh choosing Alphonso Smith, a cornerback from Wake Forest, with their first round pick. In the second round Mr. Wirght is standing by Jarron Gilbert at #64.

NFL Draft Dog: Another two round effort, this one has Pittsburgh selecting Eben Britton, an offensive tackle from Arizona, at #32 ~ no change from their earlier drat. In the second round they predict Coye Francies, a cornerback from San Jose State as the man at #64. They describe Mr. Francies as a "very underrated, talented cornerback. Didn't have a great combine run (4.56), but proved his talent with a fantastic Senior Bowl performance."

FF Toolbox: Multiple writers make multiple choices ~ most identify offensive line as the area the Steelers will target.

A number of these drafts are multiple rounds, and the last one listed here gives you seven rounds of draft goodness!

NFL Draft Blitz: Alex Mack will be the man at #32 according to these folks

My NFL Draft: Alex Mack again!

Draft Daddy: Alphonso Smith gets a second vote.

Draft King: Max Unger, our choice, is their choice.

The Football Expert: A seven round monster mock that has Alex Mack predicted at #32, and D.J. Moore (CB, Vanderbilt) at #64,

Getting Draft Ready: Five Days and Counting

We are poring over mock drafts and scouting reports in anticipation of next weekend's NFL Draft; and in anticipation of a busy weekend we will offer up links to a variety of mock drafts each day between now and then.

Today we focus on Don Banks' most up-to-date draft at Sports Illustrated. We especially like this one because it moves away from the "average" mock draft ~ i.e. Matthew Stafford is not the number one pick. We have mentioned many times that we do not consider ourselves expert when it comes to player evaluation but we do believe that, all things being equal, choosing an offensive lineman with a high pick is almost always better than choosing a quarterback. Mr. Banks has an offensive lineman going at #1.

As for the Steelers, Mr. Banks has them choosing the versatile Max Unger with pick #32.

Getting Draft Ready: The Complete Draft Order

With the awarding of 32 compensatory picks (more on that later) the order of the 2009 NFL Draft is now set. The Steelers will have picks 32 (first round), 64 (second round), 96 (third round), 132 (fourth round), 168 and 169 (final two choices of round five), 205 (end of round six), 226 (seventh round choice received from Tampa Bay in the Sean Mayhan trade), and 241 (seventh round).

For those of you who are working on your 256 pick mock draft here is the complete draft order for all teams:2009 NFL Draft Order

Publish at Scribd or explore others: Other Non-fiction order conspiracy

Kirby Wilson visits Sin City

We do not know if Steelers running back coach Kirby Wilson attended Ben Roethlisberger's recent birthday soiree in Las Vegas, but he reportedly was in town recently to attend UNLV's pro day ~ and apparently saw a tremendous performance Frank Summers.

Mr. Summers, a running back for the Rebels, suffered a knee injury in a game last season versus San Diego State; and perhaps as a result of that was not invited to the NFL Combine. According to an article in the Las Vegas Sun Mr. Summers put on quite a show running a 4.55 40-yard dash (which would have been eighth best at the Combine), a 34.5 inch vertical jump (outside of the top ten), and 30 repetitions in the bench press (225 pounds, would have been tied for first at the Combine).

According to the article one scout described Mr. Summers as "a junior Bus."

Late round pick? Undrafted free agent? Time will surely tell.

Pro Days Schedule Announced

In the lead-up to the NFL draft a great deal of attention is paid to the Combine, and understandably so. However another part of the draft preparation for NFL teams is attendance at the so-called "Pro Days" for players in whom they have an interest. As described at NFL.com "[t]hese are not as all-encompassing as the combine, but they are important enough for the key decision-makers in the league to travel around the country for more than a month to see the talent up close and personal."

The schedule for these workouts is available at NFL.com, and some of the more interesting workouts include (in alphabetical order):

• Alabama (March 11): Andre Smith ~ can he recover from his Combine debacle?


• Arizona (March 14): Eben Britton, currently projected by more than a few as being of interest to the Steelers, will be looking to enhance his standing amongst the scouts.


• Arkansas (March 10):Center Jonathan Luigs has been projected by some as a possible second round choice for Pittsburgh. He had a solid Combine performance (5.07 40-yard dash and a 31" vertical jump); but questions persist about his strength.


• California (March 18): Alex Mack did not participate in drills at the Combine, and his pro day performance may mean the difference between going somewhere in the top 25 picks of the first round or falling to Pittsburgh at #32 ~ or beyond.


• Connecticut (March 25): In the earliest mock drafts William Beatty was viewed as someone who could end up in Pittsburgh with the final choice of the first round. Mr. Beatty had a nice time in the 40-yard dash (5.03) but did not perform as well in the 20-yard shuttle or the bench press. Despite that, conjecture is that he is moving up most draft boards.


• Iowa (March 23): Robert Bruggeman, an offensive lineman, was one of the top performers in the bench press at the Combine but did not participate in the 40-yard dash or any other running drills. Has been mentioned as a possible second round choice for the Steelers.


• Oregon (March 12): Our favorite, Max Unger, looks to impress after a mediocre performance at the Combine.


• Penn State (March 18): A.Q. Shipley was a top ten Combine performer in the bench press, vertical jump, three-cone drill, 20-yard shuttle, and was tied for fourteenth best in the 40-yard dash. We wonder what more he has to prove?


• Richmond (March 19): Lawrence Sidbury Jr. was a monster at the Combine ~ performing in the top ten in the 40-yard dash, vertical jump, broad jump, and 20-yard shuttle ~ and his size (6'2", 266) leads us to believe that he could be the next young outside linebacker to join the Steelers. The scouts at Ourlads gave him good marks for his performance at the Senior Bowl while still suggesting that he must improve in both his play against the run and expanding his repertoire of pass rushing moves.


• Texas Tech (March 12): Michael Crabtree ~ will he or won't he? Also, offensive lineman Louis Vasquez, who led all offensive linemen at the Combine with 39 repetitions in the bench press, will workout as well.


• UCLA (March 31): Any self-respecting alumni of UCLA would highlight their pro day. Running back Kahlil Bell was a top performer at the Combine in the 3-cone drill, 20-yard shuttle, and 60-yard shuttle; but his 4.68 time in the 40-yard dash is likely to keep him off draft boards. However, he is a strong, muscular runner (5'11", 212 lbs.) who could make a career for himself as a fullback.


• Vanderbilt (March 5): Cornerback D.J. Moore, mentioned by some as a possible first round selection for the Steelers, will try to improve on a fair Combine performance.


• Wisconsin (March 4): Offensive lineman Kraig Urbik will try to convince Steelers scouts that he is worthy of a second round selection.

Dates and participants will be added to the Pro Day schedule as they become available (i.e. bookmark that page).

Getting Draft Ready: The Mock Draft Hit Parade

We love mock drafts.

Though there is clear and compelling evidence that once "experts" begin trying to speculate what will happen in the bottom half of any round (even the first) their accuracy degrades remarkably, we wait breathlessly to read their opinions and analysis. So we offer up links to seven of our favorite mock drafts (none of who believed Rashard Mendenhall would fall as far as he did, and all of whom projected the Steelers as selecting an offensive lineman in the first round) ~ enjoy:

Scott Wright's Draft Countdown: Mr. Wright's current mock draft (which has not been updated since before the NFL Combine) is a two round effort. He is projecting Oregon center Max Unger as the #32 choice and Jarron Gilbert, a defensive end from San Jose State University, at #64. Both players have been moving up draft boards since the combine, and we have seen some who are projecting Mr. Gilbert at #32.

NFL Draft Dog: Another two round effort, this one is in agreement with Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times with Eben Britton, an offensive tackle from Arizona, at #32. With their second round pick Draft Dog projects Wisconsin's Kraig Urbik as the Steelers' choice. The folks at Ourlads Scouting Services assessed Mr. Urbik's performance at the Senior Bowl thusly: "Good drive blocker and use of hands in the running game. Gave ground too quickly at times in pass protection. Physical player that projects outside as a right tackle."

FF Toolbox: This site offers multiple mock drafts from multiple writers. They currently have a two round mock draft up, with Alex Mack (Center, California) as the consensus first round pick. As for the second round the writer's are all over the map. One writer (Randall Weida) has the Steelers choosing Duke Robinson, an offensive guard from Oklahoma, at #64. Meanwhile another writer (Ricky Dimon) sees William Beatty, the offensive tackle from Connecticut, lasting until the end of the second round (we see that as being very unlikely). Asher Allen, a cornerback out of Georgia, is still another writer's choice (Raul Colon) ~ and an interesting choice. Finally, Jamon Meredith, offensive tackle from South Carolina, is the choice of two writers (Ben Standig and Joel Wesler).

NFL Draft Blitz: This mock draft offers up seven rounds of projections, but only the first round is available for free. In that round Eben Britton is projected as the Pittsburgh pick.

My NFL Draft: A one round mock draft, they are projecting Alex Mack as being available at the end of the first round.

Draft Daddy: Sometimes it is nice to see something different, and this one round mock draft is that. In this one Matthew Stafford and Mark Sanchez are hanging around until the second half of the first round (picks 19 and 20 respectively); and Alex Mack, Eben Britton, Max Unger,et al are not projected as first round choices. Instead the Steelers will select . . . D.J. Moore, a cornerback from Vanderbilt. According to FF Toolbox Mr. Moore ran a 4.58 40-yard dash (outside the top ten), and had a vertical jump of 39.5 inches (third best amongst cornerbacks).

Draft King: A one round draft that projects Duke Robinson, the offensive guard from Oklahoma, as the Steelers choice at #32.

The Football Expert: Like FF Toolbox, this site offers up multiple mock drafts. Players like Alex Mack, Duke Robinson, and Troy Kopog (an offensive tackle from Tulane about whom Ourlads said "More physical than athletic. Struggled with the speed of the edge pass rushers.") figure prominently in the Steelers' plans.

Farmer's Mock Draft

Living in Southern California we have witnessed first-hand the demolition of a world-class newspaper, the Los Angeles Times. But whatever else Sam Zell has wrought, he still has not offered NFL reporter Sam Farmer a buyout. We are glad for that, and happy to offer up Mr. Farmer's first mock draft of 2009.

Mr. Farmer believes that the Steelers should use pick #32 to acquire Eben Britton, an offensive tackle from Arizona. Mr. Britton is 6'6" tall, and weighs in at 309 pounds so he certainly fits the part. However, Pat Kirwan of NFL.com (if you were able to watch Mr. Kirwan's live commentary, online, of the NFL Combine you know why we have so much respect for him) has Mr. Britton going to the Eagles at #21 in his mock draft.

The 2008 draft was marked by a first round run on offensive linemen, and there is no reason not to expect something similar to happen this year. As much as we would like to see someone like Mr. Britton available at #32 it seems unlikely that he will be wearing a Steelers' uniform in 2009.

Live from the Combine

In addition to the live coverage available through the NFL Network and NFL.com, Doug Farrar of Football Outsiders is doing Twitter-esque updates for the Washington Post.

The information available at the Post site is terrific ~ succinct and informative ~ and right now there is a good look at the top offensive linemen available in the 2009 draft.

Getting draft ready: A look at William Beatty

The Yahoo! mock draft we alerted you to recently has the Steelers choosing William Beatty, an offensive tackle out of Connecticut.

Now the Sporting News Today has a brief assessment of Mr. Beatty's skills. According to this assessment Mr. Beatty is 6'6" tall and weighs 291 pounds ~ rather light for NFL competition. The author's of the profile go on to say that he demonstrates good footwork and quickness but is "unable to physically dominate [a] defender to drive him out of [a] play."

With the draft combine less than two weeks away it will be interesting to see if Mr. Beatty has been able to bulk up at all since the end of the Huskies' season; but we must admit that the Sporting News assessment has left us somewhat underwhelmed by Mr. Beatty.

However, Scott Wright at NFL Draft Countdown has come out with his first two round mock draft, and while he has the Steelers selecting Max Unger (our preference) at #32, he projects Mr. Beatty as going to the Detroit Lions at the thirty-third spot. So, at least for now, Mr. Beatty appears to be a realistic option for Pittsburgh at the end of round one.

Getting Draft Ready: Mike Mayock Rates the prospects

We really enjoy the work of the NFL Network's Mike Mayock ~ and not just because he was a 10th round draft pick of the Pittsbugh Steelers in 1987 (in all honesty, a pretty forgettable draft for the Steelers ~ their #1 pick that year was Keith Gary). He brings an insider's knowledge and expertise to player evaluation, and does not talk down to the audience. He really is someone from whom we learn a great deal. So when we found his college prospects rankings we took note.

Like most Steelers fans we are hoping that some quality offensive linemen will be available in the latter parts of each round. According to Mr. Mayock here are the best of the bunch:

Centers

1. Max Unger (Oregon)
2. Eric Wood (Louisville)
3. Alex Mack (California)
4. A.Q. Shipley (Penn State)
5. Antoine Caldwell (Alabama)

Offensive Guards

1. Andy Levitre (Oregon State)
2. Duke Robinson (Oklahoma)
3. Kraig Urbik (Wisconsin)
4. Tyronne Green (Auburn)
5. Herman Johnson (LSU)

Offensive Tackles

1. Jason Smith (Baylor)
2. Eugene Monroe (Virginia)
3. Andre Smith (Alabama)
4. Michael Oher (Mississippi)
5. Eben Britton (Arizona)

Getting Draft Ready: A Yahoo! Two-Rounder

Like most fans of the Pittsburgh Steelers we are only beginning to come back down to earth. However we came across a Yahoo! Sports two-round mock draft, and decided to share.

In their scenario the Steelers will be choosing William Beatty, an offensive tackle from Connecticut at #32 and Eric Wood an offensive center/guard out of Louisville. To be honest we do not know much (yet) about either player, so Yahoo! may have it exactly correct. However, one issue we do have is that they project Oregon offensive center/guard/tackle Max Unger at #55 (to the New England Patriots).

We are going to be very honest here ~ we saw a lot of Max Unger this past college season, liked what we saw, love his versatility (we think he will be a guard in the NFL), and would like to see the Steelers find a way to get him into the Black & Gold.

Something to take your mindoff the Super Bowl

Nail biting over Super Bowl XLIII has already begun here, so it was with some gratitude that we discovered that our friends at Pro Football Weekly have published a mock draft.

For those who prefer to receive a spoiler alert, this draft has the Steelers taking Max Unger (center from Oregon) with the 32nd pick ~ whatever else happens we hope they are correct about what spot Pittsburgh will choose from.

Meanwhile, Draft Expert Mel Kiper also has the Steelers selecting a PAC-10 center, Alex Mack from California (the complete first round projection is here, subscription required).

Getting Draft Ready: Nolan Nawrocki's Top 150

With the Steelers fighting tooth and nail to secure the best possible playoff position, it is easy to lose sight of what is really important. Which is why God invented Pro Football Weekly.

Nolan Nawrocki has come up with his list of the top 150 college prospects, and it is interesting to see an offensive tackle, Jamon Meredith of South Carolina, rated at the number 21 spot. We are the first to hope that the Steelers are picking at #32 (DeAngelo Smith, CB, Cincinnati), but we strive to be realistic (some might call it fatalistic, but we ignore those people) in all things.

Moreover, there are four offensive linemen (inclusive of Mr. Meredith) that are rated between numbers 21-32. So start working on your mock drafts now!