Getting Draft Ready: Trends

The rumors and conjecture about the upcoming draft, already white hot, will ascend to the level of "breaking news" for fans everywhere; and Pittsburgh Steelers Fanatic isn't any exception!

According to the good folks at Pro Football Weekly a couple of players whose names have been linked to the Steelers are moving in opposite directions on the (mock) draft board:

Reportedly moving up is Jerod Mayo, he of the "uses his body as a weapon" comment from Ourlads Scouting Services, is now "warranting top-15 consideration."

Conversely Malcolm Kelly, the wide receiver from Oklahoma, "[h]as been removed from many teams' draft boards because of his two bad knees, one of which has been reconstructed and the other in which he has arthritis. Questionable work ethic, attitude and intelligence will not make it easy to invest heavily in him. Teams that buy the hype and think he is a great value in the second round could be disappointed. Has big-time bust potential at a position where there is a great tendency to bust."

Getting Draft Ready: The Big Hitters

There are several resources that Pittsburgh Steelers Fanatic leans on pretty heavily -- specifically, Football Outsiders, Pro Football Weekly, and Ourlads Scouting Services. In recognition of that fact we decided to feature their mock drafts in a separate posting, and alert you to an update to Mel Kiper's prediction as well.

• Football Outsiders: Jonathan Stewart, Running Back, Oregon.
  
  The experts at Football Outsiders describe Mr. Stewart as "an elite talent," and "a steal" at the twenty-third spot.


• Pro Football Weekly: Gosder Cherilus, OT, Bostone College.
  
  Currently available only in the print edition of the the magazine, PFW personnel analyst Nolan Nawrocki believes that Mr. Cherilus could be pressed into starting for the Steelers in his rookie season. And in an online article, Mr. Nawrocki tells us that in conversations with NFL personnel people there is a growing belief that Jonathan Stewart will "become the best pro from this year’s draft."


• Ourlads Scouting Service: Chris Williams, OT, Vanderbilt.
  
  In their print Guide to the NFL Draft: 2008 Ourlads rates Mr. Williams as the third bast offensive tackle available -- ahead of both Jeff Otah and Gosder Cherilus. Of Mr. Williams they say, in part, "[c]an deliver an explosive jolt and punch in pass protection. Good arm length and big hands. Eplosive first step into target."


• Mel Kiper & Todd McShay, ESPN (subscription required): Mr. Kiper: Maclolm Kelly, WR, Oklahoma. Mr. McShay: Kentwan Balmer, DT, North Carolina.
  
  We mentioned in our previous post that Mr. Kiper had done a spot on ESPN indicating that Mr. Kelly would be the Steelers' first round pick. We can't say that we are very excited about another first round wide receiver. The time that it takes for young receivers to learn the offense seems reason enough not to choose another -- and given the Steelers' re-signing of Nate Washington it would seem especially ill-advised.
  
  As for Mr. McShay's prediction . . . Mr. Balmer seems a bit of a reach even late in the first round. Though he has good size -- 6'4", 308 pounds -- his limited experience (he was a one-year starter at UNC). He is less developed in terms of technique than some who are less physically gifted.

Bad Choice, New Name

It seems as though the Steelers have been chasing down -- or at least trying to -- via the draft, oh since Lynn Swann and John Stallworth departed.

Who among us will ever forget the first round debacle that was Troy Edwards? Or the third round choice of Georgia's Fred Gibson? The choices of Plaxico Burress and Santonio Holmes notwithstanding, the Steelers have a dubious history of choosing wide outs in the early rounds.

Now comes a new mock draft, this one from Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times (and please take a look at this before Sam Zell destroys what was once a great newspaper), that identifies another wide out that the Steelers should choose.

In this mock draft Mr. Farmer suggests Oklahoma wide out Malcolm Kelly be the next name in the crap shoot that is first round wide out choices. However, if the Steelers choose this young man it may represent the biggest crap shoot of all -- he did not work out at the NFL Combine, and according to Oklahoma Sooners Blog he did not work out at the OU Pro Day March 12th, and is not expected to work out until April 9th.

On the other hand, according to ESPN.com Mr. Kelly is 6'4" tall and weighs 214 pounds -- certainly qualifying as the big receiver that Ben Roethlisberger longs for. In his three seasons at Oklahoma he caught 144 passes for 2,285 yards, and 21 touchdowns. In 2007 Mr. Kelly was #2 on the team in receptions, receiving yards, and touchdown receptions.