Steelers Move Colon to Left Guard
Gayle Saunders
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With the Steelers addressing the offensive line during the draft this off season, they have now moved Willie Colon to left guard.
Pittsburgh most likely felt that Colon was better suited to play inside versus outside with his size. Colon is 6’3 and weighs in around 315 pounds.
“I’ve made the transition to left guard,” he confirmed. “I like it. It’s just a matter of learning the verbiage.”
The Skinny: By moving Colon on the inside they will probably utilize his athletism for pulling purposes. Expect to see Colon and Decastro get their “pull” on. The Steelers’ starting O-Line will probably look like this as of now LT Mike Adams, LG Colon, C Maurkice Pouncey, RG David DeCastro, and RT Marcus Gilbert. I believe the Steelers O-line will be a force to be reckoned with if this unit stays healthy.
Steelers: Meet The 2012 Draft Class
ROUND 1: David DeCastro, G, Stanford
DeCastro is ideal for an offensive line that has problems protecting QB Ben Roethlisberger. He will play at right guard next to All-Pro center Maurkice Pouncey, giving the Steelers a pair of athletic and tenacious blockers on the inside. What’s more, the Steelers liked the way he was typically the lead blocker in Stanford’s run game.
The Steelers have juggled a lot of different players at both guard positions and DeCastro is an immediate upgrade as a Pouncey-like player — tough, smart, dedicated and athletic.
DeCastro has a chance to start right away because the incumbent starters at guard are Doug Legursky and Ramon Foster, players who were undrafted free agents several years ago and have never gone to training camp as a starter. DeCastro played in a pro-style offense at Stanford, which will make the transition easier.
More important, he might be a better pass protector than run blocker, something the Steelers were seeking to help lessen some of the hits on Roethlisberger, who has averaged 43 sacks a season since 2007. Pouncey started as a rookie in 2010 and DeCastro will probably do the same thing.
ROUND 2: Mike Adams, T, Ohio State
The team has made a strong commitment to upgrading its offensive line by taking guard David DeCastro and Adams with its first two picks. In the past three years, the Steelers have used two No. 1 picks and two No. 2 picks on offensive linemen. Adams has long arms and good length—which helps him in pass protection.
Adams gives the team a young talent to use at right tackle if Willie Colon has problems coming back from another season-ending injury. Otherwise, Adams will back up on both sides until the team determines where he fits best. Adams, though, has a chance to become a starter by 2013.
Round 3: Sean Spence, OLB, Miami (Fla.)
How he fits: Spence played outside in a 4-3 front in college, but he will play inside linebacker in the Steelers’ 3-4 front. Spence is not very big, but the Steelers like to keep blockers off their inside ‘backers to let them run to the ball. Spence is very instinctive, quick and smart and is able to run with tight ends and H-backs.
Spence will not be a starter and will back up Lawrence Timmons at the Mack LB spot and play mainly on special teams. Veteran Larry Foote will step in and replace departed James Farrior, but that probably won’t be for more than one year. Still, Spence provides depth on the inside and gives the team an extra body to replace Farrior on the roster.
ROUND 4: ALAMEDA TA’AMU, NT, Washington
Ta’Amu is exactly what the Steelers need at nose tackle—a massive, powerful player who is hard to move and often forces double teams to create space for the linebackers to make tackles. Five-time Pro Bowl NT Casey Hampton will come back for one more season, but he is coming off ACL surgery. Ta’Amu is the long-term replacement who has a chance to move into that role earlier than anticipated.
ROUND 5: CHRIS RAINEY, RB, Florida
Rainey gives the team the type of running back they don’t have—a breakaway threat who is tough to tackle in space. He ran a 4.37 at the combine and will be used mainly on special teams as a return specialist. But new offensive coordinator Todd Haley can also use him as a situational, change-of-pace third-down player who can run and catch.
ROUND 7: TONEY CLEMONS, WR, Colorado
The Steelers were interested in adding a bigger receiver on their roster, but they also got a player who ran an unofficial 4.36 at his pro day. Clemons walks into a good situation because with the retirement of veteran Hines Ward, he has a chance to win a roster spot as the fifth receiver.
ROUND 7: DAVID PAULSON, TE, Oregon
He has a chance to be the third tight end because Weslye Saunders, who has to serve a four-game suspension to start the season, may not be back. Paulson is also the type of tight end the Steelers don’t have—a player who can flex, play H-back or do in-line blocking.
ROUND 7: TERRENCE FREDERICK, CB, Texas A&M
The loss of nickel back William Gay could create a roster spot in the slot for Frederick, who does not have the size and speed to play on the outside. Frederick will be limited to zone coverage, though, because he is not very good in man coverage.
ROUND 7: KELVIN BEACHUM, OT, SMU
Played left tackle in college but will be used at guard with the Steelers. Has the position flexibility the team desires. Either way, he is probably slotted for the practice squad because he needs to develop more size and strength. But he is athletic, smart, has good feet and could develop into a nice backup in a couple years.
NFL Draft: Winners & Losers
SkinnyPost TV sits down to take a look at who won in this years NFL Draft and who didn’t! From value picks to teams that reached and everything in between!!
Final Draft Grades!!
It’s very difficult to “grade” a draft just days after the selections however it isn’t difficult to see where we feel value was found and how teams did or didn’t manipulate the board to fit their needs. Certain players are sure to reach the dreaded “bust” status while others will ascend to “late round gem” status. Here is how we grade all 32 teams in the 2012 NFL Draft! Read more
Professor Schloss’s 1st Round Draft Grades
Professor Schloss’s 1st Round Draft Grades
First my notes:
This was a super quick draft that was over before you knew it. I never understood the reason for dragging it on and on. Teams have had months to figure this out, so unless something really unexpected happens and your guy is taken or if you’re exploring a last minute trade, there really isn’t any reason to take the entire clock.
Trades, trades, and more trades. There is nothing more exciting on draft day than trades. Given the new rookie wage scale, this will probably be a trend more than an anomaly. Teams that traded down in the draft received great value and teams who traded up knew exactly who they wanted and what it took to get him. It’s always a good sign to a fan when your team has a plan and does what it takes to execute.
The first 20 minutes were super boring. Why did the first 3 teams announce who they were taking ahead of time? What do they have to gain? Totally took the luster and excitement out of the top of the draft. I really don’t understand why the Colts have to announce they are taking Andrew Luck 1st until they need to submit their pick. This is competitive league, so why throw your cards on the table before the game even starts. Only good thing that came out of this was it gave RG3 the chance to wear those fantastic Redskin colored socks which he proudly showed everyone.
How does the NFL have the jersey for the rookies as soon as their drafted? The only explanation is they print up 1 for each player they think will be drafted. What happens to all of those other jerseys?? What if a team picks someone out of left field, does that guy get a blank jersey?
Looks like the NFL heard my complaint last year and stopped showing the player before they were drafted. I take full credit. The draft was so much more enjoyable with this improvement. I actually looked forward to hearing what Roger Goodell had to say for once.
Draft Grades:
1.Indianapolis Colts – Andrew Luck – A+
Everything that can be said about Luck basically has been. Slam dunk of a number 1 pick and perhaps the best transition of quarterbacks ever with a #1 replacing a #1. Luck doesn’t have a ton of talent surrounding him yet, so hopefully expectations are tempered in year 1 in Indy. Let’s all remember Peyton came in and won only 3 games while throwing 28 picks his first year. Just because the recent crop of rookie quarterbacks have excelled year 1, doesn’t mean Luck has to. Side note on Luck, anyone else think he came off as kind of a dork? If I were him, I’d grow that ugly beard again he had before his senior year started. The dorky 15 year old look might not be too imposing to NFL defenses.
2. Washington Redskins – Roger Griffin III – A
Really liked what RG3 said after he was drafted. His focus remains on the team and showing the veterans he is there to work. A Cam Newton esque rookie campaign might be a little much to ask, but RG3 with Shanny coaching him up, can be a star from day 1 in Washington. The Skins gave up the house for him so I imagine they think this pick is pure gold. The massive haul is the only thing keeping this from being a top grade. Of course if he ends up being a franchise QB, all the picks will be more than worth it. Btw, could we be in for a Steve Smith like rejuvenation for Santana Moss this season?
3. Cleveland Browns – Trent Richardson – A
Brad Childress is the Phil Jackson of football (except for the 11 rings and ability to know what you’re doing). Phil went from Jordan to Kobe while Childress goes from Peterson to Richardson. Trent may go down as the best player to come out of this draft and the Browns made sure they nabbed him. While the entire league goes pass happy, the Browns will take a different approach and utilize the best RB prospect to come out since Peterson. I will say I’m not sure the Browns “had” to trade up and swap spots with the Vikings for this pick though. I realize other teams were interested in doing just that, Tampa perhaps, but my gut feeling tells me Vikings would have still just picked Kalil and Richardson would have been sitting there still at #4. Obviously I know a lot less than Cleveland did, or at least think they did, so perhaps this was necessary to get a much needed running back. After missing out on RG3, it’s tough to blame Cleveland for not taking any chances with the other player they loved in the draft. The city of Cleveland needed a star player, and they get one here.
4. Minnesota Vikings – Ryan Kalil – A
Anyone else wonder why Ryan was kissing Valerie Bertanelli after he got drafted? Anyway, the Vikings trade down, get 2 more picks, and still get the guy they wanted at 3. I’d say that’s Minnesota highway robbery. No one is happier about this pick than Christian Ponder though. I realize the sentiment these days are left tackles aren’t as important as they were thought to be a few years ago, but getting a cornerstone guy there for the next 10 years will only help the Vikings. They didn’t seem to fall in love with any one player in this draft, so picking probably the safest bet while trading down for more picks is smart play by the Vikes. Big question remains for Minnesota fans, how many years will they get to enjoy Kalil before the team picks up and leaves??
5. Jacksonville Jaguars – Justin Blackmon – A
Didn’t’ really understand the backlash as of late for Blackmon. A lot of scouts and talking heads didn’t feel he was a true #1. Did they watch him in college? The guy was dominant the past two seasons at OK State. There is no team starved more for wide receiver talent than the Jags so this pick is a no brainer. Even if Blackmon never develops into Calvin Johnson (who f’n does???) he is the best receiver they have had their since Jimmy Smith who retired over 7 years ago! Probably had to trade up to leapfrog the Rams to take Blackmon, so I applaud the initiative.
6. Dallas Cowboys – Morris Clairborne – B+
This grade doesn’t reflect the player, but more what Dallas gave up to get him. If a Pro Bowl CB in Asante Samuel is worth only a 7th round pick, giving up a #2 and their #1 to move up to draft Morris is a huge price. Dallas does get the last of the ‘big 6’ though and do get the top cover man in the draft. As a Cowboy fan I had my heart set on Barron, but I guess I never thought they had a chance for Claiborne. Any Dallas fan will tell you how poor their secondary played last year so with Claiborne and the addition of Carr this offseason, along with the banishing of Terence Newman, suddenly cornerback is a position of strength for the Cowboys. I am just still a bit concerned about a playmaker at the safety position and a another pass rusher, which cannot be addressed now until the 3rd round.
7. Tampa Bay – Mark Barron – A
That awful Tampa defense just got a lot better on draft night. Barron is the real deal and seems like one of those rare playmakers in the secondary who seems to always be around the ball and make things happen. Bonus points for trading down and still getting one of the top 2 impact secondary rookies. Can we just start calling him “The Baron” now? Awesome nickname. I wish Dallas got him…
8. Miami Dolphins – Ryan Tannehill – C
The first real boom or bust pick of the draft. The Dolphins were a mess this off-season so this pick needs to be a homerun or they will continue to fade into obscurity. We have seen so many quarterbacks enter the league with all of the tools Tannehill possesses, but flame out rather quickly. This pick is so tough to grade because you really don’t know what Tannehill will become. If Miami seriously thinks he is the answer as QB then this pick makes total sense. A part of me thinks they talked themselves into him though. He probably won’t play much at all in year 1 so the Fins might find themselves at the top of the draft next season where there are some stud signal callers available. Then what will they do? Ryan does win the award for hottest WAG in the draft room though, so that counts for something. (http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-shutdown-corner/ryan-tannehill-wife-stole-show-thursday-nfl-draft-161434718.html)
9. Carolina Panthers – Luke Kuechly – A-
Carolina could have used help at receiver and picked the ND product Floyd, but elect to go defense here and it found a gem in linebacker Luke Kuechly. Luke is the poster child for productivity, and his ability to play the pass will allow him to be a three down linebacker. Cam can’t do anything while the defense is on the field, so upgrading that unit has Carolina back on the path to relevancy in the NFL. The only hesitation I have is the recent lack of success top 10 linebackers in the league has had. Kuechly seems as poised as anyone to break that mold though.
10. Buffalo Bills – Stephon Gilmore – A
The Bills needed a top flight corner to match up against #1 receivers and they grab one with Gamecock product Gilmore. The Bills have dedicated themselves to building a top defense and continue with a great secondary addition. While the offense might still need work, they are hoping Fitzpatrick gains some of his magic back while the defense becomes one of the best in the AFC.
11. KC Chiefs – Dontari Poe – B-
I hope KC fans like Vegas, because their team just took one of the bigger gambles in the draft. Poe is the typical workout wonder who everyone seems to become obsessed with right before the draft. His lack of productivity at Memphis is puzzling though and raises some major red flags. At the very least he should turn into a space eater. Chiefs fans are probably hoping Poe isn’t the second coming of Glen Dorsey though. Poe massive size should prevent that from happening hopefully.
12. Fletcher Cox – B+
The Eagles trade up to get a player they really liked and given Andy Reid’s draft history, we have to trust he knows what he is doing. While Cox wasn’t necessarily a position of need, he will certainly help sure up the between the gap defense that struggled mightily at times last season. The Eagles front four is pretty nasty but Cox gives them some nice depth, flexibility, and youth. Again, I trust Andy Reid here.
13. Arizona Cardinals -Michael Floyd – C
This pick seems like the Cards were nostalgic for the days of Fitz and Boldin catching passes together. Big difference between then and now though, those guys had Kurt Warner throwing to them. Fitz and Floyd will have the pu pu platter of Kolb and Skelton. Can’t help but think the Cards could have used some offensive line help here. Rief or DeCastro would have made sense. You can have Moss and Rice out there, but if Kolb or whoever else can’t get it to them due to lack of protection or “talent’ it won’t matter.
14. St. Louis Rams – Michael Brockers – A
Rams get a talented and much needed player in Brockers here while at the same time amassing multiple picks by trading down. They put themselves in the driver’s seat for round 2. If I’m a Rams fan, I’m somewhat distraught they didn’t come out with either Blackmon or Floyd, but looking back at draft histories, some of the best wide receiver talents have come in round 2, and I can’t imagine they don’t select at least one with all the picks they have. Besides lack of guys to throw the ball to, the Rams porous run defense was their achilles heel last year. Brockers immediately upgrades that unit. Great job of the Rams this draft to maximize their draft position and getting a ton of picks in return. RG3 might be fantastic, but they seem invested in Bradford and shouldn’t have let one poor season deter them from sticking with him. Bravo St. Louis.
15. Seattle Seahawks- Bruce Irvin – D+
Eek, this was a reach. Irvin goes from former high school drop out to #15 pick in the NFL draft. Not exactly the poster child for staying in school campaigns. While I don’t think Irvin can’t be a productive starter on the NFL level, with so many teams finding ways to trade down and accumulate more picks, it’s hard to figure out why the Hawks’ felt they had to reach at 15 for the WVU linebacker. Hard to imagine he wouldn’t have been there much later in the 1st round or even on day 2.
16. NY Jets – Quinton Coples – C+
Coples could have easily gone top 10 given his talent. His effort and motor remain a question mark though, as does his consistency. Rex Ryan sometimes brings out the best in defensive players so I’m sure that was the thought process here. The Jets defense was vastly over rated last year so if Coples plays like his raw talent suggests, this unit has received a huge upgrade. Given the locker room issues that plagued the Jets last year, you do have to wonder if this is the best environment for someone like Coples. I think they would have been better served to pick Ingram here but Rex and Co. swing for the fences with this pick.
17. Cincinnati Bengals – Dre Kirkpatrick – B+
“Dr.” Dre Kirkpatrick is exactly what the Bengals needed to replace Jonathan Joseph, who was sorely missed last season when Leon Hall went down. With Hall and Kirkpatrick, Cinnci has a secondary duo who can match up with pretty much any receiving tandem in the league. Given Kirkpatrick’s unique size, he can match up against the bigger wideouts while Hall shuts down the quicker ones. Hard to imagine the Bengals nailing two drafts in a row, but it appears they are on their way.
18. San Diego Chargers – Melvin Ingram – A
Great job by the Chargers to get the guy many thought was the best pass rusher in the draft, all the way at 18. Ingram is the hybrid pass rusher that has become so popular these past few years, and gives the Charger defense some much needed flexibility. When a guy’s biggest knock is he has “short arms”, I’d say SD did well with this selection. Besides, it’s not like he has T-Rex arms. http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/prehistoric/tyrannosaurus-rex/
19. Chicago Bears – Shea McClellin – C+
McClellin was a big riser coming into the draft and seems like another pass rushing specialist, which we are finding out teams cannot have too many of. Any pressure that gets taken off Julius Pepper is also a big positive. I’m just left feeling the Bears could have done more to protect Cutler and shore up a shaky offensive line. With Riley Reiff and DeCastro still sitting there, this pick is a bit puzzling to me.
20. Tennessee Titans – Kendall Wright – C
I’m not convinced about Wright. He’s fast but he’s not exceptionally fast. He isn’t tall. He was productive but he also had RG3 tossing him the ball. He is great after the catch and in space, but will he be able to get open against top corners in the NFL? If there is concern Kenny Britt cannot come back fully healthy this pick makes a lot more sense. Wright should be a nice slot receiver, but I want a little more with pick #20.
21. NE Patriots – Chandler Jones – A-
The Pats weren’t the best pass rush team last year and they might be without their top two sack men next season so this pick makes sense. Jones has as much upside as a pass rusher as anyone in this draft. Being a fellow Syracuse Alum, I am quite proud that our awful football team finally had a 1st round pick. Cuse grads tend to over achieve in the NFL (Marvin Harrison, Dwight Freeny, Mike Williams, etc…) so this pick could be special. The Super Bowl runner ups finally traded up in a draft instead of trading down, and they come away with a premier pass rushing talent.
22. Cleveland Browns – Brandon Wheedon – D
This was interesting… It was reported earlier in the day that the Browns gave Colt McCoy a vote of confidence and assured him they wouldn’t be selecting a quarterback in round 1. Lesson learned, never trust your bosses… This pick signals the white flag for McCoy as the starter in Cleveland as I can’t imagine he is willing to stay and mentor Wheedon who is about twice his age. Cleveland obviously plans to address who their QB will be throwing to in the later rounds as there isnt much to work with. A little unfair if you ask me though as Wheedon gets to work with Richardson right off the bat while McCoy had a list of cast offs last season. This selection seems like a medium risk medium reward type of pick. Wheedon probably won’t be worse than McCoy, but how much better will he actually be? Thoughts of Chris Weinke comes to mind…
23. Detroit Lions – Riley Reiff – A-
What is going on Detroit these days… The Lions are not only relevant again, but they have drafted well in the last few years, and their star player is now on the Madden Cover. (I fear for Megatron with this win. The Madden Curse is alive and well (just ask Peyton Hillis) ). Detroit is not without their weaknesses though and they address one of them right here with the second best tackle prospect in the draft. Even if Reiff doesn’t turn into a starter at LT, he should hold down the RT fort for a decade. Anytime you give Matthew Stafford more time to throw to Calvin, you are doing something right. Keeping Stafford healthy should be the #1 concern for the Lions going forward.
24. Pittsburgh Steelers – David DeCastro – B+
I was certain pre draft they would take one of the Alabama linebackers with Upshaw or Hightower. Both guys screamed steel curtain defense. But with DeCastro slipping, the Steelers make a great pick here as keeping Big Ben upright is the most important to the Steelers success. Roethlisberger ran around like a chicken with his head cut off last season. Pouncy and DeCastro equals great anterior anchors for Pitt, and should also help what was a less than spectacular running attack last season.
25. NE Patriots – Don’ta Hightower – B
The Saban Belichick connection continues. For the second time in the 1st round the Pats trade up to get their guy. Hightower is a winner and should instantly help with the Pats new pass rush attack pairing with Chandler Jones. Hate to say it, but the Pats just got a lot better already, which is terrible news for the rest of the AFC.
26. Houston Texans – Whitney Mercilus – B
I can’t imagine a guy named Whitney really making an impact in the league, but what’s in a name. Mercilus will have his work cut out for him to prove he is not a one year wonder. With the Ryans and Williams defections, this pick makes total sense as the Texans get a guy who had 16 sacks a year ago in the Big 10. You don’t get that many without having some unworldly natural ability. I bet the Texans were hoping DeCastro would fall to them here but Wade Phillips just got another toy to use for next year.
27. Cincinnati Bengals – Kevin Zeitler – B
Perhaps the most boring pick of the 1st round. Cincinnati needed a RB and another WR but resisted the urge of the sexier pick and probably makes the smart play here. The more time Dalton has to throw deep passes to AJ Green the better. Besides, there is always value in backs in the later rounds and Zeitler should help the running game whoever is back there in 2012, so they indirectly improve.
28. Green Bay Packers – Nick Perry – B+
Good news, we no longer have to hear how Clay Matthews has no pass rushing help in Green Bay. Perry is exactly what the Pack needed to add a second dimension to their pass rushing attack.
29. Minnesota Vikings – Harrison Smith – B-
The Vike’s needed help in the secondary and address some of that here with the #2 safety on the board in Smith. I watched the ND product play for 4 years, and while he never stood out, he always seemed to be around the ball and constantly making tackles and plays. Smith is never going to be a shutdown safety a la Ed Reed or Eric Berry, but he will help prevent the big plays that plagued Minnesota all of last season. Most importantly, Harrison seems like a great candidate to defend the ever dangerous Tight Ends in the league.
30. San Francisco 49’ers – A.J. Jenkins – C-
I got burned last year by questioning the Niner’s selection of Aldon Smith so I choose my words carefully with the evaluation of this year’s surprise selection. Forgetting the fact that SF essentially drafted a receiver who was much lower on most scouts boards than some other receivers still available (Hill, Randle), after an offseason that saw Manningham and Moss brought in, why did the Niners feel they had to reach for a WR in this spot? With Crabtree still there, Jenkins comes in essentially as the #4 on the depth chart. I’d want more out of my first round pick. San Fran didn’t have any pressing needs but probably could have used the pick to trade out of the 1st round of or at least sure up the offensive line and secondary. They are an elite team and should be in win now mode. Just not sure how this pick lines up with that.
31. Tampa Bay Bucs – Doug Martin – B-
Two Boise State guys in the 1st round??? The Potato state must be going nuts. LaGarret Blount was probably ecstatic they didn’t land Trent Richardson, but this can’t be too pleasing at the end of the round. Regardless, Blount and Martin should make a pretty interesting 1-2 punch for the Bucs. As much as a like Martin and think he can be productive, I can’t help but wonder if the Bucs should have continued to go defense here and hope to get a back in a later round. “The Baron” isn’t going to fix this awful defense by himself. I am also still confused who is playing cornerback for them next season. Ronde Barber will be looking at homes to retire at while Aquib Taliq will be looking at jail cells to serve in.
32. NY Giants – David Wilson – C
Ahmad Bradshaw is not an every down back in the NFL so teaming him with another back makes a lot of sense. What doesn’t make to me is why the Giants didn’t feel more inclined to pick the #1 rated Tight End on the board when their top 2 TE’s on last year’s depth chart are essentially out for the 2012 season. Do the Giants not remember they plucked Bradshaw out of the 7th round? First round TE’s have given teams a ton more value than RB’s over the last decade. The league seems to be moving to a more TE oriented offense to create mismatches and Fleener would have fit that mold. Wilson is a talented back and should provide some new energy into the Giants backfield, but I can’t help but wonder if the Giants let this pick go a bit by not shoring up the TE position or the offensive line. Fleener or Cody Glenn would have been better picks in this spot.
1st Round Draft Results!
The 1st Round of the 2012 NFL Draft is in the books and as we had speculated, there was a lot of trading going on. The new Rookie wage scale eliminated any contractual issues and made for trades to happen easier. The Browns, Cowboys, Patriots, Vikings and many others all made some big trades that effected the board. Impossible to say who was a winner or loser after one round of Drafting, we will wait a while to see how the players actually pan out. Here is a list of the 1st Rounders selected and what we thought the of picks and the slot in which they were selected.
Here are the Draft Results from the 1st Round of the 2012 NFL Draft:
PICK TEAM PLAYER POS HT WT COLLEGE
1 – Colts Luck, Andrew QB 6’4″ 234 Stanford (No Brainer, great pick)
2 – Redskins (From Rams) Griffin III, Robert QB 6’2″ 223 Baylor (Same as Luck, great pick, big arm huge upside)
3 – Browns (From Vikings) Richardson, Trent RB 5’9″ 228 Alabama (Maybe a bit much to move up but great pick)
4 – Vikings (From Browns) Kalil, Matt OT 6’6″ 306 USC (Got extra picks and the guy the wanted, good job)
5 – Jaguars (From Buccaneers) Blackmon, Justin WR 6’1″ 207 Oklahoma St. (Need Weapons for Gabbert, solid pick)
6 – Cowboys (From Redskins through Rams) Claiborne, Morris CB 5’11″ 188 LSU (HUGE pick for Dallas, great move)
7 – Buccaneers (From Jaguars) Barron, Mark SS 6’1″ 213 Alabama (Great pick for the Bucs, hard hitter with range)
8 – Dolphins Tannehill, Ryan QB 6’4″ 221 Texas A&M (Least favorite Pick, could have traded down & still got him)
9 – Panthers Kuechly, Luke ILB 6’3″ 242 Boston College (Solid MLB, will help day one)
10 – Bills Gilmore, Stephon CB 6’0″ 190 South Carolina (My favorite Corner in the draft, knack for the ball)
11 – Chiefs Poe, Dontari DT 6’3″ 346 Memphis (A bit of a reach, combine numbers got him to 11 not game tape)
12 – Eagles (From Seahawks) Cox, Fletcher DT 6’4″ 298 Mississippi St. (Great pick, will help clog the Wide 9)
13 – Cardinals Floyd, Michael WR 6’3″ 220 Notre Dame (Should have went O-Line but Floyd too good to pass up)
14 – Rams (From Cowboys) Brockers, Michael DT 6’5″ 322 LSU (Rams need DT’s in a bad way, solid pick)
15 – Seahawks (From Eagles) Irvin, Bruce DE 6’3″ 245 West Virginia (Bit of a reach, bulk needed, great rusher though)
16 – Jets Coples, Quinton DE 6’6″ 284 North Carolina (Jets need rushers, Coples should be a good one)
17 – Bengals (From Raiders) Kirkpatrick, Dre CB 6’1″ 186 Alabama (Bengals got a good, hard hitting CB, solid pick)
18 – Chargers Ingram, Melvin DE 6’1″ 264 South Carolina (Good fit for the 3-4 at OLB, will bring needed pressure)
19 – Bears McClellin, Shea DE 6’3″ 260 Boise St. (Versatile, can play End or OLB good looking player)
20 – Titans Wright, Kendall WR 5’10″ 196 Baylor (Bit of a surprise but adds needed Deep Threat to pair with Britt)
21 – Patriots (From Bengals) Jones, Chandler DE 6’5″ 247 Syracuse (Great pick, huge upside and fills a big need)
22 – Browns (From Falcons) Weeden, Brandon QB 6’4″ 221 Oklahoma St. (Like Weeden better than Tannehill)
23 – Lions Reiff, Riley OT 6’6″ 313 Iowa (Great pick, protecting their top 2 investments, QB & WR)
24 – Steelers DeCastro, David G 6’5″ 316 Stanford (Steelers delighted this run masher fell to them, perfect fit)
25 – Patriots (From Broncos) Hightower, Dont’a ILB 6’2″ 265 Alabama (Another great pick, brings leadership & attitude)
26 – Texans Mercilus, Whitney DE 6’3″ 261 Illinois (Lost Mario Williams, found another long & lean DE to replace him)
27 – Bengals (From Saints through Patriots) Zeitler, Kevin G 6’4″ 314 Wisconsin (Need to protect Dalton, get RB later)
28 – Packers Perry, Nick DE 6’3″ 271 USC (Very good edge rusher opposite of Clay Matthews)
29 – Vikings (From Ravens) Smith, Harrison FS 6’2″ 213 Notre Dame (Very solid pick, Vikings need D’ help back there)
30 – 49ers Jenkins, A.J. WR 6’0″ 192 Illinois (A big of a head scratcher, Coby Fleener would have been better)
31 – Buccaneers (From Patriots through Broncos) Martin, Doug RB 5’9″ 223 Boise St. (Good pick)
32 – Giants Wilson, David RB 5’10″ 206 Virginia Tech (Speed back to pair with Bradshaw, GMen built off the run game)
The only thing that we hope fans keep in mind is that is absolutely impossible and honestly not smart to try and grade teams after one round or even one year for that matter. True Draft evaluation takes years. The Broncos stockpiled picks and are targeting players that they see will be available in Rd. 2 and the Ravens did the same. There is no reason to reach for a player that you don’t fall in love with. Let the draft come to you, however if you see a guy fall a little like Morris Claiborne and he fills a huge need than you take him, just like the Cowboys, Patriots and Vikings did.
After one day we will not proclaim Winners and Losers but will say we were impressed with the Browns, Vikings, Cowboys, & Patriots and were slightly confused with the Dolphins & 49ers.
If Tannehill turns out to be the second coming of Dan Marino than we’ll all be proven to be wrong, however they most certainly could have traded down and received the same player with more compensation. As far as the Niners, just think they have a glut at WR and believed that Coby Fleener would have helped the Passing Attack a bit more than their now 3rd WR acquired via Free Agency or the Draft.
Rounds 2 and 3 are on deck this evening, should be just as exciting as Round 1…as Bart Scott says, Can’t Wait!!
Pre Draft Visits: Pittsburgh Steelers
By Gayle Saunders
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League rules allow each team to bring in 30 players for predraft visits. No on-field work is allowed. The visits are simply an opportunity for the players to sit down with the coaches, as well as the personnel people, for any additional questions, football or otherwise.
Not every player accepts every invitation he receives, so teams don’t always get the first 30 players they requested. But coaches often will look at video with players to get a sense of their football awareness, or put them to work, marker in hand, on the dry-erase board to see how they dissect certain game situations.
One important fact to note from last years draft is, 21 of the NFL’s 32 1st round selections had confirmed pre-draft visits and/or workouts with the NFL teams they were selected by. So there is a good shot that he players below will get drafted if they’re on the board during the teams draft selection.
Below we’ll be updating the chart of pre-draft visits, if you have a player visit you’d like us to add to the chart leave a comment and I’ll add it. Thanks for your help in advance!
LAST UPDATED 4/20/12
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Pittsburgh Steelers
Isaiah Pead – RB from Cincinnati
LaMichael James – RB from Oregon
Stephen Hill- WR from Georgia Tech
Toney Clemons – WR from Colorado
T.Y. Hilton – WR from Florida International
Keshawn Martin – WR from Michigan State
Toney Clemons -WR from Colorado
Greg Childs – WR from Arkansas
Ladarius Green – TE from Louisiana-Lafayette
Adrien Robinson -TE from Cincinnati
David Paulson – TE from Oregon
Michael Egnew – TE from Missouri
Mike Adams – OT from Ohio State
Bobby Massie – OT from Ole Miss
Mitchell Schartz -OL from University of California
Lucas Nix – G from University of Pittsburgh
Amini Silatolu – G from Midwestern State
Brandon Brooks – G from Miami
Kelvin Beachum -G/T from SMU
Dontari Poe -DT from Memphis
Trevor Guyton – DL from University of California
Akiem Hicks – DT from Regina
Hebron Fangupo – DT from BYU
John Hughes – DT from Cincinnati
Nick Perry -DE from USC
Olivier Vernon – DE from Miami
Derek Wolfe – DE from Cincinnati
Andre Branch – DE from Clemson
Cam Johnson – DE from Virginia
Dont’a Hightower LB from Alabama
Mychal Kendricks – LB from California
Jerrell Harris – LB from Alabama
Keith Tandy – CB from West Virginia
Jeremy Jones – DB from Wayne State
Zach Nolan – Long Snapper from Stanford
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Mike Wallace Planning to Skip out on OTAs
Gayle Saunders
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Bad news for Steelers fans as Adam Schefter reported on Wednesday that Mike Wallace will not sign his tender for $2.742 million tender.
Wallace is basically willing to miss all off season workouts, because without signing his tender he can’t even participate. Wallace is focused on working out a long term deal with the Steelers and is not flinching. The problem with Wallace and the Steelers is getting the numbers close enough for a deal to happen.
The Skinny: I really see Wallace holding ground for a long term deal, and if the Steelers saw what happened with the Eagles and Desean Jackson last season they’ll come to terms sooner versus later. But most importantly Wallace is going to have to budge on the numbers for this contract to get done.
Mock Draft #3
As we move closer to the Draft at the end of April, stories get out about what directions teams are looking to go. The only problem with that is tis’ the season for smokescreens and lies. The month of April is very hard to gauge sincerity as teams really don’t want anyone to know their plans as they move forward to Draft Day. With that said, in this draft we are going to get creative and try to envision an early round trade. How accurate it will be is anyones guess but why not mix it up a bit! Enjoy our latest version of the 2012 Mock Draft. Read more
Pittsburgh Steelers
Team Needs and Draft: Look for the Steelers to look at bringing in quality depth on the defensive line. Nose tackle is a concern with Hampton being injured. You might see the Steelers look at bringing in a running back to challenge Mendenhall perhaps the early rounds. With Safety’s Ryan Clark and Troy Polamalu are getting up there in age, looking for their replacement wouldn’t be a bad idea. Pittsburgh will probably look at the offensive guard position to solidify the offensive line, because guard is an issue.
2012 Draft Picks
1.24, 2.24, 3.24, 4.24, 5.24, 6.24, 7.24
2011 Draft Results
1st: Cameron Heyward, DE, Ohio State
2nd: Marcus Gilbert (OT) Florida
3rd: Curtis Brown (CB) Texas
4th: Cortez Allen (CB) The Citadel
5th: Christopher Carter (OLB) Fresno St
6th: Keith Williams (OG) Nebraska
7th: Baron Batch (RB) Texas Tech
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