Steelers Draft Preview 2009

Well, it's that time of year again, kids. Time for me to say insulting things about people I've never met and criticize a bunch of dudes that could turn me into a pretzel for not having enough "upside" or length.

I'm trying to keep it on the up and up this year, so those of you that are looking for me to talk a lot of trash and swear a lot, I direct you to my 2008 Preview. I have turned over a new leaf since my trip to Seattle, so I'm going to try to not be bitter, unlike some bunch of fans. Wait. That was a little bitter.

I'm going to throw in some Bears analysis for my buddy Keith. Because I keep it real.

First Round:

This is a weird pick. Seeing as how the Steelers won the Super Bowl and all, they're drafting 32nd, which is basically a second round pick.

The good news is that I think they learned their lesson in 2006 (after they won Super Bowl XL) and won't give away a ton of picks to move up a few slots. I foresee no trading up in the first round. The Steelers need help in some very specific, non-glamorous places, and they can fill those needs with quality guys by staying put, not by sacrificing choices in later rounds.

If their draft history is anything to shout about (and it is), they'll get quality players late, so they can't afford to throw any of those players away to get a slightly better player.

Also, this is a class that is not top-heavy. There's quality from 15-50 that's not too far off of the quality from 1-15. And, once again, there's no clear-cut number one.

There aren't any receivers that will be worth a first round selection by the time the Steelers draft (since they won the Super Bowl), so they'll avoid that position in the first stanza. They need a won't take a running back or a quarterback. They don't need another tight end -- on top of the fact that they already have 115 on the roster, there aren't any great ones in this class. They won't take a linebacker in the first round. They don't need any safeties. Or, at least, there's no one in the first round that they should take (or, again, be available, since they draft so late).

I think that Chad Scott has scared them off of taking a cornerback in the first round. I am DEAD serious about this. I really think they regret that decision to this day and they've been able to unearth/sign guys that have filled in well. Ultimately, the success or failure of the pass defense has more to do with how much pressure they put on the quarterback, which has nothing to do with the skill of the secondary.

That leaves defensive end and offensive line. Well, everyone knows that the defensive line's average age is death. Everyone knows that the Steelers offensive line is less than suspect. Whichever way they decide to go, they're going to get a good player.

But, the thing is that the defensive linemen they'll have to choose from will not be worth a first round pick. After Michael Johnson goes off the board in the first ten or 15 picks, they'll be better off waiting until the second or third round. With a bunch of teams using the 3-4, the days are loooooooooooooong gone where they can take Aaron Smith in the sixth or Brett Keisel in the seventh. They'll need to take one in the first three rounds and take two during the course of the draft. Trouble is that I don't know that there are two guys total that will be good enough. So that's awesome.

One wrinkle: Connor Barwin. I love this kid. He used to play tight end, the Cincinnati Bearcats asked him to play defensive end for his senior year, and he went out and piled up a bunch of sacks. He's got the kind of build where he could put on some weight and play end. He could lose a little and play linebacker. He could stay the way he is and be the next Keisel, only better.

The issue would be that he's only had one year at end and doesn't know the position all that well. And that's why he's not going off the board earlier. And that's why he's kind of a reach.

I would be fine with us taking him in the first, but would be ecstatic if he lasted until the second. I don't think it's going to happen. Someone will take him. But I'd be ecstatic.

And I hope we don't take Ron Brace out of Boston College. I think he's a fine player and he'll be a good, productive guy in the NFL for a lot of years. He's just not going to be a good nose tackle in the 3-4. The Steelers need someone who has Casey Hampton's build and that's not Ron Brace. He's four inches taller and 15 pounds lighter. Sure, he could add weight, but he'd still be too tall.

I know it's nit picking, but this is the first round. Everyone that's eligible is talented. There's only so many spots. Think of it like 12th grade English. There was always that one guy that read everything, had great comments, the teacher loved him, and the rest of the class hated him. Maybe he went to college and was a Literature major. Maybe he went for his Master's. But, at some point, a lot of those guys realized that there are only so many Professor Emeritus jobs out there and decided to major in Finance. The guys that were truly gifted went on to chair at Iowa. The guys that were determined went on to teach at the Community College. The guys that had the right mix of determination and skill went on to write important papers and oversee at department. It's a big funnel of talent and you need to be subjective. In the first round, you're looking for a guy that naturally speaks in iambic pentameter. By the end of the draft, you're looking for someone that can quote Rime of the Ancient Mariner without going over the top.

At any rate, I think we take an offensive lineman. The names that have been tossed around are Alex Mack, Eric Wood, and Max Unger. All of them are centers by trade, but can play guard. I'm fine with any of them. I want to bring the center position back to the storied days of Webster, Dawson, and even Hartings. One of these guys can make it happen. Any tackle we take will be a reach -- just like it would have been last year -- so we need to go low on glamour, high on utility.

Out of all of those guys, the Steelers seem to like Wood the most. He has the demeanor to play for us and also has some pass blocking skills -- played at Louisville and they pass a lot, but don't have their quarterback get sacked a lot -- and he has the speed and agility to play the position for the Steelers.

But, like I said, I'd be fine with Mack or Unger. I'm already at 1,230 words, though, so I'll move on.

The Steelers Select:

Percy Harvin, Wide Receiver, Florida.

Well, really, if you held a gun to my head, I'd say Wood. And this has more to do with the fact that I think he's the most logical pick and less to do with the fact that I want a guy on the roster named Gay and a guy named Wood.

However, Harvin is Santonio Holmes plus. He has the athleticism of Holmes. Plus. He has the hands and open field ability of Holmes. Plus. He has the return skills of Holmes. Plus. He averaged 11 yards a touch in college and a lot of those touches were as a running back. He scored every tenth time he touched the ball and a lot of those touches were kick or punt returns. He's an amazing, explosive player and has the versatility to be the next Slash without the nasty downside of turning into the next Kordell.

The thing is that he has Santonio's attitude and weed issues. Plus. He's already tested positive for marijuana according to reports and apparently has some character problems (above the weed, which is really just an NFL issue... we all smoked a little weed in college).

The other thing is Mike Tomlin. Santonio played the best ball of his career after he got busted. Mike Tomlin straightened him out. The man just turned 37 and he has already won a Super Bowl. I have no way to gauge his ceiling. He could walk across the Allegheny tomorrow, then turn it into a nice, heady Chardonnay, and I wouldn't be surprised.

Harvin's a top-15 talent with all kinds of baggage, so he might fall to the Steelers. If he does and they take him, then we know who's calling the shots in the War Room. Colbert would need to yield to Tomlin in order for Harvin to be selected.

If they take Wood, the Rooneys and, by proxy, Colbert, are still in control. Otherwise, it's Tomlin's show to run. And I trust him.

Same holds if they take Mack or Unger.

Bears Pick:

Jay Cutler.

I hope it works out for them. I seriously do.

Second Round:

Okay, let's assume they got Wood in the first (yes, this is only the beginning if they get them some Wood for the next six years, more if he gets an extension... and there's always the onslaught of gay).

We'll assume they take an interior lineman in the first. That's just smart. For the draft, they need two offensive linemen (one down, one to go), a wide receiver (maybe two), a defensive lineman (preferrably an end, maybe two, but, again, I don't think they're out there), a big running back, a safety (Ryan Clark's hitting habit is not sustainable and he might leave as a free agent), and a cornerback.

I actually think they take Juaquin Iglesias, the wide receiver out of Oklahoma, but it is entirely possible that they take defensive end Jarron Gilbert out of San Jose State. Gilbert's tall enough (6'5") and big enough (280) that it makes sense. He'll need to learn to play the position and give up his body rather than rushing the passer, but that's true of anyone that they might draft.

At cornerback, I've heard Jairus Byrd out of Oregon, but I prefer Asher Allen of Georgia, because he can return kicks, too. And we need some serious help in that area. We might have the luxury to draft a guy just to be a return specialist, but I'd rather not see that happen. It worked out well for the Bears, but I'd rather have a Randle-El kind of guy that can do something else to help the team. The best return guy in this class is, of course, Percy Harvin, but we've covered him.

Of course, if Connor Barwin is available (and he won't be), we should take him.

The Steelers Select:

Juaquin Iglesias, Wide Receiver, Oklahoma.

Bears Pick:

Receiver is a priority and there will be a good one available here for them to take. This is actually a deep receiver class, which is why I think the Steelers could take Gilbert in the second and still get a good guy in the third.

For the Bears here, I like Brian Robiske out of Ohio State. Cutler will like throwing to him. He's a good guy and a good player. Not a first round talent, but not far off. We're still in a nit picking zone at this point.

Third Round:

Here's where I think we get an end. If we haven't already taken one. If we have, we take a cornerback. And Asher Allen could still be available. If it goes interior lineman, then end in the first day, then the second day kicks off for the Steelers with a cornerback. I'm sticking with Allen, even if we need to trade up to take him.

But, since I already have them taking an interior lineman and a receiver, they need to take an end.

I like Mitch King here. I think that a Google search for him will say that he's a fifth round prospect. Well, I don't care.

He's got a great motor, he's the kind of player the Steelers love at the position, and he played both end and tackle in college. He's big enough to add weight, but might be able to play 3-4 end at his current weight. Plus which, if the Steelers ever cave to Tomlin and go to the 4-3, he'll be a great Cover 2 defensive tackle.

The Steelers Select:

Mitch King, Defensive End/Tackle, Iowa.

Bears Pick:

Um... Jay Cutler? I am not poking fun here. I actually really do sincerely hope it works out.

But, they have a compensatory pick. I like them to take Corvey Irvin here. He's a defensive tackle from Georgia and has the kind of make-up that they're looking for. They were flush with tackle depth a couple of years back, but that has been lacking.

Irvin will keep Urlacher clean and also has some pass rushing skills. He's another guy that's ranked lower than this (late fourth, early fifth), but I like him a lot.

Fourth Round:

Thus far, we've got an interior lineman, a receiver, and a defensive lineman. We're a long ways away from another defensive lineman, and cornerbacks don't make much difference at this point now that the first and second tier guys are gone, so I'm going to continue to go offense.

I'm going to trust the fact that LeBeau will stay on another year, James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley will not fall apart, James Farrior has another year in him, and Ryan Clark still remembers what day it is. I'm going to trust our historically good, clutch, number one defense. Call me crazy.

Are you ready? You don't look ready? Well, I'm ready. You ready?

Jason Watkins.

Guess where he went to school? Florida. Guess what his positives are? He's huge and he's a good athlete. Guess what his negatives are? His technique needs some work and his toughness is a question mark. And he doesn't always try his hardest, because he's always been the biggest, best athlete on the field. Guess what he doesn't have? A franchise tag and an $8.5 million salary for 2009. Guess what else he doesn't have? Drop foot. I still don't really know what that is.

The Steelers Select:

Jason Watkins, Offensive Tackle, Florida.

Bears Pick:

Their linebackers are getting long in the tooth and they haven't made any real strides to fix that. Lance Briggs could be gone soon, unless he leaves, then re-signs.

I'm gonna go with Jason Williams here. He's a great fit for the Cover 2 defense that they play and he covers a lot of ground. He's just not that big.

Fifth Round:

At long last, they need to get a cornerback. Joe Burnett is actually a better cover guy than he's given credit for, he's just considered slow and undersized. Hey, it's the fifth round. We're not looking for Pulitzers here, just good enough.

Ike Taylor was drafted in the fourth round and was considered to be a bit of a reach. Gay was taken in the fifth round. They don't have to be world beaters, they just have to be good enough, so long as the front seven gets pressure.

Burnett also returns kicks. That's one of the other reasons I like him. Again, he's a guy that's rated lower than this, but I think he's worth it here.

The Steelers Select:

Joe Burnett, Cornerback, Central Florida.

BUT, right after they pick in the fifth, they have a compensatory selection.

I like Pannel Egboh of Stanford. He is this year's King Dunlap. How can you not love that name? How can you not love someone from Stanford? He's gotta be smart, right? He's also 6'6" and 275 pounds. If he adds another 20 pounds of muscle -- which shouldn't be too tough -- he's the same size as Aaron Smith. And would come within a hair of being drafted in the sixth round.

I like it.

The Steelers Select:

Pannel Egboh, Defensive End, Stanford.

Bears Pick:

Olin Kreutz is a hundred years old. They need a contingency plan just in case. Center Antoine Caldwell works. He's big enough to be a masher, but agile enough that he could be an upgrade even if Kreutz doesn't fall apart.

Sixth Round:

Well, they have three picks left (one in the sixth, two in the seventh), and they need a receiver, a safety, and a big running back. It actually wouldn't surprise me if they took a quarterback with one of these three picks (or even earlier, maybe the fourth or fifth round), but that's not how I'm running my draft board, so I'm just going to plow ahead.

With the sixth round pick, they get their big running back. And that is... Javarris Williams. He's 5'9" and weighs 223 pounds. He has a low center of gravity and was productive in college, albeit at Tennessee State. If we show this dude to the snack bar, I figure he's pushing 240 by training camp. If we tell him he has a tweaked hamstring, we can keep him from losing too much weight in camp. By the time the season opens, he's a mini-Bus. I will help him with his training, as I have no trouble gaining weight.

The worst part is that some people may think that I'm kidding.

The Steelers Select:

Javarris Williams, Running Back, Tennessee State.

Bears Pick:

Tez Doolittle, Defensive Tackle, Auburn.

I love this kid. He's a bit of a long shot, but he'll be a great Cover 2 defensive tackle if he makes it through training camp... and stays healthy. Hey, everyone has warts in the sixth round.

Seventh Round:

Safety: Al Afalava, Oregon State

Wide Receiver: Marko Mitchell, Nevada

Afalava is Anthony Smith, but without the mouth. He's a big hitter, a tough kid, and he'll help on special teams.

Mitchell is... well, he's 6'4". He's only 190 pounds, which makes me think that he might actually fit into the height/weight chart that the government posts in doctor's offices to make fat people feel bad. And that's an accomplishment.

Let's face facts: Anyone that gets drafted by the defending Super Bowl champions towards the end of the seventh round is probably not making the roster. In lieu of a cool name like King Dunlap, I punted and went for the height/weight joke.

But I do really like Afalava. And he does have a pretty cool name.

The Steelers Select:

Al Afalava, Safety, Oregon State

Marko Mitchell, Wide Receiver, Nevada (and, really, Marko is a pretty cool name)

Bears Pick:

I think they actually take Afalava and someone like Ellis Lankster of WVU. They could actually take fat man Jarrvis Williams. He could help their backfield a lot and will probably be available.

Failing that, I'm going to go with who Todd McShay said they would take, because I think the Bears are too talented for it to matter. And, also, I only have so many Brian St. Pierres in me.

Mortty Ivy, Linebacker, West Virginia.

Philip Hunt (Mike's brother), Defensive End, Houston.

And... that's that. Hey, it'll be entertaining. Plus which, this run of good nature can only last so long. It'll probably run out by the time I take a look at who they actually drafted.