Picking Last and It Feels So Good!

Logic would say you never want to be last at anything. Last in line. Last place. Last call. The word “last” just feels so negative and depressing. Well, I’m here to say, I hope the Steelers have the last pick at the NFL Draft every year! As an added bonus this year, the league decided to handicap them even more by screwing them out of their rightful 3rd round compensatory pick for losing Alan Faneca in free agency. Instead, they were awarded a pick at the tail end of the ever-glamorous 5th round. I guess it just wasn’t fair to give Day 1 wonderchild Kevin Colbert even more ammo to reload the Steeler juggernaut. The league is onto his spotty day 2 record apparently. That’s another post for another day.

The Steelers have 9 picks coming into this year’s draft, and I see them coming out of it with 1-2 OL, 2-3 DL, 1 WR, 1-2 DBs, and 1 LB. Onto the draft preview (order based on my personal preference).

1st round: Hakeem Nicks (WR – UNC), Tyson Jackson (DE – LSU), Vontae Davis (CB – Illinois), Alex Mack (C – Cal), or Max Unger (OL – Oregon)

Comment: Now, every yinzer that reads this pick is going to say the same thing here. “Why in the world do yinz have the Stillers pickin’ another WR when thez gotz so many needs at RB?” (Inside joke between Georgie and me). Here is my argument for this pick: I’ve seen Nicks play. End of discussion. Seriously. The guy is big, physical, and quick, and he has amazing hands. He immediately provides the Steelers with an heir apparent to Hines Ward, and he serves as an insurance policy in case Santonio Holmes demands a big payday in 2010 or Limas Sweed does not pan out. NOTE: I am a very big Sweed supporter, so I do not foresee scenario #2. Face it Yinzer Nation, the Steelers are now a passing team centered around an elite QB. They need 3-4 strong WRs to be effective.

Now, I do buy into the argument that any WR the team drafts should bring some return skills to the table, and Nicks does not fit this description. So, with that in mind, Tyson Jackson and Vontae Davis are my other two ideal 1st round picks. Jackson is a perfect fit as a 3-4 DE from a size/speed standpoint and Davis is a big and physical CB that would bring depth and youth to the defensive backfield. If either of these players is available at #32, they would be very good value picks.

Finally, we come to the most likely 1st round scenario, center Alex Mack from Cal. Justin Hartwig is over 30 and not the long-term solution at the position, and the Steelers have historically built their OL around a stalwart in the middle (Mansfield, Webby, Dirt, Hartings). Mack is a strong and powerful center that appears worthy of the position’s legacy in Pittsburgh.

All of the players profiled here are considered by most draft experts to fall anywhere in the 15-30 range. In light of that, I’ll add Max Unger as a possibility, since he should be there at 32. He is a talented and versatile offensive lineman that can play any of the 5 positions on the line, making him a great fit with Coach T’s mantra of “positional flexibility.”

One last 1st round note. I recently read a column by Mike Lombardi on National Football Post in which he stated that he did not feel Ray Maualuga, the all-world ILB from USC, was a 1st round pick. Now, Lombardi, as a former GM, is a trained expert and not just some middle-aged hack writer, so he should know what he's talking about. If for some reason Maualuga is sitting on the board at 32, everything you’ve read in the preceding paragraphs goes out the window. It's a no-brainer. The guy is a Ray Lewis-type talent at a position where the Steelers can never be deep enough. Yinzer Nation would whine and moan for the next ten years about selecting a 2nd 1st round LB in 3 years, but given James Farrior’s age and Maualuga’s singular talent, this pick just makes sense. I in no way, shape, or form expect him to be available at 32 though. Moving on…

2nd round: Sean Smith (CB – Utah), Duke Robinson (OG - Oklahoma), Ron Brace (DT – Boston College), or Herman Johnson (OG – LSU)

Comments: Sean Smith probably will not last until pick 64, so he may even be a round one option. He would be a great fit in the Steelers defensive backfield given his size (6'3", 210), athleticism (check this out), and versatility (there's that word again). DeShea Townsend is entering his 12 season, Ryan Clark is a free agent after the 2009 season, and Big Play Willie Gay is still relatively unproven. Smith would help alleviate all three of those concerns.

Anyone that watched the record-setting Oklahoma offense last year knows that Sam Bradford never got touched and DeMarco Murray seemingly always had room to run. Their offensive line, including massive guard Duke Robinson, was a large reason why. Robinson's size and reach make him a possibility at RT as well, allowing the Steelers to move Willie Colon inside where he belongs.

Ron Brace provides a succession plan for Casey Hampton and his pending free agency. Herman Johnson (6'7", 370+) earned his nickname "House" and is a high character guy who would be an absolute road grader in the running game.

3rd round: Marcus Freeman (LB – Ohio State), Derrick Williams (WR - PSU), Fili Moala (DT – USC), or Mitch King (DT – Iowa)

Comments: I want to focus on two players here: Marcus Freeman and Derrick Williams. While spending his college career overshadowed by teammate James Laurinaitis, Freeman always seemed to be around the ball in the OSU games I watched. He has the flexibility to play inside or outside, which is critical given James Harrison's contract situation, Larry Foote's 2010 free agency, and James Farrior's age.

Derrick Williams...DWill...Mr. #1 Recruit...I want to take this opportunity to personally apologize for spending the first three years of your college career as your biggest critic. Your senior year proved to me that any underperformance problems were strictly Morelli and Jay Paterno related. Williams possesses some key traits that make him an extremely attractive pick: fantastic hands, quickness, precise route-running, and, most importantly, big play ability in the return game. I would have knocked anyone out two years ago if they suggested DWill as a Steeler Day 1 pick, now I would applaud it.

Both King and Moala are undersized defensive tackles that are ideally suited to slide outside as 3-4 defensive ends.

4th round: Phil Loadholt (OT – Oklahoma), Brian Robiskie (WR – Ohio State), Juaquin Iglesias (WR – Oklahoma), or Victor Harris (CB – Virginia Tech)

Comments: Please see Duke Robinson above to understand Loadholt's appeal. Victor Harris is another CB option from a quality program, ditto for Juaquin Iglesias at WR/KR. That leaves Brian Robiskie for further analysis. Robiskie's numbers belie his abilities in my mind, given Ohio State's spotty QB play during his career. As you would expect from a coach's son, he's a smart, precise route runner with reliable hands. Similar to Nicks, I could see him as a suitable successor to Hines Ward in 2 years, serving as Ben's 3rd down security blanket. Robiskie has run well during his draft preparation, and he has 10 year pro written all over him.

5th round (a): Frank Summers (RB – UNLV), AQ Shipley (C – PSU), or Terrence Taylor (DT – Michigan)

Comments: Although I am baffled by Yinzer Nation's seemingly endless cry for RB help during this offseason, I have seen one mid-round RB/FB, Frank Summers, who would be a strong addition. I had not heard of this 250 bruiser until I read this article, but he could be another multi-faceted weapon for the Steeler offense. He adds a strong short-yardage presence to an already diverse backfield of FWP, Mendenhall, and Mewelde Moore.

AQ Shipley recently visited the Steelers facilities, signaling an interest in the Moon Township native. He's an intelligent and strong (33 reps at 225 lbs) option at center if the earlier rounds do not fall into place.

Terrence Taylor, another Big Ten product (shocking, I know), is a mid-round option at defensive tackle. This draft seems to really have a lot of quality depth at the key OL and DL positions, which should allow the team to focus on impact players on Day 1, regardless of position.

5th round (b): Maurice Evans (DE – PSU), Fenuki Tupou (OT – Oregon), Dannell Ellerbe (LB – Georgia), or Kyle Moore (DE – USC)

Comments: Let me first briefly comment on Tupou, Ellerbe, and Moore, all of whom are here based on position/need. They were all multi-year starters at big time college programs, and it seems logical to take this type of player in the middle rounds.

I want to now present a case for Maurice Evans, with a brief disclaimer. As a PSU alum, I have seen Evans a lot, so I am probably not a 100% objective evaluator. That aside, the guy is an athletic defensive end that probably has room to add 10-15 pounds of muscle, putting him in the ideal 3-4 range of 290. This pick, if by some crazy chance it happens, could be one of the best Day 2 picks of the Colbert era. I feel that strongly about this kid. He's gotten a very bad rap for what was essentially pretty harmless charge (possession of a small amount of wacky tobaccy), and once he got into JoePa's doghouse, his season was essentially finished. The emergence of Aaron Maybin during Evans' 3 game suspension only expedited his fate. As a Penn Stater, I 100% agreed with JoePa's decision to suspend him in light of the program's recent high-profile issues, but it does not change the fact that the guy can flat out play. Under Coach T's tutelage and guidance, the sky could be the limit. The problem is, some other smart team will probably have this same realization before the end of round 5.

Late Round Flyers: Jorvorskie Lane (FB - Texas A&M), Alex Boone (OT – Ohio State), Chase Daniel (QB - Missouri)