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1) RB Rashard Mendenhall
2) WR Limas Sweed
3) OLB Bruce Davis
4) OT Tony Hills
5) QB Dennis Dixon
6a) LB Mike Humpal
6b) S Ryan Mundy
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Considering that an undrafted linebacker who played exclusively on Special Teams (Patrick Bailey) was voted the Steelers' best Rookie, this Draft was very disapointing.
This class will probably improve its production in the years ahead, but that still doesn't excuse the front office or the players from not performing on the practice and playing fields.
Thank God the team won the Super Bowl!
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Running Back, Illinois, 5'10", 225#
2009 Season Review: Got put on IR early and then disappeared (literally) until the Super Bowl. Apparanetly, his shoulder is fully healed. This back will have a lot to prove in 2009 and will be expected to contribute a lot in the offense to take much of the load from Willie Parker. Trend: Steady
2008 Mid-Season Update: Mendenhall got some carries in the season opener and then had to start against Baltimore. Rumor had it that the Ravens put a bounty on him and other Steelers. The result: Ray Lewis broke his shoulder blade and ended his season. Trend: Down
2008 Pre-Season Update: He's everything the Steelers expected: big, fast, nice hands, quick feet and a fumbling problem. He's not a "push the pile" type of runner - he's more likely to avoid a linebacker filling the hole and then run over the safety. Mendenhall should return kickoffs and get 4-12 carries a game in relief of Fast Willie Parker. Trend: Steady
Draft Day Impressions: What good fortune! I never even considered it a possibility that Mendenhall would get picked by the Steelers in my Pre-Draft Evaluation Draft probability . I considered Jonanthan Stewart as a possibility, but not this player. That's the first time I have done that.
I am more than willing to sit with that egg on my face. Mendenhall is what the Steeler offense has been missing since Jerome Bettis retired after the 2005 season: a POWER Running back who can get the tough yards: move the chains on 3rd and short or punch in a Touchdown near the goal line. But he's not just a bruiser. He can score from anywhere on the field with his 4.4-40 speed.
His body type and running style is actually similar to Barry Foster who had some of the most productive seasons running the ball in Steelers history.
Look for him to immediately displace Davenport as the short yardage back and eventually split time with Willie Parker as the primary runner.
Draft Grade: A-, Predicted Grade after 3 years: B+ |
Other players the Steelers could have drafted instead in round #1: DL Kentwan Balmer (SF 1st Round), CB Mike Jenkins (DAL 1st Round) CB Antoine Cason (SD 1st Round) |
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Wide Receiver, Texas, 6'4", 215#
2009 Season Review: Limas, unfortunately, revived the Steeler tradition of dropping very catchable passes. He dropped passes in training camp, and in practives. He dropped passes in the exhibition games, in the regular season games and in the Playoffs.
The biggest drop came in the AFC Chaimpionchip game against the Ravens when he dropped a 50 yard TD pass. Then, to make matters worse, he feigned injury and cost the team a valuable time-out at the end of the first half. Wow - what a selfish bonehead.
Limas has a LOT of work to do until next season if he hopes to play with the Steelers much longer. A good place to start is learning to catch the ball consistently. Longer term, he needs to grow up and take responsibility for his mistakes. Trend: Down
2008 Mid-Season Update: Sweed got to play while Santonio Holmes was suspended. He made a few catches on quick slants by using his body to shield the defender. Still, he can't beat out Nate Washington who is having a very good season as the #3 wideout. Trend: Steady
2008 Pre-Season Update: Limas is out to prove the world wrong (getting drafted in the second round put a chip on his shoulder)
and that has caused him to try and do too much. He wants to take an 8 yard curl to the house everytime - except he forgets to catch the ball. It's tough for any Rookie receiver to adjust to the NFL and he's making it extra hard on himself. Also, he was recently fitted for contact lenses and he may not be used to seeing the ball so clearly. In any case, he will be the #4 Receiver, behind Nate Washington who is catching the ball better lately, and should catch 10-20 balls in 2008. Trend: Down
Draft Day Impressions: If the First round wasn't fortunate, this pick was a true gift. Sweed has the potential to be a #1 Wideout scoring 10TD's a year. His wrist injury, which cut short his Senior season, is what caused to him to fall. Most mock drafts had him projected to be taken in the late first round. The Steelers had him ranked as the 3rd best receiver in the Draft and one of the top 25 players overall!
Big Ben just got his "big" wideout. Sweed is a big, tall, rangy receiver with good speed (4.5). He has a great vertical leap (36-37") and combined with his nearly 6-4" frame, he is a big-time red-zone threat. In his Junior season, he caught 12 TD's, matching Roy Williams' single season Longhorn record.
However, he's not just a guy who plays on the outside. He played in the slot at Texas and could be a great addition to the multiple wideout formations. He should immediately become the team's third wide receiver and eventually could become it's #1.
Draft Grade: A+, Predicted Grade after 3 years: A |
Other players the Steelers could have drafted instead in round #2: DE Jason Jones (TEN 2th Round), WR Dexter Jackson, (TB 2nd Round), C Mike Pollak (2nd round IND), DE Kendall Langford (3rd Round, Miami) |
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Outside Linebacker, UCLA, 6'3", 250#
2009 Season Review: Nothing to write about. Trend: Steady
2008 Mid-Season Update: Nothing, nada, zip. Not even a mention in the police blotter. Trend: Down
2008 Pre-Season Update: Davis looks a bit lost out there and isn't making anyone forget Clark Haggans. He's been playing catch up since graduating from UCLA, but he has too much speed to let go now. His big challenge is to get stronger at the point of attack. He just doesn't look like 250 lbs. Trend: Down
Draft Day Impressions: The guy had 24 sacks in two seasons as a Defensive End, so he can sack the QB. Davis wasn't projected to go until the 4th or fifth round, so Steelers must have liked what they saw.
The Steelers will try to convert him to OLB like they did with LaMar Woodley last year. They have had a very good track record of converting DE's into OLB's (Porter, Gildon, Haggans, etc.). Davis played one season as an OLB as a Sophomore, so he should be able to make the transition.
Davis will immediately back-up All-Pro James Harrison.
Draft Grade: C+, Predicted Grade after 3 years: B |
Other players the Steelers could have drafted instead in round #3: CB Justin King (4th Round, STL) ,OT Anthony Collins (4th Round, CIN), DE DRE Moore (4th Round, TB), LB Cliff Avril (3rd Round, DET) |
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Left OT, Texas. 6'6", 305#
2009 Season Review: Nothing. Trend: Steady
2008 Mid-Season Update: A red-shirt year. Trend: Steady
2008 Pre-Season Update: He's been ok, nothing special and it's hard to imagine him making the final roster - probably the Practice Squad. Trend: Steady
Draft Day Impressions:
The second Texas Longhorn drafted this year.
Started two seasons as Left Tackle and has long arms. Injuries in his lower body have nagged him but he always showed determination fight through them. His best football could be ahead of him if he can stay healthy.
Texas coaches say he is better than OT Jonathan Scott who currently starts for Detroit. With Trai Essex and Max Starks already backing up starting Tackles Marvel Smith and Willie Colon, something has to give.
Draft
Grade: B, Predicted Grade after 3 years: C |
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Quarterback, Oregon, 6'4", 205#
2009 Season Review: was the 3rd QB all year. Completed one pass, I beleive to Hines Ward in mop-up work. Trend: Steady
2008 Mid-Season Update: Sadly, he hasn't played. I was hoping we would see him run some gadget plays. Trend: Steady
2008 Pre-Season Update: No disapointment here. He has a rocket arm and great legs. The coaches love him and he will be the #3 QB for quite some time. Trend: Up
Draft Day Impressions: This pick is an intriguing surprise. The team already has Charlie Batch as a backup. Dixon may be the next Quarterback to be switched to Wide Receiver.
If it wasn't for his ACL injury, Dixon may have been a First round pick this year. He always was an excellent runner and last season, he dramatically improved his accuracy (67% completion) and in-the-pocket play. He was Pacific-10 Conference’s unanimous Offensive Player of the Year and led his team to an 8-1 record before getting hurt in November. At the beginning of the season, he was a leading contender for the Heisman award.
Excellent value.
Grade: A, Predicted Grade after 3 years: B- |
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Linebacker, Iowa, 6'3 ", 245#
2009 Season Review: Is not currently on the team roster, although that may change. Trend: Down
2008 Mid-Season Update: He was injured at the end of training camp and placed on IR. Trend: Down
2008 Pre-Season Update: He's been hurt for most of training camp and will get to play on the Practice Squad. Trend: Steady
Draft Day Impressions:
He will try to fill the void left by Special Teams ace Klint Kreitwaldt.
Grade: C, Predicted Grade after 3 years: C- |
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, Safety, West Virginia, 6'1" 215#
2009 Season Review: Is on the off-season roster and could make the team next year. Trend: Steady
2008 Mid-Season Update: Was hurt and given an injury settlement. Trend: Down and Out
2008 Pre-Season Update: Same as fellow 6th Rounder Humpal: he's been hurt and will go on the Practice Squad . Trend: Steady
Draft Day Impressions:
Good size and speed (4.5) should push for a back-up Safety position and contribute on Special teams. Transferred from Michigan after four years and picked up the Defense well enough to be the signal caller in the secondary. Seems to have a high IQ and could eventually be the starter at Free Safety. He is working on a master's degree in Athletic coaching! Hails from Pittsburgh.
Grade: B-, Predicted Grade after 3 years: A- |
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This Draft was not what anyone was expecting. The fans were demanding the drafting of Offensive Lineman in the first, second and third rounds after the loss of Alan Faneca and Big Ben's new $100 million contract. The local Pittsburgh media seemed to think that the Steelers would draft a Defensive lineman in the first round. Coach Tomlin and General Manager Kevin Colbert both stated on several occasions that the team needed to get "bigger and younger on both lines." I wanted a Cornerback.
So what happened? The unexpected happened. And that's what makes the Draft so exciting.
Surprising everyone, Power Running Back Rashard Mendenhall was available for the Steelers at #23 in the First round and he will be an excellent compliment to Fast Willie Parker. Even more surprising, Big Wide Receiver Limas Sweed was available in the Second Round! Both players were considered by the Steelers to be among the top 25 players available in this years draft. That's two First round picks!
For these first two picks alone, this year's draft was excellent in value. Kudos to the Steelers Draft team for displaying patience and not panicking when all the talented Offensive Tackles were getting taken ahead of them in Round 1.
The 2008 draft class hasn't given the team much at the mid-way point in the season. Mendenhall got his season crushed by a Ray Lewis hit. Limas Sweed has been slow to pick up the Pro game. And Bruce Davis has been conspicuously absent from everything.
The only sure thing is that the team will have to acquire some new blood for the Offensive line next off-season. This is by far the weakest part of the team, although it has been getting better as the line gains experience together. Still, the team is missing a lot up front, as evidenced by their worst performance in the NFL on 3rd down and 1 plays.
The relative poor performance of the O-line has put a lot of pressure and hits on QB Ben Roethlisberger who is having a sub-par year statistically. However, considering the limited running game to support him and the constant pressure he gets, I am more impressed than ever in his ability and the team's prospects for a 6th Super Bowl down the road. This year's adversity will make Big Ben even better. |
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