After passing on selecting a defensive back on day two of the draft, we can only assume the Steelers are happy to let things ride with their current group.
The Steelers apparently feel that second-year players Keenan Lewis and Joe Burnett are ready to make a big impact in 2010.
I did find out that there was a great deal of discussion in the second round prior to the team selecting Jason Worilds. Some in the room wanted Penn State's Sean Lee, who was still available.
But it was decided the depth at inside linebacker - where Larry Foote and Keyaron Fox back up Lawrence Timmons and James Farrior - was good enough. They needed an OLB behind James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley.
And head coach Mike Tomlin loved Worilds. Lee went three picks later to Dallas.
In round three, the Steelers were looking hard at safety Major Wright, but he went seven picks ahead of them to Chicago.
So they decided to instead go for a receiver they see as the heir apparent to Hines Ward, SMU's Emmanuel Sanders.
15 comments:
Dale, This bothers me even more after reading this! Sean Lee a player who would be an eventual replacement for Farrior down the road gets overruled by Tomlin?? How does Colbert not have the final say?? Then with all the polished receivers avab (Shipley,Decker,Mitchell) they take Sanders who weighs 185. The next Hines Ward r u kidding me?
The more I read and watch about Sanders the more I think we may have found a second Mike Wallace. He is very fast and can go up in traffic. Also there is some knock against his blocking but the tape that is available on him shows him coming across to make two devastating blocks that would make Hines cringe. One block he took out two guys by himself. He is a bit of a project like Wallace but who isn't later in the draft. I think he will be very solid and eventually step in for Hines next year or the year after.
Sean Lee was just ok based on the tape I watched. Also I heard there was an injury rumor about him. This guy worilds was not somebody I had heard of but he certainly can get in the backfield. I hope he is not another bruce davis without coverage ability, but at least on one play he could cover making a one handed athletic stop of a deep pass. Plus he was not asked to cover much.
The only knock on all of the Steeler's picks is that they could have taken them all a few picks later and then packaged the additional picks they received to move up for an additional third or second rounder. Unlike the Patriots they don't screw around with value trades and you can't knock success.
I hope the steeler's package their fifth and or sixth rounder to move up in the beginning of the fourth round and get two fourth round picks. I can't see where 4 fifth round picks are going to fit. I was hoping they would move up into the third but there still is some good talent to be had in the fourth.
Actually, I was just looking at my USA Today Sports Weekly when I got home to look where they had those two guys.
Worilds was rated as the seventh-best OLB prospect and as a solid second-round pick. According to that publication, they got him right where they should have.
Sanders was their 11th-rated WR and as a fourth-round pick.
What about Myron(?) Rolle from FSU? Obviously his stock dropped when he chose a Rhodes scholarship over football, but until then he was a highly rated DB. He's worth taking with at least one of the 5th round choices if he's still on the board.
Let's look at the drafts from 1997 to 2007. (2007, you'll recall, was 20 years after Brett Favre first started considering retirement.) Here's how many Pro Bowl years those draft picks have had since:
Indianapolis Colts 37
Pittsburgh Steelers 35
Dallas Cowboys 34
Seattle Seahawks 31
Philadelphia Eagles 27
Chicago Bears 26
Minnesota Vikings 26
Baltimore Ravens 25
New England Patriots 24
Washington Redskins 23
Green Bay Packers 23
San Diego Chargers 22
Arizona Cardinals 22
Carolina Panthers 20
New York Jets 19
Denver Broncos 19
St. Louis Rams 19
Atlanta Falcons 19
Kansas City Chiefs 18
Cincinnati Bengals 18
San Francisco 49ers 18
New York Giants 18
Oakland Raiders 16
Miami Dolphins 15
Tennessee Titans 14
New Orleans Saints 13
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 12
Buffalo Bills 10
Houston Texans 10
Jacksonville Jaguars 9
Cleveland Browns 7
Detroit Lions 4
Dale, have you heard who the steelers like for RB in this draft or trade??
Dale, have you heard who the steelers like at RB or trade?
Dale, thoughts on Gibson?
I'm really hoping the Steelers pick up a safety or a running back soon in the 5th. I like Charles Scott (LSU) or Anthony Dixon (MS St).
Unbelievable, it looks like they're using all 10 picks. Have to keep the practice squad well stocked!
I wonder if they're not taking a CB just to be stubborn and piss us off.
Willie Gay must be so happy he gets to keep his job another year.
That said, the only pick I dislike is our 2nd rounder. I see another Bruce Davis.
Like last year when there was a run on OL, there was a big run on DBs. Probably would have been more of reach than Worlids or the WR.
I really like Dixon from Miss. State and Scott from LSU as running backs.
Worilds is way more physical than Bruce Davis ever way or could have been.
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