He may not be an elite NFL quarterback, but he can tell if you have the total package, making him a shoe-in as a future talent evaluator.Half of the so-called studs don't even take part in most of the drills, electing to perform their own personal pro day at a location of their choosing. But to most NFL die-hards, the combine offers a quick fix of NFL in February for those too ignorant to acknowledge hockey and smart enough to avoid basketball. So with the visions of Ben-to-Santonio still fresh in our heads, let's take a look at some of the first round talent available to your Pittsburgh Steelers this April.
The "Player Most Everyone Expects the Steelers to Take" Pick: Alex Mack, C, Cal. Even if you win the Super Bowl, your team still has weaknesses it needs to address. One of the Steelers' most glaring weaknesses was the O-line. The center position has been a constant for the Steelers for the past few decades, from Mansfield to Webster to Dawson to Hartings. After the retirement of Hartings, the Steelers have tried both Sean Mahan and Justin Hartwig at center, with mostly unsatisfactory results. Mack would be a great guy to rebuild the line around, if he somehow lasts til the last pick of the first round.
The "Please God, Do Not Let Them Take This Guy" Pick: James Laurinaitis, LB, THE Ohio State University. I'm trying not to let personal biases affect this column, and I won't. I've seen Laurinaitis a lot over the past few years. He had a very good college career, but myself, along with some experts tend to think he's a tad overrated, with him slipping later and later in the first round in most mock drafts. He benefitted from playing on a defense filled with NFL-caliber talent, which enabled him to make plays. I just don't see him being an impact player at the NFL level, and I can't shake the comparison to another can't-miss OSU linebacker from a few years back...Andy Katzenmoyer. The Steelers are stacked at LB, even with Farrior getting up in age. This would be a wasted pick.
The "This Makes Way Too Much Sense" Pick: Jeremy Maclin, WR, Mizzou. Let's face it, Hines Ward isn't gonna be around much longer. Marvin Harrison is a prime example of what Steelers fans might be looking at with #86 very soon. If Ben is going to make the leap from Elite Game Manager to Elite Quarterback he's gonna need another weapon to go alongside Santonio. And Maclin would fill another huge need at kick returner. Anytime your team uses its goal-line back and fullback to run back kicks, you need to reassess what you're doing. If Maclin makes it to the Steelers, he NEEDS to remain in a Black and Gold uniform.
The "Inevitable Jerome Bettis Jr." Pick. Chris Wells, RB, THE Ohio State University. Every year around this time, you hear the same yinzers clamoring for the Steelers to add another huge back to replace the gigantic void left by Bettis after Super Bowl XL. First it was T.J. Duckett, then it was LenDale White, and this year the honor falls to "Beanie" Wells. Another OSU guy, he's a beast, but like his teammate Laurinaitis his stock has fallen a bit. He would be a perfect compliment to Mendenhall for years to come (if he amounts to anything) but his history of injuries looms large. He probably won't be around when the Steelers draft, so don't get those Bus Jr. shirts printed just yet.
The "As Long as He Learned Not to Be Like His Brother" Pick: Vontae Davis, CB, Illinois. Let's face it, CB has not been a strong position for the Steelers. It's been filled mostly by serviceable guys like Ike Taylor, Bryant McFadden, Deshea Townsend, etc. The Steelers haven't had a stud there since the days of Lake and Woodson. Davis is a freak, strong and fast, just like his big brother Vernon Davis of the 49ers. Big Vern was heavily hyped coming out of Maryland a few years back, but has let to fulfill even an ounce of his potential. With the expected defection of McFadden via free agency and Townsend getting long in the tooth, the Steelers could do worse than drafting Davis "to protect this house."
The "Let's Keep This Guy in Pittsburgh" Pick. LeSean McCoy, RB, Pitt. I'm not a Pitt fan by any means, but I've got a good feeling about this guy. When Bill Stull is your quarterback, teams are gonna gear their defenses to stop your stud RB. And somehow, Shady still put up some impressive numbers. When he first announced he was coming out early, I thought he might be available to the Steelers with the 32nd pick. But some experts are now ranking Shady as the #1 available running back. I don't see the need for the Steelers to take a RB this early after doing so last year, but yinzers would go absolutely apeshit over this pick.
The "Player Most Everyone Expects the Steelers to Take" Pick: Alex Mack, C, Cal. Even if you win the Super Bowl, your team still has weaknesses it needs to address. One of the Steelers' most glaring weaknesses was the O-line. The center position has been a constant for the Steelers for the past few decades, from Mansfield to Webster to Dawson to Hartings. After the retirement of Hartings, the Steelers have tried both Sean Mahan and Justin Hartwig at center, with mostly unsatisfactory results. Mack would be a great guy to rebuild the line around, if he somehow lasts til the last pick of the first round.
The "Please God, Do Not Let Them Take This Guy" Pick: James Laurinaitis, LB, THE Ohio State University. I'm trying not to let personal biases affect this column, and I won't. I've seen Laurinaitis a lot over the past few years. He had a very good college career, but myself, along with some experts tend to think he's a tad overrated, with him slipping later and later in the first round in most mock drafts. He benefitted from playing on a defense filled with NFL-caliber talent, which enabled him to make plays. I just don't see him being an impact player at the NFL level, and I can't shake the comparison to another can't-miss OSU linebacker from a few years back...Andy Katzenmoyer. The Steelers are stacked at LB, even with Farrior getting up in age. This would be a wasted pick.
The "This Makes Way Too Much Sense" Pick: Jeremy Maclin, WR, Mizzou. Let's face it, Hines Ward isn't gonna be around much longer. Marvin Harrison is a prime example of what Steelers fans might be looking at with #86 very soon. If Ben is going to make the leap from Elite Game Manager to Elite Quarterback he's gonna need another weapon to go alongside Santonio. And Maclin would fill another huge need at kick returner. Anytime your team uses its goal-line back and fullback to run back kicks, you need to reassess what you're doing. If Maclin makes it to the Steelers, he NEEDS to remain in a Black and Gold uniform.
The "Inevitable Jerome Bettis Jr." Pick. Chris Wells, RB, THE Ohio State University. Every year around this time, you hear the same yinzers clamoring for the Steelers to add another huge back to replace the gigantic void left by Bettis after Super Bowl XL. First it was T.J. Duckett, then it was LenDale White, and this year the honor falls to "Beanie" Wells. Another OSU guy, he's a beast, but like his teammate Laurinaitis his stock has fallen a bit. He would be a perfect compliment to Mendenhall for years to come (if he amounts to anything) but his history of injuries looms large. He probably won't be around when the Steelers draft, so don't get those Bus Jr. shirts printed just yet.
The "As Long as He Learned Not to Be Like His Brother" Pick: Vontae Davis, CB, Illinois. Let's face it, CB has not been a strong position for the Steelers. It's been filled mostly by serviceable guys like Ike Taylor, Bryant McFadden, Deshea Townsend, etc. The Steelers haven't had a stud there since the days of Lake and Woodson. Davis is a freak, strong and fast, just like his big brother Vernon Davis of the 49ers. Big Vern was heavily hyped coming out of Maryland a few years back, but has let to fulfill even an ounce of his potential. With the expected defection of McFadden via free agency and Townsend getting long in the tooth, the Steelers could do worse than drafting Davis "to protect this house."
The "Let's Keep This Guy in Pittsburgh" Pick. LeSean McCoy, RB, Pitt. I'm not a Pitt fan by any means, but I've got a good feeling about this guy. When Bill Stull is your quarterback, teams are gonna gear their defenses to stop your stud RB. And somehow, Shady still put up some impressive numbers. When he first announced he was coming out early, I thought he might be available to the Steelers with the 32nd pick. But some experts are now ranking Shady as the #1 available running back. I don't see the need for the Steelers to take a RB this early after doing so last year, but yinzers would go absolutely apeshit over this pick.
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