Steelers' Draft

[voncap]

Now that draft day is finally here [If you are a Steelers' Fan] two questions:

Who will the Steelers pick?
and
Who would you like to see them pick?
and why

I would like to see them pick the top CB on the board when it is their selection. An injury to one of their starting Corners could be devestating. Maybe the same could be said about the OL or Receivers but I think it is easier to pick up capable reserve linemen and receivers than it is to find capable backup DB's once the season has begun. I hope they don't go with H. Miller TE. IMO it would be a waste for a team that historically, under Bill Cowher, uses a TE as little as the Steelers to select a TE in the first round.

Who will they pick: If one of the big three Off. Tackles (Barnes, Barron, or Brown) are still on the board they will take them. If none of those three are available there is a good chance one of the top receivers (White or Clayton) or a top DB(Miller, Washington or Webster) is still on the board and one of them will be the pick. I look for them to go with best available player at one of those three positions.

Just one person's opinion.

[JVfan]

Well---I'm surprised they took a tight end in the first. I have to think that the Steelers front office believes that he's the missing piece offensively.

I'm also surprised at this pick:

http://www.nfl.com/draft/profiles/2005/essex_trai

If you read the negatives on this guy, you wonder how he was a first day pick.

The Jags got the two guys (Jones and Barnes) that I was hoping the Steelers would get.

[ham55]

The steelers have a solid line, and someday they will have to replace him. Laziness seems to be his biggest problem, and when you do nothing but eat, sleep, drink, and live football, they might be able to change his ways. He is a huge kid, 6-4, 325 lbs or so. Right now he was one of the things that they needed to improve on, depth in the line. He was projected rather high, maybe not this high, but was Clarette projected to go in the first day? The people in the NFL know what they are doing...

[JungleJuice2]

The analysis on that site seems to say that this guy has the credentials to be a good player but needs to work. The Steelers are thinking that they can make this guy work to get where he needs to be.

[Coach]

I for one was VERY happy with the pick of Heath Miller. He has abilties that other TE's in the system haven't had. The running game should also make the play action to the TE a big advantage for the Steelers too. Miller will provide a tough matchup for LB's if they have to man up on him...

I am happy with the draft as the Steelers almost always draft well. They wanted some depth and addressed all places they wanted to right away.

TE, CB, OL, WR (6'4" at that), then OLB. Rounds 6 and 7 added guys that can hopefully be people that step up and show some capabiliy to play in the NFL.

[fleaflicker]

Insiders are saying that Trai Essex wasn't worth a third round selection. As far as Maurice Clarett, he was projected to go in the fifth round. As soon as I saw that the Jags had drafted Matt Jones, I figured that the Steelers would go for Heath Miller if he were still around. They got a good deal with the best TE at 30, and he will help the passing game considerably. The Steelers have never really had a good receiving tight end, and this will be something they will have to learn to utilize.
Some people are saying that Bryant McFadden is the toughest and hardest hitting corner, and as such, it is no surprise that a smashmouth football team drafts him.
Fred Gibson seems to be a good pick. Not overly fast (4.6), but tall, and good at stretching the field.
Rian Wallace is a linebacker from Temple that has a nickname (Goo). They drafted on future needs to groom a linebacker here.
They got another huge lineman in the sixth that weighs about 340 pounds. Seems the Steelers like these guys, as they took Max Starks last year, and I think he was about 360 or so at the time....
They got a DE from Brigham Young that weighs 270, and will either have to add on a few pounds, or lose a few, depending on whether he'll play LB or DE.
A running back from Northwestern rounds out this year's class, and he's supposed to be good at catching balls, kind of like Brian Westbrook.

The Steelers had a solid draft, and they should be able to have a few immediate contributors.

[LionPride]

This guy pretty much sums up why I was disappointed in drafting a TE in the 1st.

Click Here

I'm not knocking Miller, but it's doubtful he'll reach his full potential with the Steelers.

[quote="fleaflicker";p="91247"]The Steelers have never really had a good receiving tight end, and this will be something they will have to learn to utilize.[/quote]

When Jerame Tuman was drafted, he was touted as the great receiving TE the Steelers needed. He may have been a good receiving TE, but 9 receptions for under a 100 yds for a season is not great stats.

When Jay Riemersma was aquired from the Bills, he was touted as just what the Steelers needed in a receiving TE. I know there were some injuries, but even when he did play he was not thrown the ball.

Mark Bruener was seldom thrown to, but by golly he was the best blocking TE in the NFL. If that's what you're going to use a TE for, why don't you just put another tackle out there?

Don't get me wrong - I WANT the Steelers to utilize their TE more in passing situations and hopefully they'll do that with Miller. I'm just not going to hold my breath.

[voncap]

I am more disappointed in the pick mainly because of the players that were still on the board when the Steelers picked.

It seemed they had more pressing needs than TE. There appeared to be some quality players available at those need positions. Miller appears to be a good player, but I am not sure he was the best available player on the board when the Steelers made their first pick.

McFadden is a good pick because he was arguably the best CB on the board when they made the selection.

Essex seems a bit of reach in the third round.

I like what the Steelers did on the second day of the draft.

[D-nice]

maybe they are trying to break out of the same old mold. of run run run. like when they got all excited about tommy gun maddox. that turned out real well.

[Bedrock]

If my sources are true the Stellars are a lock for a superbowl ring. After the draft they picked up Shippy U FB John Kuhn.

I've got a feeling..........

Now that my friends is the kind of blind egotistical fan faith that smatters many of the pages of this board. I have finally become a part.