2014 Draft Discussions

Mocks, opinions, random thoughts. Post them here. It's time to start building for the future.   

DBs, we need DBs, another O-lineman wouldn't be bad either. I'm not a college scout per se, so I don't know names, I just want whoever they bring in to recognize the Steelers for what they are overall, a great franchise, with great fans who expect great things.

We don't need individuals to make us better, we need cogs in the system to make the system better.

Better Cogs = Better System = More SUPERBOWLS

Obviously it’s way early to get an accurate read on this year’s draft. After all, there’s a bunch of media hype as well as the combine that will influence players’ stock. But here’s my opinion if the draft were held today:

1. Justin Gilbert – CB, Oklahoma State. He’s 6 feet, 200 pounds and has decent speed for his size. Dezqueze Dennard is the top CB coming out of college and should not be on the board when the Steelers draft at #15. Therefore, Gilbert is the more likely pick although he may be gone as well if teams make a run on CBs early in the first round. In my opinion, I think Gilbert might be the better corner because of his size. Gilbert also has tremendous athleticism. He returns kicks and is an effective gunner on special teams. The one thing I liked best about Gilbert is the amount of man he played in college. It seems the Cowboys’ defensive coordinator was very comfortable leaving Gilbert on an island against most opponents and Gilbert responded very well. Additionally, he gets his head around at the point of reception, allowing him to make a play on the ball (and avoid interference penalties). You can see the return man in Gilbert when he does make an interception. He immediately looks to take a pick the other way. One thing he would need to work on if he became a Steelers CB is seeking contact. There were plenty of plays that he could have stuck his nose in on tackles, but didn’t. He’s an effective tackler, but for a guy his size I would have thought he’d make contact more often.
      * If Gilbert and Dennard are gone by the 15th pick, you might go Mike Evans WR, Texas A&M if he’s there or Ra’Shede Hageman DT, Minnesota.  Hageman is a big strong guy and has the potential to add even more mass on his 6 foot 6 inch frame. He could be one of those crazy, powerful DEs that owns his side of the line.

2. Haha Clinton-Dix – S, Alabama. I think Dix is a first round talent at safety, but he was suspended for taking a loan from an assistant and had a poor game against Auburn. If he slides to the second round, then the Steelers might be able to pick up a guy who plays the deep ball very well. He closes to the point of attack quickly and isn’t shy about hitting. If Dix isn’t available in the second, they could pick up their safety in the third round in Calvin Pryor, Safety, Louisville (this might be the better option of the two). If they don’t go with Dix and didn’t take a CB in the first round, they might consider Kyle Fuller CB, Virginia Tech. He’s a decent corner, but I like his hitting … he definitely brings contact to the ball carrier.

3. I’ve heard the Steelers would get a third round pick for losing Wallace. If that’s the case, they should look for someone like Trent Murphy OLB, Stanford. He’s a tough guy, but another smart Stanford product. Or the Steelers might go with someone like Corey Robinson OT, South Carolina (if he comes out) or JuWaun James OT, Tennessee. Both these guys are big and although JuWaun is more a right tackle, I think his footwork could make him a good left tackle. Robinson was a d-lineman and recently switched to OT, so he is a bit of a project.

There’s a handful of names to think about (I think most of those guys can been seen on YouTube if you want to check them out). Later rounds could fill a backup RB, another CB and either another O-lineman or a TE. And it never hurts to draft more LBs.

Geez, and I thought I was paying attention.  Nice write up on draft prospects.  I would be shocked if we go anywhere besides CB in round one.  Dennard will probably not be there, and Gilbert is a good second option.  But still, the 14 teams in front of us have other glaring holes to fill.  Obviously the Texans will take Bridgewater, Rams will go OT Jake Matthews, then Jags will take Clowney.  Browns will go QB in Bortles or Manziel and after that, it gets a little muddy.  But we are still at pick 5 with only nine more to go, and it's possible Dennard drops, certainly possible Gilbert does but it also depends on how the combine goes.

I've seen some mock drafts expecting Steelers to go OT with Kouandjio or Greg Robinson or DE with Tuitt, but I think that would be a mistake especially if we let Taylor go.  (and signs are pointing in that direction to free up space)

May can't get here soon enough...

Great write up, Kirk.

Drizztbob wrote:

I would be shocked if we go anywhere besides CB in round one.

I agree that the secondary is our biggest need (I'm throwing safety in there as well as cornerback). Either a corner or safety in the first round would be satisfying.

Drizztbob wrote:

I would be shocked if we go anywhere besides CB in round one.  Dennard will probably not be there, and Gilbert is a good second option.

I have a feeling that Gilbert's stock will rise as we get on the other side of the combine. He is a 6' 0" tall corner with excellent body control. Additionally, he weighs 200 lbs, so he's not a small guy at all. Those metrics may push him above Dennard. I wouldn't be surprised if both these guys go before #15 because they are viewed as the two shut-down corners in college. If that's the case, I don't think there's another CB that would be worth the 15th pick. At that point you'll see a Mike Evans WR or another position taken. That's where I think a Kyle Fuller might be a choice if he's sitting there in the 2nd round. Watch tape on that kid, he's got a lot of spunk.

I haven't seen mock drafts for the Steelers, yet. I would love to get a Greg Robinson, however, I'm not sure he's a 1st round pick and therefore, he may be coached to return for his senior season and become an early 1st pick next year (if he has a good year next year, he'll be the top tackle). Normally he would probably be a 2nd rounder this year, but there is only one really good LT coming out this year in Jake Matthews. After that, there's a drop off in the talent. So Robinson may go in the first round because some team really has a need, but not sure his talent warrants it.

So if the above corners are gone and it's a stretch to take an offensive tackle with the 15th pick, where else do the Steelers go? That's where that Evans and Hageman picks came in. I see Hageman being similar to where Dontari Poe was a few years ago. Poe was at best a late 1st rounder and most thought early 2nd rounder. He didn't produce on the field in college, but he amazed most scouts with his athleticism at the combine. Here's a quick few lines from a scouting report from WalterFootball.com:

Quote :

The biggest negative about Poe's draft stock is his lack of production at the college level. With his special skill set, he should have produced more and put together a bigger stat line, especially at his lower level of competition.

Full Poe college scouting report found here:

http://walterfootball.com/scoutingreport2012dpoe.php

Hageman has similar athletic measurements as Poe did. He's taller and I think quicker than Poe. He's raw, but it's a talent waiting to be harnessed. I watched his game against Nebraska and being a closet Orangemen fan, I saw his bowl game against them as well. Did he dominate those games? No. Did I see plays that I thought to myself: "Holy crap, who's Superman over there?"? Yes. So Hageman isn't a household name, but I predict he'll have a much bigger name after the combine.

Wallace108 wrote:

I agree that the secondary is our biggest need (I'm throwing safety in there as well as cornerback). Either a corner or safety in the first round would be satisfying.

Haha Clinton-Dix might be the top safety in the draft, but he's not a mid or early first round pick. Just want to set the expectation that the Steelers rarely reach for a player and the right defensive back might not fall to them in the first round. Don't panic if that happens as there's good talent that will go in the second round as well.

Of course all of this could change with the combine and the hype that goes along with it. At which point the Steelers will end up drafting someone not mentioned yet and it'll be someone like Billy Turner OT, North Dakota State.  

I finally took a look at some mock drafts just to see what others were thinking of the college talent. It was close to unanimous that the Steelers would select Louis Nix NT (Notre Dame) with their first pick. There were a few mocks with the Steelers selecting a wide receiver such as Mike Evans (Texas A&M) or Marqise Lees (USC). I found it interesting to see only one mock with the Steelers taking a CB  and that was Darqueze Dennard (Michigan State). Of course there are probably other mocks with the Steelers taking CB in the first, but the point is there weren't many popular mocks with the first round choice being a CB.

Should the Steelers go with the big NT from ND?

At 6' 3" and 340 pounds, Nix has the size and force to command attention from the offense. He often was double teamed and at times still moved the offensive line backwards. I thought he played pretty well in a lopsided loss to Alabama in the championship game two years ago. But this past year he just didn't dominate as he did in 2012. Sure, he had a knee injury that required late season surgery that could be partly to blame. But the comparisons to Casey Hampton are not accurate and unfair to any college athlete. You just can't replicate Hampton's motor or his power.

In the end, I just don't think the Steelers will see a big gain by selecting this big NT with their first pick. First off, Steve McClendon played well last year. The argument you hear is that Hampton is gone and the Steelers couldn't stop the run. Therefore, McClendon must have been the point of failure. That's just not the case. In reviewing some of the longer runs against the Steelers in 2013 I saw Ziggy Hood, Vince Williams, Kion Wilson, Stevenson Sylvester, Ryan Clark, Troy Polamalu , Brett Keisel, Jarvis Jones and even Lawrence Timmons missing assignments. Hampton was surrounded by Pro Bowl linebackers and at least one defense end that was one of the best at his position (Aaron Smith). That's not to say McClendon can't get better. I'd like to see him fight through more double teams, make the offense pay when they single block him and move the point of attack into the backfield a little more than he did in 2013. The greatest factor that made the Steelers run defense so porous was the large amount of change in personnel. The good news is they did move toward younger guys that have a season of experience under their belts and the talent to make plays in 2014.

The top need for the Steelers is cornerback. As much as I thought Ike Taylor was under-appreciated and largely taken for granted by most fans over the course of his career, he is on the downside of that career. And with his salary and cap hit going way up for 2014, I'm not sure you can depend on him being a starting CB for the Steelers next year. Even if he is there, he's no longer shutting down opposing receivers.

Cortez Allen never seemed to get on track as we'd expected or hoped. An early season injury had him sitting the first few games, then he just didn't get into the rhythm. Steelers fans will remember Willie Gay being a pretty good nickle corner, but not a great starting corner.  After Taylor, Allen, and Gay, which player currently on the Steelers roster do you feel comfortable being a starting corner back?   

That's why I think if either Dennard or Justin Gilbert are sitting on the board when the 15th pick is on the clock, the Steelers should take corner back. My preference is Gilbert as he is taller and probably more athletically gifted. Plus he was a very effective kick returner in college. Did you know Felix Jones was the top kick returner in 2013 for the Steelers. There's an immediate job for Gilbert.

If by chance you have one of those two corners available and a Mike Evans or Marqise Lee it would be hard to pass up on skill players that can put points on the board. But those two WRs aside, I'm taking CB.

http://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/2014-nfl-mock-drafts/2014/2/12/5404036/2014-nfl-mock-draft-steelers-look-for-help-in-the-secondary-take-cb?utm_source=behindthesteelcurtain&utm_medium=nextclicks&utm_campaign=blogs

kirklandrules wrote:

In the end, I just don't think the Steelers will see a big gain by selecting this big NT with their first pick. ...

The top need for the Steelers is cornerback. ... 

That's why I think if either Dennard or Justin Gilbert are sitting on the board when the 15th pick is on the clock, the Steelers should take corner back.

I'm in total agreement. No one has been a bigger supporter of Ike than I have, but there's no denying his career as a starting corner is all but over ... we saw the results of his diminished skills last season, and at his age, it's not like there's anything he can do to get them back. Cortez has shown signs of promise, but there's no guarantee he's going to be the solid shutdown corner Ike was for years to come. As for depth, there's William Gay and nothing else. In my eyes, corner is far and away our No. 1 need, followed by safety.

This article illustrates the point:

Quote :

The secondary: A long, hard fall

By Ray Fittipaldo / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks created more turnovers than any other team in the NFL last season, and they were particularly adept at intercepting passes. In 19 games, 16 regular-season and three playoff contests, they had 32.

Once among the best in the league at creating turnovers, the Steelers are now the antithesis of the Seahawks. Nothing drives that fact home more than this sobering statistic: In the past three seasons combined, the Steelers have 31 interceptions.

If this were the only problem in the secondary, the Steelers might have been able to overcome it. But there were other issues at hand. In addition to lacking playmakers who could take the ball away, the Steelers compounded their defensive issues by surrendering an inordinate number of big plays last season.

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/steelers/2014/02/16/Steelers-Sunday-The-secondary-A-long-hard-fall/stories/201402160065#ixzz2tVojoxlo

Quote :

Steelers run defense needs help but a nose tackle might not be the answer

By Ray Fittipaldo
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

INDIANAPOLIS — The Steelers once were the NFL’s best run defense, impenetrable to the point that many teams simply chose not to try the ground game. Perennially ranked among the top 10 teams against the run, the Steelers were first in the league in rush defense four times from 2001-12 and finished among the top five teams 10 times in that 12-year span.

The constant for the Steelers during that time was nose tackle Casey Hampton. In the first season without Hampton, the Steelers in 2013 became vulnerable to the run and plummeted to 21st in the league.

That has to led to speculation that the Steelers could be in the market for a nose tackle with the No. 15 overall pick in the May draft — specifically, Louis Nix III of Notre Dame, projected as the top nose tackle prospect.

The Steelers last chose a nose tackle with their first pick in 2001 when they selected Hampton with the 19th overall pick. But in the past 13 years much has changed in the NFL that makes selecting a nose tackle in the first round risky.

“It has changed,” said Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert, who is evaluating college prospects at the NFL combine this week in Indianapolis.

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/steelers/2014/02/21/Steelers-run-defense-needs-help-but-a-nose-tackle-might-not-be-the-answer/stories/201402210032#ixzz2tyDZdGFX