Nice Pick, Cowher » Florida Gators http://nicepickcowher.com A Pittsburgh Steelers Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and more. Sat, 25 May 2013 15:15:24 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 RB Chris Rainey – Steelers 5th Round Pick http://nicepickcowher.com/2012/04/28/rb-chris-rainey-steelers-5th-round-pick/ http://nicepickcowher.com/2012/04/28/rb-chris-rainey-steelers-5th-round-pick/#comments Sat, 28 Apr 2012 19:10:49 +0000 Jeff Snedden http://nicepickcowher.com/?p=12796 The Steelers addressed their running back situation in the 5th round today by selecting RB Chris Rainey of the Florida Gators. Rainey played the Percy Harvin role at Florida; running back, slot receiver, punt/kick returner.  His speed is considered his greatest weapon. He is listed at 5’8″ 180 lbs.   From NFL.com: Overview Rainey, like [...]

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Steelers 5th Round Pick, RB Chris Rainey

The Steelers addressed their running back situation in the 5th round today by selecting RB Chris Rainey of the Florida Gators.

Rainey played the Percy Harvin role at Florida; running back, slot receiver, punt/kick returner.  His speed is considered his greatest weapon. He is listed at 5’8″ 180 lbs.

 

From NFL.com:

Overview

Rainey, like his teammate Jeff Demps, is a burner. Unlike Demps, his track-speed translates to the football field, which makes him an intriguing prospect who has played various roles in Florida’s offense. While not nearly as big as former teammate Percy Harvin, Rainey has been able to deliver for the Gators in a similar fashion. He uses his agility and quickness to make guys miss. He could move up into the middle rounds.

Analysis

Strengths

Rainey is quick and decisive off the snap. He usually looks to get the edge. He is a very effective short-area mover who can ignite a two-step power move to beat a defender laterally and get to the edge. He is a straight-line runner but is elusive and make defenders miss in the open field. He is a good route runner out of the backfield and out of the slot and he will likely get work there early in the pros.

Weaknesses

Rainey is undersized and it shows when he tries to run inside or pass protect. He almost always looks to get outside and will go down on contact when running in the box. He is not willing nor able to block linebackers and protect the quarterback and will get overpowered at the next level. He is a strict work-in-space player at the next level and will have a hard time playing as a traditional running back.
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]]> http://nicepickcowher.com/2012/04/28/rb-chris-rainey-steelers-5th-round-pick/feed/ 0 Pittsburgh Steelers Pounce On Pouncey http://nicepickcowher.com/2010/04/23/pittsburgh-steelers-pounce-on-pouncey/ http://nicepickcowher.com/2010/04/23/pittsburgh-steelers-pounce-on-pouncey/#comments Fri, 23 Apr 2010 01:51:43 +0000 chris http://nicepickcowher.com/?p=2850 Steeler Football lives! In the grand tradition of legendary centers Mike Webster and Dermontti Dawson, the Pittsburgh Steelers have finally addressed some of their offensive line issues by selecting University of Florida product Maurkice Pouncey with their first round draft pick. Pouncey, 6’4 and 305 pounds, is a rare find.   A first round caliber [...]

Pittsburgh Steelers Pounce On Pouncey - Nice Pick, Cowher - Nice Pick, Cowher - A Pittsburgh Steelers Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and more.

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Steeler Football lives!

In the grand tradition of legendary centers Mike Webster and Dermontti Dawson, the Pittsburgh Steelers have finally addressed some of their offensive line issues by selecting University of Florida product Maurkice Pouncey with their first round draft pick.

Pouncey, 6’4 and 305 pounds, is a rare find.   A first round caliber lineman who projects as a center at the NFL level.  Pouncey is an excellent athlete who gets a strong push in the running game while also being nimble enough to pull out on trap plays.  He’s also good at keeping his leverage and getting off the blocks so he’ll be stout at the point of attack on passing attempts.   At least until good ‘ol #7 decides to hold the ball for a year and a half after dropping back.  MK was named 1st Team All-SEC and a 2nd Team All-American in 2009 while also being named Rimington Trophy winner as the nation’s top center.  He’s a well-rounded player with all the physical tools you’d look for and who faced top notch competition on a weekly basis as a three year starter for the Gators.

The only knocks on him are some durability concerns with an ankle injury in 2007 and a torn labrum which required surgery prior to the 2009 season.  The only other question is how he’ll adapt to a regular pro-set offense as Florida ran the spread offense where they operated out of the shotgun formation on almost every snap.

Luckily, he’ll have time to adjust.   The Steelers still have Justin Hartwig at center and he’ll probably stay put at least another season.  Pouncey has experience at guard which is where he’ll likely spend his rookie year while learning the nuances of the center position.  Considering the Steelers have two tackling dummies and an orange traffic cone at right guard, I would expect Pouncey to start for us immediately at that position.  However, in the long term, you’re looking at our center of the future.  Hopefully, he’ll be an anchor which solidifies a terrible offensive line for years to come.

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