Why Could Pittsburgh Trade Down?

Now that Offensive Tackle Mike Adams’ positive marijuana test at The Combine has become public, and Mark Barron in my opinion is likely going in the neighborhood of Picks #14-#17 where Safety-needy Dallas, Philadelphia, New York (Jets), and Cincinnati pick, it seems that there is one player which should be in the neighborhood for Pittsburgh to take at #24: Dont’a Hightower.  And unless for some awesome reason Offensive Linemen Jonathan Martin or Cordy Glenn end up falling to Pittsburgh, Hightower on paper appears to be a safe and solid selection that Pittsburgh should go with in the 1st Round.

What if Hightower is not there or not the guy at #24? Mandatory Credit: Spruce Derden-US PRESSWIRE

Yet as much as I like Hightower the prospect, I do have one question: What if he is not the player Pittsburgh targets in Round 1 and is selected by somebody else?  Or, what if he is not the Inside Linebacker they want at all?  Pittsburgh did bring in Mychal Kendricks of California for a visit, and while Kendricks is a bit smaller, he is a more versatile player in terms of the time he spent at Outside Linebacker in college, and Kendricks played in a 3-4 system at California as well.  Granted, the Steelers might want to cover their bases by bringing in Kendricks in for a visit, but he is a prospect which could really help this team on the defensive side of the ball.

Also, what if Hightower is not around at #24 and the Steelers do in fact want him?  It is a viable question to ask, Baltimore could use a replacement for Ray Lewis down the road, and even the Giants or another team in early Round 2 with Inside Linebacker needs could consider going after Hightower and trading ahead of Pittsburgh.  Every Front Office with a need at Inside Linebacker which is coveting Hightower below Pittsburgh in Round 1 or early in Round 2 knows that it could be a risk to wait and see what the Steelers do, and might be willing to jump ahead of the Steelers to acquire him.  Even Brett Favre “fanboy” Peter King made reference to this happening in his most recent Mock Draft where he had Baltimore swapping picks with Detroit at #23 to acquire Hightower ahead of Pittsburgh.

If Pittsburgh has Hightower snatched from their grasp, or nobody like a Martin or a Glenn falls to them, the situation gets sort of murky when you look at the bottom of Round 1.  At that point the prospects which will likely be available do not fit the B.P.A + Position of Need mold for the Steelers as well as a Hightower or a Barron would.

Don’t get me wrong, there are/will be terrific players available.  Guys like Wide Receivers like Stephen Hill, who are talented but raw and probably two years from contributing significantly at the N.F.L. level.  Cornerback Janoris Jenkins will be around simply due to character concerns.  Plus, Brandon Weeden of Oklahoma State could also be in play for a Quarterback hungry team looking to get back into Round 1 as well.

But at #24 though, there are a glut of players at two very important positions which could make the spot where Pittsburgh selects a hot-spot for trade-activity: Defensive Tackles galore in 4-3 systems like Devon Still, Jerel Worthy, Kendall Reyes, and possibly Michael Brockers, and there are tweener pass-rushers like Shea McClellin, Nick Perry, Chandler Jones, Andre Branch, and possibly Courtney Upshaw.  And while Pittsburgh might not have a dire need for help at the specific positions, other franchises might, and thus see where Pittsburgh as sitting in Round 1 as a place where they want to be.

Which Trading Partners Make Sense

While the pool of players that the Steelers could choose from at #24 may not be to their ultimate liking, it could prove to be a very valuable lot to many other franchises.  I personally believe that there are three teams which could be inclined to trade with Pittsburgh in the forms of St. Louis, Miami, and Philadelphia.

One reason why these teams could be possible trading partners with Pittsburgh is the fact that they have multiple picks in either Round 2 or Round 3.  With extra selections, comes more chances to move around on the draft board, and having these extra chips to spend at the trading table, each of these teams has the “ammunition” to make an attractive offer to a team looking to vacate Round 1.

Granted, there are other teams which could contact Pittsburgh to move up to #24 and trade with them, because they do have holes at some of the aforementioned positions (i.e.: Buffalo, Carolina, and possibly even Seattle).  Yet because the teams I listed above have multiple picks in Rounds 2 or 3, they will likely be easier partners to trade with if they desire to move up, and can give the Steelers picks in the present as opposed to the future.

In addition to the extra picks which these teams have at their disposal, Philadelphia, Miami, and St. Louis all also have needs at either Inside Linebacker, 4-3 Defensive Tackle, tweener Pass-Rusher, or could even be in the market for Stephen Hill.  St. Louis could sure use some help on the interior of their Defensive Line and it would be wise for them to attempt to acquire the player they want before the run on them begins, Miami needs all positions save for Inside Linebacker, and Philadelphia is in the market for an Inside Backer and could make a play for Stephen Hill.

Need could be important for these teams, and moving up to a certain spot where a team is looking to move down could make all of the difference.  So now that I have established some potential trading partners which the Steelers could work with on Thursday evening and then Friday afternoon, what better way to end the article than by prognosticating trades and filling the new slots in the later Rounds in a few quick Mock Drafts.

Could Martin fall to the Steelers? Mandatory Credit: Jim Z. Rider-US PRESSWIRE

Introduction: Do The Steelers Need Help at Tackle?

The answer to the question above is a resounding yes in my opinion.  As I alluded to in a previous article, while Tackle might not be the most pressing of all needs for Pittsburgh, it’s still a pretty darn big question mark heading into 2012.  I mean, take a look at what the Steelers have heading into this season: Talented 2nd Year man Marcus Gilbert appears to be stepping into the Left Tackle spot because Max Starks is coming off a knee injury, but Gilbert played most of last season at Right Tackle and now will be faced with the responsibility of protecting Big Ben’s blind-side.  As for Right Tackle, the oft-injured and usually inconsistent Willie Colon will be hopefully coming back after logging only 1 start in the last two years.  Plus, Jonathan Scott will likely be the #3 guy, and that is reason alone for concern for an Offensive Line as a whole that gave up 42 Sacks last season.  With all of the question marks surrounding the Tackle position, Pittsburgh sure could use some stability at the position and a natural Left Tackle to help shore up the Line.  Luckily for the Steelers, Stanford’s Jonathan Martin’s (a once projected Top 10 pick) stock is slipping a bit, and he might be in range for Pittsburgh to select.

Martin’s Unfortunate Offseason

Missing The Combine, and a subpar performance at his Pro Day are the two biggest reasons why Jonathan Martin sliding down draft boards right now.  In terms of wowing scouts at the “Underpants Olympics,” Martin did not improve his stock in Indianapolis when he came down with an illness he attributed to food poisoning and did not participate in drills.  To make things worse, Martin had himself an unimpressive Pro Day where he only put up a 5.33 time in the 40 and only 20 reps in the Bench Press (225 lbs.).  Granted, it’s never super to come up short when the off-season workout lights are shining, but Martin’s poor workouts could be a blessing in disguise for Pittsburgh if he does slide.  And personally, I’m not overly worried about the low Bench numbers and “slow” 40 time.

While it can be a bit alarming to see a supposedly highly rated Tackle put up that number of reps., strength can be honed much easier than technique as a Tackle in pass protection and run blocking which Martin actually has.  At 6’5” and with 34″ arms, Martin could add a bit more mass to his frame (10 lbs.) and has room to work on his raw upper body strength over the course of his career.  While it will not be a walk in the park, helping a player add strength is what strength and conditioning programs for N.F.L. teams are all about.  As for the 40 though, I’m even less worried.  How many “Go” Routes will Martin be running in the N.F.L.?  Granted, I’d like every Offensive Lineman to be a “track-star,” but 5.33 is nothing to scoff at for a guy weighing in the neighborhood of 315 lbs..  While it is a tad discomforting to see players under-perform, I would much rather select a player that has shown that they can succeed on a high level and on a consistent basis on film during real live competition (Martin), as opposed to a champion of The Combine workouts that has raw skills, but loads of bad tape.

Which Teams Could Target Martin? & Why They Could Pass

Bad performances during offseason workout aside, Martin is still a 1st Round talent, and there are some teams in the 13-23 range that are in need of Tackles like #13 Arizona, #18 San Diego, #19 Chicago, #22 Cleveland, #23 Detroit which could target him.  Nevertheless, these teams have other needs and draft strategies of their own, and it would not shock me if they passed on Martin.

Each team could go after another position of need like Inside Linebacker or Wide Receiver for the Cardinals (Luke Kuechly or Michael Floyd), Pass Rushing Outside Linebacker for San Diego (Courtney Upshaw, Nick Perry, Whitney Mercilus), Wide Receiver or Pass Rushing Defensive End for Chicago or Cleveland (Kendall Wright, Stephen Hill, Perry, Mercilus), and finally Defensive End or Cornerback for Detroit (Perry, Mercilus, Stephon Gilmore, Dre Kirkpatrick, Janoris Jenkins).

Or, if these specific teams decide to draft an Offensive Lineman, they could find themselves taking other 1st Round prospects not named Martin all together.  Riley Reiff of Iowa, the versatile OG/OT Cordy Glenn of Georgia, have 1st Round grades, and Mike Adams of Ohio State has 1st Round talent and for whatever reason (blocking scheme, coaching staff preference, versatility, upside, etc.) might end up being selected before Martin hears his name called.  With more options to choose from plus multiple needs for every team, the greater the chance Martin has to stay on the board until pick #24.

Should Pittsburgh Take Martin? & Final Thoughts

Granted, quite a bit has to go right for the Steelers to be in a position to select Martin with the 24th pick.  But if Martin is indeed on the board at #24, Pittsburgh has to at least consider a few things about him:  He’s a player that started 37 games at Left Tackle for a major college program and protected the blind-side of one of the best collegiate signal callers in the last two decades.  Martin is also a two time All-Pac 10 (12) first team selection and helped the Cardinal become one of college football’s best Offenses over the last 3 years  Bad workouts aside, from the games I’ve watched Martin play however, he’s definitely strong enough and nimble enough to warrant a 1st Round pick.  Watching him and David DeCastro in the run game was awesome, and I saw them first-hand help the Cardinal put almost 250 rushing yards last season against Arizona and run for almost 211 Yards Per Game in 2011 overall.

Protecting Big Ben is a must for this franchise, and because  Pittsburgh usually selects so late in the Draft, and has over the last decade, elite Left Tackle prospects are really not in the neighborhood for them in Round 1.  A player like Martin falling to them at #24 could be too good to pass up, and would definitely warrant a selection over more “need” positions (especially ones with deep classes this year) like Guard, Inside Linebacker, and Nose Tackle which can be found in later Rounds of this specific Draft.

It might be wishful thinking to believe that Martin could fall to #24 (they could trade up for a Tackle or Guard), but stranger things have happened in Round 1 on Draft Days.  I personally would like to see some stability on the Offensive Line for Pittsburgh in the coming years, because Big Ben has at least 5 more seasons left in his “prime” and of course could benefit from being protected better.  It could be more or it could be less, but it sure would be nice to see Roethlisberger drop back to pass and not fear for him.  With the weapons he has at his disposal, and “Bubble Screen Wizard” Bruce Arians out of the picture, Big Ben could flourish if he indeed an upgrade in the protection department.  Whatever happens though, I’ve got faith as always in Colbert & Co. to do what is right and acquire yet another hit in Round 1.

Now it’s your turn readers.  Will Martin be available at #24?  Should the Steelers take Martin if he is available?  Should Pittsburgh target another Lineman in Round 1?  Let me know.  I’m interested.

Of course, the best thing to happen this weekend may not even be any of the players who were selected.  The Steelers sent one of their extra 5th round picks to Pittsburgh West Arizona in exchange for CB Bryant McFadden.  I can feel my blood pressure dropping as I type that sentence.  B-Mac, you may recall, was our starter during the 2008 Super Bowl run before leaving for a 2 year/$10 million contract with the Cards last season.  While I admit he’s hardly a Revis in the secondary, this is a huge upgrade over the inept play of Will.i.am Gay.

Anyway, on to the draft.   Let’s take a look at every pick in the Steelers class of 2010.

ROUND 1:

(Yes, they’re chanting “She said no!” when Goodell is introducing the kid.  Sure makes you proud to be a Steeler fan, huh?)

(more…)

Are LaMarr Woodley and James Harrison good enough for you?

Evidently, they aren’t good enough for the Pittsburgh Steelers.  In a shocking move, the Steelers used their lone second round pick on OLB Jason Worilds out of Virginia Tech.  Actually, Worilds played defensive end in college but like Mister Woodley, his size (6’1 and 254 pounds) projects him as a pass rushing OLB at the pro level.  Honestly, with all the holes this team has in the secondary and both lines, not to mention very little depth at running back and wide receiver, I have no idea how this pick makes sense.   And here I thought they’d address an actual need such as finding an inside ‘backer to groom them as the heir apparent to the aging James Farrior.

Worilds is far from a can’t miss prospect.  Your hero and mine, Mel Kiper, had him listed as a third or fourth round pick.  So mid-second round is a bit of a stretch.   Worilds was named 2nd Team All-ACC in both 2008 and 2009, although he only had 49 tackles last season while battling a bum shoulder.   In fact, Worilds has a history with shoulder injuries which have required multiple surgeries.  Also, I doubt he can move inside because he’s not big enough to play ILB in a 3-4 defense, particularly since he’s not stout at the point of attack.

I don’t mean to be overly negative.  Worilds does have a few positive traits.  He’s a tremendous athlete who has shown explosive quickness and tremendous burst.  Like all Steeler linebackers, he’s got a non-stop motor who maintains pursuit.  Although he only has average timed speed, he seems to be capable of dropping into coverage and covering backs or tight ends.  So he does offer coach Mike Tomlin some of his beloved “situational flexibility.”

When and if he gets on the field that is.   Perhaps one of my draftnik readers will have more positive words of support for this pick.   Because honestly, I’m at a loss to explain this one.  With prototypical inside linebackers like Pat Angerer or Sean Lee on the board, not to mention a whole host of playmaking wide receivers, I have no idea why the Steelers chose to strengthen what already appears to be one of their strongest positions.

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.