Senior Bowl practice comment

Player who will have a better NFL career than many drafted higher than him.

Senior Bowl practice comment

Player who will have a better NFL career than many drafted higher than him.

Senior Bowl practice comment

Senior Bowl Game

Player who will have a better NFL career than many drafted higher than him.

Senior Bowl practice comment

Player who will have a better NFL career than many drafted higher than him.

East West Shrine Game

A+

2009 COLLEGE DRAFT REPORT CARD

by Jay Goldberg

The Steelers first four selections were all on my list of players who will have a better NFL career than many selected higher than them in the draft.  Their other picks, even the two that went higher than where I had them grded, made a lot of sense.  They have specific skills that the Steelers were looking for.  This is an excellent draft for Pittsburgh.

DRAFT PICKS

Hood was a great pick by Pittsburgh.  He is very strong and has the speed, quickness, athleticism and skill set to grow into one of the better 3-4 defensive ends in football.  As an end in a 3-4, Tyson Jackson will be the steady down-in, down-out pro, but Hood will be a more feared defender.  He also has good inside pass rushing skills and could kick inside in the nickel to provide the Steelers with an additional pass rusher on passing downs.

The selection of Urbik in round three will prove to be one of the steals of this draft.  Urbik was my top guard in the draft.  While not a workout warrior, he is an excellent football player.  Interestingly, one of the things that got me excited about him was that he dominated Ziggy Hood during the one-on-one drills; and Hood looked very good against everyone else I saw him paired with.  Urbik is the type of player you plug into the starting lineup and before you know it ten years have passed and you've never once had thoughts of replacing him.

Wallace is one of the fastest and most athletic receivers in the draft.  He showed good hands during Senior Bowl practices and will help returning kicks.  Wallace could force his way onto the field in multiple receiver sets this year, and is the future starter opposite Holmes when (if?) Ward slows down.  I look at Wallace as a potential Joey-Galloway-like receiver.

I kept scratching my head as cornerback after cornerback in round three came off the board (Barnes, Allen, Webb, Owens, and Powers) and Lewis remained.  Lewis, in my opinion, is the only one of these six with Pro Bowl potential.  Yes, I said Pro Bowl potential.  Lewis has good size and strength, runs in the 4.4's and is a top athlete.  The Steelers got yet another steal with Lewis.

Burnett was selected by the Steelers higher than where I had him graded.  However, that grade was as cornerback.  Burnett is a terrific punt returner.  He will allow Holmes to concentrate on offense.  Burnett is also a strong kid and will help on special team cover units as well.

Summers is another player drafted by Pittsburgh higher than where I had him graded.  However, I understand why.  The bigger backs that could backup fullback and be a short yardage runner were off the board.   Therefore, if the Steelers believed Summers was the last of a group that could fill that role, drafting him higher than where he was graded makes sense.  However, I would have gone with Javarris Williams as my short-yardage back.  He is a tough kid and has surprising speed.   However, he couldn't have served in that6 role and been a backup fullback because he is too light. 

Harris was a great roll-of-dice pick in round six.  He may have to spend a year on the development squad bulking up and working out in the weight room.  If successful, he has the skills to grow into a solid backup nose tackle.  If unsuccessful, I do not believe he has the quickness to play end in the 3-4.

Look at Shipley in shorts and you pass, quickly.  Look at him on film and you love what you see.  However, he is quicker and stronger than he looks.  Shipley does have short arms which will work against him transitioning his skills to the NFL; but he is a hard worker and tough kid which will work for him.  If I were a betting man (wait, I am a betting man), I would bet on him becoming a top sub who a team will be confident in if he needed to play.

Johnson is a specialty player.  In round seven Pittsburgh added one of the best blocking tight ends in the draft.  Johnson has a chance to have a long NFL career as a team's blocking tight end.

COLLEGE STREET FREE AGENTS

Foster has good size and looked good on film.  However, his workout did not support what was seen on film, which is why he went undrafted.  This is a kid Pittsburgh will look at in camp to decide if he is just a poor workout warrior or if he just looked better on film than he really is.  This one could go either way.

Korte needed to land with a team that played a 3-4 defense if he had any shot to stick.  Well, he is on a 3-4 defense.  He faces long odds but the Steelers' backup inside linebackers are not players with resumes showing success playing inside in NFL 3-4 defenses.

I like Reilly more than some of the quarterbacks that were drafted.  I expect him to be on the development squad this year and, if Dixon can win the backup job, make the team as the #3 QB next year.

Schantz is very similar to Korte.  Like Korte he faces difficult, but not impossible odds to make the team.

The Steelers came into the draft needing help along their offensive line early, but the board didn't line up for them and instead they got two of the biggest steals in the draft in rounds one and two.  They did draft former tight end Hills in round four and he has potential but isn't NFL-ready right now.  There were some options along the line the Steelers could have added in rounds five and six, but the players they drafted are fine.  I did think they would have gone after players like Tyler Polumbus and Robert Felton in free agency.  While no sure things, players of this ilk would have been worth a look in camp.

DRAFT PICKS

When looking back at this draft, Mendenhall could be the best every down back to come out of this draft (McFadden will be the best playmaker).  The timing for drafting a player like Mendenhall who is big, fast, quick, runs well inside and outside, and is a good receiver was perfect.  Fast Willie Parker is coming off injury and is coming off back to back seasons of over 300 carries.  He is not a big back and being in the top five in carries for two straight years could start to take its toll on him.  Mendenhall could become option one in a two-back system sooner than many people think.

Sweed was a steal in round two.  Just like with Mendenhall, when looking back at this draft, Sweed could be the best receiver to come out of this draft.  Sweed has excellent hands, very good speed for a big receiver, and is a top athlete.  At almost 6'4" with a 37.5" vertical, Big Ben and him can play catch above defensive back heads.  

Davis was very productive at UCLA at defensive end, especially as a pass rusher, but may lack the quickness and change-of-direction skills to play outside linebacker in the Steeler's 3-4 defense and is much too small to play end in a 3-4.  Of course if the Steelers ever go back to a 4-3, the system Tomlin favored prior to becoming Pittsburgh's head coach, he could be a good pass rushing defensive end.

Hills is an athletic offensive tackle who is a converted tight end.  He still is a bit of a work in progress, but has the tools to develop into a quality starter.

Dixon is an excellent athlete who got injured late in his senior year and will likely sit out this year.  Down the line he could give Pittsburgh an interesting developmental quarterback, who could play multiple roles while learning to play under center.  In the spread offense as a senior he completed two-thirds of his passes.

Humpal was thought to be a player who had limited athletic ability and got by on smarts and hard work.  However, his workout shows that he is a pretty good athlete who is quick and has decent speed.  He will be a very good special teams and solid backup.

Like most of the Steelers' picks, Mundy was a productive player in college.  He is a heady player with good strength.  He is also a terrific athlete who changes direction well and will be a top special teams player.  He has potential a safety as well.

COLLEGE STREET FREE AGENTS

Williams is an undersized corner who plays faster and quicker on the field than he times.  Early in his college career he was a top punt returner and may need to show that skill to stick.  If not, he is a good candidate for the Steelers' practice squad.

Reffett is a good kid who picked a good situation for him.  He plays the run better than the pass but is undersized (bulk) for a run-stuffing defensive tackle.  However, he has the perfect frame for defensive end in the 3-4.  He faces long odds, but is a hard worker.

Rucker has good size, is an excellent athlete, and was productive at Eastern Illinois.  I predict he will stick on the Steelers' practice squad.  He is a couple of years away but could develop into a #4 receiver and special teams player.