Steelers Draft and Mel Kiper sucks thread!!

The comparisons to Shazier are legit. Reddick is a stud. He's got the speed and foot work to drop into coverage like Shazier. Timmons doesn't excel in that area anymore. Neither do the back ILBs.

I'd be happy with a hybrid type ILB or a very solid coverage safety. Mitchell sucks in coverage.

 

So you are agreeing with Kiper? nybites will have your head for that remark!

 

Kiper isn't always wrong...Reddick could be a very nice fit with the Steelers. I would prefer to see them draft the next dominate edge pass rusher but Reddick would be a nice fit.

 

Reddick is a great player, and he would be a fit for us, but how much talent do we really need at ILB? Sorry but I'd pass. At 30th overall we would potentially have our pick of McKinley, Williams, and Harris, and I wouldn't pass on any of them (if Williams aces interviews) for a player at a position we can afford to leave on the back burner.

Kiper is a clown not because he's wrong, but because his definition of thinking outside the box is flinging shit at a wall and hoping it sticks, then smugly sitting back and acting like he's well informed. The fact is the Steelers have shown no indication that they're concerned about the ILB position, and Reddick would have to be a can't -miss prospect to be considered. One thing holding Reddick back would be the fact that he's extremely raw. He's Shazier without the experience, in a nutshell. I won't say the Steelers won't consider him at all, but if some team doesn't fall in love with his potential somewhere in the 20s, he's by no means a slam dunk for us at 30.

Personal update: I recently moved to New York, and everything associated with that has been tying me up all month, so I haven't been posting lately. I still don't have my usual hardware set up, so even now posting is more difficult than it should be. I'm active, though, and I'm checking in to see what everyone's opinions on things are.

 

Quincy Wilson...big and physical DB that Pitt desperately needs when they face NE

 

RBs and o-linemen worked out today. Some notable things:

- Dalvin Cook looked like he would be the consensus top running back in the draft at the end of the day when he came out at a stocky 210 pounds at 5'10" and Leonard Fournette ballooned up to 240, but their workouts weren't so different so as to suggest that Fournette's extra weight was due to lack of conditioning. Fournette suffered a minor injury during the season and Cook's versatility makes him the best back in this class IMO, but the gap isn't so wide that no argument can be made for Fournette instead.

- There are no burners in this class at RB that stand any chance of being drafted. Cook ran an even 4.5 in the 40 and he was one of the fastest ones. The fact that Christian McCaffery ran a 4.49 is remarkable, but he looks and plays the smallest of the three first-round backs by far.

- The best pure inside runner in this class may be Samaje Perine. His 30+ number on the bench press is more than most offensive linemen, and with big hands at 5'11" and 233 pounds, he may have at least leapfrogged former teammate Joe Mixon for any team looking for a complementary power back *coughPittsburghcough*

- Joe Mixon was not invited to the Combine. His public incident regarding punching a woman a few years ago has been well documented and most likely contributed to that. It's a shame since teams would really want to interview him and I for one would love to see if he's a different person. Mixon has legitimate first-round talent, so it's a shame that he's embroiled in this controversy or else he may be ranked ahead of McCaffery on most boards. He did it to himself, of course, but it ain't good news.

- Forrest Lamp will be the first interior offensive lineman off the board in this draft and may have even cemented his first-round status with an outstanding day at the combine. He showed quickness, strength, and plus measurements while trying to leapfrog rival Dan Feeney, who was merely average in every respect. The Falcons and Patriots will both be clamoring for his services in the back end of 1, but the Seahawks may be the first team targeting him at 26.

- Cam Robinson was battling Ryan Ramczyk for top offensive lineman honors, and he won in every respect - including interviews. Teams are apparently turned off by the fact that Ramczyk quit football after high school and are concerned that he won't work to be the best he can be. In fact, even Garrett Bolles may have leapfrogged Ramczyk after his great combine day and outstanding interviews. Bolles is seen as an overcomer of adversity and a guy other offensive linemen will like and respect. Ramczyk took a tumble today no matter how you slice it.

- The Steelers have so far reprtedly met with Clemson running back Wayne Gallman and South Alabama TE Gerald Everett at the Combine so far. Gallman is an every-down back and Everett is a field-stretching receiver at TE. Seems like they may want a discount Le'Veon Bell and a replacement for Ladarius Greene.

 

John Ross broke stop watches today with a 4.22 in the 40. More on that and other noteworthy news later.

 

I need a Steelers GM to represent Pittsburgh in a mock draft that starts on Monday.

If you're interested, you can sign up here - http://live4sportnetwork.com/forumlist/viewtopic.php?id=9038

 

I was watching a little bit of the combine when the QBs were throwing to the RBs and WRs . There were a lot of bad passes

 

- This is the worst QB class since 2013. I know that's basically common knowledge, but this workout really drove it home. Mitchell Trubisky blew, leaving the barn doors wide open for fringe-first rounder Deshaun Watson to take over with a good workout, which he delivered. Pat Mahomes may also be first-round material for a desperate team with his arm strngth and apparent leadership qualities.

- By the way, yes, it is "Mitchell" Trubisky now. He announced that he legally changed his name shortly before the combine. I don't know if he fell out of the first round completely, but his ho-hum workout allowed others to pass him up, as mentioned.

- John Ross broke Chris Johnson's record 40 yard dash time by officially clocking in at 4.22 seconds. This is legitimate, as Ross was widely considered a first-round pick before the combine started and one of the fastest players in the country in full pads. In addition, he posted fantastic jumping numbers for a player of his size, with a nearly 40 inch vertical and more than 11-foot broad jump. In a receiver class that isn't the best we've ever seen, it's possible that Ross just worked himself into consideration for being the first receiver off the board, following Tavon Austin's footsteps, and Ross is the superior receiver by far.

- Corey Davis didn't work out at all, which is disappointing. Mike Williams was good, but Ross was simply insane. A team looking mostly for size will obviously pick one of those receivers, which is why I can't say Ross is the top receiver in the draft with certainty, but Ross established himself as the best athlete in shorts and I don't think size should matter much ultimately. It remains to be seen if Davis is even comparable to Ross, but he hurt himself by not being able to work out yesterday.

- No major shakeups in the world of the TE. Bucky Hodges showed elite athleticism and probably established himself as the third-best TE in the class after O.J. Howard and David Njoku. Evan Engram posted wide receiver like numbers which was expected.

 

I thought DeShone Kizer should have stayed in school another year. I don't get how he is a first round pick when he was pulled from some games last season.

 

I'm the GM for the Steelers in the L4SN Collaborative Mock Draft.

The first round is already in the books. So far we nabbed:
T.J. Watt, OLB, Wisconsin

I was offered a trade-down with the Eagles. I declined because while there were a number of pass rushers still on the board, I didn't want to risk losing someone on the upswing who really fits our scheme.

Also in consideration were Derek Rivers and Carl Lawson.

I like Rivers, and the Steelers seem to love him, but I thought 30 was still too soon despite the fact that he's on the upswing as well. Lawson is also on the rise, but I ultimately wouldn't touch him because of his injury, and lest we forget, his tape shows that he is simply awful against the run. Some team will fall in love with his combine numbers and may pick him in the first round, but he has massive bust potential.

Not even in consideration were Taco Charlton, Takkarist McKinley, and Charles Harris. All are conceivably first-round edge rushers, but Charlton doesn't fit our scheme (he only succeeded at Michigan after they changed to a 4-3), and McKinley and Harris have received no interest from the Steelers. McKinley lacks sand in his pants and Harris is on the downswing after a bad combine. Both will struggle to play the run in the NFL and may not even be productive pass rushers at first.

I'll be targeting a corner at 62, but none are left on the board that would be worth a trade-up. I'm happy with the number of picks the Steelers have, so it'll take a draining of talent to consider trade-down offers.

 

The 2nd round of the L4SN Collaborative Mock Draft is in the books. At 62, I picked:

Marcus Williams, S, Utah

For 62, I was put into a bit of a bind. The Steelers havent met with many corners this offseason, and the second-round ones they did meet with were all off the board. Tre'Davious White, Desmond King, and Cameron Sutton were picked by the Bears, Jets, and Raiders respectively. I continued to refer to who the Steelers met with for who to pick, and Marcus Williams simply offered the best value.

Williams is the best ballhawk in this class not named Malik Hooker. In addition, he's on the upswing following his outstanding combine. He has unreal verticality to his game and would be a boon in a division featuring the Ravens' speed receivers and A.J. Green. There's talk of him being a first-round pick, hence the value at 62 being huge.

Not so big on the L4SN community consensus on certain prospects. Budda Baker is a fast safety, but he's also tiny. In addition, he doesn't always look for the ball and can overpursue. Despite that, the Ravens' GM was lauded for trading up for him, and the Browns fans present in particular expressed how deeply they coveted him.

I read a scouting report that compared Baker to Bob Sanders, which I think is very apt, except that I'm not a Bob Sanders fan either. The guy couldn't cover, only being able to play in the box, and he spent at least half of his career on the injury list. I see a similar career ahead for Baker, which is high-balling it since Sanders was a Pro Bowl favorite when he was healthy, and the Steelers must agree with me, as they've given him no more than a passing glance so far.

Update on the edge rushers I mentioned: Derek Rivers and Carl Lawson both went off the board before 62, to the Lions and Cowboys at 53 and 60, respectively. I certainly would have reached had I picked either of them. The Packers' GM picked Teez Tabor and Ryan Anderson so far. He's a Dolphins fan, so I don't think he's aware that the Packers keep away from problem characters.

Value on offense is there at 94 and 105. I'll need to wait til round 4 to get value on a corner. It's a risk, but there's been a run on corners, so I'm hoping the ones the Steelers have met with are safe. I'll be targeting a RB and WR with the next two picks, with an outside chance that I'll double-dip at OLB if either of those positions dries up.

 

You know Demo, I believe we are going to draft a QB somewhere between rds 2 and 4.

 

I don't necessarily know if that's true though. Who would be a top prospect at QB that you would rather have than an impact player at any other given position?

 

I think the Steelers would jump on Pat Mahomes or Davis Webb if they were available at our second pick.

 

Round 3 is in the books. It was my favorite round yet, as we got RB Samaje Perine and OLB Tarrel Basham.

Both these players figure to be very strong situationally. Perine has offensive-lineman-esque power and would be a bruising closer. Basham is the speed to Watt's power and would immediately come in on passing downs. Perine certainly has the capacity to shoulder the workload while Basham plays (and is built) like Bud Dupree.

I mentioned that I was going after WR. That didn't happen after the Chiefs picked Chris Godwin at 91. Basham was frankly a huge steal who should have gone at some point in the second round following his fantastic combine, so I was ecstatic to land him instead.

I'm really excited that I've been able to stick to players the Steelers have met with so far. Don't thank me if you approve of this draft - thank our beloved team. For example, I could have gone corner in the second round, but the Steelers have shown no interest in Cordrea Tankersley, Chidobie Awuzie, Fabian Moreau, or Ahkello Witherspoon. All went to different teams in the third round, but all have major problems with being too grabby downfield or soft when it comes to press coverage and tackling. Witherspoon, for instance, may just be the biggest candy-ass I've ever seen when it comes to tackling. Remember what killed our defense last season when it played badly? It wasn't the lack of coverage. Rather, it was teams picking up 5 or more yards after contact every single time. We don't need more of those types of players anywhere on the field.

There are a couple of corners I'm targeting in the fourth round. breed and I have been in contact via PM and I won't say his name here for fear of a jinx, but this kid has worked out exceptionally well all offseason and seems to be the type of corner we want. I'll also see about adding a WR with return skills and a TE at some point. I'll continue to keep yinz abreast of what's happening as it happens.

 

What is the evaluation of Carl Lawson? I see the Steelers coaches were at his pro day. What round is he projected to go?

 

Lawson is a late first-round pick, probably a mid-first pass rushing talent. As documented already, he was often injured in college and doesn't hold up against the run well. I like that the Steelers are showing interest in him like they are, but I hope it's mostly for show and they determine that they'll pick him only if others are off the board already.

I'd pick Lawson after T.J. Watt for sure and after Derek Rivers possibly. I'd also pick Lawson before I'd settle on Takkarist McKinley or Charles Harris. Lawson has insane quickness off the snap and godly upper body strength for someone who is only 260 pounds. He clearly has great work ethic, so maybe he can work on his lower body in the NFL which would allow him to eventually set the edge with competence.