Steelers Draft and Mel Kiper sucks thread!!

I believe Tomlin Coached the defensive line coach there at Minnesota.

 

I wouldn’t be surprised if ILB was thrown in that discussion also.

 

2023 Consensus Big Board | NFL Mock Draft Database

A pretty good big board that included a 2 rd mock. My thoughts: Ringo too early, Sewell too early, too late on Wright. Going by BPA and sticking To
My board and CB OT DT strategy based on who’s left.

17. Broderick Jones
32. Emmanuel Forbes
49. Tuli Tuipuloto

 

Daniel Jeremiah's top 50: 2023 NFL Draft prospect rankings 1.0

DJ’s top
50’some surprises. Lots of TE’s and more IOL than I have and a few told you so’s.

 

This draft seems top heavy in the CB position. We need a good cover corner. I think there are 5 that are good at 17. You can’t get CBs in FA so concentrate on getting a good one in this draft. Oline and dline have more production later in the draft. The Steelers suck at developing CBs so draft one that is already developed.

 

A freebie from Wexell that offers some great insight into the Steelers potential approach to the draft in 2023...

Link to Eagles a cause for optimism regarding Steelers' next draft
By JIM WEXELL Jan 30, 11:30 AM

The good news at the top of this column is that Answer Man has promised to make his return sooner rather than later.

I would like to thank the 14 people who asked about him in the last Ask Wex column. Your persistence has apparently broken him down.

The bad news this morning is that I must confess to editing out some of the prime Matt Steel lines from his latest column. For clarity purposes, I cut that he would like to draft ILBs Drew Sanders or Trenton Simpson. Those names will, I presume, lead his draft column.

I also edited out that Matt believes the Steelers should hire 49ers assistant QB coach Klay Kubiak. Not because I have anything against Gary's son, but because I believe Matt may have taken too literally Art Rooney II's answer last week to a question regarding the hiring an offensive assistant coach. He wouldn't be the only reporter who took Rooney's answer - in my opinion - too seriously.

Rooney II was asked this question: "With Brian Flores this year, you created a position, a senior assistant position. Would you like to see something like that on the offensive side?"

To which Rooney answered: "I wouldn't take anything off the table. We’re at that time of year where Mike (Tomlin)'s evaluating coaches; we have coaches that are interviewing at other places. So, the coaching staff, there could still be changes to it. But I don't really want to speculate on kind of where we might go."

It's become a topic of conversation around town, but I saw it only as a let-the-coaches-coach type of reply similar to the one the Chief sent his ballboy son back in 1955. His son wrote a letter pleading for his father to ask his coach why he was ignoring rookie QB John Unitas at training camp.

"Let the coaches coach," was the response.

So, I didn't want our site to become part of that conversation. On the other hand, I do want to put Matt's choice down because he's the only person I've seen making thoughtful proposals to the offensive staff. Kubiak is another interesting name.

Those are two of the reasons for today's column. And I will ask Answer Man for his take on the entirety of Rooney's "State of the Steelers Address" last week.

The other purpose of this column is to provide my own takeaway from Rooney's presser.

And it's a small one.

Tiny, in fact. But it's stuck with me.

Here was the question: "There’s a new general manager. You’ve known Omar (Khan) for a long time. But are there things that you would like to see changed in how you handle free agency or the draft?"

This was Rooney's response: "I think we're seeing changes already in the way Omar and Andy are preparing for the draft. I think those guys have their own ways of doing things that are a little different from Kevin (Colbert)."

Notice what he did there? He answered a question about his new general manager by including his new assistant general manager.

Is this a minor nit? I don't think so.

It should be any thoughtful owner's intention to preface his new GM's first draft with an encouraging pat on the back. But Rooney knows that Khan isn't a personnel man, that he came to his position from the financial side of the football world.

Not that Khan doesn't know talent, but he hasn't made it his life's work, and that's the preferable prerequisite at this highest of levels. The personnel man prepares the grocery list for a head coach who's always been in charge of shopping before he makes the dinner.

A more suitable analogy for Tomlin might be that he's the guy who buys the paint before painting the barn, but for personnel purposes I prefer Bill Parcells' specific quote on head coaches at draft time: "If they want you to cook the dinner, at least they ought to let you shop for some of the groceries."

In Pittsburgh, "some of the groceries" means whatever the head coach doesn't want to leave to his personnel department. They say their decisions are made by a consensus, but the consensus is only formed once the head coach agrees.

When Khan was named GM - no doubt due to his energy, intelligence, demeanor, teamwork and familiarity - it was expected that he would need a true personnel man upon whom he could lean. And the fact that Rooney is dubbing them publicly as a partnership, Andy Weidl carries some gravitas.

Weidl is a native of Mt. Lebanon, a Pittsburgh suburb, and he broke into the business with the Steelers in 1998 under Tom Donahoe. Two years later he became a scout for New Orleans, where he befriended Khan and impressed his future boss with his evaluating skills.

While I'm unsure of Khan's ability to evaluate talent, I'm convinced he has the instincts to properly judge those who can. The fact he went after an old friend as his first move is the kind of conviction I love to see.

And the better part of the equation is this: Khan hired Weidl away from the Super Bowl-bound Philadelphia Eagles.

That's where Weidl spent the previous six years, the first two as the assistant personnel director, the third as director of player personnel, and the final three as vice president of player personnel.

Of course, Howie Roseman is credited with building this new powerhouse champion of the NFC, but Weidl - a former college offensive lineman - was high in the mix. And judging by Khan's hiring of him, and Rooney's mentioning of him last week, I am excited about just how much Weidl had to do with building the Eagles.

Let's pick some cherries off their recent drafts. Jordan Davis, T.J. Edwards, Josh Sweat, Dallas Goedert, Landon Dickerson and Jordan Mailata were all proud members of my Asskickers lists. So were some of the guys they brought in via free agency: A.J. Brown, Haason Reddick, Darius Slay, Chance the Gardner, and of course former Steelers nose tackle Javon Hargrave.

Excuse the language, but when I watch the Eagles, the word that immediately springs to mind is, in fact, Asskickers.

I'm assuming Weidl played a huge part in that, and am assuming he has a few middle and late-round offensive linemen in mind, since it's no doubt his specialty.

But something else Rooney said last week that makes me believe the Steelers will focus on defense in this draft.

"We have a lot of good young players on offense who hopefully will take another step next year."

He said that twice. Once when asked if Tomlin might be given new paints for his barn, and a second time when asked if Rooney wants to build around Kenny Pickett.

The Steelers already have the young offensive skill players in place. But they need to worry about potential and massive holes on all three levels of a defense, which, by the way, already has some spectacular pillars already in place.

The combination of bringing in new talent to place next to those pillars is exciting, particularly here, since Pittsburgh really does find its spark from GREAT defense.

GREAT defense could be on the verge of a return because the offensive skill players, as Rooney said, are in place. And the young offensive line endured and grew. Hopefully Weidl can find some Asskickers for depth there.

But, really, that's all I wanted to say today. Other than I'm anxious about Answer Man's return.

Aren't we all?

------------------------------------------------------------------

For context once a year Wexell does an exclusive interview with someone very high up in the organization. He naturally won't reveal his source and many have guessed over the years but he always has really great insight and Wex calls him 'The Answer Man'.

The asskicker comment was in regards to his draft prep. Always does an 'Asskicker' column of potential draft picks. Should be self-explanatory.

 

Asskickers and name takers I
Like it! Also like hiring fresh eyes from the 49ers.

thanks for the Freebee beach. I joined Steelers Depot cuz there is a lot of content and knowledge on their forum. I’ll fit right in . If anyone wants to know who
I am over there DM me.

I won’t abandon you guys , the originalI MKS thread was started in 2009 on cbs. I
miss Burghball , The Truth79 , manosteel , and many others but life evolves. Don’t miss Steeler King what an Asshole he was.

Daniel Jerimiah top 50 is out and I have Devon Witherspoon 7th overall and Bresee in the 40’s b/c he’s boom or bust. Very similar to what his list looks like. Where we differ is he has I believe 6 TE’s and 3 IOL I have more DL and LB. But then again I’m trying to piece together Andy Wedl’s & Tomlin’s board. Guys like Dave Bryan and Alex Korzoa has inside tracks I don’t. But I can still see patterns and types just don’t have all the medical and interview details. Another one I guessed fought on is Emmanuel Forbes DJ has him low 20’s I think

 

All the Hupe on Keanu Benton and he did not flash in the actual Senior Bowl game. I had him at 65 I think he’s going back down to the early 3rd. Ivan Pace did play well but he’s undersized.

 

These are the players that the Steelers had formal meetings with.


2023 players Steelers Met with:

OT/OG Brandon Kipper Oregon St. - NFLPA
ILB Mikel Jones Syracuse - NFLPA
CB Keidron Smith Kentucky - NFLPA
OT Carter Warren Pittsburgh - Shrine
WR Bryce Ford-Wheaton WVU - Shrine
CB Darius Rush SC - SENIOR bowl
DL Tyler Lacey Oklahoma St. - Senior Bowl
CB Julius Brents Kansas St. - Senior bowl
DL. Keeanu Benton Wisconsin - Senior bowl

 

Mock Draft Monday: Pittsburgh Steelers’ 2023 Mock Draft: February 6 - Steelers Depot

Pie in the sky that all these players are there but I like the selections

 

Benton , Bents, & Rush are 3 names to focus on IMHO

 

Also Carter Warren OT is a high character guy see Pickett for Steelers familiarity. He’s got an injury could drop for The Steelers .

 

Rd. 4 if there. Target is Jayden Reed WR Michigan St. Must get DL CB, OZl, LB first

 

Hopefully you guys have comments during the combine. I feel like a one legged man in an ass kicking contest.

 

they released the invitees to the combine, did you see that?

 

Nick Herbig might be a good late round get, possible UDFA, don’t think I would wait to UDFA. Watched some highlights drops well into zone which is one of the harder aspects to learn for LB’s in our system. I think he could add 10-15 could help setting the edge. He has different moves in pass rush, not much of a bull though. Might be a good backup.

Nick Herbig Linebacker - EDGE Wisconsin | NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report

 

I have soured on Andre Carter, after having a really good season in 2021 with 14.5 sacks, he had a real let down year with just 3.5, with the grade of competition not being that great I expected him to at least have another year of double digits. I don’t think he went to any of the bowl games.

 

Felix has good bend and dip move, I do feel he needs to develop some more moves with his hands. Great pursuit. Also can set the edge really well, gets off of blocks well against the run. Sometimes can be tunnel visioned during his pass rush.

Felix Anudike-Uzomah Defensive End - EDGE Kansas State | NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report

 

I put this together.


1(17) Peter Skoronski, OT, Northwestern
2(32) Cam Smith, CB, S. Carolina
2(49 Kayshon Boutte, WR, LSU
3(80) Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson, CB, TCU
4(119) Mazi Smith, DT, Michigan
7(235) Habakkuk Baldonado, EDGE, Pitt
7(242) Josh Whyle, TE, Cincinnati

 

I’ll definitely be a lot more involved on here once it starts.