Andrew Perloff of SI.com is so over the draft. So much so that he’s already mocking next years draft. Here’s the link. Now we’ll mock him. (be sure to read the comments, good stuff)

Apparently we are going to address the DL NEXT year. We are mocked up to take Michael Johnson, DE from Georgia Tech. He’s a 6′7″ DE/LB hybrid with great speed.

Reading between the lines is where this mock draft gets fun(ny). Perloff has the Steelers picking 27th as the 5th best AFC team. That means that we will lose at home on wild card weekend (since it’s also apparent that we win our division). Aside from predicting players a year out, which “experts” couldn’t even do a week out this year; the boldest prediction is that the Browns will make the playoffs!?! That leaves us with the astounding prediction that the AFC North will have 2 teams in the playoffs. No chance. Not with our schedules.

 Oh and the Patriots will beat the Cowboys in the crappiest Super Bowl ever. Talk about a lose-lose situation. Who do you root for? At least the Bengals and Ravens will still stink it up.

Complete. Waste. Of time.

UPDATE: Todd McShay is jumping on the 2009 Draft early as well. I guess this is what he’ll do with his time for the next year, work on Mock Drafts until next April. Todd has similar predictions to Perloff with the Steelers and Browns both making the playoffs as the 5th and 6th best AFC teams. McShay predicts Tyson Jackson, DE from LSU will be our answer. He has Perloff’s selection Michael Johnson going to the Lions at #2 overall further accentuating the silliness of mock drafts. McShay’s 2009 draft is here as well.

Seriously guys, take a break, get to know your families again, play with your kids…go on a vacation! 2009 can wait.

All things considered I think we’ll look back at this as a very good draft. I love that we didn’t reach to fill a position when the players that seemed to fill our immediate needs were no longer available. I love that we got two very promising playmakers for less than the perceived market value. I love that we drafted a couple LB’s even though that seems to be an area of strength…I think we like to keep that a strength. Since 1970 there have only been 6 drafts in which the Steelers did not select a single linebacker and only 8 in which they only drafted 1. All of the other drafts the Steelers have selected 2 or more LB’s. [draft history] I love that we don’t pigeon hole ourselves into a unchanging, inflexible draft plan. You’ve got to be smart enough to play the game as it comes to you.

Links from around the world wide web (Including the all important grades): Keep reading →

Round 1. Rashard Mendenhall, RB - University of Illinois

Round 2. Limas Sweed, WR - University of Texas

Get to know Limas Sweed over at Behind the Steel Curtain. Exculsive content by poster PB @ BON

Round 3. Bruce Davis, LB - UCLA

Round 4. Tony Hills, OT - University of Texas

Since there is no highlight reel on YouTube and apparently no video evidence that Tony Hills played football, besides the picture above. Here’s a little info: When Tony signed with Texas he was considered one of the best tight ends in the country. But, after a leg injury which forced him to make his official Texas visit in a wheelchair. So I’m thinking we might one day hear: Tackle eligible! Here’s what the TE coach had to say (from Steelers.com):

Offensive Line Coach Larry Zierlein

I’ll tell you one thing – he’s really big.  When I went down to work him out, and I’ve seen him, and watched him on tape, I really was surprised at how big he was.  He has long arms.  As a former tight end, he’s a pretty good athlete.  His strength probably needs to develop a little bit, but he is athletic, he’s big, and if you have those two things that’s a good start. 

Round 5. Dennis Dixon, QB - University of Oregon

First thought: Why? Second thought: Why not? If…big if, Dennis can get back to his pre-injury abilities we have on our hands a 1st day draft talent in the fifth round. I know this isn’t the reason for drafting him but if he can get a couple good years in as a back-up and be completely healthy he might fetch some trade offers down the road. In the meantime, make him our gadget boy.

Round 6. Mike Humpal, LB - University of Iowa

A commenter on Die Hard Steel had this to say about Mike Humpal:

Mike and I are the same age and grew up and competed together. Great athlete, as he was a 2X state wrestling champ , state runner up in 110m high hurdles, and an elite team (best players in state regardless of class) all state football player. And if he wouldn’t have spent his summers at football camps he would have been a hell of a pitcher. Very motivated and humble kid.

Die Hard Steel’s original post on Mike Humpal said that he was quite the barbarian…I like that story too, even if it’s not true. [in the comments, Neal stands by the story...go read it now] Bonus: We know that Mike looks good in Black and Gold…He already looks like a Steeler.

Round 6. Ryan Mundy, S - West Virginia University

Kevin Colbert’s comments (from steelers.com) about the Michigan/WVU Safety:

Director of Football Operations Kevin Colbert

Ryan Mundy, of course, is a local kid that went to Woodland Hills.  He was a starting safety at the University of Michigan, took advantage of the transfer rule that’s no longer in place, and ended up starting for West Virginia this year.  When you talk to the people at West Virginia, they really felt that Ryan was a huge part of pulling their defense together.  This is a very, very intelligent kid.  A very mature kid that will have a nice chance to make this team.

Rookie Free Agents:

Doug Legursky              C               6′1″         323       Marshall
Roy Lewis                       CB            5′10″      190       Washington
Mike Potts                       QB            6′4″         220       William & Mary
Martavius Prince            DT            6′2″         282       Southern Miss
Julian Rauch                  K               5′11″       207       Appalachian State
Jordan Reffett                 DT            6‘4″         292       Washington
Micah Rucker                  WR          6′6″         221       Eastern Illinois
Dezmond Sherrod         TE            6′2″         250       Mississippi State
Travis Williams              CB            5′9″         180       East Carolina
Donovan Woods            LB            6′2″         230       Oklahoma State
Patrick Bailey                  LB            6′4″         235       Duke
Dorien Bryant                  WR          5′9″         175       Purdue

A lot has been made about the Steelers obvious choice to not take specific positions of (apparent) need. From our outside perspecive it seems so obvious that we NEED a LT or a RG. It seems obvious that we need depth at the DL position (ok, that really is obvious). But, I’m not jumping off any bridges today because it seems as if the Steelers have balked at the “obvious” holes in our team.

What are these gaping holes that the Steelers seem to have? Below are 5 of them and how the team has addressed them through FA and the draft.

1. Protecting Ben Roethlisberger from getting put on his backside. (CW - some Offensive Linemen)
How it was addressed: The Steelers chose the strategy of adding weapons rather than OL. Coach Tomlin said that there are two schools of thought when protecting the QB (which in stating that, agreed that this was a problem). You either get some big men to give him more time OR you give him weapons to throw to. If Rashard and Mewelde can block on blitzes then that’s even better. Both of these guys can catch out of the backfield and will provide the dump off option when necessary. LImas Sweed added to a great but shallow group of wideouts will help stretch the field and keep defenses honest. If a defense knows that they can’t be beat downfield then they can “cheat” up and get to the QB. I could agree with either “school” of thought but I cannot argue with taking the best available players rather than reaching for a guy that we didn’t really wan and who was the 8th or 10th best player at his position when we can get top 2 or 3 at each. Don’t forget that we drafted Tony Hills, a large man at 6′6″, 305lbs (he allowed just four quarterback sacks and seven pressures on 743 pass plays)

Aside: For all the inconsistency on the OL this past season I think a LARGE factor that is often overlooked is that we lost Russ Grimm. He was, is and always will be a great OL coach. This past year for our guys was a transition year after quite a few years of coaching consistency (that’s also true with the whole team, of course) at offensive line. And for all the good things that Alan Faneca brought to the Steelers over the years he was a disgruntled soldier in the trenches this past year. An offensive line that’s working as a unit can overcome some skill deficiencies…it’s called teamwork and we see it every year in NCAA basketball when a little school with a group of seniors who have played together for years trump talent by their teamwork. Allow me to get illustrative for a moment: A tiger (literally, the animal) can and usually will kill a lion one on one in the wild. They are crazy and to be feared. But, five tigers will almost never kill five lions…because the lions work together as a team. They gang up all five on one tiger and take him out quickly while moving on to the next. I think you get the point. Our OL is not bad, they just need to play together. And not allow Sean Mahan to sniff the center position.

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