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):

• Tony Pauline a special contibutor to SI.com thinks that Bruce Davis was a reach. Apparently he hasn’t seen the highlight reel that I posted. I think Bruce might eat Mr. Pauline for lunch.
• The best move in the AFC North was actually 2 moves! I can’t wait to see this offense in action. I hope we eat the play clock (and Mr. Pauline) for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
• The Steelers were among Clark Judge’s 10 biggest winners. He really like Dennis Dixon.
• “This is more exciting than scoring a touchdown” — Baltimore GM Ozzie Newsome after drafting Joe Flacco. I guess when you don’t score a lot of them the value of a TD kind of gets lost. Hopfully for the Ravens sake, Joe Flacco doesn’t feel the same way.
• Jeff Chadiha is looking for some wedded bliss for Limas Sweed and the Steelers.
• John Clayton declares the Steelers as one of only 5 winners.
• Peter King wrote 4 pages, mostly about the draft and not a single mention of the Steelers or any of their picks. You can’t write the story of this draft without the Steelers value picks. To his credit, this may be the first column he’s ever written that didn’t mention the Patriots. Fair trade.
• Visions of Bleier and Harris dancing in our heads. At the end of Ed Buochette’s column he references Arians desire to hold leads and kill the clock. YES!!!
• Bruce Davis has quite an angry streak in him. Let’s hope it shows up on the field and not at a girlfriend’s house.

Grades: The absolute most pointless football columns of the year, but the easiest to write…maybe that’s why everyone seems to have one.

• CBS Sportsline: Best Pick…Sweed. Questionable pick…Mendenhall. 2nd day gem…Bruce Davis. Pete Prisco and Tony Pauline have completely opposite opinions on Davis. He says that Mendenhall wasn’t needed. When you get to a point when you seriously “need” skill players it probably means you’re drafting in the top 10. The Steelers are making sure that doesn’t happen. Prisco gives us a B
• Fox Sports: One of the Czar’s favorite college players was Bruce. Czar gives us a B
• ESPN: Mel Kiper hands out a B as well
• NBC Sports: They go fantasy on us. Please, I love a good fantasy game as much as the next guy, but we’re taking Steelers here. I’m not worried about if Willie will still get his yards. I’m worried about changing the website to 6goldenrings. Oh and they say that we may soon be known more for offense than defense. Please, no, unless that O is eating clock on the ground, after building our Limas induced lead. Hey, but we get an A-
• SI.com Dr Z: We’ve been non-graded, just a bunch of mumbo jumbo rambling. He lumps the Steelers in with 9 other teams whose drafts he likes. who doesn’t he like? The Browns. Grade: He likes us.
• Yahoo! Sports: Our only negative is the only OLman we picked? Hmm? But Jason Cole calls this a truly great draft. We get a A.
• The Sporting News: Clifton Brown sure is working hard for his money…Steelers. Rashard Mendenhall continues their tradition of physical backs. Ben Roethlisberger wanted a receiver with size, and now he has one in Limas Sweed. (That’s the WHOLE review!) Boo…B-
• ESPN Todd Mcshay: Video grades. Fancy. It’s late and I can’t turn up the volume but he ranks the Steelers #1 in the AFC North. Wondering: What is Todd McShay going to do for the next 10 months?
• NFL.com: Vic Carucci says that drafts shouldn’t be judged so soon. True. So he tries to rick us by giving the Steelers an impressive instead of a letter grade. That’s like a star sticker or a smiley face…we still know what it means and we like it.

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.

2. Stopping the Run (CW - Bigger, better and more Defensive Linemen)
How it was addressed: I’m not sure we would have called this a glaring weakness before Aaron Smith went down. Obviously since we haven’t added much depth we are depending heavily on Smith to return to form. This perceived weakness was magnified 100 fold when we failed to stop the Jags (mostly the second time, because it mattered more). However, getting held multiple times on one play makes it difficult to tackle people. Bruce Davis is somewhat of a hybid LB so hopefully he’ll provide some depth in a pinch. Some FA rookies were added today that will make for good camp competition…maybe we’ll get lucky there. I am very comforatble with our starting 3…maybe 4. After that, I am a little nervous. 3-4 Defensive Linemen don’t grow on trees but evidenced by the Steelers flirtation with Booger a month or so ago, I think we’ll keep looking for some help before camp opens. We still need more depth.

3. Tackling people who carry the ball on kick and punt returns before they get very far, not getting tackled by the other team before we get to at least the 20 yard line (ie. Special Teams)
How it was addressed: The FA acquision of Mewelde Moore should really boost our return game along with letting Allen Rossum go away. Several of our FA defensive signings had serious Special Teams implications as evidenced in this earlier post. In addition to the FA signings rookies often cut their teeth on Special Teams and I believe and expect that Bruce Davis and Mike Humpal will immediately impact that unit. We’ll see, I feel that ST’s has been our achilles heel for quite a long time. For a defensive minded team, this is not acceptable. Often, ST’s is as much desire if not more than it is skill.

4. We have short Wide Recivers (At least according to Ben Roethlisberger)
How it was addressed: Limas Sweed, 6′4″, problem solved.

5. The running game was too dependant on a little scat back type RB. (ie. Willie Parker - after him there was no one)
How it was addressed: Rashard Mendenhall 5′10″, 224lbs (toughness hopefully in a Marion Barber sort of way) and Mewelde Moore 5′11″, 209lbs (depth, that is better than any other back behind Willie last season).

Hashmarks says that the “Steelers are stealing“…Yup, that’s what we do.

First thoughts…wasn’t crazy about the pick of Mendenhall. However, I think I spent absolutely no time even giving him a second thought because I didn’t think he’d be there. The more I think about it, the more I like RM alot. The backfield may get a little crowded if FWP, Mewelde and Mendenhall all bring their egos to the huddle. But, What a GREAT group of players to bring the ground game back.

So…we didn’t get OL or DL. Yet. Sometimes the best thing for an OL is a strong running game and a plethora of passing options and backfield blockers for those downs when the kitchen sink comes flying at your QB.

Ben Roethlisberger has to be a happy QB tonight. But I’d like to know what Hines Ward is thinking.

Here’s what I hope Hines is thinking: I can mentor this guy to be the next great Steelers WR in the line of Swann, Stallworth and Ward. I can be as Cris Carter was to Randy Moss. I can be a better mentor than Cris Carter was to Randy Moss.

LINKS:

• Mendenhall was Mel Kiper’s #10 overall player.
• Sweed was Mel’s 4th best WR.
• Limas Sweed and Rashard Mendenhall Bios courtesy of the Post-Gazette RM is a power back with pass catching ability and ran for 155 yds in the Rose Bowl against USC and their 7 first day picks. LS is 6′4″ but has had some injuries. The Steelers rated him as a top 25 player (got him at 53!)
• Rashard Mendenhall Bio. And video highlights. ESPN video scouting report.
• Limas Sweed Bio. And video highlights. ESPN video scouting report…”most productive and talented WR in the 2008 draft”
• Steelers address the offense. No kidding.
• John Clayton calls us “winners“…He likes the offensive firepower
• Mendenhall conference call…Kevin Colbert and Coach on Rashard
• Sweed conference call…WR coach, Randy Fichtner on Limas

Limas Sweed, WR - Texas

Wow…I think we may have considered taking Limas in the first round. We got him 30 picks later in round 2. I LOVE it. I miss the old “chuck the ball into the corner of the endzone” play. There is more than one way to address the OL weaknesses…and that is to get a bunch of backs to dump off to and to pick up blitzes as well as having lots of tough speedy guys that you can chuck to when you’re in trouble.

Rashard Mendenhall, RB - Illinois

And…how ridiculous is the practice of mock drafting now. Especially for the 2nd half of the 1st round, and certainly beyond. Of the 3 billion mock drafts listed in the previous post, not a single one had Mendenhall as a Pittsburgh Steelers RB. Wow.

UPDATE: NO ONE GOT IT RIGHT. HOWEVER…I will give a pat on the back to Steve Silverman of NBC Sports. He picked Sweed to become a Steeler. In the first round.

The hype that is the NFL draft is ready to boil over. As I type ESPN is counting down the hours until kickoff the first draft card is turned in. So much has happened and so much has changed in the “mock” world. Just a few short weeks ago it seemed obvious who the Steelers would draft. Now, it seems that no one has a clue, which in essence is how it always has been. No one knows.

With so many “mocks” appearing, here are the most recent mock drafts from the so called experts…let’s see who gets it right and let’s see who is the farthest off when pick number 23 is read. (For some real fun after the draft compare Todd McShay’s SEVEN ROUND MOCK DRAFT to the actual results…what a waste of time)

• Mel Kiper, ESPN - Kentwan Balmer, DT - UNC
• Todd McShay, Scouts Inc. - Kentwan Balmer, DT - UNC
• ESPN Sportsnation - Jeff Otah, OT (#19 to Car) - Pittsburgh
• DJ Gallo, ESPN Page 2 - Gosder Cherilus, OT (#17 to Det) - BC
• Dr Z., Sports Illustrated - Gosder Cherilus, OT (#17 to Det) - BC
• Don Banks, Sports Illustrated - Gosder Cherilus, OT (#17 to Det) - BC
• Peter King, Sports Illustrated - Branden Albert, OG/OT (#15 to KC) - Virginia
• Ed Bouchette, P-G - Kentwan Balmer, DT - UNC
• Ed Bouchette, P-G (SI.com’s writer draft) - Jonathan Stewart, RB (#13 to Car) - Oregon
• Pat Kirwan, NFL.com - Gosder Cherilus, OT (#17 to Det) - BC
• Vic Carucci, NFL.com - Branden Albert, OG/OT (#15 to KC) - Virginia
• Mike Maycock, NFL Network - Gosder Cherilus, OT (#17 to Det) - BC
• Bob Labriola, Steelers.com (NFL.com writers draft) - Jonathan Stewart, RB (#13 to Car) - Oregon
• The Sporting News - Quentin Groves, OLB - Auburn
• Matt Mosley, ESPN Hashmarks - Jonathan Stewart, RB (#13 to Carolina) - Oregon
• Jay Glazer, FoxSports.com - Gosder Cherilus, OT (#17 to Det) - BC
• Peter Schrager, FoxSports.com - Gosder Cherilus, OT (#17 to Det) - BC
• Mike Vukovcan, KDKA-TV - Kentwan Balmer, DT - UNC
• Scott Brown, Tribune-Review - Jerod Mayo, LB (#10 to NE) - Tennessee
• John Harris, Tribune-Review - Kentwan Balmer, DT - UNC
• OurLads - Gosder Cherilus, OT (#17 to Det) - BC
• Rick Gosselin, Dallas Morning News - Jerod Mayo, LB (#10 to NE) - Tennessee
• Pete Prisco, CBS Sportsline - Kentwan Balmer, DT - UNC
• Steve Silverman, NBC Sports - Limas Sweed, WR - Texas
• Tom Curran, NBC Sports - Quentin Groves, LB - Auburn
• Behind The Steel Curtain, Blog - Kentwan Balmer, DT - UNC
• Rivals.com - Gosder Cherilus, OT (#17 to Det) - BC
• Chris Steuber, Scout.com - Phillip Merling, DE - Clemson

Here are some humorous mocks that I might not mind being a reality. Getting rid of Steely would be a great move.

• 18to88.com - The Nittany Lion - to replace Steely
• Greg Easterbrook, ESPN Page 2 TMQ - Jacob Beam, ie Jim Beam - for Steely

*Which means, they really like being bad at football.

ESPN reports today that the Bengals turned down a ridiculously good offer from the Redskins (good for the Bengals, ridiculously bad for the ‘Skins).

Daniel Snyder and his crazy Wide Receiver fetish seems to be alive and well as the ‘Skins (a once proud and respected franchise) offered their 1st round pick (#21) this Saturday and a 3rd rounder next year that could and probably would have turned into a 1st rounder.

For once in my life I wish Chad Johnson was a Steeler…because tomorrow he would be a Redskin.

Saturday night a good friend and I went to pick up Chipotle for our wives and kids…

As we arrived, a fun, jovial kind of guy comes in after us, skips the entire “S” shaped line-forming apparatus to cut in front of us. Immediately he begins yapping about his slick “Chad Johnson” like moves and continues yapping (making CJ look like a mute choir-boy). Being the nice guys that we are…we offered that we were going to let him in front of us anyway, because of our extensive order and limited ordering experience at Chipotle.

We talked for several minutes about his in ability to commit to a woman for more than 2 weeks because of his deep desire to have toilet paper rolled just the way he likes it. That conversation arose because we had wives, which he obviously didn’t. We humored him and enjoyed his antics.

Then it happened…

He stopped mid-sentence, jaw dropping as he noticed both of our hats and said, “oh, ‘expletive’ you guys are Steelers fans”. We acknowledged his incredible observation skills, he bitterly whined about the Kimoing Carson’s knee received two years ago and then immediately turned, back to us and facing the counter, raised his hand above his right shoulder and showed us the dirty finger.

We laughed. Pure class.

For those who are wondering…He didn’t actually say “oh, expetive”, but that would have made the story 150% more funny.