Mock

[cbrunn]

Couldn't sleep last night, so figured why not

right now I'm pretty sure power rankings would have us picking 17th

1st - TRADE W/ Chicago ... They want to move up to get their heir to Urlacher in Alec Ogeltree ... We get their 2nd and next year first ... so they can still draft a OT with their 1st this year ... and we get an extra 1st next year in what seems to be a loaded draft with these juniors going back to college (Louis Nix , CJ Mosley , Anthony Barr), gives us flexibility to trade up and secure one , or stay put and draft BPA

2nd - Kyle Van Noy - OLB - BYU
ok maybe this is a little over reaction to the game tonight ... but the kid impressed me, and could actually slip into the 1st round conversation depending on his workouts if he declares

2nd (Chicago) - Bacarri Rambo - FS - Georgia
crossing my fingers that Tomlin takes a chance on this kid ... one of my favorite players in the draft

3rd - Shawn Williams - SS - Georgia
why not keep these two playing together??

4th - Kenjon Barner - RB - Oregon
Speed, Speed, Speed ... catches , shows much more strength and harder running style since early in his career , I think this could be a steal here in the 4th ... just watch the USC game film if any questions about him ... maybe not a 20+ carry a game back, but who is in todays NFL? ... Him and Dywer could be a hell of a change of pace duo ... remember Dywer is still only 23, so it's just like he's a rookie and can only get better the more serious he takes the off season

5th - Aaron Mellette - WR - Elon
6'3 big body receiver with crazy production ... is invited to the senior bowl so his stock could rise depending how well he performs

6th - Josh Johnson - CB - Purdue
a CB that isn't afraid to help out in run support ... depth

7th - Phillip Steward - LB - Houston
Depth , great pass coverage LB ... and had 11 sacks this year when asked to rush the QB ... sleeper pick

[teegre]

I don't mind trading back.

I also like the idea of getting players who've played together. Porter & Haggans worked out well.

All of that said, I prefer Matt Elam. He's my guy.

[cbrunn]

Originally Posted by teegre

I don't mind trading back.

I also like the idea of getting players who've played together. Porter & Haggans worked out well.

All of that said, I prefer Matt Elam. He's my guy.

Yeah I understand ... only problem is , is he worth a late middle first round pick? ... some have him going late 1st others have him gone early 2nd others have him gone late 2nd ... and he might not even declare for the draft yet

He is my first safety on my board though ... and wouldn't be mad at the pick

I really like the idea of Anthony Barr in the black and yellow and if he goes back to school , hasn't exactly decided yet, but looks like he's leaning towards going back... he'll probably go top 10 , so I like the idea of having 2 1st to be able to trade up and get him

[cbrunn]

Nothing Concrete yet but it looks like Elam is leaning towards staying ... even more reason to get the extra pick next year ... a combination of Anthony Barr / CJ Mosely and Matt Elam next year paired with Kyle Van Noy and Bacarri Rambo this year , I'd be happy

http://www.gatorcountry.com/football...t_season/15828

[teegre]

If Elam goes back, then he'll likely go even higher next year.

That said, I see him at 32-45ish. So, with the trade back with Chicago, that might be about right. Make sense?

But, again, if he goes back to school & waits for next year, I see him going 25-32... with the Steelers taking him at 32.

I could wait a year for him. He's the bee's knees... ankles & toes.

[SteelersCanada]

I can't be the only one thinking that this year, maybe going 7-9 isn't necessarily a terrible thing. Look, if we lose out we'd be picking around 11 - 13, and that is going to leave the absolute best pass rushers on the board for us if we so choose. We might have to take one for the team here and have a negative record for the team to bloom next year. Going 7-9 isn't necessarily the worst thing if it means longtime sustainability for the defense and reloading - not rebuilding - our team.

A decade of excellence and being a perennial contender leads to a down year in terms of reloading and if it's just one, then I'm ok with that. I'm not naive enough to think that we can keep picking 28 - 32 in every round and keep on getting All Pro players. Maybe one down year is worth it.

[GMU Steeler]

Originally Posted by SteelersCanada

I can't be the only one thinking that this year, maybe going 7-9 isn't necessarily a terrible thing. Look, if we lose out we'd be picking around 11 - 13, and that is going to leave the absolute best pass rushers on the board for us if we so choose. We might have to take one for the team here and have a negative record for the team to bloom next year. Going 7-9 isn't necessarily the worst thing if it means longtime sustainability for the defense and reloading - not rebuilding - our team.

A decade of excellence and being a perennial contender leads to a down year in terms of reloading and if it's just one, then I'm ok with that. I'm not naive enough to think that we can keep picking 28 - 32 in every round and keep on getting All Pro players. Maybe one down year is worth it.

We'll see. You're right though. We can't pick 28-32 and keep on getting all pro talent. Tough to find a silver lining in losing though.

[SteelersCanada]

Originally Posted by GMU Steeler

We'll see. You're right though. We can't pick 28-32 and keep on getting all pro talent. Tough to find a silver lining in losing though.

If there is one to be found, it's the fact that we can reload our defense in this draft and get younger. That, and we're going to clear out cap space and get rid of the guys that are too old or inconsistent to do anything.

That starts with getting rid of Hampton, Harrison and Troy. There has to be a market for Polamalu, let's see what it is.

[GMU Steeler]

Originally Posted by SteelersCanada

If there is one to be found, it's the fact that we can reload our defense in this draft and get younger. That, and we're going to clear out cap space and get rid of the guys that are too old or inconsistent to do anything.

That starts with getting rid of Hampton, Harrison and Troy. There has to be a market for Polamalu, let's see what it is.

Wouldn't be surprised if one of those three retires. It would be awesome though to have someone like J.J Watt fall into our laps like he did with the Texans.

[SteelersCanada]

Originally Posted by GMU Steeler

Wouldn't be surprised if one of those three retires. It would be awesome though to have someone like J.J Watt fall into our laps like he did with the Texans.

I mean, why win next game? There's no point of winning and falling down 6 - 8 spots in the draft for a win that means, literally, dick all. If we're not interested in drafting that high, we can pile up picks from teams that will trade up to get defensive talent.

Or, ya know, we could draft Dion Jordan and fix all of our pass rush problems in one player. Either one. But, you're right, to have someone like Jordan fall to our laps and play opposite Woodley would be amazing. I mean, not every year is it that we have, as some scouts have said, 'stronger and more athletic than Aldon Smith was' and have the legitimate opportunity to draft him.