Steelers' Mocks around the Web

[ricardisimo]

Originally Posted by El-Gonzo Jackson

Ric, I was watching the entire first part of the season and saw Foote not engaging the blockers in the run game, but rather waiting until the OG came to him. He got a few sacks on blitzes and made tackles 5 yards + downfield.....so he had some stats and the majority of Steeler fans were pimping his greatness.

THEN, I decided to tape and break down his play in each of the Giants, Chiefs, Ravens, Browns, Ravens games, to see if my at a glance evaluation was correct. I saw exactly what I was seeing the first few games and it confirmed that FOOTE WAS AWEFUL.

The 2nd Ravens game he really had a good game, but for the majority of the year he played like a guy that didnt want to get hurt, rather than a guy that wanted to make the tackle for loss or meet the RB in the hole.

It's difficult to see how a guy who was awful, avoiding contact and taking bad angles could lead the league's #1 defense in tackles. I'm not saying he was an All-Pro, but you have to think in terms of expectations. Be honest: despite being an inside linebacker in a 3-4, I don't think any of us, before the season started, would have picked Foote to lead the team in tackles. No one. We would have picked Timmons, either safety, maybe Harrison or even an abused Keenan Lewis for that honor. And Foote was third on the team in tackles for loss, after Timmons and Harrison, so clearly he was getting some penetration while taking all of those bad angles.

Words are our friends and should be treated accordingly. To call Larry Foote "awful" this past season is an abuse of that poor word. "Fair"? OK. "Mediocre"? Absolutely. "Sub-par"? Why not? And don't forget that clearly he was the best of limited and limiting options for Tomlin and Lebeau.

[ricardisimo]

From FFToolbox:

17. PIT: Cordarrelle Patterson, WR, Tennessee
Mike Wallace might leave in free agency and Antonio Brown wasn't the breakout star many predicted.

[ricardisimo]

From NFL.com's Daniel Jeremiah:

Barkevious Mingo
DE - LSU

Overview

Mingo’s long, lean frame sticks out to fans and scouts alike, almost as much as his unusual name. His svelte build was one reason his mother (who combined her name, Barbara, with the name Kevious to make his unusual moniker) did not want him or his two brothers playing football. But his athleticism and height eventually got him on the gridiron as a high school junior –- and he proved too productive wherever he lined up to be taken off the field.



Though "KeKe" only started three of the 14 games he played in 2011 due to the team’s depth at the position, the Louisiana native received second-team All-SEC notice from league media after racking up 15 tackles for loss and eight sacks (including two against SEC West rivals Arkansas and Auburn). This breakout season was portended by his flashes of brilliance in his redshirt freshman season (35 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks) where league coaches named him to their freshman All-SEC team.



Mingo’s production slipped a bit during his junior season (38 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks), but he once again earned second-team All-Conference honors. His usage at LSU didn’t totally fit his skill set, and he has some holes in his game, but his overall talent as a pass rusher will likely be too great for teams to ignore.

Analysis

Strengths

Tall, long and explosive pass rusher who projects best as a stand-up, weakside edge rusher in the NFL. Incredible first step off the snap, can turn the corner on the outside and shimmy inside against leaning tackles. Not a contact-shy player despite his slight build, often lines up on the strong side and/or inside of tight ends in a tight alignment. Strong player setting the edge against the run. Willing to take on tackles man-up, extends his arms to keep distance and can get off to grab backs trying to get through the hole. Takes tight ends backwards into the background using his length and foot work. Works through blocks to get down the line to chase plays. Overall agility and length make him effective in coverage, can stay with running backs out of the backfield and wrap up receivers in space. Excellent straight-line speed shows when chasing down plays from behind. Uses his length and jumping ability to knock down passes if unable to reach the quarterback.

Weaknesses

Very lean player, likely too thin in the hips to grow into an every-down defensive end. Needs to shed more consistently to prevent plays from getting outside of him. Long legs get in his way at times when trying to change directions quickly. Often gets too focused on scrapping with his blocker instead of getting his eyes in the backfield to find the ball. Did not progress in terms of pass rush moves during his career. Great player off the snap of the ball, but too often allows the offensive tackle to recover because he lacks a move to disengage.

NFL Comparison

DeMarcus Ware

Bottom Line

Mingo looks almost too lean to handle the physicality of NFL linemen, but has surprising strength to go along with the elite length and straight-line speed to rack up double-digit sack numbers (he had eight in 2011) and track down ball carriers (15 tackles for loss) as a 3-4 rush linebacker at the next level. He is a proverbial boom or bust prospect. Mingo's production dropped as a junior, and he failed to show much overall growth in his game over the course of his career. However, KeKe flashed the talent and projectable skills to be a dominant NFL pass rusher, and a position switch will likely serve him well, as the LSU Tiger was too often asked to play in a tight alignment on the strong side in college – a poor use of his strengths. Mingo's length, athleticism, and pass rush talent figure to make him a top 20 selection in the draft.

[ricardisimo]

From DraftCountdown:



17 PITTSBURGH STEELERS: JOHN JENKINS, NT, GEORGIA



Scouting Report
For the most part the Steelers haven’t drafted based on immediate need in recent years. Instead they’ve been content to grab the best player available and let them develop for a year or two before being thrust into a starting role. Some examples include Lawrence Timmons, Ziggy Hood and Cameron Heyward, just to name a few. That won’t be the case this year though as the aging Steelers have more holes to plug than usual. Perhaps the biggest, both literally and figuratively, is at nose tackle where Casey Hampton is nearing the end of his fine career. John Jenkins of Georgia is simply a massive presence in the middle of the line, checking in at 358 pounds. Jenkins isn't going to offer much from a pass rush perspective but he is a classic two-gapper with excellent strength and power who is stout at the point of attack and can clog running lanes. Other potential options for the Steelers could include an inside or outside linebacker, a safety or perhaps even a running back or wide receiver if they choose to let free agents Rashard Mendenhall or Mike Wallace leave.


[How the hell does a NT get the number 6 on his jersey?]

[Galax Steeler]

Originally Posted by ricardisimo

From NFL.com's Daniel Jeremiah:

Barkevious Mingo
DE - LSU

Overview

Mingo’s long, lean frame sticks out to fans and scouts alike, almost as much as his unusual name. His svelte build was one reason his mother (who combined her name, Barbara, with the name Kevious to make his unusual moniker) did not want him or his two brothers playing football. But his athleticism and height eventually got him on the gridiron as a high school junior –- and he proved too productive wherever he lined up to be taken off the field.



Though "KeKe" only started three of the 14 games he played in 2011 due to the team’s depth at the position, the Louisiana native received second-team All-SEC notice from league media after racking up 15 tackles for loss and eight sacks (including two against SEC West rivals Arkansas and Auburn). This breakout season was portended by his flashes of brilliance in his redshirt freshman season (35 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks) where league coaches named him to their freshman All-SEC team.



Mingo’s production slipped a bit during his junior season (38 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks), but he once again earned second-team All-Conference honors. His usage at LSU didn’t totally fit his skill set, and he has some holes in his game, but his overall talent as a pass rusher will likely be too great for teams to ignore.

Analysis

Strengths

Tall, long and explosive pass rusher who projects best as a stand-up, weakside edge rusher in the NFL. Incredible first step off the snap, can turn the corner on the outside and shimmy inside against leaning tackles. Not a contact-shy player despite his slight build, often lines up on the strong side and/or inside of tight ends in a tight alignment. Strong player setting the edge against the run. Willing to take on tackles man-up, extends his arms to keep distance and can get off to grab backs trying to get through the hole. Takes tight ends backwards into the background using his length and foot work. Works through blocks to get down the line to chase plays. Overall agility and length make him effective in coverage, can stay with running backs out of the backfield and wrap up receivers in space. Excellent straight-line speed shows when chasing down plays from behind. Uses his length and jumping ability to knock down passes if unable to reach the quarterback.

Weaknesses

Very lean player, likely too thin in the hips to grow into an every-down defensive end. Needs to shed more consistently to prevent plays from getting outside of him. Long legs get in his way at times when trying to change directions quickly. Often gets too focused on scrapping with his blocker instead of getting his eyes in the backfield to find the ball. Did not progress in terms of pass rush moves during his career. Great player off the snap of the ball, but too often allows the offensive tackle to recover because he lacks a move to disengage.

NFL Comparison

DeMarcus Ware

Bottom Line

Mingo looks almost too lean to handle the physicality of NFL linemen, but has surprising strength to go along with the elite length and straight-line speed to rack up double-digit sack numbers (he had eight in 2011) and track down ball carriers (15 tackles for loss) as a 3-4 rush linebacker at the next level. He is a proverbial boom or bust prospect. Mingo's production dropped as a junior, and he failed to show much overall growth in his game over the course of his career. However, KeKe flashed the talent and projectable skills to be a dominant NFL pass rusher, and a position switch will likely serve him well, as the LSU Tiger was too often asked to play in a tight alignment on the strong side in college – a poor use of his strengths. Mingo's length, athleticism, and pass rush talent figure to make him a top 20 selection in the draft.

How I would love to see this guy in a Steelers uniform this year but I have to believe he will be gone by the 12th pick.

[SteelerfanKinche31]

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1...ine-mock-draft

I would LOVE it if the Steelers took Tavon Austin in round one! With them probably letting Wallace go, they need another play maker and he IS that! Plus they could use him to return kickoffs. He is not a tall WR like Wallace but what he doesn't have in height, he makes up with athletic ability, speed and play making ability. Give him the ball in space and he could take it to the house!

Then like this mock draft indicates, they could pick up a tall WR later in the draft with Rodgers from Tennessee. However, we do need help at S, DL and OL also.

[teegre]

Originally Posted by SteelerfanKinche31

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1...ine-mock-draft

I would LOVE it if the Steelers took Tavon Austin in round one! With them probably letting Wallace go, they need another play maker and he IS that! Plus they could use him to return kickoffs. He is not a tall WR like Wallace but what he doesn't have in height, he makes up with athletic ability, speed and play making ability. Give him the ball in space and he could take it to the house!

Then like this mock draft indicates, they could pick up a tall WR later in the draft with Rodgers from Tennessee. However, we do need help at S, DL and OL also.

I agree that Tavon is going to tear up this league. He will be to WRs what Sproles is to RBs: 2100 all-purpose yards (plus 8-10 Tds) per season.

That said, I just do not see the Steelers going WR early. I see them going S or OLB.

[ricardisimo]

From FFToolbox:

Round 1:
17. PIT: Cordarrelle Patterson, WR, Tennessee
Mike Wallace's time in the Steel City is officially over. The Steelers have had success with middle round receivers so perhaps they go that route, but taking a first round option should help fill need quicker. The 63 Patterson, who averaged 17 yards a catch last season and set a school singleseason record with 1,858 allpurpose yards, is a notable draft riser .

Round 2:
48. (2.16) PIT: Arthur Brown, OLB, Kansas State
The Steel Curtain is showing age and lacking some bite. Adding a perimeter linebacker threat would help.

[ricardisimo]

From Football's Future:

Pittsburgh - Jarvis Jones, OLB, Georgia
The Steelers do a great job drafting for value, and Jones is big time value at this point. James Harrison has been released, and the team isn't sold on Jason Worilds, so Jones will fill a role immediately as well.

[ricardisimo]

From NFL Draft Dog:

Round 1:

	17.	LB Ezekiel Ansah, BYU	Has the size (6' 6" 276 lbs) to play in the Steelers 3-4 alignment.
Ansah has top notch athletic ability and might even be able to play outside linebacker.