Tough to tell who Steelers are targeting in draft

[83-Steelers-43]

Tough to tell who Steelers are targeting in draft

By John Harris
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Saturday, April 14, 2007


Two weeks before the NFL draft, it's safe to assume the Steelers won't select Penn State linebacker Paul Posluszny with their first-round pick.

Posluszny would be a popular choice.

He's a Western Pennsylvania high-school football star and Butkus Award winner who has former Steelers linebacker Jack Ham's seal of approval. And the Steelers do need to begin grooming a young outside linebacker who can be effective in a 3-4 or 4-3 alignment.

Trouble is, the Steelers just aren't showing Posluszny much love.

At least not when you consider the team hasn't invited Posluszny for an interview, according to agent Mike McCartney, nor has it given him the personal attention they've bestowed upon fellow linebackers Lawrence Timmons (Florida State) and Jon Beason (Miami). Timmons has interviewed with the team, and Beason's interview is scheduled for next week.

McCartney said Posluszny, who could be drafted as high as No. 12 by Buffalo, has interviews scheduled with San Diego and New Orleans.

"I don't see him going higher than Buffalo," McCartney said. "Buffalo really likes him."

Other teams targeting Posluszny include Jacksonville, Carolina, Denver, Cincinnati and the New York Giants.

McCartney doesn't put too much stock in the value of interviews, though.

"The other day, the St. Louis Rams had (Rutgers fullback) Brian Leonard in, a player I represent," McCartney said. "I don't know this, but let's just say that Brian's their guy. They're not going to tell the rest of the league that Brian's their guy, so they're going to bring in three other running backs, which they did.

"You can't just make it so obvious that the only guys you bring in are the guys you like."

The Steelers have applied that interview strategy to other draft-eligible players on their radar. They've also been known to schedule on-campus visits, which don't have to be reported to the league.

In addition to Timmons and Beason, the Steelers have scheduled interviews with Nebraska defensive end Adam Carriker, Michigan defensive end/linebacker LaMarr Woodley and UCLA defensive end Justin Hickman at their South Side facility.

Carriker is a projected first-round pick who also would fill a need for the Steelers at No. 15. Woodley is a projected second-round pick, and Hickman is a projected second-day draft selection.

Looking to upgrade the backup running back position later in the draft, the Steelers invited Ohio State's Antonio Pittman and Fresno State's Dwayne Wright. Of the two, Wright (6-foot-1, 223 pounds) fits the Steelers' prototype for a big back.

"It makes a lot of sense. I know he got a chance to spend a lot of time with (coach Mike Tomlin) when he was there doing the interview," said Jamal Tooson, who represents Wright. "I definitely think it's a strong possibility."

Penn State's Tony Hunt, a big running back expected to go in the second or third round, hasn't had an interview with the Steelers.

"I don't know where the Steelers are looking to take a running back, if it's a first-day priority," said Alvin Keels, who represents Hunt. "If they're looking to take a back on the second day, the chances of Tony Hunt being there are slim and none."

Based on the number of scheduled interviews and that new offensive coordinator Bruce Arians may want to use more multiple receiver sets on first down, receiver is another draft-day target for the Steelers.

The Steelers will meet with Southern Cal's Steve Smith, South Carolina's Sidney Rice, Washington State's Jason Hill, Illinois State's Laurent Robinson and Dwayne Jarrett, also of Southern Cal. With the exception of Robinson, they're all projected to be selected in the first three rounds.

One of the biggest receivers in the draft, Jarrett (6-4, 214) met with the Steelers on Friday. He also has interviews scheduled with the Cowboys, Giants and Titans.

"With Hines (Ward) being the tough guy and Santonio (Holmes) being the speed guy, Dwayne would be a perfect fit as a big target," agent Darin Morgan said.

It's two weeks before the draft, and anything is possible.

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pitt.../s_502684.html

[tony hipchest]

i think its safe to say we wont be taking a lineman in the 1st 2 picks unless we trade or if l. brown falls. not cause we havent brought any in but we will be forced to reach with either of our 1st 2 picks.

carriker and woodley sound pretty good for the 1st 2 rounds. wr is definitely on the radar and we could easilly find someone in the 2nd or 3rd that probably woulda graded in the 1st or 2nd last year.

[DACEB]

It all makes sense to me now. It's going to be Poz. Now that's a smoke screen!

[tony hipchest]

Originally Posted by DACEB

It all makes sense to me now. It's going to be Poz. Now that's a smoke screen!

i hope the giants are thinking the same thing. Poz would love to be a giant. cinci would love Poz. so i ask- what is worth more?

Poz or Timmons and the giants 2nd rounder? i want the steelers to work a trade with the giants in the worst way, but they got raked in the eli manning deal so may not be as eager to trade up again, although we did do them the favor last year.

[polamalufan43]

Interesting,

At this point anything is possible.

thanks for the info

~Polamalufan43

[coachspeak33]

I hate the fact that Timmons agent is Rosenhaus...but films of this kid display an electric athlete who could play any scheme.... when guys get hit by him it looks like their getting run over by a freight train

If the choice is simply Poz vs Timmons and an extra 2d rounder.....Mr. Timmons...WHERE DO I SIGN?????

[lamberts-lost-tooth]

Originally Posted by tony hipchest

i think its safe to say we wont be taking a lineman in the 1st 2 picks unless we trade or if l. brown falls. not cause we havent brought any in but we will be forced to reach with either of our 1st 2 picks.

carriker and woodley sound pretty good for the 1st 2 rounds. wr is definitely on the radar and we could easilly find someone in the 2nd or 3rd that probably woulda graded in the 1st or 2nd last year.

ESPN has an excellent article on how certain positions should be drafted in higher rounds...and others can been found on the second day....They looked at all the starting players at each position last year and showed which round they were drafted in....

VERY good info....such as...a VERY small percentage of kickers/punters are drafted...they are ussually picked up after the draft...A VERY high percentage of Left Tackels are picked up in the first two rounds...and the majority of Right Tackles are picked up on the second day....OLB's are picked up much earlier than ILB...This week I will reprint the article here for everyone to see....It changed my mind as to what we may do

[MasterOfPuppets]

Originally Posted by lamberts-lost-tooth

ESPN has an excellent article on how certain positions should be drafted in higher rounds...and others can been found on the second day....They looked at all the starting players at each position last year and showed which round they were drafted in....

VERY good info....such as...a VERY small percentage of kickers/punters are drafted...they are ussually picked up after the draft...A VERY high percentage of Left Tackels are picked up in the first two rounds...and the majority of Right Tackles are picked up on the second day....OLB's are picked up much earlier than ILB...This week I will reprint the article here for everyone to see....It changed my mind as to what we may do

post it now!!!! post it now!!!

[tony hipchest]

Originally Posted by lamberts-lost-tooth

ESPN has an excellent article on how certain positions should be drafted in higher rounds...and others can been found on the second day....They looked at all the starting players at each position last year and showed which round they were drafted in....

VERY good info....such as...a VERY small percentage of kickers/punters are drafted...they are ussually picked up after the draft...A VERY high percentage of Left Tackels are picked up in the first two rounds...and the majority of Right Tackles are picked up on the second day....OLB's are picked up much earlier than ILB...This week I will reprint the article here for everyone to see....It changed my mind as to what we may do

post it now!!!!!

a good example of this is a buffalo fan calling into kirwans show wondering if the bills take a lb and then a cb in the 1st 2 picks or vice versa (they pretty much have their choice of the top 1 at each position. kirwan said they take willis and pick up a cb in the 2nd. after willis the drop off for a ilb is huge and there wont be one left with a 2nd round grade (anyone picked in the 2nd would be a reach). however if they pass on the cb, this class is fairly deep and there will be several left with a 2nd round grade.

makes sense to me. it would be the same for us if we needed a 1st round LT at #15 or a guard with our 2nd pick. both would be a reach.

[SteelCzar76]

IMO,... if we don't trade down i can't really see us drafting anyone other than Anderson, Willis, Ginn, Carriker, Houston or perhaps even Hall. (Depending on who's still on the board)
As none of the rest of the "suppossed" blue chippers of this class (outside of the aforementioned and of course the studs like Johnson, Thomas, Landry, Peterson, Russell, Olsen, Adams, Branch and perhaps even Quinn),......are truly deserving of a pick as high as 15 based upon collegiate production as well as 'measurables' IMO.
(And yes that includes cats like Revis,....whom i think Draft guru's throw out there moreso because of their PA roots)

Bottom line,.....i'd rather see us trade down and accuire more picks as oppossed to 'reaching' at 15 at ANY position. (And as i mentioned before,.....i'm stickin with Jamaal Anderson,...but wouldn't be surprised by any of the few others i 'Pimped' here) LOL