Steelers will select 17th in 2013 NFL Draft

[SteelersCanada]

Originally Posted by Hawaii 5-0

why not?

if Woodley gets himself into shape which I think he will and rebounds and Deebo agrees to re-structure his contract and returns for another season and Jason Worilds continues his development, what opportunity would a rookie OLB in Dick LeBeau's defense have to play next season? and don't forget, we still have Chris Carter as well...

Worilds hasn't shown he can do anything on the right side. 4 of his 5 sacks this year came when he was playing in relief for Woodley and the one he did get on the right side was a 'gimme' sack. The fact is, he just can't play ROLB and up to this point, hasn't impressed or shown he has any potential to fill for Harrison.

I honestly haven't seen enough of Carter to make a judgment call. But, if Worilds is contributing what he is and Carter isn't coming in as relief, then I'm going to temper my excitement with him as well.

After the first round, the pass rush talent significantly drops off. There just isn't a whole lot behind guys like Jones, Mingo, Montgomery, Jordan and Okafor (someone I'm not sold on at all, by the way). However, Safety has some depth to it. McDonald, Lester, Swearinger and Rambo are all guys we could have past the first round and all are capable Safeties with a tremendously high ceiling and great potential. Granted, they're raw and not as talented as guys like Elam or Vaccaro, but they're still intriguing guys.

It's gotta be OLB, S/WR/RB, ILB, S/WR/RB depending on who we take in the second and fourth rounds. Say we take Dion Jordan in the first round. Moving into the second round, we could grab someone like Swearinger or Jefferson in the second and a WR in the fourth.

We just don't have talent at OLB other than Woodley. We really don't have any talent at LB outside Timmons and Woodley and both ILB and OLB need to be addressed in the first three rounds, preferably with Jordan/Mingo and Nico Johnson as the guys starting for us next season. Maybe it's time we change our philosophy on rookies and let the younger guys play and really get a 'trial by fire' kind of thing going - they've shown they can play in LSU and 'Bama defenses, let them try and play in Dick's.

[cbrunn]

Originally Posted by SteelersCanada

Worilds hasn't shown he can do anything on the right side. 4 of his 5 sacks this year came when he was playing in relief for Woodley and the one he did get on the right side was a 'gimme' sack. The fact is, he just can't play ROLB and up to this point, hasn't impressed or shown he has any potential to fill for Harrison.

I honestly haven't seen enough of Carter to make a judgment call. But, if Worilds is contributing what he is and Carter isn't coming in as relief, then I'm going to temper my excitement with him as well.

After the first round, the pass rush talent significantly drops off. There just isn't a whole lot behind guys like Jones, Mingo, Montgomery, Jordan and Okafor (someone I'm not sold on at all, by the way). However, Safety has some depth to it. McDonald, Lester, Swearinger and Rambo are all guys we could have past the first round and all are capable Safeties with a tremendously high ceiling and great potential. Granted, they're raw and not as talented as guys like Elam or Vaccaro, but they're still intriguing guys.

It's gotta be OLB, S/WR/RB, ILB, S/WR/RB depending on who we take in the second and fourth rounds. Say we take Dion Jordan in the first round. Moving into the second round, we could grab someone like Swearinger or Jefferson in the second and a WR in the fourth.

We just don't have talent at OLB other than Woodley. We really don't have any talent at LB outside Timmons and Woodley and both ILB and OLB need to be addressed in the first three rounds, preferably with Jordan/Mingo and Nico Johnson as the guys starting for us next season. Maybe it's time we change our philosophy on rookies and let the younger guys play and really get a 'trial by fire' kind of thing going - they've shown they can play in LSU and 'Bama defenses, let them try and play in Dick's.

There is going to be No OLB left to take ... Mingo will not last he'll blow the combine up ... Jordan could with his injury, but i'm not sold on Jordan anyway... only OLB that'll be left is Okafor or Sam Montgomery ...

And it depends on Spence injury rehab if you want to spend another 1-3 round pick on a ILB ... and if they do I would rather it be Gerald Hodges over Nico Johnson or Skov, Hodges is the real deal and at the east/west game he's killing it and weighs 240 now

other safeties you mentioned Mcdonald meh to me , Jefferson meh to me, Swearinger interesting but in the 2nd??? woo no thanks , Lester ok but a definite drop off, Rambo I love but doubt they take a pass on anyone in this draft, you forgot Duke Williams and Shamarko Thomas ... which I like Duke, I like Shamarko too but he's real short no thanks, I also like David Amerson at FS but can he tackle good enough is the question?
The more I look at it , this "Deep" Safety class is kind of just aright to me

None of the safeties besides Elam and Phillip Thomas in this draft can actually do what Clark and Troy do always be in the backfield making plays Behind the Line ... and that is Vital to the defense as is OLB... Teams would never know when Troy was coming so that would help Harrison and Woodley a lot

I also agree by letting the players have a "trail by fire" ...

Here are some David Bass scouting reports
http://nflmocks.com/2012/08/02/david...outing-report/
http://www.optimumscouting.com/draft...g-rosters.html

[WokeUpWithaWoodley]

Originally Posted by SteelersCanada

Worilds hasn't shown he can do anything on the right side. 4 of his 5 sacks this year came when he was playing in relief for Woodley and the one he did get on the right side was a 'gimme' sack. The fact is, he just can't play ROLB and up to this point, hasn't impressed or shown he has any potential to fill for Harrison.

I honestly haven't seen enough of Carter to make a judgment call. But, if Worilds is contributing what he is and Carter isn't coming in as relief, then I'm going to temper my excitement with him as well.

After the first round, the pass rush talent significantly drops off. There just isn't a whole lot behind guys like Jones, Mingo, Montgomery, Jordan and Okafor (someone I'm not sold on at all, by the way). However, Safety has some depth to it. McDonald, Lester, Swearinger and Rambo are all guys we could have past the first round and all are capable Safeties with a tremendously high ceiling and great potential. Granted, they're raw and not as talented as guys like Elam or Vaccaro, but they're still intriguing guys.

It's gotta be OLB, S/WR/RB, ILB, S/WR/RB depending on who we take in the second and fourth rounds. Say we take Dion Jordan in the first round. Moving into the second round, we could grab someone like Swearinger or Jefferson in the second and a WR in the fourth.

We just don't have talent at OLB other than Woodley. We really don't have any talent at LB outside Timmons and Woodley and both ILB and OLB need to be addressed in the first three rounds, preferably with Jordan/Mingo and Nico Johnson as the guys starting for us next season. Maybe it's time we change our philosophy on rookies and let the younger guys play and really get a 'trial by fire' kind of thing going - they've shown they can play in LSU and 'Bama defenses, let them try and play in Dick's.

Worilds was coming off wrist surgery so during the offseason he was unable to lift while his wrist was healing. Regardless where his sacks came from he lead the team till week 17 in VERY limited time. The word is still out on him. Carter was a no factor this whole year I believe he won't be anything but a special teamer.

The olbs you mention in particular Jordan and mingo are speed rushers and not much else. Mingo only had 5.5 regardless of how many times he got pressure thats very low for a first rounder going against college players most of whom wont be starters in the nfl. Like Cbrunn said he will wow at the combine.

Jordan on the other hand is going to go to a 4-3 team. I've posted that before and with a link and analysis by steelers depot a highly respectable steelers site who thinks he's a best fit for a wide 9 technique 4-3 team. He wasn't good against the run and doesn't have much pass rushing moves beside he's speed. We need guys who can get sacks just as muh as stop the run not one or the other.

As for okafor I think he will have a better college career than mingo and Jordan. He had 4.5 sacks in the Alamo bowl 1 shy of Mingos whole season. He's good against the run and rushes the passer with multiple moves including a bull rush and has the speed to set the edge. He also uses his hands really well. I really like the kid how ever I wouldn't draft him at 17 and think the falcons will take him to replace Abraham.

The later rounds I would look for guys like chase Thomas to play outside. And like Cbrunn I'm very high on hodges he could play next to Timmons. He will be a steal to whoever gets him. Nico Johnson is solid against the run but very weak in coverage and I think we all have agreed that we want some one next rim timmons that can cover the te and rbs so Timmons can do his thing.

If we go safety I hope it's vaccaro.

[steelfury02]

here's the bottom line, and excuse my ignorance for not being up to speed on the talent pool

we need a disrupting force on our defense, and preferably 2 so you never know where its coming from

that either has to come from someone already on the team or in the draft - pretty simple idea

we are doing this tackling the catch and LBs having additional pass coverage assignments because of injuries and taking on additional responsibilities to help the fill-ins - this is the whole "playing scared" argument.

Get healthy, get a disrupting force = back to more turnovers, pressures, sacks, etc

[teegre]

Re: Te'o

Might not this whole "fake girlfriend" incident explain his poor performance in the title-game? The timeline suggests that Te'o found out about the hoax on the 26th... right before the title-game... and he probably had that on his mind ("Oh crap... I am going to be a laughing-stock!!!").

Regardless, I see NO way he gets past the Taperiots (at 29) or the Ravens (at 31).

Te'o "seems" like a Taperiot... you know: a liar. All jokes aside, he does truly seem like a Taperiot: smart & a leader.

Rumors were already flying of the Ravens trading up to 15-16, in order to get Te'o (right before the Steelers drafted)... and now, he could fall right into their laps. As far as the Ravens taking a risk on a LB with questionable character... well... it's not like Te'o murdered anyone.

[SteelersCanada]

Originally Posted by teegre

Re: Te'o

Might not this whole "fake girlfriend" incident explain his poor performance in the title-game? The timeline suggests that Te'o found out about the hoax on the 26th... right before the title-game... and he probably had that on his mind ("Oh crap... I am going to be a laughing-stock!!!").

Regardless, I see NO way he gets past the Taperiots (at 29) or the Ravens (at 31).

Te'o "seems" like a Taperiot... you know: a liar. All jokes aside, he does truly seem like a Taperiot: smart & a leader.

Rumors were already flying of the Ravens trading up to 15-16, in order to get Te'o (right before the Steelers drafted)... and now, he could fall right into their laps. As far as the Ravens taking a risk on a LB with questionable character... well... it's not like Te'o murdered anyone.

"Nothing will affect his draft stock like being an average speed, two-down Linebacker."

That pretty much sums up the whole girlfriend thing.

[steelfury02]

the whole romanticism and acting like a grieving widow when he supposedly never met her in person is really freaky - seems like Te'o enjoys an alternate reality and the motivation and publicity that came along with it - whether he was in on the hoax or not (and as I'm typing I'm now seeing that he spoke of this GF after he knew she was a fake)

The more I hear, the less I care about him falling to an AFC rival. If we get him, then he's got a lot to prove after he got owned by the closest thing to NFL-caliber players.

"Manti Te'o has said he was a victim of a cruel hoax, so many are wondering why he continued to perpetuate the lie that his girlfriend had died after he found out that it was all a scam.

Multiple media outlets have found numerous instances of the Notre Dame linebacker talking about Lennay Kekua as if she had existed after Dec. 6, the date that he and the university say he found out that the girl that he thought he was having a relationship with and who died of leukemia was made up."

http://espn.go.com/college-football/...d-knowing-hoax

[blackandgoldsc]

Te'o is the next Tebow....overhyped....might have been great in NCAA but this isn't the NCAA.
I am in no way a believer that Te'o is a great LB, no way, no how. I am not as intelligent as some people on this board but there is no way I think Te'o is worthy of the black and gold. I thought this long ago, not just since the hoax was revealed. I think that it is super important for us to find an absolute playmaker. It is (thankfully) rare that we draft this high. Whenever we do we find franchise players (ie Ben, Troy, etc). We need to make sure this year is no different. Whether it is at (no particular order) RB, S, LB, OL, DL, CB, don't care so long as they are a playmaker for Pittsburgh for the next decade.

My personal preference for order of picks would be S, OL, RB (Lattimore if available here would be amazing), CB....
I think a lot of people are thinking our LB situation is worse than it is. A lot of people forget that Spence was on IR all year...Worilds will have another year of experience as will Carter. I really think those three will be able to live up to 'the standard'. I think our D line is also young and not bad. People's opinions of Hood are like oil and water...love him or hate him but I think he is decent as is Heyward and McClendon. OL is getting there.....I know it won't happen but I would rather have Starks than Gilbert. I am not sold on Gilbert's work ethic and in turn skills. So another new OL player would be nice. S is where I think we really are thin and if we can land a future all pro S that would really help.

[teegre]

Originally Posted by SteelersCanada

"Nothing will affect his draft stock like being an average speed, two-down Linebacker."

That pretty much sums up the whole girlfriend thing.

He still goes R1.

[SteelersCanada]

Originally Posted by teegre

He still goes R1.

Absolutely he will be. That being said, more and more scouts are coming out of the woodwork and saying his play this year was more built on hype rather than play and the game against 'Bama showed that. Now, he's a great collegiate player and will probably be a solid ILB in the NFL.

I'd be a little upset if we took him at 17, though. At this point, I'd rather take Elam or Mingo/Jordan, despite that I think that Elam at 17 is a reach.