There could be a bright spot in all of this....

[Sugar]

What I would like for you to do Rob is tell me who the Steelers should draft if they are picking at the 10 spot.

Here are the players who will probably be available at or near that pick....

Manti T'eo
Barkevious Mingo DE/OLB (has never played OLB)
Sam Montgomery DE/OLB (has never played OLB)
Dion Jordan DE/OLB (has never played OLB)
Keenan Allen WR
Dee Milliner CB
Jake Mattews OT
Taylor Lewan OT
Matt Barkley QB
Chance Warmack OG
John Jenkins DT/NT

Barkley!! We need to have Ben's replacement ready...

[Dee Dub]

Neither Starks, Gilbert, or Adams will be as good as Mathews. We still need more talent on the O-line.

Mingo/Jordan are highly explosive players. Jordan is on the rise. Both of them have the great potential to be Jean Pierre-Paul type players. I would take that potential over Te'o at 10 or 11 any day.

ILB'ers can be found in the second round all day long and can come in and start. Players like Mingo and Jordan aren't found in the 2nd round.

So because Matthews is better we over-load at OT? Doesnt make sense. It isnt a priority position right now.

And you are forgetting one very big piece of information on Mingo and Jordan. They are 4-3 DE. They would have to make the switch to OLB in a 3-4. That is going to take awhile if they ever actually can make the transition. BIG IF. T'eo comes in and starts day one. At pick number 10-15 you need an immediate return.

[BigRob]

Those guys would help just like Kuechly helps the Panthers get off the field more often so Newton can be superman. The guy had 16 tackles in the win over ATL. The Panthers aren't winning in shootouts... they went from 28th last year up to 10th this year in total D.

That's called improvement... you can't blame Kuechly because Newton is finally playing like superman again.

Not sure how you dismiss change on the Panthers based on wins and losses while ignoring improvements in defensive stats.

Because they go as Newton goes. When Newton plays well, they win. Kuechly has played well lots of games this year and it has resulted in losses. ILB is not a premium position. There is a reason the vast majority of them go in the 2nd/3rd round even if they are great players. See Bowman, Wagner, Lee.

Ask any GM/Scout. ILB is not a premium position in the NFL anymore. A few go really high recently and it has not worked out very well. See Curry, Hawk, Rivers, and I would even argue O.J. Mayo.

I am not bashing Kuechly. However, you can get pretty damn comparable production out of a 2nd round pick at the same position.

You use top 10 picks on premium positions QB, LT, CB, and pass rushers.

[Dee Dub]

Because they go as Newton goes. When Newton plays well, they win. Kuechly has played well lots of games this year and it has resulted in losses. ILB is not a premium position. There is a reason the vast majority of them go in the 2nd/3rd round even if they are great players. See Bowman, Wagner, Lee.

Ask any GM/Scout. ILB is not a premium position in the NFL anymore. A few go really high recently and it has not worked out very well. See Curry, Hawk, Rivers, and I would even argue O.J. Mayo.

I am not bashing Kuechly. However, you can get pretty damn comparable production out of a 2nd round pick at the same position.

You use top 10 picks on premium positions QB, LT, CB, and pass rushers.

Pssssssssssssssst....the only 3-4 OLB in this conversation will be selected in the first 5 picks. Now what?? Take a player who you have to convert to another position and hope he gets it?

And O.J. Mayo plays basketball.

A.J. Hawk has been a lot better than you think. He has more tackles than anyone on the Steelers this year.

[BigRob]

Pssssssssssssssst....the only 3-4 OLB in this conversation will be selected in the first 5 picks. Now what?? Take a player who you have to convert to another position and hope he gets it?

And O.J. Mayo plays basketball.

A.J. Hawk has been a lot better than you think. He has more tackles than anyone on the Steelers this year.

Sorry Jerod Mayo. Sorry A.J. Hawk was not worth the top ten pick they spent on him. Their defense has been pretty terrible overall. Most Packer fans will tell you they know he has underperformed his draft slot.

Hate to tell you that Jordan played in a hybrid defense at Oregon and is also known for his play in coverage as well. Mingo is very explosive and athletic and will convert very well.

Let's see what Te'o does against a veritable pro running game in Alabama before we crown his azz.

[Slapstick]

Sorry A.J. Hawk was not worth the top ten pick they spent on him. Their defense has been pretty terrible overall. Most Packer fans will tell you they know he has underperformed his draft slot.

People on this board say Timmons has underperformed his draft slot...that doesn't make it true...

[BigRob]

People on this board say Timmons has underperformed his draft slot...that doesn't make it true...

I am a Timmons supporter, but he was drafted as a 3-4 OLB. He failed at that one miserably and is an above average 3-4 ILB.

That doesn't mean he has performed to his draft slot.

[Oviedo]

So because Matthews is better we over-load at OT? Doesnt make sense. It isnt a priority position right now.

And you are forgetting one very big piece of information on Mingo and Jordan. They are 4-3 DE. They would have to make the switch to OLB in a 3-4. That is going to take awhile if they ever actually can make the transition. BIG IF. T'eo comes in and starts day one. At pick number 10-15 you need an immediate return.

Not sure we can really say we are "overloaded at OT" given that we have a Guard (Beachum) starting there now at RT. The jury is way out on whether either Gilbert or Adams can replace Starks at LT. If Matthews is evaluated as better than Gilbert or Adams at LT then I would not hesitate to take him. I also would not rule out taking Chance Warmack in the 10-15 range. Decastro-Pouncey-Warmack would give us an awesome interior OL for almost the next decade.

I would not waste a high pick on a DE that we have to spend two years "converting" to OLB. Now if we decide to go to the 4-3 then that is a different story as far as taking a DE.

[Eddie Spaghetti]

I am against drafting another interior OL in the 1st round. You don't need high draft picks and probowlers at every spot on the OL. This team has much bigger needs. They have bodies, coach them up and get some return on the investment.

I think teo would be gone before the steelers draft. Lose this week, and my mind changes.

[Oviedo]

I am against drafting another interior OL in the 1st round. You don't need high draft picks and probowlers at every spot on the OL. This team has much bigger needs. They have bodies, coach them up and get some return on the investment.

I think teo would be gone before the steelers draft. Lose this week, and my mind changes.

I agree about T'eo. I think we are likely drafting 15-18 because we will split the next two games and he will likely be gone in the top 12. Lose the next two and we have a real chance at him.