I found it more odd that guards were drafted so high in April...
Historically, OG is not a premium position in the first round...I think the higher draft position for guards in 2013 was due to the lack of star power in the first round...
I found it more odd that guards were drafted so high in April...
Historically, OG is not a premium position in the first round...I think the higher draft position for guards in 2013 was due to the lack of star power in the first round...
Pittsburgh Steelers guard David DeCastro 'is going to be great,' Maurkice Pouncey says
Pittsburgh Steelers guard David DeCastro (66), right, works on blocking drills during NFL football practice on Thursday, May 30, 2013 in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)
By Dustin Hockensmith
on June 04, 2013
Pittsburgh Steelers guard David DeCastro's rookie season was derailed before it started. The first-round pick tore his medial collateral ligament at the end of training camp and missed the team's first 12 games.
But he's back healthy this summer as an important part of a young, talented Steelers' offensive line. DeCastro moves well for a 6-5, 315-pounder and has improved his technique going into his second season as a pro.
DeCastro can play power football, as well as get out in space and block downfield, teammate Maurkice Pouncey told Steelers.com yesterday.
"[DeCastro] can really move around and get outside on the edge and block guys and really move them if we've got to run power football," Pouncey said. "It's excellent to have him right next to me."
That versatility will be key under first-year offensive line coach Jack Bicknell Jr., who is implementing a zone blocking scheme. The new scheme will put the Steelers' linemen on the move more often and capitalize on their athleticism.
DeCastro told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review last month that he spent his time off the field studying and observing his teammates' techniques.
“Pouncey has got his technique down, Ramon's got a technique down. So you take bits and pieces and see what you're doing,” DeCastro told the Tribune-Review. “I learned a lot and, to me, it's all instinct now. It's a whole different game, and I think I'm a lot more prepared for this season. ... It's almost like a fresh beginning.”
Pouncey, 23, will again be a key this season, but he'll be joined by three other guys in DeCastro (23), right tackle Mike Adams (23) and left tackle Marcus Gilbert (25) who are 25 or younger. Key reserve Kelvin Beachum turns 24 this weekend. Left guard Ramon Foster, 27, is the veteran of the group.
Pittsburgh struggled in the running game last season, in part because of injuries along the line. The Steelers ranked just 26th in the NFL with 1,537 rushing yards and averaged just 3.7 yards per carry.
The youth movement and fresh approach came at the expense of veteran left tackle Max Starks and reserve center Doug Legursky. But the time had arrived to rely on young linemen after dedicating four first and second-round picks on them in the last three NFL drafts.
The addition of a healthy DeCastro could be an immediate step toward improvement. He's got Pouncey's seal of approval.
"He's going to be a great," Pouncey said.
[URL]http://www.pennlive.com/sports/index.ssf/2013/06/pittsburgh_steelers_guard_davi.html[/URL]
One way or another..I am still, to this day, GLAD to have David DeCastro on our team. Period.
Last edited by Rara; 06-09-2013 at 08:43 PM.
Rara's first 2018 Mock Draft v3
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RD1- Justin Reid, S; Stanford
RD2- Josey Jewell, ILB; Iowa
RD3- Rashaad Penny, RB; San Diego State
RD5- Darius Leonard, OLB; SCAR
RD6- Brandon Facyson, CB; Virginia Tech
RD7- Josh Frazier, DT; Alabama
RD7- Antonio Callaway, WR; Florida
I've been a huge DeCastro backer (suggested trying to trade up to get him last year, so when he fell into our laps last year, I was overjoyed). I was super-high on him because I was unable to find a flaw in his game. He's got size, strength, athleticism, attitude, technique, power, tenacity, intelligence, and is a hard worker with a mean streak on the field. He seemed to be a "sure-thing" type at a position of need for us, and I think that he only fell because the league devalues a position like guard. I think the only reason that Cooper and Warmack went higher this year is because this particular draft was dreadful at the very top (no true top-notch talents at QB, RB, or WR, and a lot of boom/bust types at other positions).
If Roquan Smith falls to late teens, trade 1.28 & 2.60 to SEA for 1.18 & 4.120:
1.18 LB Roquan Smith
3.92 FS Jessie Bates
4.120 RB Royce Freeman
5.148 DT Ken Norton
5.165 TE Chris Herndon
7.220 WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling
7.246 OT Brett Toth
If not:
1.28 LB Leighton Vander Esch
2.60 C/G Billy Price
3.92 FS Jessie Bates
5.148 DT Ken Norton
5.165 TE Chris Herndon
7.220 RB Ito Smith
7.246 WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling
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