Plus...go back to '99 when they drafted Troy Edwards in the first. Torry Holt was the runaway #1 WR, and he was drafted sixth. David Boston was the #2 and was taken eighth.
There wasn't another first round worthy WR, but the Steelers reached at 13 for Edwards. He was the last receiver taken in the first. Others in contention for the #3 WR pick would have been guys like Kevin Johnson and Peerless Price, in an unspectacular draft for receivers. The only other noteworthy wideout in that draft? A seventh rounder who the Pack chose from Alcorn State...Donald Driver.
Sweed was hurt during the season which required wrist surgery & that's what affected his stock...he was the #1 WR going into the season.
The real thing to consider with the WRs is that only TWO are considered ELITE. What the team has to figure out is of the rest, who they want & is he enough to move assets to get him. If the difference between Robinson, Moncrief & Matthews isn't that much - then any one of them would suit us in the 2nd. But if they rate another player higher (let's say defensive), then another set of considerations are in order as we move to 3rd/4th round talent.
Of the three I mentioned earlier, I like Moncrief the best & hope that he's available in the 3rd but it's unlikely as Matthews seems to be the WR that's getting lost in the shuffle & more likely to drop. If that's the case then we're looking at Bryant or my dark horse - Jeff Janis - in the 5th. Either way I believe we come out of this with a decent WR prospect & maybe one or two as UDFAs (Chris Boyd, Matt Hazel).
It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust & sweat & blood...
Plex had character concerns, which did show up in his career in Pgh. I recall Cowher saying, after we took him, "I called him and he called me back" as if that proved that Plex had no character concerns. His own coaches would not vouch for the guy.
WR Cody Latimer on Steelers' radar
April, 25, 2014
By Scott Brown | ESPN.com
PITTSBURGH -- Cody Latimer, arguably the fastest rising player in the NFL draft, held a private workout on Friday and Pittsburgh Steelers wide receivers coach Richard Mann was among those in attendance, per NFL.com’s Gil Brandt.
The Steelers met with Latimer at the NFL scouting combine two months ago, and he is one of the hottest names in the draft right now.
ESPN analyst Mel Kiper Jr. ranks Latimer as the 29th-best player in the draft, and Todd McShay is also high on the Indiana wide receiver.
"I’ve watched five tapes of his games and he didn’t drop a ball," McShay said. "I was blown away with his skill set."
There is a lot to like about Latimer, a projected first- or second-round pick.
He has good size -- Latimer measured 6-2 and weighed 215 pounds at the combime -- and McShay said he was clocked between 4.39 and 4.43 seconds in the 40-yard dash at Indiana’s pro day.
Latimer did not run at the combine since he was still recovering from surgery to fix a broken metatarsal in his foot. The fact he was limited in what he could do at the combine as well as sheer volume of wide receivers in the draft may have contributed to Latimer staying a bit under the radar until the past couple of weeks.
But he excelled at Indiana, catching 72 passes for 1,096 yards and nine touchdowns last season as a junior, and Latimer has upside since he didn’t start playing football until his junior year of high school and instead concentrated on basketball.
The range where Latimer is projected to go in the draft does not match up well with where the Steelers pick. But the draft is so flush with wide receivers Latimer could last until where the Steelers' pick in the second round.
Or he could be an option for them in the first round if they trade down.
“He’s competitive, can run after the catch and has great ball skills,” McShay said.
He also has the size the Steelers are lacking at wide receiver. Keep an eye on Latimer -- it's something the Steelers are apparently doing as well.
[URL]http://espn.go.com/blog/afcnorth/post/_/id/78752/wr-cody-latimer-on-steelers-radar[/URL]
Round 2 (46) Pittsburgh Steelers: Allen Robinson, WR, Penn State
The Steelers land their big receiver for Big Ben.
In 2013, Robinson recorded 97 receptions for 1,432 yards and six touchdowns. The junior demonstrated nice quickness to get separation and run-after-the catch ability. He had many prolific games, including contests against Ohio State (12-173), Illinois (11-165) and Indiana (12-173). Robinson could be on the bubble between the first and second day of the 2014 NFL Draft. How well he runs at the Combine - poorly - and his pro day will have a big impact on his draft stock.
The 6-foot-2, 220-pound Robinson was one of the bright spots of the 2012 season for Penn State. He excelled in the Nittany Lions' new pro-style offense. Robinson hauled in 77 passes for 1,018 yards and 11 touchdowns after barely playing in 2011.
[URL]http://walterfootball.com/draft2014charlie_2.php[/URL]
I hope he somehow falls to us in round 2 but IMO he may be the 2nd best receiver in this draft class. Hopefully his 4.6 forty will scare some teams off.
Another AS masterpiece.
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