They say it takes 5 years before you can evaluate a draft.

[sick beats]

Fine. Let's evaluate the Steelers' 2009 draft then.

1. Hood. Gone without ever having a notable season, not to mention, game. Was able to start but did nothing out there. Players taken after that pick: Delmas, James Laurinaitis, Jairus Byrd. A horrid pick, in yet another case of drafting someone out of position with the intent in teaching him a new position (3-4 DE). Off team.

3. Urbik. Cut in camp. Off team.

3. Mike Wallace. Initially looked like a steal, but head issues and refusal to put in effort on anything but go routes soiled his value. Player taken after: Ladarius Webb, Jared Cook. Off team.

4. Keenan Lewis. Off team after just 1 year of actually playing. Off team.

5. Burnett. Never did anything. Off team.

5. Summers. Off team. Never did anything.

6. Harris. Did nothing. Off team.

7. Shipley. Never did anything. Off team.

7. David Johnson. Played, but most feel he stunk. Off team.

An entire draft class, and not one player remains on the team. That was a colossal cluster F. You can say other teams have no one left from the 2009 draft class, and you are right. That would be the Browns and Jags. More drafts like this, and we will find ourselves where those teams are as well.

[D Rock]

To be fair...of the 5 guys you list as "players taken after the Steelers picked"...


3 are no longer with the team that drafted them. How great do the draft classes of those teams look now?

[steelblood]

Wasn't Shipley a starting center last year. That would make 5-6 NFL starters from that draft. That is actually pretty good. Maybe we should be blaming coaching and not talent evaluators/FO.

[SteelerOfDeVille]

Looks like a good draft where guys simply weren't retained... That's budgeting. Wallace, Keenan... We ALL wanted those guys around--maybe not necessarily at the salaries they got...

Wtf happened with Ubrik, anyway. Who cuts a draft pick that high so quickly? Was he a cancer? Get busted for drugs? Do Tomlin's wife? He was quickly picked up and has been a steady/solid starter for years.

[thor75]

Looks like a good draft where guys simply weren't retained... That's budgeting. Wallace, Keenan... We ALL wanted those guys around--maybe not necessarily at the salaries they got...

Wtf happened with Ubrik, anyway. Who cuts a draft pick that high so quickly? Was he a cancer? Get busted for drugs? Do Tomlin's wife? He was quickly picked up and has been a steady/solid starter for years.

IIRC he wasn't cut in camp the same year he was drafted as sick beats makes it sound. He was cut the next year. He was with the Steelers for one season. Offensive coaches must not have liked what they saw in practice??? Don't remember him playing in other than preseason.

[SteelerOfDeVille]

IIRC he wasn't cut in camp the same year he was drafted as sick beats makes it sound. He was cut the next year. He was with the Steelers for one season. Offensive coaches must not have liked what they saw in practice??? Don't remember him playing in other than preseason.

You are correct, I remember it the same... Still, Limas had like 3 or 4 seasons. This dude had one.

[NJ-STEELER]

with his production as a 3rd round pick, wallace was a draft pick steal.

deciding not to keep him is different then being a bust pick.



what about ramon fostr. was he signed as an UDFA that year? add him to the list. he beat out urbrik

[Shoe]

It wasn't a failure of talent evaluation... Hood, yes. But Urbik is a starting NFL Guard currently. Wallace, as NJ-Steeler says, is a 3rd-round steal. Keenan Lewis would also have to stand out as probably the best 4th rounder that year. As said, Foster has become an NFL Starting Guard, and I think I seen Tank Summers on the field this past season.

The failure here, is in the FO, failing to keep its ammo dry--to be able to keep more of these guys in Steeler uniforms.

[NJ-STEELER]

yeah, i'd rate lewis as a draft steal too (think he was the last 3rd rder that year) being what he is today.


had he got on the field as soon as wallace, we may have seen it even sooner

[SS Laser]

Not sure qualifies as a good or really good draft but take a look back to 2003. Yea that is long time but dang there are some stinker looking drafts for the Steelers. 2 really good players from 2003, 2 in 04, 1 good 3 that did play some for 05, 2 in 06 I guess , 3 good players and 2 role players maybe in 07, 08 is a goose egg I think, now 2009 wow I say some NFL players but none a Steeler now is not good when a team is built through the draft. Guess that is what FA is for.