Mel Kiper: Steelers' Rounds 1-4 picks

[hawaiiansteel]

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Pittsburgh Steelers -


Top needs: CB, OL, DE, OLB, RB, NT

First round (1: C/G Maurkice Pouncey

Second round (52): CB Patrick Robinson

Third round (82): DE Alex Carrington

Fourth round (116): RB Jonathan Dwyer

Summary: The Steelers aren't far from being a really good team again, so they need to not be distracted and attack the obvious holes. I think they will. Pouncey will help the interior running game immediately; he's a versatile talent. Robinson has first-round talent but isn't always consistent. He's a great value this late, however, as he's been considered a first-round option at times. Carrington has good length and should develop as a pass-rusher, and Dwyer has dropped a long way because of a lack of explosiveness. That said, you can do worse finding a talented back with a big chip on his shoulder.

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[Oviedo]

Re: Mel Kiper: Steelers' Rounds 1-4 picks

Replace Pouncey with Iupati and this isn't bad.

[birtikidis]

Re: Mel Kiper: Steelers' Rounds 1-4 picks

I like Kipers draft. too bad it'll never happen. we'll probably get stuck with some guy who dominated little kids at some crappy school in Idaho, even though he got punked at the senior bowl or something..

[WoodleyofTroy]

Re: Mel Kiper: Steelers' Rounds 1-4 picks

Iupati would be a good pick at the end of the day, don't get me wrong, but he's one of those guys I can see committing a dumb penalty in a key game, at a key moment. We already have that in Kemo and Colon (as far as mean streak goes).

I'd rather have Pouncey's smarts on board.

[Sugar]

Re: Mel Kiper: Steelers' Rounds 1-4 picks

Fortunately, Kipers mocks don't usually happen. He's a sharp guy and all, but I want a DB or maybe a DL first. I want Defense in a bad way this year and a playmaker in the backfield.

[birtikidis]

Re: Mel Kiper: Steelers' Rounds 1-4 picks

Fortunately, Kipers mocks don't usually happen. He's a sharp guy and all, but I want a DB or maybe a DL first. I want Defense in a bad way this year and a playmaker in the backfield.

only if that DB is NOT a corner and his name is Earl Thomas. I don't see such a dire need as all the other people on here. replace T. Carter with T. Polamalu and see how much better our secondary plays. I wouldn't mind a DL there, but really, who do you take? all the ones that I would take are long gone by 18..
Pouncey would give us the most significant upgrade at any position on either side of the ball. thats how much better he is then hartwig...

[SteelAbility]

Re: Mel Kiper: Steelers' Rounds 1-4 picks

Uh, we're not too far from being a good team again?

Good grief! We went 9-7 with a pile of brain-farts PLUS no Troy PLUS no Aaron Smith. NOONE wanted to play us in the playoffs. Brain-farts are easily correctible and Troy/Aaron have both healed up. I say that instantly makes us a great team.

[frankthetank1]

Re: Mel Kiper: Steelers' Rounds 1-4 picks

Fortunately, Kipers mocks don't usually happen. He's a sharp guy and all, but I want a DB or maybe a DL first. I want Defense in a bad way this year and a playmaker in the backfield.

only if that DB is NOT a corner and his name is Earl Thomas. I don't see such a dire need as all the other people on here. replace T. Carter with T. Polamalu and see how much better our secondary plays. I wouldn't mind a DL there, but really, who do you take? all the ones that I would take are long gone by 18..
Pouncey would give us the most significant upgrade at any position on either side of the ball. thats how much better he is then hartwig...

you cant argue that replacing gay is pretty equal of an upgrade than replacing hartwig. hartwig isnt great but he isnt as bad of a center as willie gay is at cb. at least with thomas you get a guy that can play both FS and CB

[birtikidis]

Re: Mel Kiper: Steelers' Rounds 1-4 picks

Fortunately, Kipers mocks don't usually happen. He's a sharp guy and all, but I want a DB or maybe a DL first. I want Defense in a bad way this year and a playmaker in the backfield.

only if that DB is NOT a corner and his name is Earl Thomas. I don't see such a dire need as all the other people on here. replace T. Carter with T. Polamalu and see how much better our secondary plays. I wouldn't mind a DL there, but really, who do you take? all the ones that I would take are long gone by 18..
Pouncey would give us the most significant upgrade at any position on either side of the ball. thats how much better he is then hartwig...

you cant argue that replacing gay is pretty equal of an upgrade than replacing hartwig. hartwig isnt great but he isnt as bad of a center as willie gay is at cb. at least with thomas you get a guy that can play both FS and CB

Sure I can. If hartwig had a great player go down next to him then it would be comparable. statistically, hartwig was the worst player at center in entire draft. and the problem with assessing gay is it was his first season as a starter. sure he stunk it up. don't get me wrong i thought he was terrible. but hartwig has been a starter for how long and he hasn't gotten even a mite better. plus there isn't anyone under hartwig already. If we had two draft picks sitting behind hartwig, I'd change my tune a little bit. thing is legursky isn't any better than hartwig so...

[frankthetank1]

Re: Mel Kiper: Steelers' Rounds 1-4 picks

Fortunately, Kipers mocks don't usually happen. He's a sharp guy and all, but I want a DB or maybe a DL first. I want Defense in a bad way this year and a playmaker in the backfield.

only if that DB is NOT a corner and his name is Earl Thomas. I don't see such a dire need as all the other people on here. replace T. Carter with T. Polamalu and see how much better our secondary plays. I wouldn't mind a DL there, but really, who do you take? all the ones that I would take are long gone by 18..
Pouncey would give us the most significant upgrade at any position on either side of the ball. thats how much better he is then hartwig...

you cant argue that replacing gay is pretty equal of an upgrade than replacing hartwig. hartwig isnt great but he isnt as bad of a center as willie gay is at cb. at least with thomas you get a guy that can play both FS and CB

Sure I can. If hartwig had a great player go down next to him then it would be comparable. statistically, hartwig was the worst player at center in entire draft. and the problem with assessing gay is it was his first season as a starter. sure he stunk it up. don't get me wrong i thought he was terrible. but hartwig has been a starter for how long and he hasn't gotten even a mite better. plus there isn't anyone under hartwig already. If we had two draft picks sitting behind hartwig, I'd change my tune a little bit. thing is legursky isn't any better than hartwig so...

willie gay plays on almost the entire opposite side of the field as troy and losing a DE doesnt affect the secondary except for qb pressure, which should affect ike just as much. hartwig has essex next to him and the season before that he had simmons and stapleton. those are some bad RG's. willie gay started at least 6 games in 2008 when bmac broke his arm so it wasnt his first season in that role. you shouldnt expect much out of lewis or burnett. they arent any better than gay either or they would have been playing instead of gay last season. hartwig isnt even the worst O-lineman that starts. i would say essex is the worst on the Oline

[birtikidis]

Re: Mel Kiper: Steelers' Rounds 1-4 picks

technically you're right. except there is a trickle down effect with losing smith and troy...
Run D suffers since Aaron isn't there.
now you HAVE to move the safety up....
with troy that's not a big deal because he can get back faster than any safety in football...\
with carter it means you're in trouble.
now Ryan clark has more field to cover due to Carter not being able to get to his responsibility...
now you have Gay one on one more.
Ike does suffer.
he looked really bad last year.
but so did gay... and clark... and carter...
I've said this a million times... in a 3-4 you have to have, not one but TWO defensive lineman who can control the line of scrimmage. the DE is one of the most important positions in all of football due to this trickle down effect.

[papillon]

Re: Mel Kiper: Steelers' Rounds 1-4 picks

Replace Pouncey with Iupati and this isn't bad.

It depends who's on the board when they pick. if Mays, Thomas or Graham are on the board, then I don't like it. Most mocks or evaluators have Pouncey as a late 1st round pick. There's no need to reach the Steelers can use good football players at every position except quarterback and maybe tight end.

pappy

[frankthetank1]

Re: Mel Kiper: Steelers' Rounds 1-4 picks

technically you're right. except there is a trickle down effect with losing smith and troy...
Run D suffers since Aaron isn't there.
now you HAVE to move the safety up....
with troy that's not a big deal because he can get back faster than any safety in football...\
with carter it means you're in trouble.
now Ryan clark has more field to cover due to Carter not being able to get to his responsibility...
now you have Gay one on one more.
Ike does suffer.
he looked really bad last year.
but so did gay... and clark... and carter...
I've said this a million times... in a 3-4 you have to have, not one but TWO defensive lineman who can control the line of scrimmage. the DE is one of the most important positions in all of football due to this trickle down effect.

without smith the run d suffers big time. you are right the entire secondary did look bad last season which is why i want thomas or wilson!!

having carter in their instead of troy exposes ryan clark more than anyone else imo. i assume you are planning on drafting a cb in round 2 or 3 and taking pouncey in round 1 right? my concern is we dont replace willie gay and have a repeat performance of last season. our biggest need is in the secondary. it is true a great pass rush makes a average secondary better but why should we have to rely on the pass rush being there every single game? imo you need both

[birtikidis]

Re: Mel Kiper: Steelers' Rounds 1-4 picks

technically you're right. except there is a trickle down effect with losing smith and troy...
Run D suffers since Aaron isn't there.
now you HAVE to move the safety up....
with troy that's not a big deal because he can get back faster than any safety in football...\
with carter it means you're in trouble.
now Ryan clark has more field to cover due to Carter not being able to get to his responsibility...
now you have Gay one on one more.
Ike does suffer.
he looked really bad last year.
but so did gay... and clark... and carter...
I've said this a million times... in a 3-4 you have to have, not one but TWO defensive lineman who can control the line of scrimmage. the DE is one of the most important positions in all of football due to this trickle down effect.

without smith the run d suffers big time. you are right the entire secondary did look bad last season which is why i want thomas or wilson!!

having carter in their instead of troy exposes ryan clark more than anyone else imo. i assume you are planning on drafting a cb in round 2 or 3 and taking pouncey in round 1 right? my concern is we dont replace willie gay and have a repeat performance of last season. our biggest need is in the secondary. it is true a great pass rush makes a average secondary better but why should we have to rely on the pass rush being there every single game? imo you need both

pap there are only two db's I take in the first round and neither will be there for us. Thomas is my dream pick. so, I take Pouncey in the first...
if Nate Allen is there for us in the second I take him in a heart beat... I'd be back and forth on Cook, wouldn't hate it though that's for sure...
IMO our needs start at safety, center, lber then DL... in that order.
I agree with how Clark was exposed, but really... there aer only 2 or 3 safeties in all the NFL that wouldn't have been exposed if a guy like troy went down...

[Sugar]

Re: Mel Kiper: Steelers' Rounds 1-4 picks

I just want Defense- I hear it wins championships!

Really, though I prefer a DB, I would take an LB or DL over anything on Offense.