Add Poe to list of 1st rounders visiting.

[JUST-PLAIN-NASTY]

[URL]http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/sports/steelers/last-5-potential-draft-choices-visit-steelers-631929/[/URL]

Also visiting the Steelers are tight end Adrien Robinson of Cincinnati, offensive lineman Kelvin Beachum of Southern Methodist and wide receivers Toney Clemons of Colorado and Gregory Childs of Arkansas. Clemons played at Valley High School.




Looks like visits are all done. Had Childs in several mocks but as his stock went up, took him out. If he didn't injure his Patella and came out last year, could have been a late 1st early 2nd. Played 2011 recovering from the injury but based on his workouts it looks like his explosiveness is returning. He did have surgery but the Patella wasn't torn. If you want a comparison, Childs would be TO without the drama. Very similiar to Floyd with better agility. He is big, physical, and can move. He isn't the tall lanky receiver with blazing speed who has only an "over or up" game. He is more of a chiseled athlete who wants to be physical and play between the hashes and use his athleticism and strength to make plays...The opposite of Wallace. A piece we could really use. A very dangerous player if added to the mix with Wallace & Brown. He could take a slant & pull out of an arm tackle and take it the distance. Could also be the lone WR in Goal Line you put out on that island.

[steelerkeylargo]

Loved Beachum as a Junior but didn't think he progressed as a senior. Probably kicks inside.

[JUST-PLAIN-NASTY]

Loved Beachum as a Junior but didn't think he progressed as a senior. Probably kicks inside.

I agree. Seems durable with alot of experience. May be a LG prospect.

[Ghost]

SI's Don Banks has the Steelers taking Poe in his mock put out today. I"ve seen Poe all over the draft order (10 to second round). Crazy combine numbers but I never saw him play at Memphis.

[calmkiller]

All visitors have been added to the list.

[url]http://www.planetsteelers.com/forums/showthread.php/37087-Official-2012-Visit-Thread[/url]

[Oviedo]

SI's Don Banks has the Steelers taking Poe in his mock put out today. I"ve seen Poe all over the draft order (10 to second round). Crazy combine numbers but I never saw him play at Memphis.

I saw him play versus a struggling UCF team. Nothing special and definitely not the dominant player his workouts would suggest. This year's Mike Mamula???????

[SteelBucks]

SI's Don Banks has the Steelers taking Poe in his mock put out today. I"ve seen Poe all over the draft order (10 to second round). Crazy combine numbers but I never saw him play at Memphis.

I was just going to post SI's mock. I'd be happy with Poe and I could live with Hightower. I'm still holding out hope that the Steelers trade up and draft DeCastro. I know it's a dream but I'm an optimist (heck, I still think the Pens have a chance to beat the Flyers ).

[aggiebones]

Or this year's Pierre Paul?

I think more and more that we'll end up with a DT that falls to us. I doubt its Poe, but I have a sneaky feeling there's a run stuffer that we love and will take.

OL in the second, 3-5 CB-WR-LB

Just have a feeling. But not worth its own thread.

[JUST-PLAIN-NASTY]

Well I was very high on Poe with the limited game film on him before the combine. After the combine more & more surfaced and I obtained some Memphis games too. Best word to decribe what I saw..."Flashes". His play was inconsistent. He was lost in the DL as often as he stood out. He would "flash" what his combine numbers suggested...Then he would look like a big body teams were focusing on and easily minimized his production. He definately had games he would put on the top of his resume but even in those games he disapperared at times. Now, the talent surrounding him on defense was...To be gentle...Terrible. Teams did a very good job of taking him out of his comfort zone. You could see fatigue played a big part in games down the stretch because his snap count seem to play big part in Memphis defense's lack of production. The motor misfired later in the games. Playing on a 2-10 team that couldn't score could do that. They also moved him around alot in base & sub packages to get him away from the blocking gameplan against him. A man that size playing in the heat coming off the edge with 4 plays of break between series ran him down. You can see their focus was to try and utilize their best player and gain mismatches but the tank dried up quickly as the snap count went up. An excuse? No...That won't be acceptable at the next level. However, I don't see a team asking Poe to do what he did at Memphis. He will have a role.

Guaging where he would fit best is difficult. Out of the box, he looked like he could play 0,3, or 5. As the games get into the 2nd half...He really became average on the outside. I do believe his role would be best inside. Poe's best attribute is holding up at the point of attack. He isn't a great penetrator and he isn't shooting the gap to get to the QB. He plays best in a phone booth if he is allowed to use his hands and come off blocks to flow to the ball. In my opinion, a zero technique would be his best position. He does have violent hands....When he uses them....And looks to be very good controlling blockers. He never flashed great ability to gain a shoulder on an OL and he rarely makes himself skinny shooting a gap. He is going to be a lunch pale DT that will be asked to do the dirty work...Or a NT in a 3-4. If he is asked to be a 4-3 DT who will get push and pressure the QB...The team will be disappointed. He should have more range then the traditional NT in a 3-4 & is very capable of staying on the field inside in the sub packages. He will need coaching on technique and his best situation will be not to start day 1 in base. He will be part of a rotation and will have to learn the "support role" of a NT in a 3-4.

What makes it difficult is Poe was never showcased against NFL talent through the whole process. His ceiling could be a Probowler but the floor is low...It is a risk. The higher you take him the bigger the risk. In the beginning of this process I wanted Poe at #24. After the combine he looked out of reach. Now, even if he is there...I would be weighing my options. To me, he is part of that group of borderline 1st round talent that starts around the 22 +/- mark. I can put several lists of players together through different scenarios and Poe moves everytime like the rest of them. There is that group of players you like and hope one falls...Then there is the rest. To be honest..."the rest" has me looking to trade down or taking BPA & not reaching for need.

[Shoe]

Poe is in-between Big Daddy Wilkinson and Ziggy Hood. If you recall, Big Daddy also was considered a physical marvel. And like Poe, still didn't exactly set the world on fire with his play. Big Daddy ended being drafted on his so-called potential.

Hood was much the same way too. If I recall, he posted positional bests, or near positional bests at the Combine. That, combined with his solid yet unspectacular college career, pushed him into the first round. (In college, with "superior" physical skills, you should be owning folks.)

Poe is like that. Us drafting him will ensure a solid but wholly unspectacular D-line. We'd might not get pushed around (with a line like Poe, Heyward, and Hood), but they will do very little to change games IMO.

[RuthlessBurgher]

There are several guys that I would get excited about if we were somehow able to get (if they happened to fall to us, or if we were able to trade up). Guys like DeCastro, Kuechly, Martin, Glenn, Barron.

There are several guys that I do not want to take at #24. Guys with red flags like Mike Adams or Janoris Jenkins, or 2nd round guys we'd reach for like Kevin Zeitler.

Poe is in the middle (along with Dont'a Hightower, for that matter). I like the idea of those picks, but don't love the idea. Both fill needs for us...Poe has a higher ceiling but Hightower has a higher floor...both could be solid picks...I wouldn't disagree with either of them at #24 (would greatly prefer either of them to the guys on that second list), but I'm still hoping for someone from that first list instead. We'll see.

[JUST-PLAIN-NASTY]

Poe is in-between Big Daddy Wilkinson and Ziggy Hood. If you recall, Big Daddy also was considered a physical marvel. And like Poe, still didn't exactly set the world on fire with his play. Big Daddy ended being drafted on his so-called potential.

Hood was much the same way too. If I recall, he posted positional bests, or near positional bests at the Combine. That, combined with his solid yet unspectacular college career, pushed him into the first round. (In college, with "superior" physical skills, you should be owning folks.)

Poe is like that. Us drafting him will ensure a solid but wholly unspectacular D-line. We'd might not get pushed around (with a line like Poe, Heyward, and Hood), but they will do very little to change games IMO.

That will be the case. Might as well take the names off the back of the jerseys for anyone who plays DL in this 3-4 because only the football minds know how well and what their roles are. Their production is measured by the success of the LBs in the film room. Poe, Ta’amu, and Chapman may do enough in time to standout at the NT position much like Hampton....But their success will never be measured in the stat book. It will be the LBs and the defense as a whole who will benefit from their production.

[JUST-PLAIN-NASTY]

There are several guys that I would get excited about if we were somehow able to get (if they happened to fall to us, or if we were able to trade up). Guys like DeCastro, Kuechly, Martin, Glenn, Barron.

There are several guys that I do not want to take at #24. Guys with red flags like Mike Adams or Janoris Jenkins, or 2nd round guys we'd reach for like Kevin Zeitler.
Poe is in the middle (along with Dont'a Hightower, for that matter). I like the idea of those picks, but don't love the idea. Both fill needs for us...Poe has a higher ceiling but Hightower has a higher floor...both could be solid picks...I wouldn't disagree with either of them at #24 (would greatly prefer either of them to the guys on that second list), but I'm still hoping for someone from that first list instead. We'll see.

Well said and you pretty much nailed my list.

[Dee Dub]

From Don Banks of CNNSI who he now thinks will go to the Steelers at 24....

"The plummeting but freakishly gifted Poe"

Hilarious. Most of you should recall I said that Poe should have never climbed up the first round because of his combine work outs. That on film he didnt show much. So now he is supposedly falling? How does that happen? Very simple, experts scrambling for his game tapes.

[Shoe]

That will be the case. Might as well take the names off the back of the jerseys for anyone who plays DL in this 3-4 because only the football minds know how well and what their roles are. Their production is measured by the success of the LBs in the film room. Poe, Ta’amu, and Chapman may do enough in time to standout at the NT position much like Hampton....But their success will never be measured in the stat book. It will be the LBs and the defense as a whole who will benefit from their production.

While you are correct, there still is opportunity to distinguish one's self.

I don't see Poe becoming Hampton or Smith. I think we've seen the best of Hood already, and it's not Hampton/Smith level. Cam Heyward may turn into a serviceable starter (e.g. Nolan Harrison), but I don't see him becoming anything much more than that.

Adding Poe would give us a decent front, but would probably prevent us from fieding a defense that's short of "great" (like that '08 team with Hampton & Smith for example).