Two reasons you don't take a ILB with a high pick in round 1:

[BigRob]

No need to spend a high 1st round pick on an ILB or 4-3 LB. Their are future pro-bowlers are these positions in the 2nd round and beyond.

Bobby Wagner, MLB, Seattle. After starting the year with Wagner in a two-down role (the Seahawks initially took him out on passing downs), Seattle realized by Week 5 this was a waste of his all-round ability. Since then he's missed only six snaps, excepting when he was allowed to rest during garbage time of the recent blowouts of Arizona and Buffalo.
His primary job, though, is still run defense, and in that regard he couldn't have done better than his first ranked position in run-stop percentage (a metric that looks at tackles made in the running game that constitute a defeat for the offense), edging Derrick Johnson and NaVorro Bowman among middle linebackers.
He has not been outstanding in coverage, but has made few major errors and never looks out of place. His 0.88 yards allowed per coverage snap through Week 15 ranks him 21st among 48 qualifying inside linebackers, and while he has allowed two touchdowns he has also made three interceptions. Detractors may point to him being quieter in the last half of the season (the Arizona game aside), but he's never played poorly.


Read More: [URL="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/nfl/news/20121224/peter-king-monday-morning-quarterback-week-16/#ixzz2GHYJQNsy"]http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/nfl/news/20121224/peter-king-monday-morning-quarterback-week-16/#ixzz2GHYJQNsy[/URL]

Lavonte David, OLB, Tampa Bay. A full-time starter from day one, David hasn't missed a single snap since Week 6. Like Wagner, he also leads his position (4-3 outside linebackers) in run stop percentage and has a particular penchant for making tackles for loss, where his 17, not including sacks, leads the league, just ahead of J.J. Watt. The bottom line here is that he is a very high quality run defender who loves to attack. Like Wagner, his coverage skills are average. However, he has allowed five touchdowns while picking up only one interception, which doesn't stand in his favor.

Another difference is that David is used to blitz much more frequently (23 percent of passing plays compared to 10 percent for Wagner) and while he has at least hurried the quarterback 18 times, statistically this isn't a good reward for 143 blitzes.


Read More: [URL="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/nfl/news/20121224/peter-king-monday-morning-quarterback-week-16/#ixzz2GHYVxdaD"]http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/nfl/news/20121224/peter-king-monday-morning-quarterback-week-16/#ixzz2GHYVxdaD[/URL]

[hawaiiansteel]

I would take Manti Te'o if he was available when we select in Round 1.

[flippy]

As a general rule of thumb, I agree. But another overarching rule to consider is get the biggest impact player you can. If you can get a Patrick Willis, I'm totally down with taking him in the first round.

If we pick in the first round and Teo is available and is the next Willis, grab him.

[tiproast]

If we pick in the first round and Teo is available and is the next Willis, grab him.

Why wouldn't the Steelers be picking in the first round? Do you think they're likely to trade down for more picks?

[Dee Dub]

Hear we go again......straight rolly eyes.

I am all for taking the best player available on the board. This team has a lot of needs..but if Manti Te'o is there I take him in a heart beat.

Those LB's you named above are the exception to the rule. That is not the norm in the NFL and they are both 4-3 LB's who would not fit in a 3-4 zone blitz. That makes a huge difference. Do you recall the last second round LB the Steelers drafted? A guy who had actually played in a 3-4 at times in college? How much did you get out of him in year one?

[BigRob]

As a general rule of thumb, I agree. But another overarching rule to consider is get the biggest impact player you can. If you can get a Patrick Willis, I'm totally down with taking him in the first round.

If we pick in the first round and Teo is available and is the next Willis, grab him.

I like Te'o, but he is not Patrick Willis. He is not even close to that kind of physical specimen athletically. Willis came into the league with a ton of potential and room to grow. Te'o has hit his ceiling as a player for the most part. What you see is what you get (admittedly pretty damn good).

I am very curious to see Te'o against Alabama's offense. He will be playing against an O-line in which every player will be in the pros over the next few years.

[Dee Dub]

I like Te'o, but he is not Patrick Willis. He is not even close to that kind of physical specimen athletically. Willis came into the league with a ton of potential and room to grow. Te'o has hit his ceiling as a player for the most part. What you see is what you get (admittedly pretty damn good).

I am very curious to see Te'o against Alabama's offense. He will be playing against an O-line in which every player will be in the pros over the next few years.

Then why has Te'o steadily improved every year at Notre Dame?

If you had the ability to correctly identify a players ceiling at age 22 then you should be a scout......

....but then again if you are going to base something on just one game (Te'o versus Alabama), then you may not make a very good scout.

[flippy]

Why wouldn't the Steelers be picking in the first round? Do you think they're likely to trade down for more picks?

Not an English major here. Maybe I should have said If Teo is available when we pick in the first round....

I heard Cedrick Wilson's looking for some smart people to help him pass some teaching tests.

[BigRob]

Then why has Te'o steadily improved every year at Notre Dame?

If you had the ability to correctly identify a players ceiling at age 22 then you should be a scout......

....but then again if you are going to base something on just one game (Te'o versus Alabama), then you may not make a very good scout.

I'm not a professional scout, and neither are you. We're message board prognosticators. Wrong more than right.

All I said was that I am curious to see what Te'o does against the best team in College FB.

[BigRob]

Hear we go again......straight rolly eyes.

I am all for taking the best player available on the board. This team has a lot of needs..but if Manti Te'o is there I take him in a heart beat.

Those LB's you named above are the exception to the rule. That is not the norm in the NFL and they are both 4-3 LB's who would not fit in a 3-4 zone blitz. That makes a huge difference. Do you recall the last second round LB the Steelers drafted? A guy who had actually played in a 3-4 at times in college? How much did you get out of him in year one?

Heard of Sean Lee? Was he an exception to the rule? How about Navarrow Bowman?

Fact is that ILB is not as crucial a position as it once was. This is a passing league and there is often only one ILB on the field at a time. We already have one stud ILB that plays in passing situations. We don't need to waste a high pick on another one.

[Dee Dub]

Heard of Sean Lee? Was he an exception to the rule? How about Navarrow Bowman?

Fact is that ILB is not as crucial a position as it once was. This is a passing league and there is often only one ILB on the field at a time. We already have one stud ILB that plays in passing situations. We don't need to waste a high pick on another one.

Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhh wait a minute. We are talking about second round picks who came into the league and made an impact their first year. Neither Lee or Bowman did much in their first year in the league.

Rob can we at least keep this discussion the same without changing it?

[Dee Dub]

...
Fact is that ILB is not as crucial a position as it once was. This is a passing league and there is often only one ILB on the field at a time. We already have one stud ILB that plays in passing situations. We don't need to waste a high pick on another one.

So you are saying that adding Te'o to play next to Timmons wouldn't improve the Steelers? That by doing so would be a waste of a pick?

[BigRob]

Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhh wait a minute. We are talking about second round picks who came into the league and made an impact their first year. Neither Lee or Bowman did much in their first year in the league.

Rob can we at least keep this discussion the same without changing it?

This wasn't about year one impact. Never said this discussion was about year one impact. This was about drafting players for the long term. Please stop with the year one impact thing. That is short sighted draft strategy. The Steelers draft for the long term, not the short term.

Uhh No, I am saying you don't need to draft ILB in round one to get pro bowl players. ILB has become a 2nd round position.

[BigRob]

So you are saying that adding Te'o to play next to Timmons wouldn't improve the Steelers? That by doing so would be a waste of a pick?

Defenses are changing, your not going to stay in your base defense all game long. So who sits when the Steelers go into their Nickel looks? Te'o or Timmons?

Why draft a player that high who is going to be standing on the sidelines?

Much rather have LT,CB,S, or a Pass Rusher in the first round.

[RuthlessBurgher]

Defenses are changing, your not going to stay in your base defense all game long. So who sits when the Steelers go into their Nickel looks? Te'o or Timmons?

Why draft a player that high who is going to be standing on the sidelines?

Much rather have LT,CB,S, or a Pass Rusher in the first round.

In the nickel, you have a 4 man DL and 2 ILB, so they would both be out there.

When you go to dime, you'd have a 4 man DL and 1 ILB (you could use Te'o inside, and have Timmons put his hand in the dirt as a DE...granted, he wasn't a great replacement as a 3-4 OLB, but maybe he's better as a rush end in a 4 man line instead). We could also go with a 3 man DL in dime with 2 ILB, rushing either Timmons or Te'o from the inside (the offense wouldn't know which one).