He could fall to 17.

[Shoe]

Not hardly. Larry Foote is not a run stuffer nor can he cover like Te'o.

I predict a lot of people will miss the boat on Te'o. I see greatness in him.

It's not out of the realm, to put Larry Foote's name with Te'o. Foote was Big-10 DPOY one year, when the Big-10 was the still the BIG-10. Anyone who watched UM during his days will tell you he was a player. Maybe not the splash player that Te'o happened to be this particular year, but a player.

For a player like Te'o (who isn't a "Patrick Willis" type beast), what you would like to see as an evaluator, is a redeeming physical quality that belies his "average" physical stature/measurables. Specifically for example, I like to know their hand size. I think it says a lot about their ability to wrap and tackle, when they have large hands (to go with their other talents). Ray Lewis, Troy Polamalu are examples of this. At Pick 17, you couldn't really ask for a better pick though. Follow-up the DeCastro pick, Heyward/Hood (who, despite their failure to make impacts on the field, were drafted a lot on character), with Te'o? Wow. I honestly don't think we can be THAT lucky.

[Sugar]

You have to ask yourself this:

Are there 17 better football players than Manti Te'o in this year's draft?

If the answer is no, then you simply draft Te'o....

Don't draft for need unless need and value come together, like DeCastro last draft....

I'm thinking BPA, unless it's a QB or a C. We could use the help about everywhere else.

[Dee Dub]

I have a Co worker who is a big fan of Notre Dame and I asked him about the lb and he told me that he is really overrated and that the only reason that he is noticed because the dl is so good and he also said that the guy miss a lot of tackles. So take it for what it's worth and he watches almost all of their games.

I have probably seen every game Te'o has played as well and I dont agree he is over rated. And I am not a Notre Dame fan. It is an unbiased thought on my behalf. If you look at his overall numbers during his career and he he was used differently the past two season I dont know how all those plays would ever translate into being over-rated.

Every player who plays the game of football misses tackles. But with Te'o he is in position to make more tackles than the average player. It's like Ozzie Smith making errors on balls in the hole that go off his glove. He gets to those plays that others cant. Same with Te'o.

[Dee Dub]

If we have the supposed #1 defense in the NFL that many seem content with and doesn't require change, why then would we use our #1 pick on a defensive player? According to many, isn't this season's downfall on Haley and the offense's fault and logically shouldn't we improve the offense?

Ok Ovi, does not the fact that the Steelers played one of the worst opponent win-loss percentages play into their defensive ranking? Do you really believe this is a high ranked defense? If so..I'll, I can say is you gotta be kidding me?!

Look at the yardage and points this so called great denseness gave up versus the lowly, Raiders, Titans, Browns (game 1), Chargers, and Cowboys this year.

[Slapstick]

I'm thinking BPA, unless it's a QB or a C. We could use the help about everywhere else.

Exactly. If Te'o is the best player, than take him. Simple.

[Sugar]

Exactly. If Te'o is the best player, than take him. Simple.

Exactly. If it's somebody else, then take them.

[lloydroid]

No way he falls to 17, unless he has a really bad game vs. AL and stinks at the combine. And if that happens, I'm not sure I want him. He is slated to go top 5 right now. We need a ball hawk DB more than ILB.

[Dee Dub]

Exactly. If it's somebody else, then take them.

Do you think that is what the Steelers did or got when the drafted Cameron Hayward, Ziggy Hood, Rashard Mendenhall, Lawrence Timmons, etc., etc.?

With the Steelers it's always best player available at a position of need. And more times than not it inst usually the best player rated on the board.

[Slapstick]

I disagree. Value and need. The Steelers don't overdraft under Colbert in the first round.

[Dee Dub]

I disagree. Value and need. The Steelers don't overdraft under Colbert in the first round.

Ok then tell us, was Timmons, Hayward, Hood, Mendenhall the best players on the board when they were drafted?

[Oviedo]

Ok Ovi, does not the fact that the Steelers played one of the worst opponent win-loss percentages play into their defensive ranking? Do you really believe this is a high ranked defense? If so..I'll, I can say is you gotta be kidding me?!

Look at the yardage and points this so called great denseness gave up versus the lowly, Raiders, Titans, Browns (game 1), Chargers, and Cowboys this year.

I was being sarcastic but until this defense takes a major fall too many have a false sense of belief it is still a great defense. Great defenses sack QBs and get INTs both of which we have become more feeble at doing over the past few seasons. But everyone can keep drinking the "great defense" kool-aid!

[Dee Dub]

I was being sarcastic but until this defense takes a major fall too many have a false sense of belief it is still a great defense. Great defenses sack QBs and get INTs both of which we have become more feeble at doing over the past few seasons. But everyone can keep drinking the "great defense" kool-aid!

Oh sorry. Misunderstood. We are on the same page.

[Slapstick]

Ok then tell us, was Timmons, Hayward, Hood, Mendenhall the best players on the board when they were drafted?

At the time of the draft, you absolutely could have argued that any of those players were the best player available... At the very least, one out of a group of equivalent players...

We have the benefit of hindsight now, which no one has on draft day...

[winwithd]

We are drafting in the Timmons (15th), Polamalu (16th), Hampton (?), and Pouncey (18th) range. So I feel confident we will get a multiple-Pro Bowl caliber player based on our recent draft record. Mendenhall could be Pro-Bowl material on the right team.

I think Timmons could give us another 5 or 6 seasons of play like this last one. Now if we can keep the young corners, Woodley gets off his lazy A** this off-season and comes back playing like he has already, and we can find someone to eventually replace Troy and Ryan, we should be set for a few years on D. I honestly think both Troy and Ryan have at least one and maybe two Pro Bowl type years left in them. And Troy will play at least 14 games next year.

I think we are Super Bowl contenders as long as Ben is healthy.

[Slapstick]

Hampton was a #19 pick, IIRC... The Steelers traded down...