Steelers 2015 Draft possibilites

[hawaiiansteel]

I'm not a draft guru, but other than Trae Waynes out of Mich State I'm not sure there is more than one more 1st Round CB pick. But haven't looked that closely yet

might wanna keep an eye on Florida St CBs PJ Williams who is projected to be a Round 1/2 prospect and Ronald Darby who is projected to go in Round 2/3...

[RuthlessBurgher]

ES I agree with you in that our triple A associate aka OSU has a few prospects for us to gaga over. One though not a corner we may want to watch tonight is Jeff Heuerman TE. Athletic 36.5 vertical and 33x225 unconfirmed 6'5" 255 te who can be split out and has excellent blocking skills.
Purdue and Clemson tape from last year shows good hands catcher who has a quick burst and gets into his routes well. He stays on his blocks and
that is always going to make you a coaches favorite.
Not sure what draft grade the experts will put on him until post combine and after next bowl game or championship game but got to think he's a mid 3rd rounder. He reminds me of some guy named Heath but perhaps I shouldn't put that on anyone but check him out n judge for yourself.
Perhaps Shawn who is excellent with OSU prospects can chime in for us here. His opinion when it comes to this aspect is something I highly value.

Nfldraftscout.com (usually pretty accurate with their projections) has him rated as a 4th round prospect. If we come out of the first two days of the draft with a corner, a safety, and a pass rusher (in some order) with our first three picks, I could see taking a legit backup for Heath with our first pick on day three of the draft.

[Oviedo]

might wanna keep an eye on Florida St CBs PJ Williams who is projected to be a Round 1/2 prospect and Ronald Darby who is projected to go in Round 2/3...

I don't think anyone on the Florida State defense helped their cause. They looked like JV yesterday against Oregon. Didn't help they seemed to quit in the 4th Qtr.

[Oviedo]

Nfldraftscout.com (usually pretty accurate with their projections) has him rated as a 4th round prospect. If we come out of the first two days of the draft with a corner, a safety, and a pass rusher (in some order) with our first three picks, I could see taking a legit backup for Heath with our first pick on day three of the draft.

I do hope we address TE with a more athletic option that Spaeth to groom to replace Miller. Not sure if any of the Oregon TEs are draft eligible but those guys can catch a ball and look good block on the sweeps.

[steelsnis]

I do hope we address TE with a more athletic option that Spaeth to groom to replace Miller. Not sure if any of the Oregon TEs are draft eligible but those guys can catch a ball and look good block on the sweeps.

I've read some stuff recently that TE Rob Blanchflower has grown a lot in practice this year and don't be surprised to see him on the roster next season.

Spaeth is an ideal second TE. Great blocker in run game and can get out in a route occasionally as a surprise. He's not the replacement for Heath, he's got his own niche.

[bostonsteeler]

I've read some stuff recently that TE Rob Blanchflower has grown a lot in practice this year and don't be surprised to see him on the roster next season.

He's a big kid -- 260 or 270 lbs. If he can block and catch well, he'd be a good addition to the roster..

[legend of polamalu]

No more OLBs. They have to sink or swim with Worilds and Jones. Need help on the back end and at DE.

Hopefully they're drafting for a 4-3 next year.

I agree...we have enough LB Depth. Even if Worilds leaves. We need to invest in our secondary.

[Shawn]

JJ watt in this system wouldnt put up the numbers he does in houston because he attacks the LOS, he's not looking to hold up OL for his linebackers
again, change up the scheme (or go 4-3) utilize why they got drafted high in the first place, and i'll draft DL early every year.

Why not? We essentially play the same type of 3-4. The Steelers switched up this year. McClendon can't control both A gaps. Asking Heyward to control the B and C is a waste of his talent. LeBeau seen this and adjusted. It's the reason why Heyward is having a big year. They are allowing their DL to penetrate with 1 gap responsibilities. That's what the Texans do.

[papillon]

No more OLBs. They have to sink or swim with Worilds and Jones. Need help on the back end and at DE.

Hopefully they're drafting for a 4-3 next year.

Well, we know they aren't going to be drafting for a 43 and it isn't a good idea (IMO) to sink or swim with what you have at any position. If they believe they made a mistake, they need to correct it, OLB in the 34 is too important a position to just say, "oh well, Jones and Worilds aren't the answer, but we're going with them regardless". If they believe they can upgrade the position and one or both of them won't be around then you try to upgrade, never settle for okay if you think you can get better.

Pappy

[Shawn]

ES I agree with you in that our triple A associate aka OSU has a few prospects for us to gaga over. One though not a corner we may want to watch tonight is Jeff Heuerman TE. Athletic 36.5 vertical and 33x225 unconfirmed 6'5" 255 te who can be split out and has excellent blocking skills.
Purdue and Clemson tape from last year shows good hands catcher who has a quick burst and gets into his routes well. He stays on his blocks and
that is always going to make you a coaches favorite.
Not sure what draft grade the experts will put on him until post combine and after next bowl game or championship game but got to think he's a mid 3rd rounder. He reminds me of some guy named Heath but perhaps I shouldn't put that on anyone but check him out n judge for yourself.
Perhaps Shawn who is excellent with OSU prospects can chime in for us here. His opinion when it comes to this aspect is something I highly value.

There is so much speed and talent on the OSU offense that Heuerman gets lost in the shuffle. But, make no mistake he might be the most underrated TE in the country. He is a solid route runner with solid hands and good speed. His blocking needs work but he has potential in that area. He blocks too upright at times and can get pushed around when he does. With a little bit of good coaching from Munchak he could be the real deal. I like the guy, and would consider him a good 3rd round value.

[Shawn]

I am spit balling a bit because I don't really get into the draft until after the season. But, my early favorite is PJ Williams-DB Florida. 6 foot, fast, fluid, good tackler and aggressive. But, I thought I remembered reading about some legal or behavioral stuff with him which could change my mind.

Also, someone else who is interesting is Michael Bennett-DL tOSU. He is a late first round talent and if the Steelers are truly considering a move to the 4-3 could be a very good option. He is one of the quickest DLmen I have seen in recent years. He is a real force in collapsing the pocket with penetration. Bosa gets all the headlines but make no mistake Bennett has made Bosa's job much easier. With that said, I do think he needs to add about 10 pounds of muscle to that frame and become a bit more physical. But, if you are truly switching to a 4-3 having a quick twitch DLman like Bennett could really add to your D.

[Shawn]

BTW- Eric Striker-OLB OU sounds like a protypical Tomlin pick. Not sure that is a good thing but undersized, speedy db/lbr hybrids seem to be his cat nip.

[RuthlessBurgher]

I agree...we have enough LB Depth. Even if Worilds leaves. We need to invest in our secondary.

What? We have sufficient depth at ILB. But we need pass rushing OLB's. If Worilds leaves and Harrison retires for good as expected, you are left with Jarvis Jones and Arthur Moats and no one backing them up.

[papillon]

What? We have sufficient depth at ILB. But we need pass rushing OLB's. If Worilds leaves and Harrison retires for good as expected, you are left with Jarvis Jones and Arthur Moats and no one backing them up.

I'm hoping that Worilds takes a reasonable deal that I'm sure the Steelers will offer him. He hasn't been a 10 million dollar linebacker, but he's certainly been in the 5-6 million dollar range this year. Harrison will retire and be on speed dial should the injury or lack of performance bug hit the other OLBs on the team. I'd be surprised if the Steelers DON'T draft an OLB in the first three rounds to be honest.

Pappy

[SteelerMaine83]

I am spit balling a bit because I don't really get into the draft until after the season. But, my early favorite is PJ Williams-DB Florida. 6 foot, fast, fluid, good tackler and aggressive. But, I thought I remembered reading about some legal or behavioral stuff with him which could change my mind.

Also, someone else who is interesting is Michael Bennett-DL tOSU. He is a late first round talent and if the Steelers are truly considering a move to the 4-3 could be a very good option. He is one of the quickest DLmen I have seen in recent years. He is a real force in collapsing the pocket with penetration. Bosa gets all the headlines but make no mistake Bennett has made Bosa's job much easier. With that said, I do think he needs to add about 10 pounds of muscle to that frame and become a bit more physical. But, if you are truly switching to a 4-3 having a quick twitch DLman like Bennett could really add to your D.

Williams has been in fact an off-the-field problem, although at FLA ST many indiscretions go unpunished by the school and/or the local police. Even with that reality, he still ended up in legal trouble more than once. That said, except for Trae Waynes (who will be gone when we pick), all other potential 1st Round CB talents have serious behavior problems or are coming off a serious injury (Olumo). You will get no CB help in the 1st round this year unless you 1) trade way up, or 2) take a big chance on your pick of trouble makers. Anything else is probably a big reach.