Another Round of Prospect Visits

Over the past few days, five more prospects have paid visits to the Steelers training facility. Many of them will fall into the last few rounds of the draft and may be on the Steelers radar if they are not drafted as potentials to sign as undrafted free agents.

Richard Quinn (TE-North Carolina)


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NFL House Position Rank: 13th

Ian's Take: I'm not sure why the Steelers are looking at tight ends after recently signing McHugh to a 2-year deal. Unless they think McHugh is more of a fullback and are looking for a potential #3 tight end, at the possible roster expense of Carey Davis. In this case, looking at prospects who may fall off the draft board and could be picked up as undrafted free agents is a fantastic idea. I don't think the Steelers would be well-served to draft a tight end, but picking one up as an undrafted free agent could be worth their while.

Projected Round: 6th-undrafted

Donald Washington (CB-Ohio State)


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NFL House Position Rank: 21

Ian's Take: Washington, without a doubt, has been overshadowed by teammate Malcolm Jenkins in this draft class. However, Washington has the size and potential to develop into a solid cover-corner. Washington has a lot of raw talent and a big upside, but as Coach Tomlin said, "Potential is a dangerous word." He's not a first-day prospect, but he could be one of those later-round picks (like Ike Taylor) that has raw skills and is able to develop into a solid starter.

Projected Round: 4th-7th

Don Carey (CB-Norfolk State)


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NFL House Position Rank: 28th

Ian's Take: Carey is one of the top FCS (formerly 1-AA) CB prospects in the draft. While that isn't saying much, he has been a starter for four years, and that experience on the field is invaluable. He also has some kick returning skills, which is something the Steelers are looking for. If they could get someone who could develop into a potential nickel or dime CB and can be a KR in the late rounds, they might pounce on it.

Projected Round: 6th-undrafted

Sherrod Martin (CB-Troy)


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NFL House Position Rank: 9th

Ian's Take: Martin is an intriguging prospect because of his ability to play both corner or free safety. The Steelers are looking for some depth at the Free Safety position, so investing a mid-round pick in someone like Martin might not be a bad idea. He is also 6'1", making him one of the taller DB prospects in the draft. His stock will be determined on whether or not teams see him as CB or a FS. He has the ability and skills to play both, but also has a lot of raw talent that can be molded for either position.

Projected Round: 3rd-6th

Lawrence Sidbury (DE/LB-Richmond)


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NFL House Position Rank: 10th (DE)

Ian's Take: Sidbury is the type of player that 3-4 defenses love to take and mold into an outside linebacker that has exceptional pass-rushing skills. However, with Defensive Player of the Year James Harrison and budding star LaMarr Woodley (along with 3rd Round pick Bruce Davis and Rookie of the Year Patrick Bailey) on the OLB depth chart, I would categorize this position as one the Steelers have the least need in. For the pick we would have to use to take Sidbury (probably our 2nd round pick),

Projected Round: Late 2nd-Early 4th

Picture of the Year: Round 1 Matchup 8

Today marks the final matchup in Round 1 of the tournament, with Ben Roethlisberger's touchdown run against the Bungles facing off against Larry Foote's sack of Donovan McNabb from the regular season game in Philly. As you may (or may not since the pictures are so small) be able to tell from the bracket, the 8 winners from the first round are moving on to face the 8 pictures that got "byes" in the Second Round.

Legitimate First-Round Prospects Visit

The Steelers hosted three more prospects yesterday, all of which will probably be taken on the first day of the draft. I don't see the Steelers trading up in the first round to take any of these guys, but if one of them falls into the mid-to-late second round, they may look to move up a couple to snag him.

Alex Mack (C-California)


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NFLHouse Position Rank: 1st

Ian's Take: Mack is a great O-line prospect and is in high contention to be our first-round selection. A lot of mock drafts have the Steelers taking Mack in the first round, and I would be perfectly happy if they did. At 6'4", 311, Mack has the size and versatility to play center or guard, and would give the Steelers some young, talented depth along the offensive line. Justin Hartwig has 1 year left on his contract, and the Steelers could be looking for a long-term staple at center, much like Dawson and Hartings gave us. Mack can be that player if he's still on the board.

Projected Round: Late 1st/Early 2nd

Fili Moala (DT-USC)


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NFLHouse Position Rank: 8th

Ian's Take: At 6'5", 295, the Steelers are likely looking at him as a 3-4 end, rather than a nose tackle. His profile sounds like a carbon copy of Aaron Smith. "A more valuable contributor than his yearly average production (26 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss and 3.0 sacks) would indicate, Moala isn't going to fill the stat sheet, but his presence inside forced opponents to double-team him often, opening up opportunities for his playmaking teammates." Moala is mobile and strong and would be a good fit on the Steelers defensive line. USC is essentially a pro team playing on the college level, so Moala's preparation for the pro game can't be questioned. He will likely be gone before the Steelers second round pick, but stranger things have happened in the draft and he might fall past a lot of teams who are looking for bulkier 4-3 DT's.

Projected Round: Late 2nd-Early 5th

Herman Johnson (G-LSU)


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NFLHouse Position Rank: 5th

Ian's Take: At 6'7", 364, Johnson is a load. Johnson is a hard prospect to read, as he could be the first guard drafted, or he could be the 4th or 5th. He has the size and strength to move out to tackle if need-be, and he might shoot up draft boards like Brendan Albert (G/T-Virginia) did last year in the weeks before the draft. Some question the fact that he has only one year of starting experience, but his stats (such as downfield blocks) show that he is surprisingly mobile and he has been solid in run-blocking. Some question his pass-blocking skills, saying that he can get lazy and latch onto defenders, but it's important to remember that no prospect is flawless, and even the best guard to ever wear Black and Gold (Faneca) got called for a holding call every now and then. LSU has produced a lot of good NFL linemen (including Faneca) and I could see the Steelers taking him as high as the second round if he falls to them.

Projected Round: 2nd-5th

Steelers Re-sign Keyaron Fox

This was a great move. We signed Keyaron Fox to a 2-year deal, and he deserves it. He was a stud on special teams and was one of the reasons our kick coverage went from hang-your-head dreadful in 2007 to one of the top units in the league in 2008. He made some stellar plays in the preseason and earned his way onto the team. Now he got himself a nice little contract and may get the opportunity to step in at linebacker at some point. He'll be #4 on the ILB depth chart behind Farrior, Foote, and Timmons. You know who else made their mark on special teams before they finally broke into the roster? James Harrison.

Picture of the Year: Round 1 Matchup 7

As we near the end of the first round, we get a solid matchup between Willie Parker toasting a Cleveland defender and Troy Polamalu from after the Super Bowl. Remember, you can click the pictures to enlarge them.

Picture of the Year: Round 1 Matchup 6

Today's matchup comes from the "middle of the pack" so to speak. Neither of these were dubbed by us as the "best" in the tournament, nor were they the "worst." Enjoy the poll! The bracket at the top of the page will be updated shortly!

Cry Baby Jay on his way to the Windy City

In the biggest move of the offseason thus far, the Broncos have sent Quarterback Jay Cutler to Chicago for QB Kyle Orton, the Bears 2009 first round pick, 2010 first round pick, and 2009 third-round pick.

Personally, I think the Bears gave up WAAAY too much here for Cutler. Orton obviously wasn't a Pro Bowl quarterback, but he was growing as a player and had shown sparks of greatness. Lovie Smith better watch his back, because if this thing falls apart, he's going to be out of a job (though it probably won't be his fault). The Bears don't really have any big-time receivers for Cutler to throw to (definitely no Brandon Marshall), but they do have a rushing game. But one has to wonder how content Cutler will be to hand off to Matt Forte all game? The Bears now have to go out and get a wide reciever for Cutler, not to mention the help their secondary needs, with only one pick in the first three rounds.

From the Broncos side, they got a LOT here and Josh McDaniels should be able to re-stock the organization with the kind of players he wants. Interestingly, the Broncos did not attend USC's pro day yesterday, which either means they aren't interested in any of the USC linebackers as additions to their dreadfully awful linebacking corps, or they are so set on them that they didn't feel the need to see them, meet with them, or talk to them in person. The Broncos organization, after being fairly solid and classy for many years under Mike Shanahan, is taking a down-turn. I wouldn't be surprised if they finished 3rd in the West this year.

Pittsburgh West

The Cardinals signed former Steelers FB Dan Kreider today. I always liked Kreider and I feel like the rushing game has dropped off since his absence (and since we stopped using a full back in general). Just one more former Steeler the Whiz adds to his roster.

Prospect Visit: Ra'Shon Harris

Only one prospect visited the Steelers today, Oregon DT Ra'Shon Harris. It's no secret that the Steelers have an aging defensive front. While the current players on the D-line should be solid for the next few years, finding potential replacements for guys like Casey Hampton and Aaron Smith is something the Steelers might take a look at this year in the draft.

Ra'Shon Harris


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NFLHouse Position Rank: 18th

Ian's Take: I'm not very high on Harris, and I don't expect him to go any earlier than the 5th round. That being said, he has a big frame and may have a good upside. The Steelers have had a few misses with D-line prospects since drafting Brett Keisel in 2002. Of the 4 they drafted since 2002 (Ryan McBean, Orien Harris, Shaun Nua, Eric Taylor) none have started a game and the four have combined for only 18 games where they dressed. If the Steelers want to stock up their D-line, they should probably look at prospects better than Harris.

Projected Round: 6th-undrafted

Picture of the Year: Round 1 Matchup 5

Today's poll matches a fan-favorite moment from last season (Hines Ward breaking Keith Rivers' jaw) against Jeff Reed's game winning field goal from the Panthers game. Matchup 1 is still tied, don't forget to vote in it if you haven't yet!

Prospect Visits

Draft prospects have begun to make their visits to teams. Teams can host up to 30 prospects before draft day. So far the Steelers have hosted three prospects. While this might not seem like a big deal, it's important not to discount anyone who visits the Steelers from the mix. Last year the Steelers hosted Dennis Dixon who they drafted in the fourth round, and Jonathan Stewart, who went to Carolina a few picks ahead of when we took Mendenhall. Before the draft last year, everyone was predicting that we'd go O-line or D-line, but we went Running Back instead. Looking at who the Steelers host as prospects is a good indication of who is high on their draft board.

Mike Thomas (WR-Arizona)


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NFLHouse Position Rank: 15

Ian's Take: Thomas is a little undersized but he set the Pac-10 record for career receptions. He has good hands and had an impressive performance in the Las Vegas Bowl (the only game I can remember seeing him in) this past year against BYU. He's also a punt returner, which bodes well for the Steelers. He would provide immediate depth at WR and be a good addition to the team.

Projected round: 4-7th

Phil Loadholt (OT-Oklahoma)


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NFLHouse Position Rank: 7

Ian's Take: Loadholt is a massive prospect, at 6'8" 335, he is very much in the mold of Max Starks. Oklahoma had a good O-line last year and Loadholt is a good prospect. He might be gone by the time the Steelers second round pick comes around, but if he's still there the Steelers will probably take a look at him.

Projected round: 2nd-3rd

Joe Burnett (CB-Central Florida)


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NFLHouse Position Rank: 22

Ian's Take: Burnett is the type of package player (CB/KR) that the Steelers are looking for. He is a little undersized at 5'9" but would primarily see time as a returner next year. Could be a late-round steal.

Projected Round: 5th-7th