The Jury is Out

At least we now have a better idea how the Steelers' brain trust envisions the team, and their strategy for addressing its weaknesses.

The team's current depth chart listed currently on Steelers.com is likely to change. As of Sunday, it lists Brian Arnfeldt as the starter at right defensive end, Chris Carter as the starter at left outside linebacker, and Vince Williams as the starter at left inside linebacker. On offense, David Snow is listed as the starting center.

Arriving via the draft, linebacker Ryan Shazier is the big addition on defense, and he brings speed. The way for an offense to challenge a speed linebacker like that is to run right at him, so the Steelers also fortified the defensive line with Stephon Tuitt and space-filling nose tackle Daniel McCullers. They will help protect Shazier from smash-mouth formations that try to power through him, Jarvis Jones, Lawrence Timmons and Jason Worilds.

The secondary stays pretty much the same as last year, except for the addition of Mike Mitchell to succeed Ryan Clark at safety, and a bit more depth at corner with fifth-rounder Shaquille Richardson.

On offense, the combination of Le'Veon Bell and LeGarrette Blount makes for a power tandem that will get a change of pace with tiny scat-back Dri Archer. The Steelers will rely on Markus Wheaton to emerge as the No. 2 receiver opposite Antonio Brown. Depth is added along the offensive line with Wesley Johnson and at tight end with Rob Blanchflower.

Special teams will have a new punter (either Adam Podlesh or Brad Wing). Darius Heyward-Bey becomes one of the gunners on punt coverage. Dre Archer will compete for kick return duties.

Maybe somebody emerges as a surprise contributor from the crop of undrafted free agents.

Thumbs up on Rounds, Five, Six, Seven

Joey Porter's Pit Bulls are bullish on Shaquille Richardson, Wesley Johnson, Jordan Zumwalt, Daniel McCullers and Rob Blanchflower.

It will be interesting to see if Johnson, McCullers and Richardson challenge early for serious playing time. Opportunities are there for the taking for all three.

Comparisons to be Made

So much for Sean Spence. And Terrence Garvin.

Steeler Nation, meet your new hybrid safety/inside linebacker: Ryan Shazier.

This is a controversial, debatable choice for the No. 15 overall pick in the NFL draft. It is not a safe choice, although Shazier was productive at Ohio State, and he is athletic. There is concern he may be undersized.

As Mike Tomlin noted, however, Shazier is fast and can make plays "horizontally and vertically."  What that means, hopefully, is that Shazier will be able to cover the NFL's tall, fast tight ends running down the seam in the middle of the field, as well as track down fast running backs sideline-to-sideline, and run with the mobile quarterbacks becoming more prevalent in the league these days.

So, there is a case to be made for Shazier. Presumably, he will assume the role Troy Polamalu played so much last year: Close to the line of scrimmage, at the second level, disrupting lanes and also dropping back into coverage with tight ends, receivers and running backs; with the periodic burst up the middle on a pass rush.

For what it's worth (nothing, probably), in the one 40-yard dash highlight shown on the NFL Network after the pick was announced, Shazier blazed through the sprint -- but pulled up at the end with a hamstring problem. Uh-oh. Let's hope that's not a portent of things to come. If there's one thing we've learned about problematic hamstrings, it is that they can be persistent, recurring and take forever to heal. And they keep coming back. Don't they, Lammarr Woodley?

For the next few years, however, Steeler fans will be keeping an eye on the development not only of Shazier but of three players in particular who could have been drafted instead of him.

Those are:

Zack Martin, OL, Notre Dame, who went to the Cowboys with the very next pick, No. 16. As noted in our post early on Draft Day, if Odell Beckham, Jr. and Justin Gilbert were off the board, we'd identified Martin as the next guy we would have taken. In Dallas, by the way, some of the pre-draft media prognostications had projected Shazier going to the Cowboys at No. 16.

C.J. Mosley, ILB, Alabama, who went to Baltimore with the very next pick after Martin, at No, 17 overall. Mosley was a more heralded player than Shazier, although some concerns have been raised about his durability. The two inside linebackers are about the same size, but Shazier runs a faster 40-yard dash.

Darqueze Dennard, CB, Michigan State, who went to Cincinnati, for crying out loud, at No. 25 overall. Mike Greenberg ("Mike and Mike") called Dennard the steal of the first round, and that he can flat out play, never mind the 40 time.

When the Steelers went on the clock, with Kyle Fuller, Justin Gilbert and Odell Beckham already off the board, we figured the Steelers would take nearly the full 10 minutes and probably trade down.  Shazier may have been available later in the first round; or maybe not. Jerry Jones in Dallas may very well have intended to draft him at No. 16.

The Steelers took hardly any time at all to turn in their card. For better or worse, this pick has "Mike Tomlin" written all over it.

Next up: Pick No. 46.

This is getting old ...

Waiting for Godot the 2014 NFL Draft is getting very, very old.

Mike Florio nails it in a PFT post headlined, "Draft delay not good for NFL."

The talking heads at the NFL Network are running out of things to discuss. What? Did you think maybe they'd talk in-depth about their old pal Darren Sharper? Nope.

Well, there are a lot of other arrests to talk about, if they run out of things to say during this interminable wait for the NFL Draft.

The latest knucklehead to allegedly invite calamity is Ohio State cornerback Bradley Roby, whom some were projecting as a strong candidate to be drafted by the Steelers at No. 15.  Now, thankfully, he's got to be out of the picture at No. 15. We didn't like him anyway.

"With the 15th pick of the 2014 NFL Draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers ... "

With the 15th pick of the 2014 NFL Draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers ... should pass on players with "red flags," question marks, lack of motivation, "character issues" and unresolved legal problems, criminal charges and general douchebaggery.

Just our opinion.

One player projected to go in the Top 15 is Michigan tackle Taylor Lewan, who still faces arraignment, on May 19th,  related to assault charges, including aggravated assault. Lewan's name has also been linked to consistently dirty play and other ugliness. No, thanks.

Less serious, but still a bit of a concern, is when we hear about reports like Florida State wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin "blew off" a meeting with an NFL coach because he was "tired." If Benjamin was that worn out from the job-interview process for a job that could pay millions of dollars, he and his agent shouldn't have scheduled the meeting.

Aside from that one reported incident, Benjamin looks like he could be a big-time receiver in the NFL, but his on-field film also shows a raw player who drops a few too many passes to merit being the 15th overall pick, in our opinion.

With so many other excellent receivers (and other players) available in this draft, the Steelers don't need to roll the dice on a player who is a developmental project with "upside." Not at wide receiver or any other position.  Not with the 15th pick; not after consecutive 8-8 seasons.

There is room for improvement on this team, that's for sure, and the 15th overall pick should be an immediate plug 'n play starter and immediate upgrade over the incumbent. Not just a guy, but an impact player. Sound reasonable?

Lots of players in this draft have had various issues, ranging from suspensions for "team violations" to  fairly serious legal problems, etc. The Steelers themselves have been bitten in recent years with wasted draft choices such as Alameda Ta'amu and Chris Rainey, who were later-round picks, but still wasted picks -- and a waste of time, money, and effort.

We can tolerate a certain amount of leeway, but there is no reason to spend the 15th overall pick (or any draft choice) on a guy with red flags, question marks, legal problems and "character issues."

Speaking of character issues, The Onion reports offers a story headlined "NFL Increasingly Worried About Character Issues of Fans." In an unrelated story, The Onion also report that "Dad Announces Plan to Honk When He's Out Front."

The Proverbial Best Player Available

With the 15th overall pick in this year's draft, there is no way the Steelers should "reach" for the player they select. There is absolutely no reason for the 15th overall player to be a "project" or one drafted based on indeterminable upside, long-term potential or the possibility of converting from one position to another to fill a need. Not for this team; not after consecutive 8-8 seasons.

There are only 22 position players. The Steelers pick 15th.  They shouldn't have to roll the dice on a player.

Some positions on the Steelers are at a stage of critical need. The debate is open as to what positions are most critical, but let's say for the sake of argument they include in no particular order (or maybe in approximately this order, more or less): wide receiver, cornerback, offensive tackle, defensive line, rush linebacker, safety, inside linebacker, tight end, speed running back, and developmental quarterback.

That's 10 position groups, and some of those could use more than one player. As of today, the Steelers have nine picks in the 2014 draft.  They'd better draft wisely and add some good undrafted free agents after the draft, too.

The two top-rated receivers, Sammy Watkins and Mike Evans, will be gone by No. 15.

There's a good chance the top two corners, Justin Gilbert and Darqueze Dennard, also will be gone.

If all four of those players at those two positions of critical need are gone, the Steelers will have some tough decisions. Do they reach for the third-best corner (Kyle Fuller)? Or a 20-year-old receiver with tremendous upside (Kelvin Benjamin) who has dodgy hands and has an unpolished game?

Personally, Joey Porter's Pit Bulls like LSU's Odell Beckham, Jr. better than Kelvin Benjamin, but Beckham may also get picked among the top 14, based on his college productivity, 2014 Combine performance and this week's LSU Pro Day workout. As Mike Tomlin would say, Beckham's arrow is pointing up -- and keep in mind, Tomlin, Todd Haley and Kevin Colbert reportedly had dinner with Beckham this week (just as they did with Benjamin when Florida State had its Pro Day).

Say three to five quarterbacks (Manziel, Bortles and Carr and/or Bridgewater) get drafted in the top 14, and three tackles (Greg Robinson, Jake Matthews and either Taylor Lewan or Zack Martin), and three pass rushers (Jadeveon Clowney, Khalil Mack and either Dee Ford or Anthony Barr; maybe even Kony Ealy).  Tight end Eric Ebron might also make the top 14.

Maybe both of the top two safeties (Ha-Ha Clinton Dix or Calvin Pryor) will be gone.  Maybe one of them is still available at No. 15, though. Would it make sense for the Steelers to take either Dix or Pryor? ... over a defensive lineman like Stephon Pruitt?

Will the Steelers bypass wide receiver in the first round because they figure it's a deep draft for receivers and they might be able to get a good one with Pick No. 46 overall, in the second round?

Tough decisions.

The Steelers should be able to draft the top-rated player at a position of need. And the Steelers have so many needs, they should be able to draft a player who will make an immediate impact and be a perennial Pro Bowl player for years to come. That's how it should work with the 15th overall pick.

There's about a month to go. For all intents and purposes, the Steelers are lacking a third-round pick (unless you count the compensatory pick at the end of the round), so it is absolutely imperative that they get the first-rounder right.

Jarvis Landry Jarvis Jones Landry Jarvis Jones Landry Jarvis Jones Landry Jarvis Jones Landry

Lynn Chandnois, wide receiver,
Pittsburgh Steelers, circa 1955

Cornerback. Wide Receiver.  Wide Receiver.  Cornerback. Either/or.  In that order.  Should be. Probably. The Steelers' first two picks.

In the NFL Draft next month (why so late, anyway, Mr. Goodell?), at picks No. 15 overall and No. 46 overall, the Steelers will select a cornerback and wide receiver.

Let's get this out on the table right now: Both top-rated receivers will be gone. Sammy Watkins (South Carolina) and Mike Evans (Texas Agricultural and Mechanical University) will be off the board by pick No. 15.

LSU's Pro Day is tomorrow, Wednesday, April 9, and Steelers' coaches, scouts and Kevin Colbert will be there, in force. It's a deep draft for receivers, and the Tigers have two very good ones in Odell Beckham, Jr. (who is expected to be selected mid-first round) and Landry Jarvis Jones Jarvis Landry Jones Jarvis Landry,  who is projected as a second-rounder. LSU also has a pretty good quarterback, Zach Mettenberger, but the Steelers almost certainly won't be able to get him.

Joey Porter's Pit Bulls really like both receivers. Both Beckham and Landry are playmakers, both have great hands, and both appear to be very polished. Having said that ... if the Steelers are able to draft Darqueze Dennard with overall pick number 15, they should probably take him.  The Steelers are long past due fortifying the corner position with high-end talent.

For no reason at all, Joey Porter's Pit Bulls suspect Dennard may turn out to be the better NFL player than Justin Gilbert (Oklahoma State), who is generally regarded the top-rated corner in this year's draft, although the NFL Network's Mike Mayock has Dennard rated No. 1, Virginia Tech's Kyle Fuller No. 2, and Gilbert No. 3. Mayock seems to be the only one espousing that opinion, but there's a case to be made for Fuller to be in the top three.

We need a corner, but ... 
Mayock's opinion notwithstanding, there's a decent chance both Dennard and Gilbert will both be off the board by the time the Steelers pick. Virginia Tech's Kyle Fuller might be a consideration, considering it's a deep draft for receivers, but we'd be more excited about getting Beckham than Fuller.  If the Steelers select a corner in the first round, Jarvis Landry would be a good option (if available) in the second round, as would Vanderbilt WR Jordan Matthews (if available).

Actually, it would be pretty cool if Jarvis Landry ends up with the Steelers. Then we'd have Jarvis Jones, Landry Jones, and Jarvis Landry.  It would make Bill Hillgrove's head spin, which would be awesome.

Then again, if all four players (Dennard, Gilbert, Watkins and Evans) are gone, the Steelers may well look at, yes, offensive tackle (although we don't think they will), or defensive line (Stephon Tuitt? Anthony Barr? Dee Ford? Louis Nix?).

So, with their first two picks, the Steelers will pick a receiver and a cornerback ... unless, that is, the Steelers address any of a multitude of other needs, such as offensive tackle (we're looking at you, Marcus Gilbert); or defensive line; or pass-rushing linebacker; or monster-sized, speedy pass-catching tight end.

Yeah, we're plugged in.

Back to Zach Mettenberger for a moment: There are plenty of question marks associated with Mettenberger, but after sustaining a torn ACL in November, the LSU QB  is gaining a lot of media attention this week as a "fast riser" in pre-draft talk. Previously projected as a third or fourth rounder, now he is likely to go early in the second round, with Arizona, New England, Oakland and Minnesota being discussed as possible landing spots. He might be a good fit in Pittsburgh, but the Steelers have other needs right now, including receiver, and simply don't have the luxury of a pick early in the second round. If he does well at LSU's Pro Day, Mettenberger may even get taken in the first round. If you think that's too high, take a look at some of the NFL-caliber passes he threw to Beckham and Landry in the receivers' highlight videos here (for Beckham) and here (for Landry), especially the throws at about the 23-second, 34-second, and 2:34 marks of the latter video.

If you watch either of those videos -- keeping in mind that YouTube highlight reels of college football players by nature show selective plays and can be highly misleading -- you'll see why so many scouts and observers are geeked about Beckham in particular (rated as one of the top 15-20 prospects overall), but also why Jarvis Landry is rated among the top 10 receivers.

Landry may not be quite as fast as Beckham, but some of his catches in the highlight reel are downright Lynn Swann-esque. And Landry was the guy LSU counted on  for first downs.  Neither of those guys is especially tall, but either one of them would look good in a Steelers uniform.

Watch this: Odell Beckham Jr. Highlights

Like anybody else who watched the NFL Combine, we came away impressed with two receivers who really stood out: Mike Evans and Odell Beckham, Jr. 

The only knock against Beckham was that he looked smallish.  Yeah, of course, Beckham (listed at 5'11", 198) looked smaller compared to Evans, who is 6'5", 231.

As a result, with so many outstanding and tantalizing big receivers in this draft (Evans, Kelvin Benjamin, Jordan Matthews, Donte Moncrief, Martavis Bryant, etc.), nobody until this week had projected Beckham to go as high as Pick No. 15 in the draft, which is where the Steelers pick.

So, when Mel Kiper Jr. predicted the Steelers would select Beckham with their first-round choice, we thought we'd take a closer look.

YouTube highlight reels of college football players can be misleading. We realize that.

Great Hands; a Polished Receiver
In the video above, however, Beckham, playing against top-flight SEC competition, showed the polish and everything else you want in a big-play wide receiver, with stellar kick-return abilities thrown in for good measure.  Great hands; explosiveness; breakaway speed; body control; fluidity; burst; separation; moves; yards after the catch; high-point leaping ability; shiftiness; sideline awareness; tenacity; the ability to catch contested balls; evasiveness; smooth, natural hands; and, it bears repeating, great hands.

Kiper's projection of Beckham to the Steelers at No. 15 was roundly lambasted in Steeler Nation -- check out the Reader Comments in this post at Behind the Steel Curtain and in this post at Steelers Depot -- but Joey Porter's Pit Bulls don't think Beckham would be a reach at No. 15. Not at all.

It seem like the Steelers favor the bigger but less refined and less sure-handed Kelvin Benjamin at this point, but to our amateur eyes, Odell Beckham looks like he has all the tools to succeed in the NFL. Beckham appears to be a play-maker and, frankly, he looks like he has more game, although Benjamin has "upside" and "potential."

If both top-rated corners (Gilbert and Dennard) are gone, and both top-rated receivers (Walker and Evans) are gone, Beckham could be a good choice at No. 15.

We're not saying he should be the choice; we just don't see what's not to like (aside from the bow tie).

Weighing in ...

Lance Moore

Once again this year, Steeler Nation has watched NFL free agency come and go (mostly now) with bated breath only to be frustrated by lack of cap space and a series of mostly underwhelming additions and unsurprising subtractions.

Safety Mike Mitchell is the only roster addition we can say with confidence is an upgrade. Mitchell succeeds the inimitable but aging Ryan Clark, who became suddenly slow during a 2013 season in which the defense surrendered a gazillion plays of 20 yards or more.

Jessica Burciaga, who is supposedly
Lance Moore's girlfriend

At wide receiver, Lance Moore replaces Emmanuel Sanders -- not Jericho Cotchery, as most people seem to conclude from the timing of Moore's signing coinciding with Cotchery's lamentable departure. We're not sorry to see Sanders gone; we are sad to see Jericho no longer in Black 'n Gold.

Hampered by injuries last year, Lance Moore had only 37 catches for the Saints, but he tallied an average of 63 catches a year for the previous three seasons. The Steelers hope he regains that form to replace Sanders, who had 67 catches last year for the Steelers (740 yards; 11.0 ypc). Sanders also had more than few drops, and too many of those at crucial times. Sanders came up small in the biggest moments; clutch, not so much. The Steelers should have let Sanders go to New England last off-season, and we said so at the time.

As for the Moore-Sanders comparison: Similar body type; similar physical attributes; similar speed -- the main difference is Moore is three-and-a-half years older than Sanders, and on the north side of 30. Plus, reportedly, he has a stunning girlfriend (and maybe Sanders does, too, for all we know).

If Moore doesn't return to form, and even if he does, the Steelers are looking for 2013 third-rounder Markus Wheaton to step up his game in a big way. We have high hopes for Wheaton, who was injured much of last year and made next to no impact. If neither Moore nor Wheaton pan out this year, the Steelers will be in trouble. There is nobody else, unless 2013 fringe rookies Derek Moye or Justin Brown develop, or somebody out of the blue. Or a draft choice.

As for the other moves, they're underwhelming and appear to be for depth, which is not a bad thing, just not very exciting. Glaring holes remain on defense, especially on the defensive line and at cornerback. There's room for improvement at inside linebacker, too. (C.J. Moseley, anyone?)

Next Up at Running Back: "The Winnebago"?
Running back remains a big concern, and maybe LeGarrette Blount will sign; maybe not. Nicknamed "The Winnebago," Blount's size makes Steeler fans hope for the arrival of the next Jerome Bettis ("The Bus"). More realistically, Blount may be closer to Najeh Davenport ("The Dump Truck"). Like Davenport, Blount has some history he'd no doubt prefer people would forget.

The Draft
Wide receiver and cornerback remain the top two target areas for the draft. We're guessing corner, if either of the top two (Justin Gilbert or Darqueze Dennard) are available.  Wide receiver, otherwise, probably, unless an absolutely can't-miss offensive tackle or impact defensive lineman is available. The needs are many, and they are great.

If North Carolina tight end Eric Ebron is available, we'd consider him in the first round. We don't think the Steelers will, but Joey Porter's Pit Bulls would. The Steelers have four tight ends on the roster and probably figure they're set for the time being. Heath Miller's still very good, but a player like Ebron could be a difference-maker, especially in the Red Zone. At 6'4, 250, Ebron would be a monster slot receiver.

In any case, the Steelers need immediate help at corner, wide receiver, the defensive front seven and running back.  Probably in that order.