Who Will Be The Steelers' Selection In The 2014 NFL Draft?

Ask that question to 10 Pittsburgh Steelers fans and you're likely to get 10 different answers. From Aaron Donald to Taylor Lewan and from Louis Nix III to Eric Ebron. 

Even Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert said Monday that there are at least 15 players "that we would be very happy to pick" in the 15th slot in the first round Thursday night. 

The reality is that, depending on how the 14 picks above them unfold, there are likely only four or five players the Steelers will take with their first selection. Who are they? 

The Steelers have gone from a veritable "who's who" on defense to a veritable "who's that." Aside from Mike Mitchell, it's an array of young and unsung players who've been brought on board to fill holes and address depth issues. Ike Taylor is 34 years old and the Steelers need cornerbacks. They are absolutely looking strongly at taking a cornerback and a wide receiver in the first two rounds. But they replaced Jerricho Cotchery with solid veteran slot receiver Lance Moore, added Darius H...(sorry, dropped my pen) Heyward-Bey and they can definitely get a very good WR in round two. Therefore...

Darqueze Dennard, CB, 5'11", 200 LBs, Michigan State - If available, I lean toward Dennard at No. 15. The Steelers are paper thin at two areas on defense: defensive line and cornerback. With the only two real choices along the front seven being long gone by the time the Steelers pick, a top-flight corner would be the next best option. 

Despite LeBeau's scheme being difficult for rookies to grasp, he is likely to be ready sooner than later. I still have questions regarding his ability in the zone, and he does allow his athleticism to make up for decidedly minor, unpolished aspects of his cover game. 

But Dennard is an aggressive, NFL-type CB who looks to be a great overall fit for what the Steelers do, in that he is athletic and excels in man-to-man coverage. To paraphrase William Somerset from the movie Se7en: "This guy's methodical, exacting, and [best] of all, patient." - http://tinyurl.com/mqqau5b

What, though, if Dennard isn't available? Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is 32 years old, after all, and he needs another big or "big play" receiving weapon to pair with Antonio Brown after losing three very productive WRs to free agency in 14 month span (Mike Wallace, Emmanuel Sanders and Jerricho Cotchery). If available, that WR in the first round would be...

Mike Evans, WR, 6'5", 230 LBs, Texas A&M - It has become fairly obvious, especially after watching the Johnny Manziel and Mike Evans Pro Day/workout, that Evans made Manziel’s two great college seasons. -  http://tinyurl.com/pboyhrp

He is the best bad-ball receiver in the draft, he’s 6'5", is 4.53 in the 40, has great moves, a great ball-catching arc and an ability to out jump and outmuscle smaller cornerbacks. He is a red zone beast who rarely drops passes. If he’s available at No. 15, I can't see the Steelers passing on him. 

Justin Gilbert, CB, 6'0", 200 LBs, Oklahoma State — Gilbert is a potential top 10 pick, yes. He ran a 4.37 in the 40, yes. He had seven interceptions last season, yes. He also had six career kickoff return touchdowns (one short of the NCAA record), yes. He might even be as good or better athlete than Dennard. 

BUT...his hips are a little more rigid than Dennard's and he has a history of biting on pump fakes. More importantly, he hasn't shown the same kind of physicality as Dennard in that he isn't nearly the run-stopping tackler and that is HUGE in Pittsburgh. 

Kyle Fuller (pictured), CB, 6'0", 190 LBs, Virginia Tech - Fuller especially won me over at the NFL Scouting Combine. Mike Mayock, too. Throughout the Tuesday (Feb. 25th) broadcast, the NFL Network analyst praised Fuller repeatedly. He gushed about his fluidity and tackling ability, giving likely the best compliment possible in saying: "He gets it." Mayock also said that if Fuller ran better than a 4.50/40 that he would be a "first-round lock." He ran a 4.49/40.

My personal choice (mainly because I doubt Dennard will still be there) may require a trade down to be accomplished. But he can play wide or in the slot, has a physical demeanor with good length, is very tough and loves to tackle. Has a good vertical leap and very smooth hips to be able to turn-and-go. He has smart route recognition, is quick to react, has very good anticipation and cover instincts, closes in a flash and is always looking to strip the ball to force turnovers.

Eric Ebron, TE, 6'4", 245 LBs, North Carolina - There's a lot to like about Ebron. He is a receiving tight end who has rare speed and athleticism for his size and is a good route runner. He is a mismatch nightmare who is generally sure-handed. He has a quick release off the line and excellent body control. Outstanding catch radius and leaping ability. 

His combine numbers were also impressive. He ran an official 4.6/40, completed 24 reps on the 225-pound bench press, recorded a 32-inch vertical leap and a 120-inch broad jump...but he doesn't well. Not at all. This one is a stretch and only happens if all others on their board are gone, and if they don't trade down. 

As has been the case for several months, If It Ain't Steel's choices are either Dennard or Fuller if they go corner, and Evans if they go receiver. 

Which will it be? We'll know as of approximately 6:15 p.m. EST. 


Sent from SteelerJsun's iPhone

Post-NFL Combine Look At Steelers Draft: Cornerbacks

“I don't think corners in our scheme are as unique as maybe the outside linebackers would be. You're looking for a guy who can cover and who can tackle." - Steelers General Manager Kevin Colbert on cornerbacks

If you watched the Super Bowl a few weeks ago, you probably noticed two things that If it Ain't Steel has preached in social media and in our articles: defense wins championships and that, in order to accomplish that reality, you need speed and playmakers.

The trends and rules of the current NFL make it so that no one should even expect to have real success without them. Whether Richard Sherman, Earl Thomas, Kam Chancellor, Bruce Irvin or Super Bowl MVP Malcolm Smith, the list just goes on.

Now turn your attention to your Pittsburgh Steelers and who were their playmakers? Lawrence Timmons, Troy Polamalu, Jason Worilds and maybe Cortez Allen are basically the list. The dearth of speed and playmakers was an issue for the Steelers last season and could be one again next season if ones like Worilds are lost in free agency. Just as speed kills, the lack of it does also.

The Steelers, because of a pass-happy NFL, played their sub package defenses, Nickel, Dime or Quarters, approximately 60% of the time. With depth issues at cornerback and safety, this being a strong draft class in the secondary, especially in the first four rounds, is a needed blessing for the Steelers.

Let's take a post-Combine look, then, at the cornerbacks who could and/or should be on the Steelers' radar for the NFL Draft weekend:

Darqueze Dennard, Michigan State - 5'11", 199 LBs, 4.51/40 (1st round) - (Assuming that Oklahoma State’s Justin Gilbert will already be gone) First-team All American, Jim Thorpe award winner and NFLDraftScout.com's top-ranked CB; official 4.51/40 time (best time of 4.42), 15 bench press reps of 225 LBs, likely a top-15 lock based on Combine workouts and his game tape.

Where I'm not sold is in the fact that he hardly ever pedals and there is little fluidity in hips. Not a question of whether he can learn/unlearn this given his ability, but there is a question of his fitting the Steelers scheme. Since he excels ("specializes"?) in press, man-to-man coverage, does that move him out of the Steelers radar range given that they play much more off-coverage?

Kyle Fuller, Virginia Tech - 5'11 3/4", 190 LBs, 4.49/40 (1st round) - The position comes naturally to Fuller, as CBS Sports' Dane Brugler confirms. When commenting on Twitter (@dpbrugler) of his "natural" athleticism, he said that the position comes very easily to Fuller who "uses his length (32 7/8" arm length) well and shows tremendous anticipation." - parenthesis ours

NFL Media and Draft analyst Mike Mayock sees Virginia Tech CB Kyle Fuller as one of the most underrated players in the draft, saying that "he's a first-round player."

Marcus Roberson, Florida - 6'0", 191 LBs, 4.61/40 (2nd round) - While not as explosive or fast as others, he has good size and versatility, can play both on the outside (is used to being on an island) and in the slot, has an great motor and also plays the run very well.

Loucheiz Purifoy, Florida - 5'11 1/2", 190 LBs, 4.61/40 (2nd-3rd round*) - Very athletic, good size for a cornerback with great hips and agility - can turn and run on a dime and is also exceptional in tight coverage. The only two issues may be his ability to play the run and his hands. The former is a must for Steelers CBs, as they are expected to help in run support (see Colbert's quote above). Purifoy may have had only two interceptions and 11 passes defended in his career, one college season for a typical defensive back, but that could be because of the fact that quarterbacks didn't throw his way a lot.

Stanley Jean-Baptiste, Nebraska - 6'2 1/2", 218 LBs, 4.61/40 (2nd-3rd round*) - He isn't as fast as some, but uses his length well and also has tremendous instincts and anticipation. He is a mauling, bump-and-run guy who can also play off. Almost a safety, which means, if he doesn't pan out at CB, the Steelers would have a fallback plan.

Bradley Roby, Ohio State - 5'11", 194 LBs, 4.39/40 (2nd-3rd round*) - Had an up-and-down year, but still picked off three passes. Was expected to be one of the top CBs by this point in his career, but he simply never matched the expectations. Still he has very good upside and potential.

Keith McGill, Utah - 6'3", 211 LBs, 4.51/40 (3rd round*) - At the Senior Bowl, Mayock said that McGill reminded him of the Seahawks' corners. High praise. Has only one full season under his belt, but made the most of that time with an interception and 12 pass defenses. Has also played safety. (See Jean-Baptiste)

Pierre Desir, Lindenwood - 6'1", 198 LBs, 4.59/40 (4th round) - Because of being from a small school, Desir proved that he could do well against a higher level of competition by playing (well) in the both the East-West Shrine game and the Senior Bowl. He intercepted 13 passes in two seasons at Division II's Lindenwood University (Missouri) despite the word being that, like Purifoy, quarterbacks seldom threw his way.

Phillip Gaines, Rice - 6'0", 193 LBs, 4.38/40 (6th-7th round) - Size, speed and length. He could be a steal in the later rounds.


* - Steelers have no 3rd round pick at present, but we firmly believe they will get a compensatory pick for Mike Wallace
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TIDBITS: As far as we have been able to determine thus far, the Steelers' NFL Scouting Combine interviews were: Justin Gilbert, (CB) Oklahoma State; Karim Martin, (DE) North Carolina; Jalen Saunders, (WR) Oklahoma; Louis Nix III, (NT) Notre Dame; Eric Ebron, (TE) North Carolina; Trey Millard, (TE/WR) Oklahoma, Ka'Deem Carey, (RB) Arizona; Kelvin Benjamin, (WR) Florida State; Donte Moncrief, (WR) Mississippi (unverified); Allen Robinson, (WR) Penn State; Calvin Pryor, (S) Louisville; Ha'Sean Clinton-Dix, (S) Alabama; and Kyle Fuller, (CB) Virginia Tech. Still digging for the other approximate 16 interviewees.