Pittsburgh Steelers

2011 NFL Draft: The Pittsburgh Steelers, Trades, Rumors and the Second Round

The Pittsburgh Steelers went with the safe and reliable pick by choosing to select the best player available. That player was Cameron Heyward. Heyward is a very strong defensive end from Ohio St. who will be the future of the Steelers' 3-4 defensive line. Heyward will be a fan favorite in the Steel City because of his Pittsburgh roots. Heyward was born in Pittsburgh, his mother is from Pittsbrugh and his late father Craig "Iron Head" Heyward played college ball at the University of Pittsburgh.

The Steelers filled a need by adding youth to a defensive line with one player under the age of 30. Unfortunately for those Steelers fans that want immediate bang for their buck, Heyward will likely go the route of Ziggy Hood. Hood was also drafted first overall and spent his rookie year watching from the sidelines while occasionally playing on third downs.

The Steelers still have a major hole on their defense to be looked at. The corner back position was the weak spot of a stellar defense in 2010. This season the Steelers could end up losing Ike Taylor, and every round they go without drafting a cornerback Taylor's price tag will go up.

The Steelers may not be in the best position to draft a cornerback in round two, however. There are quite a few corner back prospects that could end up being drafted in the second round, however, meaning the Steelers could find themselves out of reach for a cornerback worth the pick.

The second round should feature a strong run on corner backs, as the second Teri group has about 10-13 solid contributors with some upside. The list of corne rbacks expected to be drafted in the second round include: Aaron Williams, Brandon Harris, Ras-I Dowling, Jhonny Patrick, Brandon Burton and Curtis Brown.

The Steelers have had their sights on Aaron Williams for some time but likely will be out of position to draft him. Both Aaron Williams and Brandon Harris are likely to be drafted within the first ten picks of the second round. If the Steelers were to entertain the idea of trading up that high, they would need to send picks in return.

If the Steelers were to move up to the first pick of the second round they would have to send their second third round picks this year, while likely packaging picks for next year. In other words, it wouldn't be worth it. If the Steelers wanted to trade up the tenth spot, it would require their second and third round picks and possibly either a late round pick this year or a later round pick in 2011. I still feel that this will be too rich for the Steelers blood.

There is the chance that the Steelers could want to move in to the middle of the draft, and take the 16th pick in the second round. This is much more reasonable of an idea for the Steelers. If GM Kevin Colbert sees a cornerback worth moving up for in the middle of the second round, it will cost him only his second and third round selections.

That makes it much more likely that the Steelers would consider moving up, and it would be the earliest the Steelers would realistically be able to move up. According to the NFL Trade Value Chart the Steelers still wouldn't be giving the proper value for the 16th pick, but it would be close.

The Steelers could end up missing on the cornerback run entirely as well. If they decide that the asking price of a third round pick is too much to make the move, they could wait until their spot and do exactly the same as they did in the first round and take the best player available. The possibilities are endless, but realistically I would say OT Ben Ijalana and OG Orlando Franklin could still be available.

Likely the Steelers will have their choices of corner backs, but they might not be good enough to step in and make an impact for the 2011 Pittsburgh Steelers.

Likely the Steelers will have their choice between Ras-I Dowling, Johnny Patrick and Brandon Burton.

Dowling seems to be the fan favorite right now because of his collegiate production. When on the field, Dowling was a devastating ball hawk that wreaked havoc for opposing quarterbacks. That is when he was on the field however. Dowling spent the majority of last season injured and would bring a bevy of concerns to a team that suffered too many injuries in 2010.

The Steelers could decided to steer clear of Dowling's injury concerns and instead go after Louisville prospect, Johnny Patrick. Patrick has all the skills needed to be a big time corner in the NFL but lacks strength at one key muscle: his brain. Patrick has been known to give up when playing from behind or after struggling. The Steelers should be able to whip him in to shape, but will a set back in practice make him harder to coach?

The Steelers could be lucky enough to have Brandon Burton be in the conversation with their second round pick as well. Burton is the exact opposite of Johnny Patrick. Burton is a quick learner with a very strong work ethic, and brings good height to the position. Burton isn't as polished as a cover man however, needing his hard work ethic to keep him in the game. If I had a choice for the Steelers it would be Burton. Burton has zero durability concerns, is a very hard worker and will mix it up in run support. That is Steeler football.

Rumors are that the Steelers will not be making a trades this early. It's not often that you will pick up rumors saying a team won't make a trade, which is a bit suspicious. I do have a strange feeling that the Steelers will look to improve the offensive line in the second round, and keep their eyes on some mid-draft cornerback prospects.

Mike Tomlin has made a case of drafting corners in the middle rounds, and hasn't had very much success. William Gay seems to be the best cornerback drafted recently and he has had only minor success (some could argue none at all).

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/684149-2011-nfl-draft-the-pittsburgh-steelers-trades-rumors-and-the-second-round


BTSC Community Mock Draft Pick #63 -- Pittsburgh Steelers Select James Carpenter, O-Line, Alabama

Some believe you should build a football team from the inside out. After securing its core last year with Maurkice Pouncey, the next logical move for Pittsburgh is to get high quality dance partners lining up next to him. Enter James Carpenter, who by the way was picked by Todd McShay to go number one in the second round. He brings two elite qualities to the table. First, his blend of height, weight and speed is right up there with the top linemen in the draft. Dude is 6-5, 324 pounds and brings a surprising amount of speed for a guy his size. Second, Carpenter is tough as nails with a mean streak, an element not lost on the Kuglinator himself. He plays through nagging injuries and started all 27 games during his Alabama career.

Carpenter also brings unique talent to both run block and pass block with relatively equal effectiveness, both above the line, though neither spectacular at this point in his development. The better news is that Carpenter is a young guy on the rise. His place on everyone's draft boards has gone up from the end of the season. He now carries an impressive 85 NFL Scouts grade, and he won Alabama's Bart Starr Award as the Tide's most improved player.

Carpenter is an upside kind-of-guy that will only continue onward and upward under the tutelage of Sean Kugler. He is unquestionably one of the most versatile linemen in the draft, having been listed at various sites as a guard and tackle. Carpenter is a rich man's Trai Essex, interestingly around the same height and weight. The Steelers would probably use him at guard, but could move him outside in a pinch if needed. Pittsburgh loves that type of versatility, especially on the offensive line.

Carpenter was All-SEC for both of his years at Alabama starting at left tackle. He came from Coffeyville Community College after struggling academically at Iowa State. Fortunately for Carpenter and the Steelers, he no longer needs to worry about biology and Russian Literature. Carpenter was a pivotal part of the offensive success the Tide had during the past two seasons and, obviously, has played in some very big games on the big stage. An impressive athlete, Carpenter has excellent technique and uses his strong hands, knees and feet well. He can anchor, seal, trap and pull and is not shy about getting to the second level. He is well schooled for an NFL-style offense, though at times rough around the edges.

On the downside, Carpenter is not quick enough to play left tackle, but can play right tackle and either of the guard spots. His stiff hips match the lack of foot-quickness, resulting in trouble changing directions. His extra-long legs don't help in that regard. He's really better suited to play guard, playing better in small spaces, and would be effective at pass blocking from an interior position. He also needs to make up for the two years lost at Coffeyville, where big-time football instincts do not get developed. This is both bad news and good. The bad news is that Carpenter would be more refined and polished now had he been at Alabama all four or five years. The good news is that by flying a little under the radar right now, better days are surely ahead. The Pittsburgh Steelers invited Carpenter into town for a visit recently. He'll come back to town this Tuesday wearing a black and gold cap.

BTSC 2011 Community Mock Draft Selections:

Carolina Panthers -- Cam Newton, QB, Auburn
Denver Broncos -- Marcell Dareus, DT, Alabama
Buffalo Bills -- Von Miller, LB, Texas A&M
Cincinnati Bengals -- Da'Quan Bowers, DE, Clemson
Arizona Cardinals -- Patrick Peterson, CB, LSU
Cleveland Browns -- 'The Snow Cone Machine'A.J. Green, WR, Georgia
San Francisco 49ers -- Blaine Gabbert, QB, Missouri
Tennessee Titans -- Nick Fairley, DT, Auburn
Dallas Cowboys -- Prince Amukamara, CB, Nebraska
Washington Redskins -- Robert Quinn, DE/OLB, North Carolina
Houston Texans -- Aldon Smith, DE/OLB, Missouri
Minnesota Vikings -- Tyron Smith, OT, USC
Detroit Lions -- JJ Watt, DE, Wisconsin
St. Louis Rams -- Julio Jones, WR, Alabama
Miami Dolphons -- Mark Ingram, RB, Alabama
Jacksonville Jaguars -- Brooks Reed , DE, Arizona
New England Patriots -- Gabe Carimi, OT, Wisconsin
San Diego Chargers -- Ryan Kerrigan, DE/OLB, Purdue
New York Giants -- Akeem Ayers, LB, UCLA
Tampa Bay Buccaneers -- Anthony Castonzo, OT, Boston College
Kansas City Chiefs -- Martez Wilson, LB, Illinois
Indianapolis Colts -- Cameron Jordan, DL, California
Philadelphia Eagles -- Jimmy Smith, CB, Colorado
New Orleans Saints -- Justin Houston, DE/OLB, Georgia
Seattle Seahawks -- Jake Locker, QB, Washington
Baltimore Ravens -- Torrey Smith, WR, Maryland
Atlanta Falcons -- Adrian Clayborn, DE, Iowa
New England Patriots -- Mike Pouncey, OG, Florida
Chicago Bears --Derek Sherrod, OT, Mississippi State
New York Jets -- Muhammad Wilkerson, DT, Temple
Pittsburgh Steelers -- Nate Solder, OT, Colorado
Green Bay Packers -- Phil Taylor, DT, Baylor

ROUND 2

New England Patriots -- Cameron Hayward, DE, Ohio State (33rd overall)
Buffalo Bills -- Kyle Rudolph, TE, Notre Dame (34th overall)
Cincinnati Bengals -- Christian Ponder, QB, Florida State (35th overall)
Denver Broncos -- Mikel LeShoure, RB, Illinois (36th overall)
Cleveland Browns -- Corey Liuget, DT, Illinois (37th overall)
Arizona Cardinals -- Colin Kaepernick, QB, Nevada (38th overall)
Tennessee Titans -- Andy Dalton, QB, Texas Christian (39th overall)
Dallas Cowboys -- Danny Watkins, OG, Baylor (40th overall)
Washington Redskins -- Jonathan Baldwin, WR, Pittsburgh (41st overall)
Houston Texans -- Aaron Williams, CB, Texas (42nd overall)
Minnesota Vikings -- Brandon Harris, CB, Miami (43rd overall)
Detroit Lions -- Bruce Carter, OLB, North Carolina (44th overall)
San Francisco 49ers -- Rahim Moore, FS, UCLA (45th overall)
Denver Broncos -- Benjamin Ijalana, OL, Villanova (46th overall)
St. Louis Rams -- Marvin Austin, DT, North Carolina (47th overall)
Oakland Raiders -- Stefan Wisniewski, OG/C, Penn State (48th overall)
Jacksonville Jaguars -- Ryan Mallet, QB, Arkansas (49th overall)
San Diego Chargers -- Leonard Hankerson, WR, University of Miami (50th overall)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers -- Jabaal Sheard, DE, Pittsburgh (51st overall)
New York Giants -- Mason Foster, LB, Washington (52nd overall)
Indianapolis Colts -- Rodney Hudson, G/C, Florida State (53rd overall)
Philadelphia Eagles -- Marcus Cannon, OG, Texas Christian (54th overall)
Kansas City Chiefs -- Stephen Paea, DT, Oregon State (55th overall)
New Orleans Saints -- Robert Sands, S, West Virginia (56th overall)
Seattle Seahawks -- Brandon Burton, CB, Utah (57th overall)
Baltimore Ravens -- Christian Ballard, DE, Iowa (58th overall)
Atlanta Falcons -- Randall Cobb, WR, Kentucky (59th overall)
New England Patriots -- Ras-I Downling, CB, Virginia (60th overall)
San Diego Chargers -- Marcus Gilbert, OT, Florida (61st overall)
Chicago Bears -- Drake Nevis, DT, Louisiana State (62nd overall)

http://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/2011/4/29/2138790/btsc-community-mock-draft-pick-63-pittsburgh-steelers

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