2012 Steelers Draft, Rounds 2-3: Open Thread

Posted on April 27, 2012 by ryan

Well, the first round couldn’t have gone any better. But there’s still work to do. The Steelers have needs at linebacker and possibly defensive line.  Of course, as always, it’ll depend on what happens in front of them.

In the meantime, make with your predictions.  I’ll go with LB Lavonte David in Round 2 and RB Isaiah Pead in Round 3.

Related posts:

  1. 2012 Steelers Draft, Round 1: Open Thread
  2. Pittsburgh Steelers 2012 Mock Draft and Projected 53-Man Roster (V. 1.0)
  3. Steelers Must Address Continued Offensive Line Woes Early in 2012 NFL Draft
  4. SL Open Discussion Thread for Week of July 5
  5. Pittsburgh Steelers 2012 NFL Mock Drafts (3 Versions)
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  • Anonymous

    Alameda Ta’amu (second guess, Mychal Kendricks)
    Brandon Brooks (second guess, Josh Chapman)

    • Anonymous

      Other possibilities: Amini Silatolu (OG),  T.Y. Hilton (WR), George Iloka (S), Mohamed Sanu (WR)
      Catch a falling value watch: Courtney Upshaw (OLB),  Coby Fleener (TE), Stephen Hill (WR), Cordy Glenn (OG), Jonathan Martin (OT).

    • coldironcity

      I think is dead on no need for me to repost

    • Randy Steele

      DeCastro’s line coach from Stanford was on the Joe Bendel show this afternoon, and the coach said that DeCastro lined up against Ta’amu last season and totally destroyed him and Ta’amu took himself out of the game.
      Of course, DeCastro’s coach would say something like that, but it did make me wonder how stout Ta’amu really is.

      • Anonymous

        Baron Batch caught Curtis Brown from behind, too. I don’t think losing the trench battle to DeCastro is really a big black mark.

  • Anonymous

    My favorite for the past month is Steelers type player Ronnell Lewis OLB Oklahoma. Nicknamed “The Hammer” his 36 reps of 225 bench pres at the combine was highest among linebackers and fourth overall in this draft class.  Move him to inside line backer and bring the FEAR back like the old Jack Lambert days.  Third round selection Derek Wolfe Cincinnati DE fits the Steelers mold.  Other options if on the board are Casey Hayward and Bobbie Massie in second or third round.

  • Anonymous

    There goes Fleener. He was a long shot to drop to 56, but stranger things have happened (yesterday).

  • DJAnyReason

    I think if you’re the Colts you have to do that – too much added value in having both of them.

  • Anonymous

    I never joined them, but people are no longer smirking at the Ravens draft are they? Upshaw plus another later pick from where they were in round 1 is tremendous value.

    • Randy Steele

      I don’t think the Ravens wanted Upshaw very badly, Intropy. I think they want Hightower, but after New England grabbed him, there was no one they felt strongly about, so they took the extra pick (a 4th rounder?) to drop down.

      Whether it’s a tremendous value will depend on what they do with that pick.

      • Anonymous

        Maybe you’re right, Randy. But they got who they got, and that was pick 29 for Upshaw plus whomever in the 4th. Upshaw at 29 without the extra pick is a value.

        • Randy Steele

          That’s all true.

    • DJAnyReason

      The Ravens drafting defense, especially front 7, doesn’t scare me – there’s only so much room for improvement. Drafting DBs or offense would bother me more.

  • Anonymous

    What the heck is going on at Cleveland? They look completely lost.

    • DJAnyReason

      It’s Cleveland. You’re surprised they’re.fucking it all up?

      • Anonymous

        To this degree, yes.

  • DJAnyReason

    If you ask me, the Bills are right up there with the Browns for sucking at this draft… ok, maybe not quite as bad as the Browns, but still.

  • Anonymous

    And there goes Corddy Glenn. Would have been nice in round 2, but that was never likely. I’m not too disappointed, but I always prefer more options lasting.

    Ah, and there goes Jonathan Martin too. Hey, guys, cat we get the silly reaches rolling again?

    • DJAnyReason

      We have enough needs on D in a couple years that I’d really be unhappy if we.doubled up on O-Line. With Pouncy-Gilbert-DeCastro its actually on its way to becoming a strength. A run on OL right now would suit me just as well as last night’s run on DL.

      • DJAnyReason

        WRs also acceptable.

  • Anonymous

    The Jets traded up for Hill. There goes my whole “watch a falling value watch” list.

    • DJAnyReason

      If the Steelers end up with David or Worthy, would you consider that value?

      • Anonymous

        Yes, I would. I just didn’t write them down ahead of time. Reuben Randle is starting to look good to me too.

  • Anonymous

    Mychal Kendricks off the board now too.

  • Ted

    WIth 9 picks left, already taken and off our second-round board:

    ILB Kendricks
    OL: Glenn, Silatolu, Scwartz
    OLB Branch

    Remaining
    OT Martin
    OT Adams
    OG/RT Allen
    RT Massie
    ILB Wagner
    NT Ta’amu

    Some good players left on the board, especially on the o-line, but losing Kendricks hurts

    • Ted

      Wagner gone now. No more ILBs worth taking in second round. David is a player for sure, but he is a 4-3 WLB all the way.

    • Ted

      Forgot to delete Martin and Allen after they were picked. Starting to think Ta’amu. I doubt we double on o-line unless we really like Adams. James at RB is an outside possibility. No way Randle falls, right? But if he did, don’t you have to consider?

    • Anonymous

      Reuben Randle, maybe?

      • Anonymous

        Moot point about Worthy now.

  • Anonymous

    Did the Patriots just select a projected 7th round free safety in the 2nd?

    • Randy Steele

      Yeah, I don’t get that pick at all.

      • Anonymous

        Maybe he read from the wrong end of his draft board?

    • DJAnyReason

      Maybe Belichik couldn’t get someone to trade down with, so so he traded it down himself.

  • Ted

    Would like to trade down into the early third here if someone offers a fourth. If the Steelers draft Devon Still here, then that is an indication that Ziggy Hood is not in their long-term plans. I was a huge fan of the Hood pick, but have to admit he has under-achieved and been very inconsistent. Light needs to come on for him this year.

  • Randy Steele

    And there goes Pead. My list for this round is in tatters.

  • Anonymous

    People can stop hoping for Pead now. I’m relieved by that since I was worried that could actually happen.

  • DJAnyReason

    Whelp, there goes Worthy. Too bad the OL/WR run didn’t last longer.

  • GlennW

    I know this isn’t popular, but I’m inclined to go with OT in Adams or Massie if either is still around.  I don’t see the value with the remaining LBs and figure we can still go with LB in the 3rd (okay, Lavonte David won’t be around by then).

    • Anonymous

      Massie would be a good value. About equal with Adams but without the “other stuff” so I’d definitely prefer him.

    • Randy Steele

      At this point, Glenn, I think we should forget completely about the position that’s being played and simply go for the best available football player.

      • GlennW

        Pretty much what I’m saying.  BPA is increasingly looking like O-line, and we can still use longterm help/depth at OT.

  • Anonymous

    Steelers in three picks. My board
    Reuben Randle
    Bobby Massie
    Alameda Ta’amu

    • Randy Steele

      Wexell (and Ryan) have been pimping David. I know he’s a 4-3 LB, but…

      • DJAnyReason

        Potsie was a 4-3 OLB once upon a time.

      • Anonymous

        That would be acceptable as would Harrison Smith.

        • Randy Steele

          Harrison Smith the safety? He was taken late in the first round.

          • Anonymous

            Yes, that’s what I meant. I completely missed (or forgot) that he was already picked. Also, big reach at 29.

          • Randy Steele

            Agree.

  • Anonymous

    Well here we go. Nothing as exciting as DeCastro, but some solid options. I wait with bated breath.

  • DJAnyReason

    Not a fan. But, as I said yesterday, we got DeCastro, so I’m happy.

    • DJAnyReason

      On the other hand, I was a fan of our last tOSU pot smoker…

      • GlennW

        Was just going to make that point about pot-smoking Buckeyes.  Doesn’t bother me unless it’s perhaps indicative of larger discipline problems, which is entirely possible (as it ultimately was and still is with Santonio).  Not always the case though, as with another tokin’ OT, Marvel Smith.

  • Anonymous

    I can’t say I’m fond of the Adams pick. But it’s not really a bad one either. We’ll see.

  • Randy Steele

    Well, we can never say that the Steelers shy away from character risks. Maybe because they got DeCastro, the front office might have felt they could take a chance, and, hey, the upside on this guy is pretty substantial.

  • oljb

    From Baltimore Sun:  ”
    He also was suspended for first two games of 2009 for violating team rules and was cited in January 2009 for misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia and running a stop sign. The drug paraphernalia charge was ultimately dropped.”

    So basically, his legal troubles amount to running a stop sign.  This does not seem like a major problem.

    • Anonymous

      The foolishness implicit in smoking grass before the biggest job interview of your life when you know they are going to test for it is troubling.

      • Randy Steele

        Yeah, I’m having a real hard time rationalizing this pick. I figured Adams was easily off the Steelers’ board.

    • Randy Steele

      The major problem was that he was tested positive for use at the Combine. Everyone who participated knew they were going to be tested, but Adams decided to get high anyway. Duh.

  • Rob D

    Low risk, high possible reward with Adams pick, IMO.
    He apparently had a meeting with Steelers and convinced them to put him back on their list. Kid is a talent…LT talent with all the stuff you want.
     
    I like the pick and have to trust the Steelers got his mind straight on where they sit. “WE dump SB MVP’s, son”

    • Anonymous

      A second round pick isn’t what I’d call “low risk” unless that refers to his perceived bust potential for Adams.

  • EasyLikeSundayMorning

    Take this with a huge grain of salt, since I know almost nothing about college players. I just saw the tape on Lavonte David after he was picked. How is he big enough to play LB in the pros? He looks to be the size of a safety.

  • Anonymous

    Could Ta’amu be available at 86? Others to watch:
    Rueben Randle (WR) – seems pretty unlikely
    Dwayne Allen (TE)
    Mohamed Sanu (WR)

  • Anonymous

    Could Ta’amu be available at 86? Others to watch:
    Rueben Randle (WR) – seems pretty unlikely
    Dwayne Allen (TE)
    Mohamed Sanu (WR)

    • Anonymous

      And as soon as I say it there goes Reuben Randle.

  • EasyLikeSundayMorning

    I wonder if the line, at the end of the season, is: LT Adams, LG DeCastro, C Pouncey, RG Colon, RT Gilbert.

    • Anonymous

      I’m trying to think which is the right and which the left between Adams and Gilbert.

      And Colon was a pretty decent RT last time he was healthy too.

  • EasyLikeSundayMorning

    Tomlin and Colbert seem to like to draft in pairs in areas of need: Timmons/Woodley, Lewis/Burnett, Worilds/Gibson (sorry, Ted), Sanders/Brown, Brown/Allen, DeCastro/Adams.  Seems like it has worked pretty well so far.

    • Randy Steele

      Excellent point.

      • Anonymous

        You never know who’s going to work out; it makes sense to operate that way (to some extent, anyway).

    • Ted

      Good observation and it has worked pretty well so far, with the possible exceptions of Lewis/Burnett and Worilds/Gibson. Jury is still out on both. I guess you could say the jury is out on this year’s OL bonanza, but I feel pretty good about their chances.

  • Randy Steele

    Dolphins took Miami DE/LB Olivier Vernon. He had come to Pittsburgh for a visit. 

    • Randy Steele

      And the Dolphins just nabbed another guy who came to Pittsburgh for a visit, Michael Egnew, the tight end from Missouri.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_UR6KXGPFIFYZSVJNCXCJNHDQJQ Bob Costas

    The thinking on the Adams pick might have been, “We’ll never have a draft pick high enough to get the perfect can’t-miss LT prospect.  It’s worth the risk to get a physically gifted player who might have character issues.”

    I also wonder if this pick will give the Steelers the opportunity to either renegotiate or cut Colon if he doesn’t look fully recovered before training camp?

    • Randy Steele

      If nothing else, they should be about to cut Jonathan Scott’s $2M contract, yes?

      • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_UR6KXGPFIFYZSVJNCXCJNHDQJQ Bob Costas

        Excellent point.

  • Anonymous

    I was kinda secretly hoping Russel Wilson would drop into the late rounds and be a pick to backup Roethlisberger.

    • Randy Steele

      Me, too.

  • Randy Steele

    Never thought Brandon Brooks would last that long. There were a lot of mocks having him going to the Steelers in the second round (paired with Hightower in the first).

    • Anonymous

      I’m not surprised. That’s about where I thought he would go, but I do think he’s a good value there. Wouldn’t have been surprised to see him picked by Steelers in round 3.

  • Anonymous

    Massie is still on the board. The Steelers do not need a third offensive lineman in the first three picks, but talk about value. Is there missing info behind the slide?

    To be clear I’m not advocating his selection. Wouldn’t hate it either.

  • Anonymous

    5 picks before the Steelers. Who do we like?

    • Randy Steele

      Mike Martin is gone. I don’t know whether Josh Chapman passed his medical. I’m suspicious that Ta’amu isn’t strong enough.

      Hmmm… T.Y. Hilton?

      • Randy Steele

        Surprise! I hadn’t read anything anywhere about the Steelers showing interest in Sean Spence. For what it’s worth, NFL.com gave him a score of 80.2, which is pretty high for someone in this stage of the draft.

  • Randy Steele

    There might be a confluence of nose tackle prospects available, not that any of them sound as if they’re sure things.

  • Anonymous

    Sean Spence seems to small to play buck. What’s the plan?

    • Anonymous

      Okay, weird idea. Could he drop a little weight and play safety?

      • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_UR6KXGPFIFYZSVJNCXCJNHDQJQ Bob Costas

        I was actually wondering that.

  • Randy Steele

    News about Mike Adams, courtesy of Jim Wexell:

    “The Steelers drafted OT Mike Adams after an up-and-down draft season for both sides. Here’s the basics of what went down:
    “Adams, who had been suspended for two games as a sophomore for “drug paraphanalia” charges that were later dropped by authorities, tested positive for marijuana at the combine. He lied to the Steelers about it, but when he learned he had been caught, called the Steelers for a meeting.
    ” ‘We told him he was off our board,’ said GM Kevin Colbert.
    “But Adams requested a meeting with Colbert, Mike Tomlin, and Art Rooney II at which the Steelers gave him a list of demands required to get back on their draft board. Adams complied, and, voila, the Steelers have a new 6-7 1/4, 323-pound tackle.
    “Chris Mortensen of ESPN reported that part of Adams’s requirements was a bonus deferrment that has yet to be confirmed. Colbert would not divulge the requirements.
    “Adams comes to the Steelers with “one strike” on his resume, and another failed drug test will mean an automatic four-game suspension. After that, he would be suspended for a year.
    “Neither Colbert nor OL coach Sean Kugler would say where Adams will begin working for the Steelers. My guess is the Steelers will put him at right tackle behind Willie Colon.”.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_UR6KXGPFIFYZSVJNCXCJNHDQJQ Bob Costas

    Kevin Colbert talking about Adam’s character:

    “In any prospect, we always get background information, which we did in
    Mike’s case.  When players are subject to the testing at the combine, we
    don’t get those results until about a week before the actual draft.  In
    Mike’s case, he sought us out once he was aware of the situation.  He
    requested a face-to-face interview and meeting with myself, Art Rooney
    II and Coach Tomlin, and we obliged.  When Mike came in, we told him
    he’s off our draft board.  These are the stipulations that you have to
    accomplish for consideration for us to draft you, which the young man
    did.  He met our criteria, he met our stipulations, and we were
    comfortable in taking him where we took him.”

    More @ http://www.steelers.com/news/article-1/Second-Round-Press-Conference-Transcript/2d1a007c-2ab9-4035-aa52-9946b1e7aa3a

  • Rob D

    Spence was 81 on Mayock’s Top 100. Wexell likes him a lot.
    To me, its a puzzler…but I generally trust them as far as LB’ers go.

    I think this draft has really thin talent pool given all the project QB’s taken etc. And a punter!

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_UR6KXGPFIFYZSVJNCXCJNHDQJQ Bob Costas

    Keith Butler on Spence: http://www.steelers.com/news/article-1/Third-Round-Press-Conference-Transcript/de9c9668-0dff-43cb-bc67-5d69eda3e6cc

    They plan to keep him at ILB and see him as a mack.  So a backup to Timmons.  Butler sounded like he was reasonably optimistic on Slyvester and Worilds.  He thought the look out really hurt those two and that they would be much better this year.

  • Anonymous

    Well, not to beat a dead horse, but I _still_ like Ta’amu. So I hope he slides to the 4th. So here’s my super value, hope-they’re-available selections:
    4th – Alameda Ta’amu
    5th – Greg Childs
    6th – Keith Tandy
    7th – Kellen Moore

    • Anonymous

       If we get either Ta’amu or Chapman I’m happy.

    • Ted

      That looks very similar to my dream board, minus Moore. In fact, that is my wishlist for each round, although I think Chapman is more likely to be around in the fourth (they both could be gone, though), and would prefer McNutt over Childs in the fifth, but would be very happy with either. I like Moore in the seventh, but there is no roster spot with Leftwich and Batch re-signed. Plus, I like Troy Smith as well.

      Remember that we have four seventh-round picks, so assuming we draft a NT (get lucky in the fourth), WR (plenty of big bodies, and some will fall to the fifth), and a CB in the six, look for us to add roster competition at spots like OLB, RB, DE, S, K, P, FB, H-Back, or TE in the seventh, going with best player available at any of those spots.

  • Anonymous

    The Adams pick up is a bit of a risk, but he is from the area and is a life-long Steelers fan.  He knows the standard and that should, hopefully, be enough to keep him in line.

    If all of these picks pan out it will be pretty cool to have a good O-line again.

    I like the idea of us picking up Kellen Moore as well.  A proven winner who is accureate and has a good football mind. Groom him for a few years and if he develops and Ben wears down due to all of the shots that he has taken, the Steelers could have a solid replacement.