Open Rants by Steel77

Ah April- how I love thee. April is the time of new life, new hope, new talent, and new draft busts! Who’s going to make the first “what the h are you doing?” move? You know, the one that makes Team X Superfan punch a hole through his television, only for his friends/wife/kids to video it and post it on YouTube? I remember back in 2009 when a Raiders friend of mine was ecstatic that Michael Crabtree fell into their laps- “the best WR prospect in years!!!” he exclaimed. Here is how that conversation went down.

Friend: “Michael Crabtree is the complete WR. He’s the best WR prospect in years!!”

Me: “Heyward-Bey ran a faster 40. Al Davis covets freakish athletes.”

Friend: “Dude- Crabtree. There’s no way they take Heyward-Bey if Crabtree is there.”

Me: “Watch.”

Commissioner: “With the 7^th pick in the 2009 NFL Draft, the Oakland Raiders select…. Darrius Heyward-Bey.”

Friend: “MOTHERF……..”

He then got up and walked straight out of Buffalo Wild Wings. No goodbyes, nothing. Yes I had to cover his tab. But as a consolation prize I have this sweet memory to hang on to for the rest of my days. RIP Al Davis.

With that being said it is time for my annual mighty and beloved Steelers Mock Draft. Needs? Can I just use “Offense?” OL, RB, TE, and even QB (though I don’t know we need another mid-round QB on the roster.) We could use depth at DB, LB, EDGE as well. Since this is Walt’s site, I figured I would kind of base the picks on who was selected roughly around the same time as the Steelers picks in both his and Charlie’s mocks. Alright chums let’s do this. LEEEEROOOOY JEEENKINS!!!

RD 1, Pick 24: Najee Harris, RB, Alabama. Generally when I am looking at prospects, I like to think about who they remind me of in the past or present NFL. You may think I’m crazy, but with Najee I can’t help but think of Adrian Peterson. I don’t know that he has the top end speed that Peterson had, but he is a little bigger, and the highlight tape of him playing leapfrog with defenders shows how good of an athlete that he is for his size. He can also do it all; run between the tackles or break it outside, run through defenders (especially arm tackles), he’s a good receiver, and he can block. I know that RBs supposedly don’t have first round value anymore- which is true in some offenses but not ours. He is also a little older at 23 then the Steelers usually prefer. He does also have less carries than Etienne. But as far as a complete, workhorse type back this is the guy. Should he be gone, I would go Landon Dickerson than trade up for Javonte Williams maybe (or vice versa), but that’s just me. Other possibilities: Javonte Williams, Landon Dickerson, Creed Humphrey, Alex Leatherwood.

RD 2, Pick 55: Landon Dickerson, C, Alabama. The Steelers have some pretty big shoes to fill at center after the retirement of Maurkice Pouncey. They have had an amazing track record at the center position over the years. Sure, he has an injury history. But Dickerson has been dominant when on the field. He’s a big dude too- 6’6 325lbs. But he’s nimble for his size. (It amuses me to use the word “nimble” when describing offensive lineman. Sorry not sorry.) Plus you have to love the guy’s charisma. Did you see him doing cartwheels in the background while Mac Jones was trying to get through a serious interview? His teammates love him, and I think he will be a fan favorite once they get to witness his personality firsthand. Oh, and he can block. Due to the injury history and the fact that some draft people think he will have to play guard for some reason at the next level, I am hoping he slips a bit. Other possibilities: Quinn Meinerz, Jalen Mayfield, Javonte Williams, Asante Samuel Jr., Liam Eichenberg. Side note- I would love for the Steelers to get Eichenberg just so I can take a Breaking Bad, Heisenberg-esque sign to a game.

RD 3, Pick 87: Asante Samuel Jr., CB, Florida State. In all reality I don’t think that Samuel Jr. will fall this far but Walt had him slipping to the 3^rd and Charlie had him going in the 2^nd so who knows. If he does slide, the Steelers should not hesitate to turn that card in. They have shown interest in Asante Jr.- because, well, he’s a playmaker. The CB position became more of a concern with the loss of Mike Hilton and Steven Nelson. Then Justin Layne went and had his little fun night out with the fellas. So they could definitely use someone like Asante Jr. Which, while we’re on the subject hurts my heart a little. I remember when Patrick Surtain and Asante Samuel were stars in the league themselves. Now we got the Juniors coming out. Already? Getting old sucks. Other possibilities: Trey Sermon, Tyler Shelvin, Ambry Thomas.

RD 4, Pick 128: Walker Little, OT, Stanford. Big Al appears to be leaving via free agency, headed over to them dirty ol’ birds across the way. Depth and youth were needed at the spot anyway, and the Steelers benefit from a deep OT class in this year’s draft. Under normal circumstances with Rona not in the picture, I think Walker Little would go much higher. He has good feet, knows how to use his hands, and can pick up defenders. This could potentially be a steal, and help the Steelers get back to having one of the strongest O-lines in the league. Which would also open holes for 1^st round pick Najee to run through.

RD 4, Pick 128: James Wiggins, S, Cincinnati. I have never been sold on Terrell Edmunds. There were some good players drafted after him that the Steelers could have used as well. Personally I like James Wiggins more than a lot of people seem to. He has a nose for the ball, he was recruited as a corner, and he gives his all. At 6’0, 205 lbs. he is solidly built. He’s a hard hitter and doesn’t shy away from contact. He will contribute immediately on special teams, with the potential to start somewhere down the line. Other possibilities: (4^th round) Alaric Jackson, Hamsah Nasirildeen, Tony Fields, Hunter Long.

RD 6, Pick 216: Tommy Tremble, TE, Notre Dame. Eric Ebron’s entire career has been frustrating. There, I said it. I thought maybe things could change in a different environment. Eric Ebron would come in, catch everything thrown his way, and light the league on fire. In the words of the late great Charlie Murphy: “Wrong. WRONG.” His bad play does get a little overshadowed because er’body dropped balls last season, but competition and a possible upgrade is needed. Tommy Tremble is a good athlete, and still has a high ceiling. He takes pride in his blocking and puts out great effort (think a bigger Hines.) He also played defensive end in high school, which may be why he is so aggressive when blocking. He needs to run tighter routes, but I think the sky is the limit for him and he could develop into a really good NFL player. Other possibilities: Shakur Brown, Anthony Swartz, Deonte Brown.

Round 7, Pick 245: Jonathon Cooper, OLB, Ohio State. Alex Highsmith did a great job filling in when Bud Dupree was injured and seems to have solidified his spot as the starter. However, depth is needed. Cooper was a Team Captain- which Tomlin loves. While Cooper is not a Bosa, he is a high effort, high character guy who is great to have in the locker room and on the field. He could be a great rotational player as well.

Round 7, Pick 254: Bobby Brown, DT, Texas A & M. I realize that DT is not the biggest need with Alualu coming back. But this is my draft and if I want to select one it’s my prerogative….. You see what I did there? Huh? OK horrible quips aside, it wouldn’t hurt to infuse some youth into the defensive line as well. If not for a last-minute change of heart, Alualu would be gone. I don’t know that Brown can play nose in the Steelers’ defensive front, but he possibly could in a pinch. He would also provide depth and be a rotational guy at the other DT spots. Tyson Alualu is 33, Heyward is 31, and Stephon Tuitt is 27. They do have Carlos Davis and Isiah Buggs on the roster but need to get a jump on preparing for the future.

So there it is folks. Hope you enjoyed my mock draft, in which at the end of the whole thing I will be very lucky to get even one correct pick including my “other possibilities” section. I submit resumes to the Steelers front office every year, but they must get lost because I still haven’t gotten that call from Kevin. Colbert- I call him Kevin. We’re good pals he just doesn’t know it yet. For all of the other teams’ fans out there- good luck! If you don’t get the player you want however, please, please be sure to obliterate your television set. I enjoy those videos almost too much. Thanks for reading.