…running back Rashard Mendenhall of Illinois!
I am surprised but also not surprised about our pick. I’m surprised because we had other needs that were a priority. But I guess there are really two strategies to draft selection… you can either make picks based on your need or you can select the best available player. Apparently we went with the latter.
The Steelers had to have put offensive linemen on the top of their list, but it became obvious in the first round that teams were desperate to pick offensive tackles. People thought we were going to get Otah (just because he was from Pitt??), and after he was selected by Carolina, Atlanta traded to pick up another offensive tackle, so by the time it got to us 6 OTs had been selected already. That’s the bad news. The good news is that all those teams choosing OTs meant that Mendenhall dropped lower than expected. I think he was a good pick. RB wasn’t a priority position for us to fill, but hey, part of the excitement in the draft is that you never know what players are going to be available. Why not pick up a good RB if he falls to you?
The Steelers organization already seems to be responding to fans who are surprised (and some even pissed) about the picks. In a story on the home page, they state that “Helping your franchise quarterback can be accomplished in ways other than picking an offensive lineman on the first day of the NFL Draft.” All night long, I have talked to people and read postings about the disappointment that we didn’t use our picks to surround Ben with people who can protect him. The Steelers point out that “Two reasons why quarterbacks take too many hits are the lack of a potent running game and too much time spent holding onto the ball while waiting for receivers to come open.” Good point. I hadn’t thought of their picks being so strategic.
In analyzing our picks, I was initially just shocked that we picked a running back. Happy, because it is my favorite position, but still just thrown off by the decision. We were lacking a good running back to complement Willie Parker. Ever since Bettis retired, we have been missing someone who can guarantee us needed yards on short yardage plays. After seeing Davis play in the HOF game, I was so excited. Was this going to be our Bettis replacement??? I was so disappointed this season that he didn’t shine the way he did in the HOF game. And Davenport can be good, but he’s not consistent. Plus who the hell knows when his baby mama drama is going to get his ass cut from the team!
From what I have read about him, Mendenhall sounds like a versatile player who isn’t afraid of getting hit and can get inside and make plays even when there isn’t much room to work with. It will be a nice contrast with Parker, who is fast as hell when he gets the chance. Let’s face it, everyone expects Parker to carry the ball and he’s easy to take down. Or he runs all over the field trying to find a hole on the outside. This kid can run inside, break tackles, but he’s also quick to see if there is an opportunity outside to make a play. Plus, he’s FAST! Check out this video of Mendenhall to see what I mean:
Here’s a confirmation. I just read this on Steelers.com, quoted from Coach Tomlin:
“First and foremost, he’s a quality human being,” said Coach Mike Tomlin about Mendenhall. “We were thoroughly impressed with him while getting to know him through the interview process. A very humble, blue-collar worker. Those type of individuals don’t have any problem fitting in. In terms of what he brings to the table – he’s a complete back. He can run inside, he can run outside. He’s a powerful runner. He’s elusive, and of course he has the speed to go the distance. It shouldn’t be too difficult finding ways that he can contribute to this football team.”
For our second pick, we selected wide receiver Limas Sweed from Texas. At 6′ 3″, he is the answer to Big Ben’s “tall receiver” prayers. In a conference call with Sweed, he was asked whether he fit the bill for the height that Roethlisberger was looking for. His response? “Without a doubt. There was a lot of people saying that he was looking for a big receiver and now he has one.”
In an interview with Steelers wide receiver coach Randy Fichtner, he confirms that the Steelers went after the players who they ranked as the best available. “We were going to take the best available player, and it just so happened that Limas was in that pool… Everyone was sitting there saying that we couldn’t understand why Limas was still out there” (Steelers.com).
To see why Limas is so impressive, check out these highlights of him in action:
Would love to write more, but I have to get up really early tomorrow and head to Tampa for the Rays vs Red Sox. Until then, I will dream about seeing hottie Beckett in person. He is listed as the pitcher, so cross your fingers! Sigh! What a cutie!
