Steel Balls
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Scouts.com 2nd Round Mock Draft
Pick 1 (33 overall) Texans — QB Jimmy Garoppolo, Eastern Illinois
2 (34) Redskins — OT Morgan Moses, Virginia
3 (35) Browns — WR Marqise Lee, USC
4 (36) Raiders — QB Derek Carr, Fresno State
5 (37) Falcons — DE Demarcus Lawrence, Boise State
6 (38) Buccaneers — OG Xavier Su’a-Filo, UCLA
7 (39) Jaguars — WR Jordan Matthews, Vanderbilt
8 (40) Seahawks (from Vikings)– OLB Jeremiah Attaochu, Georgia Tech
9 (41) Bills — OT Cyrus Kouandjio, Alabama
10 (42) Titans — RB Carlos Hyde, Ohio State
11 (43) Giants — OT Joel Bitonio, Nevada
12 (44) Rams — FS Terrence Brooks, Florida State
13 (45) Lions — DE Kony Ealy, Missouri
14 (46) Steelers — DE Stephon Tuitt, Notre Dame
15 (47) Cowboys — DT Ra’Shede Hageman, Minnesota
16 (48) Ravens — CB Stan Jean-Baptiste, Nebraska
17 (49) Jets — WR Cody Latimer, Indiana
18 (50) Dolphins — WR Davante Adams, Fresno State
19 (51) Bears — DT Timmy Jernigan, Florida State
20 (52) Cardinals — QB AJ McCarron, Alabama
21 (53) Packers — TE Jace Amaro, Texas Tech
22 (54) Eagles — WR Allen Robinson, Penn State
23 (55) Bengals — OC Marcus Martin, USC
24 (56) 49ers (from Chiefs) — DE Brent Urban, Virginia
25 (57) Chargers — NT Louis Nix III, Notre Dame
26 (58) Saints — DE Scott Crichton, Oregon State
27 (59) Colts — OC Weston Richburg, Colorado State
28 (60) Panthers — DS Lamrcus Joyner, Florida State
29 (61) 49ers — WR Martavis Bryant, Clemson
30 (62) Patriots — RB Bishop Sankey, Washington
31 (63) Broncos — WR Jarvis Landry, LSU
32 (64) Seahawks — DC Keith McGill, Utah
Mock My Mock
I did not spend as much time on this as I did in past drafts. I placed players where I thought teams should take them, and that messed up the team that was looking at that player. Oh well, here goes!
| 1) Houston Texans select: Jadeveon Clowney, DE, South Carolina |
| 2) St. Louis Rams select: Sammy Watkins, WR, Clemson |
| 3) Jacksonville Jaguars select: Kahlil Mack, OLB, Buffalo |
| 4) Cleveland Browns select: Johnny Manziel, QB, Texas A&M |
| 5) Oakland Raiders select: Greg Robinson, OT, Auburn |
| 6) Atlanta Falcons select: Taylor Lewan, OT, Michigan |
| 7) Tampa Bay Buccaneers select: Mike Evans, WR, Texas A&M |
| 8) Minnesota Vikings select: Blake Bortles, QB, UCF |
| 9) Buffalo Bills select: Jake Matthews, OT, Texas A&M |
| 10) Detroit Lions select: Odell Beckham Jr., WR, LSU |
| 11) Tennessee Titans select: Darqueze Dennard, CB, Michigan State |
| 12) New York Giants select: Zack Martin, OT, Notre Dame |
| 13) St. Louis Rams select: Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, S, Alabama |
| 14) Chicago Bears select: Aaron Donald, DT, Pittsburgh |
| 15) Pittsburgh Steelers select: Kyle Fuller, CB, Virginia Tech |
| 16) Dallas Cowboys select: Calvin Pryor, S, Louisville |
| 17) Baltimore Ravens select: Eric Ebron, TE, North Carolina |
| 18) New York Jets select: Brandin Cooks, WR, Oregon State |
| 19) Miami Dolphins select: Justin Gilbert, CB, Oklahoma State |
| 20) Arizona Cardinals select: Derek Carr, QB, Fresno St. |
| 21) Green Bay Packers select: C.J. Mosley, ILB, Alabama |
| 22) Philadelphia Eagles select: Marqise Lee, WR, USC |
| 23) Kansas City Chiefs select: Xavier Su’a-Filo, OG, UCLA |
| 24) Cincinnati Bengals select: Ryan Shazier, OLB, Ohio State |
| 25) San Diego Charger select: Anthony Barr, OLB, UCLA |
| 26) Cleveland Browns select: Cody Latimer, WR, Indiana |
| 27) New Orleans Saints select: Dee Ford, DE, Auburn |
| 28) Carolina Panthers select: Kelvin Benjamin, WR, Florida State |
| 29) New England Patriots select: Ra’Shede Hageman, DT, Minnesota |
| 30) San Francisco 49′ers select: Kony Ealy, DE, Missouri |
| 31) Denver Broncos select: Bradley Roby, CB, Ohio State |
| 32) Seattle Seahawks select: Stephon Tuitt, DT, Notre Dame |
Steelers #15 Pick Derby
Place your bets:
The annual odds for the Steelers’ first-round pick this year from Scouts.com:
* Louis Nix 20-1: I only listed him in case he’s the last option of a trade-down group. The Steelers certainly wouldn’t draft a NT and suddenly move Steve McLendon to end. That would be a great big-picture option, but I can’t see the Steelers running with that plan right now.
* Stephon Tuitt 18-1: This guy just bores the bejeebus out of me. Yes, the Steelers need a defensive end, and yes boring is what they seem to like from their DEs in their scheme, but not with another first-round pick. That should be reserved for a guy who blows things up, like …
* Ra’shede Hageman 15-1: This is the guy I would consider as my heavy strong-side anchor with mashing potential opposite weak-side playmaker Cameron Heyward. But only if the team psychologist says Hageman can survive the horrifying upbringing two losers have bequeathed this poor child. And you see my odds.
* Anthony Barr 13-1: Sure, I complained about his inconsistent season, but that was when people were calling him a top-five talent, not when it was possible he could slide to pick 15. What an athlete! Would the Steelers admit last year’s OLB wasn’t as great a pick as they thought while they were sprinting to the podium? Probably not.
* Brandin Cooks 12-1: If any team should draft Antonio Brown II it would be the team that has Antonio Brown I, no? Well, he’s on this board for his return skills. Of course, the Steelers might already have Antonio Brown III in Markus Wheaton, so enough smurfs already.
* Calvin Pryor 10-1: The Steelers have five safeties, yet still had Pryor in for a visit and not HaHa. That fits right in with Mike Tomlin’s past draft-day desires of “run-and-hit” specialists.
* Ryan Shazier 9-1: Same thing with Pryor, except Shazier — who looks more like a 4-3 will than a mike — plays a position of need here. His instincts seemed off at Ohio State, but his burst on film was supported by a 4.3 40. Yes, it was on the ultra-fast Ohio State track, but 4.3 run-and-hit says Tomlin, and Ohio State says Dick LeBeau, and Shazier’s character says Steelers. The odds seem a little short, but only because I fear someone uses this good logic and takes a big swing at me.
* Justin Gilbert 8-1: Doesn’t tackle like a Steelers DB, but has the size and speed and also returns kicks. Sucker bet, in my opinion.
* Kelvin Benjamin, Eric Ebron 7-1: Both guys would present schematic mismatches and both guys drop the ball too much. Ebron has these long odds because he might not make it to pick 15; Benjamin because he’s not a tight end in a WR-saturated market.
* C.J. Mosley 6-1: This quiet leader could fill a troubled buck LB position for the next decade. He can cover and he can stuff the run and he’s likely to be there. But this team has a bigger need for playmakers, and playmakers need to be picked in the middle of the first round.
* Kyle Fuller 5-1: My favorite cornerback would be your favorite cornerback if you turned on the Virginia Tech-Alabama game. Can cover, WRs don’t separate on him out of breaks, anticipates routes, can tackle, great bloodlines, great character. I would pick him. My perception is the Steelers don’t like him as much as I do.
* Odell Beckham 4-1: The most polished and NFL-ready receiver in the draft has 4.3+ speed, great hands, character, and return skills. I want to see the tape LSU reportedly shows incoming coaches of the endless acrobatic catches made by Beckham and teammate Jarvis Landry during practices and of course games.
* Darqueze Dennard 3-1: I want to discount him because he lacks off-coverage skills, and the main Steeler dudes don’t abide that in a cornerback. But at Michigan State, Dennnard’s press man skills put the cherry on top of its cover-3 zone. That’s where the Steelers have evolved with Ike Taylor, and Ike turns 34 tomorrow. Happy birthday, Ike. Here’s your replacement.
Ben at the combine, 10 years ago
This is Ben Roethlisberger at the combine in February of 2004. He weighed in at 241 lbs. How much do you think he weighs now? Bear in mind that this man is 6′ 5″ tall and that 10 pounds would probably not even be noticeable on a man with a frame that big.
