*Sigh* Oh, Brady…
The draft is always exciting, even when your team is always great and rarely gets a pick early in the first round. And there are always those monster $20 million contracts for guys like Brady Quinn that we can laugh about years later.
As Craig said, I’m currently in Mexico touring with A Love Electric, an instrumental Rock/Jazz group. We’re touring MX for three weeks and connecting to the internet can be…well…difficult. With so many little towns outside of Mexico City without running water, it’s hard to imagine most towns are concerned with the internet, let alone 3G or 4G coverage on their phones.
Luckily Puebla Cholula, the small town about 2 hrs outside of MX City where we played to a huge and enthusiastic crowd, did have 3G coverage, so I was at least able to follow the draft from my phone.
Fun stuff.
Tons of Defensive Lineman were taken before Heyward, and since I’m not much of a college football fan except to watch Youtube compilations of NFL prospects, I was a little nervous about this pick. Not that Colbert and the Steelers front office haven’t proved themselves time and time again, I just wondered if there really could be that much strong depth in the DL positions in this year’s first round.
Well, I guess there is.
I’m not going to pretend to be an expert on Heyward, but according to most things I’ve read and the videos I’ve watched, Heyward is a fierce pass-rusher and run-stopper that will fit very well in to our 3-4 scheme on defense. He’s fast, running a 4.95 40, and he’s got a nose for the football. Basically, he’s a stud.
It’s a smart move thinking long-term for the Steelers because there isn’t one guy on the defensive line that isn’t over the age of 30 right now, with the exception of Ziggy Hood, who started in place of Aaron Smith last season. Assuming Smith can stay healthy, I think he’s 34 years old now and certainly prone to injury, you can bet that he will be in there ahead of Ziggy. The Steelers are looking ahead to ensure that our defensive line dominates the line of scrimmage for years to come. That, theoretically anyway, helps to bail out a suspect secondary.
I like the pick.
Though nearly every Mock Draft by an ESPN or NFL Network analyst that I read had the Steelers going with a corner, namely Aaron Williams, in the 1st round, the Steelers are likely to take a corner, if not OL in the 2nd or 3rd rounds coming up.
A couple of notables from the draft: Anyone else find it funny that the Bungles drafted ANOTHER wide receiver? I mean, they’ve got lots of depth there already, assuming they resign Owens, who was their top WR last season. Plus, they have no one to throw it to all these “star” wide outs. Carson Palmer has all but retired if they don’t trade him.
hilarious.
Dolphins went with Mike Pouncey. Not surprising considering how many teams could have used him moving forward. The Fins will hope that Pouncey develops quickly like his brother in order to contribute to their two-back Wild Cat scheme.
The Vikings always make me laugh, taking a QB who was, just before the draft, being moved out of the later rounds and projected to go in the 2nd round. They took him with the 12th pick overall. Maybe they’re geniuses, who knows? With Joe Webb as what looks to me to be the obvious final QB to take over after a Brett Favre retirement, I wonder where the value is in drafting a QB who might have still been there in the 2nd round had they held on.
Needless to say, the fun continues tonight with the Patriots picking first in the 2nd round. Expect the Steelers to go Corner or OL, though I’ve been surprised before. I have a show here in MX City tonight, so no 2 hour drive each way this time. I may actually be able to post about the goings on this evening. I’m at the mercy of Mexico City.