NFL Draft 2007: Pittsburgh Steals Lawrence Timmons, LaMarr Woodley

Leading up to the 2007 NFL Draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers were entering an unusual transition.

They were coming off a disappointing 8-8 season after winning the franchise's fifth Super Bowl the previous season. More importantly, the Bill Cowher era had come to an end. and the Mike Tomlin era had begun.

There was much speculation about what direction Tomlin would take the Steelers.

Pittsburgh released punter Chris Gardocki. Starting center Jeff Hartings retired and was replaced with Sean Mahan.

While this was a major transaction, it paled in comparison with the release of team leader and All-Pro linebacker Joey Porter.

The Steelers didn’t just take a linebacker to replace Porter, they spent their top two selections on linebackers.

It has been three years since Tomlin’s first draft, and the players have had an opportunity to establish themselves.

Here is a look at how the draft graded out, and how it will impact the upcoming draft.

Round One: Lawrence Timmons, LB, Florida State

Timmons was described as an athletic linebacker with explosive play potential. He was also inexperienced and raw. While he had the physical tools to succeed in the NFL, there was still a question about how soon he could contribute.

So far, Timmons has shown to be explosive, but his inexperience has held him back.

He did not win a starting job until this season, and that was by default, because the Steelers parted ways with Larry Foote.

Starting 14 games in 2009, Timmons showed his explosive ability, making seven sacks and 78 tackles. This followed a 65-tackle, five-sack season in limited playing time.

While Timmons shows development, he continues to struggle in assignments and taking on the run. This may have been in part due to a lingering ankle injury that held him back for part of the season.

Drafted to be an outside linebacker, Timmons appears to be destined to take over James Farrior’s role in the near future.

After improving each of his first three seasons, Timmons will still only be 24 when the 2010 season kicks off.

The young linebacker still has enormous potential and looks to be a solid linebacker for the present and future.

Grade: B

Round Two: LaMarr Woodley, OLB, Michigan

Woodley has been a perfect fit for the Steelers.

Like Timmons, Woodley was drafted to play outside linebacker. Ironically, neither replaced Porter—that job went to James Harrison.

Woodley, instead, stepped in for Clark Haggans.

Known for his pass-rushing ability, Woodley has lived up to his potential, increasing his sack total each year in the league. He has a total of 29 sacks for his career, and made his first Pro Bowl in 2009.

With Woodley playing opposite Harrison, the Steelers look to have a dominating pass rush for several years.

As each year goes by, Woodley’s production increases and his leadership develops.

Now entering the prime of his career, Woodley will be able to take over games while developing into a team leader on defense.

Grade: A+

Round Three: Matt Spaeth, TE, Minnesota

The 2006 John Mackey Award winner as the nation’s top tight end offered the Steelers a big target.

He was also the first questionable selection of the draft for the Steelers. With needs elsewhere on the team, Spaeth seemed to be a luxury pick.

Spaeth’s size—6'7"—provided a red zone mismatch for opposing defenses. This was evident as three of Spaeth’s five rookie receptions went for touchdowns.

Since his rookie season, Spaeth only has one touchdown reception. His reception total decreased from 17 in his second season to five this past season.

With an inability to be a downfield threat and struggles with blocking, Spaeth’s role has slowly been reduced.

While he serves the role as backup tight end, he has appeared to reach the peak of his development. This pick could have been used to build depth along the offensive or defensive line.

Grade: C-

Round Four: Daniel Sepulveda, P, Baylor

The Steelers traded up to draft one of the top punters of the 2007 draft after going through a season of poor punting from Gardocki.

Sepulveda—a two-time Ray Guy Award winner as top punter in the country—was a solid addition early on.

Sepulveda led all rookie punters with a 37.9 net average and had 28 punts inside of the 20 with only two touchbacks.

After missing the 2008 season due to a knee injury, Sepulveda came back with similar numbers in 2009.

While averaging 42.7 yards per kick, Sepulveda finished with 29 punts inside the 20-yard line.

The numbers were decent, but he did not have the booming punts that were anticipated. He also had relatively few punts downed inside of the 10-yard line.

This upcoming season will be big for Sepulveda. The Steelers gave up a lot to take a punter this early in the draft, and they need him to be one of the best in the league.

Grade: C+

Round Four: Ryan McBean, DE, Oklahoma State

McBean came into the NFL with a good frame—6'4", 286 pounds—for a 3-4 defensive end.

While he needed to get stronger, McBean did have an upside to be a good defensive lineman.

He did not last with the Steelers, but McBean did finally get a shot to play—for the Denver Broncos' defensive line.

If given time to develop, the Steelers could have used a young talent like McBean to add depth to its defensive line.

Grade: C

Round Five: Cameron Stephenson, G, Rutgers

An inexperienced guard, Stephenson played on a good Rutgers offensive line.

Considered to have raw talent, Stephenson would need time to develop at the professional level. He ended up being a wash-out with Pittsburgh.

Now with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Stephenson has yet to start an NFL game.

If he had developed, the Steelers would have had less of a need to keeping looking for quality linemen.

Grade: F

Round Five: William Gay, CB, Louisville

In his rookie preseason, Gay always seemed to be around the ball.

Without the size to be a physical corner or the tools to be an elite shutdown cornerback, Gay had the look of an effective nickel back in the league.

With his college experience and football smarts, he drew comparisons to Deshea Townsend.

Gay contributed some as a rookie and took a big step forward, playing effectively when he stepped into the starting lineup for an injured Bryant McFadden.

As a result, the Steelers let McFadden walk and inserted Gay into the starting lineup. This time...the results were not so good.

Many of the defensive struggles were focused around Gay.

Opponents often attacked him in the passing game—a lasting image of that attack is Gay getting run over by Adrian Peterson.

He needs to be replaced in the starting lineup, but he should still be an effective nickel back—a spot he is best suited for.

Grade: B+

Round Seven: Dallas Baker, WR, Florida

Not much was expected from Baker, with only one career reception for the Steelers.

He was a tall receiver at 6'3"—something the Steelers were looking for. They hoped he could be a red-zone target after accumulating 21 receiving touchdowns in college.

Baker always came up just short, missing out on the final receiver spot and has mainly been a camp body since.

He is no longer with the team. If he had developed, the Steelers wide receiver depth would be excellent.

Grade: D-

Overview

The 2007 draft yielded the Steelers four starters—one of which is a Pro Bowler.

Timmons and Woodley will be the centerpieces on defense for the next decade, and Gay should settle into the role of nickelback.

Sepulveda, with another offseason to get healthy, should improve.

Spaeth, while a backup, seems to have maxed out his potential and may not have a future beyond this season.

The Steelers may have given up on McBean too soon. They still have a need to find young talent for the defensive line.

Stephenson and Baker were both long shots who had some upside at positions the Steelers are still attempting to upgrade or find depth.

Overall, this was a solid draft, given the talent that is now starting or seeing significant playing time.

The downfall of this draft is that the Steelers failed to pick up quality depth at weak positions. If they had filled these three years ago, they would be in better shape today.

For this draft to be a success, they need Timmons to step up his performance to Woodley's level and become another cornerstone of the defense.

Final Grade: C+