2010 NFL Draft: What Will the Pittsburgh Steelers Do in the First Round?

After a flurry of moves early in free agency, all has been quiet on the transaction front. The Steelers retained their starting safety while adding depth at safety, receiver, and tackle.

While none of the moves could be considered earth-shattering, (with the exception of trading one of their best offensive playmakers who just so happened to be a former first round pick and Super Bowl XLIII MVP, Santonio Holmes) they did give some insight as the Steelers enter the draft.

What is that insight? The direction that the Steelers will take in the draft is more mysterious than ever. The starting lineup is intact meaning Pittsburgh has no immediate holes to fill. Prior to extending Casey Hampton and re-signing Ryan Clark, it was widely predicted that the Steelers would select a defensive tackle or free safety in the first round.  That is no longer the sentiment.

Pittsburgh has a number of directions that they can go. First, they can find a player who can be an immediate upgrade over a current starter. This was the case when the Steelers drafted tight end Heath Miller, the last Steeler to start as a rookie. Starting 15 of 16 games, Miller was an important component in their run to the Super Bowl.

They may also look at areas where the starters are aging. When the Steelers take this approach, they do not expect the rookie to enter the starting lineup. Instead, they slowly integrate them into the lineup so they can contribute in a backup role. It is not for a season or two before they are asked to start.

Pittsburgh took this approach last season when selecting defensive end Ziggy Hood with an aging Aaron Smith and Brett Keisel. He saw limited action, playing in only eight games, but will have an increased role this season.

Finally, Pittsburgh may have a player that falls into their laps and is too good to pass up.  In 2008 the Steelers had a number of positions that they could have taken in the draft. To their surprise one of the top running backs fell to their draft position.

Pittsburgh took Rashard Mendenhall because of his value and high upside. He was too good to pass up.  Running back was neither a position of need nor a position that required a high pick, but the Steelers thought he could be a star and began to look the part in his second season.

Here are potential first round selections for the Steelers:

Immediate Upgrades

Bryan Bulaga, OT, Iowa
Mike Iupati, OG, Idaho
Trent Williams, OT, Oklahoma
Joe Haden, CB, Florida
Maurkice Pouncey, C, Florida

If Bryan Bulaga fell to the 18th selection, he would be a no-brainer pick for the Steelers.  He would be the franchise left tackle that the Steelers are missing right now. Bulaga is a strong pass and run blocker. He is a physical player and would help the Steelers improve their ground game with the “mean streak” that he plays with. As one of the top offensive linemen available this year, Bulaga would challenge Max Starks right away.

A more realistic scenario for Pittsburgh would be to select Mike Iupati. Pittsburgh has depth at right guard with Trai Essex, Ramon Foster, and Kraig Urbik, but none have the upside that Iupati has. As the highest rated guard in this year’s draft class, Iupati would be an immediate upgrade and would be able to win the starting job.

Trent Williams is another option at tackle. He is not rated as high as Bulaga but still has potential to be a franchise player. Williams has experience playing both sides of the line, but may be better suited for the right side. This could allow the Steelers to try out Willie Colon at guard, something fans have discussed for years.

The Steelers are in dire need of an elite cornerback to play alongside veteran Ike Taylor. After a slow 40-yard dash time, it is possible that Haden is on the board when the Steelers select. He has an excellent jump on the ball, which can also lead to him getting beat on double moves. Regardless, Haden would be a contributor early on and would mean that William Gay would move to nickel back.

Center is possibly an even weaker position than corner. Justin Hartwig, while an upgrade over Sean Mahan, is the weakest link on the offensive line and is rated as one of the worst centers in the league. Pouncey could start at guard or center as a rookie, with the eventual goal of him joining Ray Mansfield, Mike Webster, Dermontti Dawson, and Jeff Hartings as great Steelers centers.

Future Starters

Dan Williams, DT, Tennessee
Jared Odrick, DE, Penn State
Earl Thomas, S, Texas
Kyle Wilson, CB, Boise State
Sean Weatherspoon, LB, Missouri

Maybe the best 3-4 defensive tackle available in the draft, Dan Williams is an elite talent. He has the size and quickness to be a dominant player in the middle. If the Steelers draft him, he can sit behind Casey Hampton where he can learn how to play the position at the NFL level from one of the best. With Hampton in place, Williams would be able to ease his way into the lineup before eventually taking over a starting job in a year or two.

Last season, Pittsburgh spent their first round draft choice on defensive end Ziggy Hood. They may do the same this year with Jared Odrick. He has drawn favorable comparisons to current starting defensive end Aaron Smith. A strong defender against the run, Odrick would be a perfect fit to develop behind Smith.

Earl Thomas is a unique talent in the draft. He can play both free safety and cornerback.  When looking at him as a safety, Thomas would sit behind Ryan Clark for at least a season. However, Thomas is very athletic and a playmaker and could transition to cornerback. This transition would take time, but he would start in the near future.

Kyle Wilson to Pittsburgh has been building some steam in recent days. Wilson is very athletic and a physical player, something that the Steelers demand from their cornerbacks. There are mild concerns over the competition that he faced in college while at Boise State, but has a legitimate chance to earn a starting job at some point during the season.

Mike Tomlin likes athletic linebackers and Weatherspoon fits this mold. A tackling machine, he has had over 100 tackles in each of the past three seasons. Despite the numbers, Weatherspoon does at times have trouble fighting off blocks and wrapping up. His athleticism can make up for this as he can use his quickness to avoid blocks as well as in pass coverage. He could also develop into a vocal leader that the Steelers have missed on defense since releasing Joey Porter.

Too Good to Pass Up

Rolando McClain, ILB, Alabama
Brandon Graham, DE/OLB, Michigan
C.J. Spiller, RB, Clemson
Jason Pierre-Paul, DE, South Florida
Dez Bryant, WR, Oklahoma State

Rolando McClain would be a perfect fit for the Steelers defense. He already has experience playing in a top 3-4 defense at Alabama and faced some of the best competition in the country. As a tough, physical linebacker, McClain would be the run stopper in the middle freeing up Lawrence Timmons to use his athleticism as a playmaker.

The Steelers already have one of the best pass rushing combinations in the league with James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley, but they have no one behind them. Brandon Graham is being compared to Woodley and who would not want two of him on their team?  Elite pass rushers are a premium position in the league. Graham has the potential to be a top pass rushing outside linebacker if given the time to develop.

Offensively, many teams are using two running backs on a weekly basis. If the Steelers are going to commit to the run, they will need to add depth. Rashard Mendenhall began to show the signs of being a top running back in the NFL last season, but drafting C.J. Spiller would allow the Steelers to have a fresh backfield. He would instantly become one of the fastest backs in the league and give the Steelers the most talented backfield in the NFL.

Like Graham, Jason Pierre-Paul is another “tweener.”  He has the size and speed combination to be a dominant outside linebacker in a 3-4 defense. His athleticism and upside is something that has attracted Tomlin in his first three drafts. The only downside, he is inexperienced. This is not a major issue, though, as there is no immediate demand to step into a starting role.

While the Steelers want to run the ball more effectively this season, the fact remains that they have franchise quarterback Ben Roethlisberger under center and Bruce Arians at offensive coordinator. This means they are still going to sling the ball all over the field.

The team got much deeper at wide receiver with the addition of Antwaan Randle El and Arnaz Battle, but later traded away former Super Bowl MVP Holmes. A player with Dez Bryant’s talent would be hard to pass up if he falls to Pittsburgh. Bryant has the size and speed to be an upper echelon receiver and would demand extra attention from defenses.

Another name worth mentioning is Golden Tate, wide receiver from Notre Dame.  The image conscience Steelers may want to avoid Bryant, who was suspended for most the the past season. 

Instead, Tate may be a more viable option.  While he doesn't have the size of bryant, standing at about 5'11", Tate is a talented playmaker who had nearly 1,500 yards receiving and 15 touchdowns this past season.  A multi-talented treat, Tate has the ability as a receiver, runner, and returner and is very difficult to bring down with the ball in his hands.

Summary

Factor in Sam Bradford, Jimmy Clausen, Ndamukong Suh, Gerald McCoy, Eric Berry, Russell Okung, Anthony Davis, and others, it is an almost certainty that the Steelers will have their choice of one or more of the 15 players listed above. This means that Pittsburgh is in a great position to acquire a very talented player.

Considering that this is a veteran team with the goal of returning to the Super Bowl, do not expect them to reach for a player who can start at a position of need.  Instead they will find a player who can contribute this year and start as soon as next year. So who are the likely selections?

Unless a top tackle falls to the 18th selection, I once again do not expect the Steelers to select an offensive lineman in the first round. While Pouncey and Iupati would be an upgrade to the interior of their line, they can find comparable centers later in the draft and they are pretty deep at guard.

Instead I believe the Steelers will look to upgrade their defense. The defensive line could get younger and the secondary could be improved. The names to consider will be Kyle Wilson and Earl Thomas, who could be moved to corner, or Dan Williams, a player who would give the Steelers a centerpiece of their defense.

In less than a week we will find out.