David DeCastro to Steelers: Draft-Day Slide Makes Steelers Big Round 1 Winners

The Pittsburgh Steelers have an uncanny knack for drafting late in the first round but finding players who make a significant impact for the team anyway, and that trend appears set to continue after the Steelers selected Stanford guard David DeCastro with the 24th overall pick in Thursday's first round of the 2012 NFL draft.

The 6'5" 316-pound two time consensus All-American was generally considered the top player available at his position in this year's class and a top-15 pick, and when DeCastro begin to slide the Steelers became first anxious and then elated, according to beat writer Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:

"

When Stanford guard David DeCastro slipped all the way to the 24th spot in the National Football League draft, the Steelers considered trading up to draft him. They didn't have to, and were so ecstatic to get him with the 24th overall selection that they took less than a minute to select him.

"

DeCastro will likely compete immediately with veterans Ramon Foster, Doug Legursky and Trai Essex for a starting spot on the interior of a Pittsburgh offensive line that allowed 42 sacks last season. After watching their 2011 season get effectively derailed when quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was clobbered by two Cleveland defenders last December, the offensive front was the largest area of need for the Steelers this offseason.

Not only did Pittsburgh address that need, they were able to land a polished blocker with experience in a pro-style offense who many experts had ranked as the third-best offensive tackle prospect in this year's draft class—even though he played exclusively at guard while in college.

There's a very good chance that DeCastro will join players such as tight end Heath Miller (30th overall in 2005), wide receiver Santonio Holmes (25th overall in 2006) and running back Rashard Mendenhall (23rd overall in 2008) as players taken late in round one that went on to make big dents in black and gold.  As Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert told the Washington Post, the team is over the moon that DeCastro was available that late:

"

“We really we didn’t think David would be there at 24 quite honestly,” Colbert said. “We valued him that high. We said there were a few special players in this draft, and he was one of them.”

"

Whether it's through luck, skill, voodoo, or some arcane combination of the three, this ability to reload the roster from the bottom of the round is one of the main reasons why the Steelers are a perennial playoff contender.

Once again, Colbert and the Steelers have shown why theirs is one of the most highly regarded front offices in the NFL. By having the sense to know a deal when they see it and locking up the first round's biggest steal in David DeCastro, it appears that Pittsburgh will be gearing up for yet another postseason run in 2012.

Follow @IDPManor