The Pittsburgh Steelers are set at the starting outside linebacker positions with LaMarr Woodley and Jason Worilds. Add the fact that the team just drafted Jarvis Jones in the first round as an instant pass rusher and eventual starter and that really only leaves one roster spot left at the position. The Steelers did keep five outside linebackers on the roster last season in Woodley, Worilds, James Harrison, Chris Carter and Adrian Robinson. A huge reason for that though was because both Harrison and Worilds were dealing with injuries to start the season.
Training Camp Battle: Adrian Robinson Vs. Chris Carter
Top 5 Multiple-Pick Rounds in Pittsburgh Steelers Drafts Since 2000 (Part 2 of 2)
In case you missed it, we’re counting down the five best multiple-pick rounds in Pittsburgh Steelers drafts since Kevin Colbert started running the draft in 2000.
After revealing No. 4 and No. 5 in Part 1 of this series (click here), we’ll unveil the top three here.
Prosportstransactions.com was used for information on draft trades.
3. 2002 Seventh Round
The Steelers likely will continue to reap the benefits of the 2002 draft in 2013. Seventh-rounder Brett Keisel figures to be with the Steelers for at least another year.
Keisel began making an impact in 2005 with three sacks. He became a starter at defensive end the following year. He’s had 25 career sacks, broken up 31 passes, forced six fumbles and recovered seven fumbles in his career.
Keisel made the Pro Bowl and helped the Steelers get to the Super Bowl in 2010.
The Steelers’ third-best multiple-pick round of the Colbert era also comes with subtle infamy. Before taking Keisel with the 242nd pick, the Steelers traded kicker Kris Brown to the Houston Texans for the top pick in the seventh round. With the 212th pick, the Steelers drafted LaVar Glover. The defensive back appeared in two games in 2002. The problem was that it was with the Cincinnati Bengals.
The Steelers couldn’t be blamed for dealing Brown, who missed 14 of 44 field-goal attempts in 2001. However, Brown kicked a field goal to help the Texans stun the Steelers 24-6 at Heinz Field in 2002. That loss to the 4-12 Texans cost the Steelers home-field advantage in the playoffs, where they lost at Tennessee in overtime in the divisional round.
Top 5 Multiple-Pick Rounds in Pittsburgh Steelers Drafts Since 2000 (Part 1 of 2)
If the 2013 Pittsburgh Steelers draft was made into a movie, the dramatic climax would come in the fourth round.
The Steelers traded next year’s third-round pick for the Browns’ fourth-round pick, No. 111, to draft flashy safety Shamarko Thomas. Then, four picks later, the Steelers dropped some jaws by drafting Landry Jones.
Jones is the first quarterback the Steelers have drafted in five years. The last time the Steelers went five years without drafting a quarterback was1949.
The Steelers drafted Oklahoma wide receiver Justin Brown in the sixth round, then used their compensatory sixth-round pick to take Florida State inside linebacker Vince Williams.
The fourth and sixth rounds of the Steelers’ 2013 draft were their 20th and 21st multiple-pick rounds since Kevin Colbert became director of football operations in 2000.
Like every team, the Steelers have stacked multiple picks in one round from time to time either by trading picks or through compensatory picks.
Some of those rounds have turned out better than others.
Not including the 2013 draft, we’ll look at No. 5 and No. 4 on our list of the top five multiple-pick rounds in Steelers drafts during the Colbert era.
Training Camp Battle: Who Will Be Returning Kicks For The Pittsburgh Steelers?
The Chris Rainey experiment only lasted one disappointing season for the Steelers because of off the field issues the team just didn’t want to deal with anymore. Not that I disagree with the decision to waive Rainey, however, it’s worth noting that he was a very good kick returner for the Steelers in 2012. In fact, Rainey finished his rookie year tied for seventh in kick return average (26.5), and eighth in yards (1035). His release, coupled with the fact that the Steelers want to decrease Antonio Brown’s role on special teams, leaves the team with an open competition for both kick and punt return duties.
Steelers Safety Ryan Clark Makes a Bad Play in May
Once again, incendiary comments from a Steelers safety are written on a whiteboard somewhere in the recesses of Gillette Stadium.
Just what the Steelers needed.
Thank you, Ryan Clark.
Clark said this week on ESPN’s “NFL Live” that New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady will “duck” and “flinch” even when pressure isn’t there and that he “sees ghosts.” He said that wide receiver Danny Amendola, who the Patriots signed from the St. Louis Rams to replace Wes Welker, is “fragile.”
A guest analyst this week on ESPN, the 33-year-old Clark is preparing for life after football. He’s worked on Pittsburgh TV and radio and seems ready to trade in his helmet for a microphone when his playing days are over. According to SI.com, Clark saw ESPN senior coordinating producer Seth Markman at the Super Bowl and asked if he could intern.
It would have been better for the Steelers if Clark were fetching coffee and doing other intern-like tasks rather than running his mouth on the air.
In the SI.com article, both Markman and “NFL Live” host Trey Wingo called Clark “smart.”
Really?
He does know the Steelers visit the Patriots Nov. 3, right?
Clark is proving no smarter than Anthony Smith, the former Steelers safety who guaranteed a win over the 12-0 Patriots days before the Steelers played them at Gillette Stadium in 2007.
If Steelers’ 2013 Draft Is Any Good, We’ll Know in 2013
There are plenty of reasons to be excited about the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 2013 draft.
Jarvis Jones could make opposing quarterbacks fear the Steelers again.
Le’Veon Bell could be the Steelers’ first iconic running back since Jerome Bettis.
Markus Wheaton could be Mike Wallace with a brain.
Shamarko Thomas could fly all over the field and make plays.
That’s a lot of “could”s.
Was this really a good draft for the black and gold, or is it just fool’s gold?
The 2013 season will go a long way toward answering that question.
Grading a draft before any of the players put on pads is like asking a 5-year-old to write a college application essay. However, it should be evident in the first year if a draft will have any impact.
The Steelers’ 2011 and 2012 draft classes are still in wait-and-see mode. David DeCastro and Mike Adams, the first- and second-rounders in 2012, showed some promise but combined to play in just 14 games because of injuries. Fourth-rounder Alameda Ta’amu didn’t dress for a game.
The 2011 class could begin bearing fruit this year. Fourth-rounder Cortez Allen is set to become a starter at cornerback. Second-rounder Marcus Gilbert is expected to regain his starting job at offensive tackle after missing 11 games with injuries last season. First-rounder Cameron Heyward is still stuck behind Brett Keisel at defensive end. Third-rounder Curtis Brown has developed slowly at cornerback.
The Steelers are waiting for more productivity from their 2011 and 2012 drafts. When it comes to evaluating drafts, however, waiting is overrated.
An Early 53 Man Roster Prediction For The Pittsburgh Steelers
Now that the NFL Draft has concluded, it is time to look ahead to what the 2013 Pittsburgh Steelers could potentially look like. Besides having another solid draft, the Steelers brought in a few interesting undrafted free agents who could push for spots on the roster. There are going to be a lot of heated position battles once training camp gets under way and I can’t wait till we officially know how it all turns out.
2013 Pittsburgh Steelers Draft: Pro Bowl Odds for Every Pick
Applying letter grades to each team’s NFL draft has become such a hackneyed practice.
It’s Kentucky Derby weekend, so let’s set numerical Pro Bowl odds for each member of the Pittsburgh Steelers 2013 draft class.
These are the odds of each player making the Pro Bowl at least once in his career, not necessarily in his rookie year. A draft pick doesn’t have to be a Pro Bowler to be considered successful, but if he does become a Pro Bowler it ends all “bust” discussion.
Here’s the racing form for the 2013 Steelers draft picks:
Jarvis Jones, OLB, Georgia (first round, No. 17): Jones had a combined 28 sacks and 44 tackles for loss in two seasons at Georgia. If he beats out Jason Worilds, he’ll become the first rookie to start on defense since Dick LeBeau became defensive coordinator in 2004. The Steelers haven’t had a first-round bust since Kevin Colbert arrived in 2000, and Jones won’t be the first. It remains to be seen how much impact he’ll have at the next level, however. His size (6’2”, 245 pounds) could be a concern, but he has a realistic chance of making at least one Pro Bowl. Odds: 2-1
Le’Veon Bell, RB, Michigan State (second round, No. 48): Of the Steelers’ nine draft picks, Bell is the most likely to make a Pro Bowl. He led the Big Ten with 1,793 rushing yards in 2012 despite running behind a shoddy Michigan State offensive line, according to Steel City Insider. Bell’s not easy to bring down. More than half of his yards came after contact, according to STATS, Inc., via MSUSpartans.com. Even though he doesn’t quite have the size of Jerome Bettis, Bell is a bruising back who fits the Steelers’ tradition better than Rashard Mendenhall and Willie Parker. Odds: 3-2
Pittsburgh Steelers Went by the Book in the 2013 NFL Draft
Just call him Broadway Jarvis.
Already immortalized with food artwork in his likeness at a Subway in Manhattan, Jarvis Jones made the Namath-like prediction that he wouldn’t get past the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round of the 2013 NFL draft, according to NFL.com.
The Steelers had the No. 17 pick, and that’s exactly when Roger Goodell announced Jones’ name Thursday night under the bright lights at Radio City Music Hall, not far from Broadway.
Jones’ prediction came true because this was a predictable draft for the Steelers. There were no surprises because they did what they had to do.
There was no euphoria over a supposed steal like David DeCastro, Rashard Mendenhall or Limas Sweed.
There was no “who is Bruce Davis” moment.
There was no sappy tale of redemption like the drafting of Mike Adams.
The Steelers’ draft was free of plot twists and made-for-TV drama.
Coming off an 8-8 season and not winning a playoff game since 2010, the Steelers had a lot of needs in this draft. They couldn’t afford to get cute.
Pittsburgh Steelers 2013 Draft: Predicting the Steelers First-Round Board (Part II)
Previously, we discussed the 12 players worthy of being drafted with the No. 17 pick by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2013 NFL draft.
Now let’s look at seven more players the Steelers could take in the first round, but only if they trade down from No. 17. These players come with some questions, so if the Steelers draft them, they’ll need to hedge their bets by acquiring more picks in the later rounds and tapping into this draft’s depth.
One anonymous general manager told Mike Freeman of CBSSports.com “There will be 13-15 players picked in the first round that are true first-rounders.”
If the Steelers share that sentiment, or if that GM behind the curtain is Kevin Colbert, then there’s a good chance one of the 19 players examined in these two articles will be drafted by the Steelers in the first round.
The players are listed in the order the Steelers should take them.
Latest Steelers News & Forum Topics
Steelers Moon – Get it FREE
Follow, Like, or Share SteelerAddicts