Is it too early to start talking 2012 Draft??

[STEELyourface]

With NCAAF officially starting in a couple days I thought maybe it was time to start hearing some chatter about thoughts for the 2012 Draft. It's never too early to start looking, right?

I watch a ton of college football so I can't help but start thinking about it myself. I pretty much keep my eyes open for people who fit the Steelers needs, schemes, organization, etc every game I watch.

Some of the positions I see them looking to fill in no particular order (obviously this could change by draft time):


NT
ILB
FS/S
DE
OG (possibly)
OT (possibly)
CB (possibly)

We'll have to see how some of the young guys pan out this season before we can say for sure on some of these but the way it looks to me now this seems reasonable.

Some people I'm gonna try to stay up on for now:

NT- Guys from Alabama and Washington
ILB- Dont'a Hightower Alabama
CB- Cliff Harris Oregon and Stephen Gilmore South Carolina and Desmond Trufant Washington
FS/S Robert Lester Alabama and Janzen Jackson Tennessee
DE- Andre Branch Clemson and Bruce Irvin West Virginia

This is going to be a fairly deep draft for O-lineman.

[Black@Gold Forever32]

Its never to early to start talking NFL draft......I know you just made Ktrain a happy man with starting this thread....Ktrain is the draft expert here on SA and I give him mad props especially this past Steelers draft......

I still watch college football but the last 2-3 years I havn't watched it as much so my draft sense hasn't been as sharp but I plan to watch more college ball this year so I can stay sharp when the draft rolls around....I love the NFL draft and really my dream job would be an NFL scout......

[K Train]

With NCAAF officially starting in a couple days I thought maybe it was time to start hearing some chatter about thoughts for the 2012 Draft. It's never too early to start looking, right?

I watch a ton of college football so I can't help but start thinking about it myself. I pretty much keep my eyes open for people who fit the Steelers needs, schemes, organization, etc every game I watch.

Some of the positions I see them looking to fill in no particular order (obviously this could change by draft time):


NT
ILB
FS/S
DE
OG (possibly)
OT (possibly)
CB (possibly)

We'll have to see how some of the young guys pan out this season before we can say for sure on some of these but the way it looks to me now this seems reasonable.

Some people I'm gonna try to stay up on for now:

NT- Guys from Alabama and Washington
ILB- Dont'a Hightower Alabama
CB- Cliff Harris Oregon and Stephen Gilmore South Carolina and Desmond Trufant Washington
FS/S Robert Lester Alabama and Janzen Jackson Tennessee
DE- Andre Branch Clemson and Bruce Irvin West Virginia

This is going to be a fairly deep draft for O-lineman.

Guy from alabama is chapman, i love him as a second round guy...Same with Alameda Ta''amu from washinston.

hightower is a 3rd round guy at this point, hes a hammer in the middle and has a hell of a pass rush from the interior, but i really like timmons and sly so i bump down MLB as a need

i dont like harris or gilmore, and i despise dre kirkpatrick from bama. Give me Alfonzo Dennard or Chase Minnifield, they are my dudes at corner this year...dennard is so physical, just a violent jam, and minnifield has revis-like technique and can make some insane plays on the ball

lester is alright, not crazy about the safety class again this year so far but theres a lot of football to be played.

oline i love cordy glenn and mike brewster

ill start coming out with mocks shortly when college football gets rolling and i can see some of these draft eligible guys i havent really watched much last year....dark horse for my favorite player this year: Xavier Rhodes from FSU....might just be a brilliant corner prospect when its said and done....hes a draft eligible redshirt sophomore, so a bit young

[Black@Gold Forever32]

Xavier Rhodes I will make a note to pay extra attention to him this year.......

[STEELyourface]

I don't start worrying about location in the draft this early since it can change on an almost weekly basis. I don't claim to be any kind of expert either, I just watch a lot of NCAAF and try to make a note of something/someone that impresses me and follow up with them throughout the season.

I watched a lot of Oregon and SC last season and think Harris and Gilmore will be good. This will be a pretty good year for CBs and I do like Minnifield and Dennard too just didn't want to list 100 guys at CB but am definitely keeping an eye on them.

I don't think Rhodes will come out this year despite being eligible but you're right he's gonna be nasty and will definitely benefit from being in Mark Stoops' defensive scheme (which is why I think he sticks around).

I'm real interested to start following along with your mocks and updates. This may be one of the nerdier sides of being a football fan, but I really enjoy it!

[K Train]

Heres a quick set of rankings (by round for the steelers, so im leaving out guys i want no part of, or that dont fit, or they wont have a chance in hell at) also its probably top 3 rounds rankings at this point

Needs in order imo

CB
FS
NT
G
RB
MLB
TE
T
OLB

Steelers are 100% set at DE, C, RT, hopefully LT

First round guys that have my attention:

Alfonzo Dennard- Unique build for a CB, violent jam, excellent tackle, little stiff but would look real good playing in the steelers defense. Hes excellent in run support and when he tackles the ball carrier goes down.
Chase Minnifield- Great natural technique, insane hops and return ability, ball skills, reminds me of revis in his natural ability but needs to be polished up....filled in nicely for ras-i dowling last year and gets to be the guy in virginia this year....he will be better than dowling and cook, both were top 35 picks.
Manti Teo- Can probably play any LB position, would be a hammer in the middle of a 34 and could probably even play outside as a pass rusher...reminds me of a young farrior but probably even better and more instinctual.
Vontaze Burfict- Could end up being one of my favorite prospects ever...absolutely bat shit crazy on the field, plays out of his mind with no regard for his own or others bodies. Insane is the only way i can describe him, compares favorably to ray lewis imo. just brings a physical, nasty presense to the field is probably the best MLB since willis.
Trent Richardson-wouldnt be the most popular pick, but who knows where mendenhall ranks on their priority list. Richardson is better than ingram imo, hes a miture of michael bush and steven jackson imo, hes just a big, hard runner. not gonna lie hed look good as a steeler.
Xavier Rhodes- Pretty big man crush here....nnamdi clone in that he has good speed, excellent technique, extremely long arms, and is a big 6-2 215 CB. Hes not the physical freak patrick peterson is but he has INSANE quickness for a big corner, hes going to be a great pro corner...so rangy with lockdown ability. Probably a 4.5 guy but never gets beat to have to use his speed
Mike Brewster- Its hard to look at him and not think Nick Mangold...honestly hed be a great LG but i would even say he could play center for us and let pouncey crush the world at LG, wont happen but skill set wise that would be a brilliant due.
Cordy Glenn-Pretty sure hes playing LT this year for the bulldogs, i like him as a guard though...Cordy Glenn>>>Mike Pouncey/Mike Iupati imo

Ray Ray Armstrong- has a lot of work to do to be a top pick, really needs to get his shit together but physically he looks the part
Kenny Tate- switching to OLB this year, might be a SS in the pros...hard to tell til we see him play his new position...not just an athlete like taylor mays, the dude can ball out
Robert Lester
Mark Baron
Alameda Ta'amu
Chapman
Michael Floyd- poor mans larry fitz, needs to stop drinking and driving
Davis Decastro- monster guard, stanford is cranking out some good pros
Jayron hosley- undersized but fiesty, great technique, and a ball hawk


i need to watch more of the guys i left blank before i make a legit comment on them, but theres some early rankings

[STEELyourface]

I don't fully agree that we are 100% set at DE.

I was just coming on here to mention Kenny Tate (I'll be seeing him in person this season) to you cause I read a post that mentioned you liking guys that can play two positions (seems like a given but many people don't).

Also Jared Crick DT/DE from Nebraska is someone I like when it comes to double duty
Burfict WILL be great pro (seeing him in person this year)
Jayron Hosley- VT guys are a solid bet on special teams to contribute immediately while seeing if they pan out and since he already plays special teams at VT I like his chances

You think we're fully set DE, huh? Obviously I don't.

My method is to make notes of people I notice while watching games and later check out what is being said about them and see how it compares to what I've noticed. I don't pay much attention to who's gonna go where or to who unless it is someone I noted for the Steelers. I also ignore (from a draft perspective) anyone who will go well before we pick. All the guys I originally noted I wrote down while watching last season and I'm glad to see we agree on a few. This is nothing I take very seriously, I just can't help myself since I'm watching anyway.

There seems to already be a consensus on several of the guys you mentioned above from what I've read in the last 2 days. Now it's just a matter of how the season goes (in both leagues) and who makes a name for themselves this year (in both leagues).

Keep updating you'll have at least me checking in with it regularly thats for sure especially considering the wheels are set into motion tomorrow night! To tell you the truth I actually love NCAAF more than the NFL.

[K Train]

I don't fully agree that we are 100% set at DE.

I was just coming on here to mention Kenny Tate (I'll be seeing him in person this season) to you cause I read a post that mentioned you liking guys that can play two positions (seems like a given but many people don't).

Also Jared Crick DT/DE from Nebraska.

You think we're fully set DE, huh?

im not sold on 2 position versatility (especially for linemen, that just means they suck at tackle but can probably kick inside to suck less)

tate can ball though, he could be a giant FS, a solid SS, a 34 OLB, or a 43 WILL....which is a MESS as far as evaluating him right now.

DE depends greatly on evanders future, if they tell him to pack on 15 pounds and prepare to play NT (im 100% pro that move btw) then no i think DE could be in the near future and crick could certainly get consideration there (hes pretty much by far my #1 5tech next year right now) but if we roll with hood and heyward at DE and realistically have keisel for another good 3 years and smith for another 1 year probably thats a SOLID rotation.

but a line of Crick/Hood/Heyward would be a disgustingly good 34 line

i hate hood btw, always have and probably always will...thought it was a terrible pick, i dont like him at DE he gets blown off the ball and he plays like a 43 DE and tries to bend around the edge like a pass rusher...BUT he also plays very well over center when he can lock on and he doesnt looks so terrible and can generate a pass rush from that spot, which is why im so pro him moving to NT, because really hes been a 43 DT all along, making him play in a 34 at DE has been a waste, he was awful there for 1 3/4 years.

[STEELyourface]

im not sold on 2 position versatility (especially for linemen, that just means they suck at tackle but can probably kick inside to suck less).

That's the usual arguement but I don't like condemning everyone to that. It's much more of a case by case basis. BTW I liked the idea of getting Brewster and moving Pouncey, but you're right, never happen.

[/QUOTE=K Train;435864]DE depends greatly on evanders future, if they tell him to pack on 15 pounds and prepare to play NT (im 100% pro that move btw) then no i think DE could be in the near future and crick could certainly get consideration there (hes pretty much by far my #1 5tech next year right now) but if we roll with hood and heyward at DE and realistically have keisel for another good 3 years and smith for another 1 year probably thats a SOLID rotation.[/QUOTE]

You are correct and I too think Smith comes back for one more year (and have said as much despite the negative reaction it brings) but I still think we ought to draft one.

Trent Richardson is interesting, I'd be all for it, but I'm holding out hope that we get Lattimore (South Carolina) in a couple seasons.

[K Train]

dont get me wrong, in tates case i like the versatility because hes good at FS and i cant imagine at his size and with his skills him not bieng good at OLB. its very case specific really