Who We're Looking at...

[jonzr]

Also check out the "official" draft threads from the last two years, bound to be some hoots in there.

[KeystoneKC]

Intersting thread. Only Dixon and Sweed showed up on the radar leading up to the draft.

I'm not sure if you've bee MIA,... or if I've been MIA.  Either way, good to see ya again SDW. 

[pensodyssey]

Also check out the "official" draft threads from the last two years, bound to be some hoots in there.

SING LEMDOLE WIPE!!!!!!!!11  N FFERDY GRIPSON!!!!!!!!!!!11

[Finnegans Wake]

Steelers are allowed 30 visits; I've tracked down 24 28 of 'em, and ranked according to NFLDS.

Position Name School NFLDS Round NFLDS Overall CB Vontae Davis Illinois 1 21 CB Alphonso Smith Wake Forest 1-2    32 C Alex Mack California 1-2 34 C/OG Eric Wood Louisville 2 43 C/OG Max Unger Oregon 2 45 CB/S Jairus Byrd Oregon 2 55 DE Jarron Gilbert San Jose St. 2-3 58 WR/KR Mike Thomas Arizona 2-3 63 OLB Lawrence Sidbury Richmond 2-3 65 OG/OT Herman Johnson LSU 2-3 66 OT Phil Loadholt Oklahoma 2-3 67 CB/S Sherrod Martin Troy 2-3 72 DT Fili Moala USC 2-3 74 CB Keenan Lewis Oregon St. 2-3 75 FS Rashad Johnson Alabama 3 82 DT Dorell Scott Clemson 3-4 104 TE Richard Quinn North Carolina 4 125 DT    Sammie Lee Hill Stillman 4-5 148 QB Nate Davis Ball St. 5 156 CB Greg Toler St. Paul's (VA) 5 158 OG    Louis Vasquez Texas Tech 5 170 CB Donald Washington Ohio St. 5-6 177 CB/S Joe Burnett    Central Florida 6 206 CB/S Don Carey Norfolk St. 7 242 DT Ra'Shon Harris Oregon 7 245 FB Frank Summers UNLV 7-FA 277 CB Tony Carter Florida St. 7-FA 297 CB/KR Pete Ittersagen Wheaton FA 671

[Finnegans Wake]

Here's a question: if Vontae Davis falls to 32, is he our guy?  Great physical skills, seems like he hasn't interviewed well, maybe just needs disciplined coaching.  Another Illini faller?

[Finnegans Wake]

Steelers are allowed 30 visits; this should be all 30, ranked according to NFLDS.

Note:  Removed Jairus Byrd, as my notes indicated interest before visits, and no confirmed visit was verified.  Also, list does not include local visits (WVU, Pitt, PSU).

Position Name School NFLDS Round NFLDS Overall CB Vontae Davis Illinois 1 21 CB Alphonso Smith Wake Forest 1-2 32 C Alex Mack California 1-2 34 C/OG Eric Wood Louisville 2 43 C/OG Max Unger Oregon 2 45 FS Louis Delmas Western Michigan 2 51 DE Jarron Gilbert San Jose St. 2-3 58 WR/KR Mike Thomas Arizona 2-3 63 OLB Lawrence Sidbury Richmond 2-3 65 OG/OT Herman Johnson LSU 2-3 66 OT Phil Loadholt Oklahoma 2-3 67 CB/S Sherrod Martin Troy 2-3 72 DT Fili Moala USC 2-3 74 CB Keenan Lewis Oregon St. 2-3 75 FS Rashad Johnson Alabama 3 82 DT Dorell Scott Clemson 3-4 104 TE Richard Quinn North Carolina 4 125 DT    Sammie Lee Hill Stillman 4-5 148 QB Nate Davis Ball St. 5 156 CB Greg Toler St. Paul's (VA) 5 158 OG    Louis Vasquez Texas Tech 5 170 CB Donald Washington Ohio St. 5-6 177 CB/S Joe Burnett    Central Florida 6 206 CB/S Don Carey Norfolk St. 7 242 DT Ra'Shon Harris Oregon 7 245 FB Frank Summers UNLV 7-FA 277 CB Tony Carter Florida St. 7-FA 297 WR/KR Jason Chery Louisiana-Lafayette 7-FA 308 DE/OLB Brandon Long Michigan St. FA 403 CB/KR Pete Ittersagen Wheaton FA 671

[Finnegans Wake]

I don't necessarily agree with the NFLDS rankings, but they offer a framework.  IMO, Gilbert is a late-R1, although Larry Zierlein's son Lance, who blogs for the Texans and seems to have a decent sense of what teams want, has Gilbert going at 18 to Denver.  Also believe Don Carey will go higher, seems like teams in the know (Steelers, Ravens, others) like him and will want to get him safely.

Breaking it down by rounds, using NFLDS plus some tweaks, these are the clusters.  Bold are players of high interest to me, italicized are players who might be of higher value in a trade-down.

1.32

CB Vontae Davis,Illinois
DE Jarron Gilbert, San Jose St.
C Alex Mack, California
C/OG Eric Wood, Louisville
CB Alphonso Smith, Wake Forest
C/OG Max Unger, Oregon
FS Louis Delmas, Western Michigan

IMO, Davis may be a risk.  Smith's height makes me believe he'll never be a CB on the outside, just a package player.  Unger is not as strong as Mack or Wood, IMO.  Delmas is a very interesting pick, but would be a better value in a trade down as well.

2.64

DT Fili Moala, USC
WR/KR Mike Thomas, Arizona   
OT Phil Loadholt, Oklahoma    
OG/OT Herman Johnson, LSU   
CB/S Sherrod Martin, Troy   
OLB Lawrence Sidbury, Richmond       
CB/S Keenan Lewis, Oregon St.
FS Rashad Johnson, Alabama

It's tempting to look at the number of CBs we've brought in and cry Overkill!, but some like Lewis and Martin (a couple of funny guys) could be groomed as FS.  R2 looks like a solid confluence of talent, esp. at OG and DB.  Martin's age and injuries give pause.  Sidbury is a boom or bust at a position we're stocked at.  If we go C in R1, does that mean we go D in R2?

3.96

OG Louis Vasquez, Texas Tech
DT Dorell Scott, Clemson
TE Richard Quinn, North Carolina

Hard to figure this group.  Is Scott a light NT or a beefy DE?  And Quinn is really just another blocker, but might be a reach at 3.96.  This could mean we'll see if any of the above cluster drop, or it could signal that we're willing to trade out of this pick (up or down).  Trade possibilities involving the 3.96 include:  2.64 + 3.96 --> 2.51 (Dallas) or 2.52 (NYJ); 3.96 + 4.168 --> 3.90 (Atl); 1.32 + 3.96 + 4.132 --> 2.47 + 2.58 (NE), or --> 2.45 + 2.60 (Miami).  Of those scenarios, I find it less likely that we trade either R1 or R2; the trade with Atlanta could happen, if they want to increase the number of picks they have from 7, and we see a faller from that R2 cluster.

Otherwise, we may just go off the visit list and take a BPA.  I'd be a little upset if we reached again for a TE in R3.  Edit: I bumped Louis Vasquez up to R3.  He's a massively strong OG who I think won't make it out of R4.  Needs to show he can transition from that funky TT offense.

4.132

DT Sammie Lee Hill, Stillman

A cluster of one, IMO.  Did not some of the R5 players, as I think R4 is too rich, even in trade-down.  Hill is an interesting small school guy who looks to be a long-term project at NT.  After Raji and Brace come NTs with all sorts of caveats.  Of those, Hill and Vaughn Martin, W. Ontario (!) offer the most upside IMO.  Terrance Taylor remains a turd, and is a bit smallish IMO.  Terrance Knighton is too lanky and LOC is an issue.  Chris Baker of Hampton has character flags.  Roy Miller of Texas also might not have the frame.  Antonio Dixon of Miami is an interesting FA who cannot stay healthy. 

5.168
5.169

CB/S Don Carey, Norfolk St.
CB/KR Joe Burnett, Central Florida
CB Greg Toler, St. Paul's (VA)
CB Donald Washington, Ohio St.
QB Nate Davis, Ball St.

Carey and Toler are getting serious attention from teams, and won't last past here.  These guys are all developmental CBs, some can play S or return kicks.  It seems increasingly likely that we will draft a DB early and another late, for FS depth and CB depth.  Is Davis another Omar Jacobs?

6.205
7.226
7.241

FB Frank Summers, UNLV
DT Ra'Shon Harris,    Oregon
WR/KR Jason Chery, Louisiana-Lafayette

If I had to put my $37 on ONE GUY the Steelers will draft this year, it would be Frank Summers.  Kirby Wilson loves him, and we need that short yardage punch that a better FB can provide.  He also runs and catches well.  Sign him up.  Chery could be a nice addition in the KR role, and as an up-and-coming WR from Ike Taylor's LL.  Like Taylor, he could be a very nice developmental player with some decent upside.

FA

CB Tony Carter, Florida St.
DE/OLB Brandon Long, Michigan St.
CB/KR, Pete Ittersagen, Wheaton

On paper, Long should be a dominant OLB prospect.  On paper.

From the visit list alone, and not trading up or down, I'd like to see them go:

1. Eric Wood
2. Fili Moala
3. Louis Vasquez
4. Sammie Lee Hill
5. Don Carey
5. Greg Toler
6. Frank Summers
7. Ra'Shon Harris
7. Jason Chery

FA
Brandon Long

[jonzr]

I hope Summers is sitting around there at the end of the 6th.  What a confluence!

[Finnegans Wake]

Anyone know the rule on local visits?  How close the schools have to be?  IIRC it's also players born within a certain distance...

I ask because Bouchette added a couple more, and some on my list must be exempted.  The Ball St. kid was born in Bellaire, OH, and so is likely an exempt visit.

[aj_law]

Mr. Wake, bang up job keeping track of draft musings, player interviews, projections, etc., etc., this year.  If it wasn't for these kinds of updates, I wouldn't have a fuckin' clue who they were targeting as I'm very much out of the loop.

At the end of the day, we're basically lookin' at them building the trenches which is what many of us have mentioned and wanted for awhile now.  OL, DL with maybe a DB or WR wildcard.  Hopefully they can pull some magic and maybe move up for an extra pick somewhere in the 3rd as it seems there are a lot of guys with that value with whom they've expressed interest.

Specific players?  I'd be happy with pretty much any combo of these players you've suggested for the first couple rounds.  Gilbert, Wood, Mack, Unger, Moala, Johnson, Loadholt, Martin.