Play GM: Round 2

[Finnegans Wake]

By consensus at the Steelers draft table, the selection in round 1 was Alex Mack, C, California.

The players listed below, plus those selected in Play GM: Round 1, are off the board.  I'm also removing DE Jarron Gilbert, DE, SDSU, who was included in the round 1 options (but who does not get selected in the DraftTek mock until R3): I simply find that an odd and illogical ranking.  Ditto with Ron Brace, whom I meant to put in the round 1 poll and forgot.  I think he's very likely to be gone high round 2.

Pick   Team Selection Psn School Delta
33  Detroit Alex Mack OC California +0 Value
34  Kansas City Michael Johnson DE43 Georgia Tech -3 Reach
35  St Louis Derrick Williams WRF Penn State -8 Reach
36  Cleveland Darius Butler CB Connecticut -6 Reach
37  Seattle Chris Wells RBF Ohio State +19 Value
38  Cincinnati Max Unger OC Oregon -1 Reach
39  Jacksonville LeSean McCoy RBF Pittsburgh +15 Value
40  Oakland Robert Ayers DE43 Tennessee -5 Reach
41  Green Bay Clay Matthews OLB34 USC +7 Value
42  Buffalo Paul Kruger DE43 Utah -14 Reach
43  San Francisco William Beatty OT Connecticut +8 Value
44 * Miami Jairus Byrd CB Oregon -5 Reach
45 * NY Giants Brian Robiskie WRF Ohio State -7 Reach
46  Houston Duke Robinson OG Oklahoma +5 Value
47 * New England Patrick Chung SS Oregon +1 Value
48  Denver Shonn Greene RBF Iowa +10 Value


49  Chicago William Moore FS Missouri +1 Value
50  Tampa Bay Juaquin Iglesias WRF Oklahoma -4 Reach
51  Dallas Herman Johnson OG LSU +0 Value
52  NY Jets Darry Beckwith ILB LSU -16 Reach
53  Philadelphia Victor Harris CB Virginia Tech -4 Reach
54  Minnesota Phil Loadholt OT Oklahoma +1 Value
55  Atlanta Evander Hood DT43 Missouri -7 Reach
56  Miami Connor Barwin OLB34 Cincinnati -2 Reach
57  Baltimore Mike Mickens CB Cincinnati -3 Reach
58  New England Louis Delmas FS Western Michigan -7 Reach
59  Carolina Fili Moala DT43 USC -8 Reach
60  NY Giants Jamon Meredith OT South Carolina -3 Reach
61  Indianapolis Sen'Derrick Marks DT43 Auburn -13 Reach
62  Tennessee Donald Brown RBF Connecticut +18 Value
63  Arizona Derek Pegues FS Mississippi St -10 Reach

[Finnegans Wake]

Notes, in general: with Brace, Moala, and Gilbert off the board, there aren't many DL values from here until about R4.

There is a big bubble of IOL, especially guys who can play either C or OG (Luigs, Wood, Caldwell), which might not be a bad thing.

Here is also where discussion starts about CB and WR.  A few safeties at the top could have been in the mix but are off. 

Some tackles here, but not much after.  Whether they are better than the IOL players is a whole other discussion.  R3 has a bubble of last-call OGs, and will be a place to get the jump on R4 developmental guys and possibly a few ILBs for depth.  (Assuming two picks, one being a comp.)

[Finnegans Wake]

I'm personally still undecided.  Tupou might be RT only, and could be good, but we might get better RT value later.  CB has some intriguing guys, but I really like the IOL value, especially of Wood and Levitre.  Levitre played some OT, but not sure how he'd do with that in the bigs; methinks he's a pure OG.  Wood, however, can play C and OG well, and having that extra snapping capability is a plus.

[vinman3]

Think the CB had some kind of gun charge against him in college, can't see the Steelers picking him up there. I do see the need to draft a CB, but having a dude with the size and ability of Tupou seems like a great addition to sure up the OL. Looking for some DL options in the 3rd. Maybe will have to look at WR/CB there as well....Or Pat White </homer>

[Finnegans Wake]

I had originally taken Francies off my list for the firearms issue, too, but apparently he checks.  Was in a car with a friend, friend had the gun, Francies had nothing to do with it.  The Oregon St. coach had to follow the team rules and have him leave, but went out of his way to talk to the SDSU coach about Francies being a character guy.  Seems the NFL scouts believe that, too.  Does not seem to be problematic.

[vinman3]

I had originally taken Francies off my list for the firearms issue, too, but apparently he checks.  Was in a car with a friend, friend had the gun, Francies had nothing to do with it.  The Oregon St. coach had to follow the team rules and have him leave, but went out of his way to talk to the SDSU coach about Francies being a character guy.  Seems the NFL scouts believe that, too.  Does not seem to be problematic.

Well then, that may change some things. Though I still think OL is the biggest need, then DL, then CB/WR.

[dare2beme]

I'll fess up to not delving my knowledge too deep into the 2nd round talent.  I picked Topou due to the Strange Name Theory^tm

[Finnegans Wake]

Well, Max Unger was playing LT until Tupou arrived from some junior college.  He played like a beast for them at LT (Unger switched to C), but there is some concern whether he can play LT in the pros, or is RT only.

My thinking is this.  He's 6'6", 315#, and has longer arms than Colon.  Start him at RT, get his legs under him.  Then see if he can switch to LT.  Hell, if big old lumbering Max Starks can play LT for us, Tupou should be able to.

BTW, for all the hilarity over how slow and weak LT Jason Watkins from Florida was at this year's combine, check his numbers versus what Max put up in Indy.  It was pathetic, and yet here we are, tagging him a second year. 

[jonzr]

Went for the OT here just 'cause.  But if McFadden is gone then CB may look more like a need, hard to say.  Don't wanna reach though so whichever is the better value of the two positions. 

If they believe Tupou is a plug in starter at RT then this is a no-brainer and one hopes the line is fixed for a while.

[Finnegans Wake]

I've locked the R2 voting; Tupou is the consensus here.  I hesitated to vote for him, with Wood, and Levitre, and Francies all receiving strong consideration.  My hesitation was based on Tupou not showing particularly well in the E-W Shrine Game practices.  However, I think he has the ability to switch to LT in a pinch, can lock down RT and move Colon in, and really dominate the way later OTs won't.  He was a beast at Oregon, and while I like the OGs here, I can see us getting a guard in R3 or R4.  (Even if Mack moves 'Wig inside, we still need a long term solution.)

Corner, we still have 'Shea and Ike, and Gay is pretty strong, so the need isn't as great IMO as some would say, and I also believe the talent is pretty close at CB from R2-3, and maybe later.

R3 coming up.