tr1
April-27th-2008, 05:56 AM
Man, how did the pukes pass on this guy?
:doh:
By Scott Brown
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/steelers/s_564597.html
Coaches, scouts and director of football operations Kevin Colbert talked through every scenario they thought might happen before the Steelers picked in the first round of the NFL Draft.
One transpired that they didn't anticipate, and when Rashard Mendenhall fell to the 23rd overall pick Saturday, the Steelers were happy to snatch up the Illinois running back.
Ecstatic, actually, is more like it.
Mendenhall is the first running back the Steelers have taken in the first round since 1989.
The Steelers snagged a tall wide receiver with their second-round pick when they selected Texas' Limas Sweed, another player they never thought would last as long in the draft as he did.
The Steelers' haul on the first day of the draft turned out to be a somewhat surprising one considering the needs they have elsewhere.
The Steelers presumably will address both lines today when rounds three through seven are held. The Steelers have four picks on the second and final day of the draft, which starts at 10 a.m.
Neither of the team's top two picks went as high as had been projected, and the Steelers actually had assigned first-round grades to both of them. They had Mendenhall rated high enough that they didn't consider trading their first-round pick for extra selections when he surprisingly became available to them.
"You've got guys that can put the ball in the end zone," Steelers wide receivers coach Randy Fichtner said of the team's first two picks. "That was important last time I checked."
The Steelers will pair Mendenhall with Pro Bowler Willie Parker, though coach Mike Tomlin made it clear that Mendenhall will start his NFL career in a reserve role.
The 5-foot-9 1/2, 224-pound Mendenhall does have the look of a legitimate complement to Parker.
His blend of size and speed made him one of the highest-rated running backs in the draft, and he ran for 1,681 yards and 18 touchdowns in 2007 while leading Illinois to one of its most successful seasons in years. In the Rose Bowl, Mendenhall rushed for 155 yards on 17 carries against a USC defense that had two players among the first 10 picks yesterday.
"It shouldn't be too difficult finding ways that he can contribute to this football team," Tomlin said.
In joining a crowded backfield that, at least for now, includes Najeh Davenport, Mewelde Moore and Gary Russell, Mendenhall also provides insurance in case Parker has any setbacks as he recovers from a broken leg -- or in the event that he goes down again with an injury.
"In all honesty, when you look back on last year, once Willie was injured, it was a difference," Colbert said. "Willie's still going to be a great running back, and we think Rashard will be a great running back as well."
The Steelers didn't spend a lot of time checking into Mendenhall before the draft, because they never thought they'd get a shot at him with trading up in the first round not a realistic possibility considering they entered the draft with just six picks.
"This was kind of out of nowhere to me," Mendenhall said of his selection. "It's good to be picked by the Steelers. It's a great fan base, and I feel good about playing there."
A run on offensive tackles, one of the Steelers' biggest needs heading into the draft, dropped Mendenhall into the latter part of the first round.
A few teams inquired about the Steelers' first-round pick, Colbert said. But the Steelers had decided before the draft that they would not trade the pick if certain players were still available.
That list, which had about 15 players on it, included Mendenhall, who played three seasons at Illinois before leaving early for the draft.
"He runs with power, he runs with moves, he can catch," Colbert said. "This is something that's very exciting for this organization, and we were happy to make this pick. It was unexpected. I don't want to hear his agent say it, but it's the truth."
Another unexpected development for the Steelers was Sweed lasting well into the second round.
The 6-4, 212-pounder had been widely considered one of the top wide receivers in the draft.
He should crack the Steelers' rotation as a rookie and give quarterback Ben Roethlisberger the tall receiver he had said he wanted. Of the 124 catches Sweed made during a distinguished career at Texas, 20 went for touchdowns.
"We just couldn't understand why Limas was still out there," Fichtner said.
A nagging wrist injury limited Sweed in 2007, and he had season-ending wrist surgery in October.
Fichtner said Steelers doctors were satisfied by what they saw when they examined Sweed's wrist at the NFL scouting combine.
"If you saw me working out," Sweed said of the pro day in which he participated at Texas, "you could never tell I had wrist surgery."
Sweed planned to talk to Roethlisberger by phone last night, and the two will get a chance to work together at minicamp, which starts Friday.
"There were a lot of people saying he was looking for a big receiver," Sweed said, "and now he has one."
:doh:
By Scott Brown
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/steelers/s_564597.html
Coaches, scouts and director of football operations Kevin Colbert talked through every scenario they thought might happen before the Steelers picked in the first round of the NFL Draft.
One transpired that they didn't anticipate, and when Rashard Mendenhall fell to the 23rd overall pick Saturday, the Steelers were happy to snatch up the Illinois running back.
Ecstatic, actually, is more like it.
Mendenhall is the first running back the Steelers have taken in the first round since 1989.
The Steelers snagged a tall wide receiver with their second-round pick when they selected Texas' Limas Sweed, another player they never thought would last as long in the draft as he did.
The Steelers' haul on the first day of the draft turned out to be a somewhat surprising one considering the needs they have elsewhere.
The Steelers presumably will address both lines today when rounds three through seven are held. The Steelers have four picks on the second and final day of the draft, which starts at 10 a.m.
Neither of the team's top two picks went as high as had been projected, and the Steelers actually had assigned first-round grades to both of them. They had Mendenhall rated high enough that they didn't consider trading their first-round pick for extra selections when he surprisingly became available to them.
"You've got guys that can put the ball in the end zone," Steelers wide receivers coach Randy Fichtner said of the team's first two picks. "That was important last time I checked."
The Steelers will pair Mendenhall with Pro Bowler Willie Parker, though coach Mike Tomlin made it clear that Mendenhall will start his NFL career in a reserve role.
The 5-foot-9 1/2, 224-pound Mendenhall does have the look of a legitimate complement to Parker.
His blend of size and speed made him one of the highest-rated running backs in the draft, and he ran for 1,681 yards and 18 touchdowns in 2007 while leading Illinois to one of its most successful seasons in years. In the Rose Bowl, Mendenhall rushed for 155 yards on 17 carries against a USC defense that had two players among the first 10 picks yesterday.
"It shouldn't be too difficult finding ways that he can contribute to this football team," Tomlin said.
In joining a crowded backfield that, at least for now, includes Najeh Davenport, Mewelde Moore and Gary Russell, Mendenhall also provides insurance in case Parker has any setbacks as he recovers from a broken leg -- or in the event that he goes down again with an injury.
"In all honesty, when you look back on last year, once Willie was injured, it was a difference," Colbert said. "Willie's still going to be a great running back, and we think Rashard will be a great running back as well."
The Steelers didn't spend a lot of time checking into Mendenhall before the draft, because they never thought they'd get a shot at him with trading up in the first round not a realistic possibility considering they entered the draft with just six picks.
"This was kind of out of nowhere to me," Mendenhall said of his selection. "It's good to be picked by the Steelers. It's a great fan base, and I feel good about playing there."
A run on offensive tackles, one of the Steelers' biggest needs heading into the draft, dropped Mendenhall into the latter part of the first round.
A few teams inquired about the Steelers' first-round pick, Colbert said. But the Steelers had decided before the draft that they would not trade the pick if certain players were still available.
That list, which had about 15 players on it, included Mendenhall, who played three seasons at Illinois before leaving early for the draft.
"He runs with power, he runs with moves, he can catch," Colbert said. "This is something that's very exciting for this organization, and we were happy to make this pick. It was unexpected. I don't want to hear his agent say it, but it's the truth."
Another unexpected development for the Steelers was Sweed lasting well into the second round.
The 6-4, 212-pounder had been widely considered one of the top wide receivers in the draft.
He should crack the Steelers' rotation as a rookie and give quarterback Ben Roethlisberger the tall receiver he had said he wanted. Of the 124 catches Sweed made during a distinguished career at Texas, 20 went for touchdowns.
"We just couldn't understand why Limas was still out there," Fichtner said.
A nagging wrist injury limited Sweed in 2007, and he had season-ending wrist surgery in October.
Fichtner said Steelers doctors were satisfied by what they saw when they examined Sweed's wrist at the NFL scouting combine.
"If you saw me working out," Sweed said of the pro day in which he participated at Texas, "you could never tell I had wrist surgery."
Sweed planned to talk to Roethlisberger by phone last night, and the two will get a chance to work together at minicamp, which starts Friday.
"There were a lot of people saying he was looking for a big receiver," Sweed said, "and now he has one."