Replacing Big Snack?

[Kipper]

Feeling Drafty: Replacing the Big Snack?

Tuesday, March 08, 2011 06:49 PM
Written by Dan Gigler

A six-pack of items below including potential draft picks, "Terrible" tattoos, Rocky Bleier honoring Vets, Hines Ward's fancy pants and more ...

1. Feeling Drafty: Replacing the Big Snack?

As we slowly emerge from our post-Super Bowl XLV cocoon, here's the first of what will be occasional updates on potential picks for the Steelers in the first round of the NFL Draft on April 28th in New York.
A Light Snack?

[IMGR]http://blogs.sites.post-gazette.com/images/stories/Dan_Gigler/philtaylor.jpg[/IMGR]First up: Baylor Nose Tackle Phil Taylor. Heading into the 2011 draft, it's no secret that the Steelers three areas of need are in the secondary -- specifically cornerback, the defensive line, and (as always) the offensive line. Luckily for Pittsburgh, who draft next to last in the first round, this draft class is deep with quality first-round talent at each of those spots.

One intriquing prospect is Baylor nose tackle Phil Taylor, projected to be potentially be available when the Steelers make the 31st pick.

NBC's Mike Florio interviewed Taylor on Pro Football Talk live earlier today, and later wrote that Taylor "says his role model on the field is Steelers nose tackle Casey Hampton," (like Hampton, Taylor wears #98) and that "it would make sense for a team to draft Taylor as an early-down run plugger in a 3-4 defense to start his career ... It might even make sense for the Steelers to draft Taylor at No. 31 to learn from Hampton himself."

Not a bad idea. Consider:

In 1992, the Steelers drafted the great Joel Steed, and he became the anchor of the first incarnation of the 3-4 "Blitzburgh" defense. The Steelers made six consecutive playoff appearances, including 3 AFC Championship games and a trip to Super Bowl XXX after Steed's acquisition. When Steed started to slip in 1998, so to did the Steelers. They missed the playoffs that year, and in 1999 (Steed's final season) and 2000.

In 2001, the Steelers selected Casey Hampton, and has been the portly pillar of arguably the NFL's most consistently stingy defense of the past decade, having appeared in five AFC title games and three Super Bowls, winning two of them.
Hampton will be 34 when the season starts. His primary backup, Chris Hoke, will be 35. These guys will soon need replaced.

The Steelers need a run-stuffer that can get pressure, move laterally down the line and absorb lineman and blocking backs so the linebackers and defensive backs can terrorize opponents' backfields from any angle courtesy of defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau's seemingly infinite permutation of rush schemes.

The 6'4"/330-ish lbs. Taylor fits the mold. Is he a potential Snack-in-waiting? He's projected as a middle to late first round pick, though his stock has risen of late.
Read scouting reports from CBS Sports the Sporting News and NFL.com on Taylor and watch a video of his performance in this past year's Baylor-Oklahoma game. Baylor got crushed, but Taylor kept on coming:

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[Palmetto Steel]

As we slowly emerge from our post-Super Bowl XLV cocoon

.... Still haven't gotten there just yet....

[Irish Goonatic]

The NT is probably being overlooked this year with the CB and OL problems alright. I'd hate to have the job of picking the no.1 in Pittsburgh this year but if I had to I would take him. Hampton isn't goin to last much longer and he is the keystone to the run defence. I wouldn't be surprised to see us pick NT DE CB in the first 3 rounds.

[Kipper]

The NT is probably being overlooked this year with the CB and OL problems alright. I'd hate to have the job of picking the no.1 in Pittsburgh this year but if I had to I would take him. Hampton isn't goin to last much longer and he is the keystone to the run defence. I wouldn't be surprised to see us pick NT DE CB in the first 3 rounds.

My opinion is that you're going to have a better chance of finding a good NT or a guy that can be groomed into one, later on in the draft, than you will find or get lucky with drafting a Top CB or Tackle. Mainly CB.

I dont know a whole lot abut this draft class and the players in it and their talent levels but I feel as if the Steelers need a "great" CB more than they need a "great" NT or even DL-man. We have Hood. Kiesel was a 7th rounder, Smith was a 4th rounder. Tackle is an elite position to an extent that you won't fill adequately below the 2nd round IMO not unless you want the Willie Colons (4th).

It's a matter of BPA and that's how the Steelers pick, I'm just looking at impact. You want a good QB, you don't draft one in the 3rd round, you draft him first. You can get lucky with guys lower down but generally if you want or have a big need for a good wR or a good RB, you draft in the first round.

It's a matter at least to me of what is our biggest need as far as impact is concerned and placing the value importance on that position in the draft to be honest. s look, there's not a NT, DE or R/LT in this draft that is going to make us be able to cover 4-5 wide, spread offenses and teams are going to start targeting the hell out of this exploited weakness of ours. Even the **** teams will start doing it because we continue to prove that we can't stop it. It's a copycat league and we are going to have to be able to defend a passing style of game that is going to most likely gain ore popularity with the Saints and Packers winning the last 2 Super Bowls

[fezziwig]

Yes, I don't see a position of a needed quality player falling in to our laps come draft day. We'll probably get someone that will need groomed and not to count on him anytime soon.

I don't mind this problem if, we would have won the Super Bowl. I have a feeling the closer this season nears then, I'll be upset that we lost the Super Bowl.

[Irish Goonatic]

True very true its almost like someone will come up with the "How to beat the Steelers for Dummies" playbook and everyone will have a shot. Truth be told though we really need 2 CBs in the top 3 picks cause taylor isn't a coverage CB and isn't worth veteran money so where does that leave us in the OL and DT DE. I hope we pick a Woodson.

[BigBen2112]

If Taylor is there then he HAS to be the pick. Taylor is a man amongst boys...

[buckeyehoppy]

If Taylor is there then he HAS to be the pick. Taylor is a man amongst boys...

I think there are only two players who, if they are still there, the Steelers will have to take a long, long look at. One is Phil Taylor, who is the best player at his position in the draft. The other is Mike Pouncey, for the obvious pairing with his brother. Otherwise, we will take the BPA which, considering possible circumstances, will probably add up to a CB. There might be as many as 3 CBs in our wheel house when we are on the clock.

[DCBILL]

I asked this before and Kipper (among two or three others) offered an answer, but then I read Bouchette yesterday asking the same thing on his PG+ blog and that was, "Why no buzz at all about this month's Steeler draft?"

We know we love the Steelers in season and whether we care or not--absent a trade--in less than three weeks, the team will pick seven kids who they hope will make their team better next season.

Strike or not those guys will be the "property" of the Steelers.

I guess the player-management dispute has drained a lot of our normal emotion.

[Beezy]

I asked this before and Kipper (among two or three others) offered an answer, but then I read Bouchette yesterday asking the same thing on his PG+ blog and that was, "Why no buzz at all about this month's Steeler draft?"

We know we love the Steelers in season and whether we care or not--absent a trade--in less than three weeks, the team will pick seven kids who they hope will make their team better next season.

Strike or not those guys will be the "property" of the Steelers.

I guess the player-management dispute has drained a lot of our normal emotion.

I think thats kinda it tbh. I really am trying to ignore the NFL right now. Everytime a read something about billions of dollars and whiny millionaires. It gets a little upsetting. Honestly though I am not a big mock draft kinda guy. Id rather see who they get then see how these guys might fit with the team. Its Penguins playoffs and the Pirates new season too. I am just wondering why this site is so slow with all the sports going on at once.

[DCBILL]

I just read tonight that the Minnesota judge told both sides to go back and negotiate, for whatever good that will do.

But, better talking than just ignoring each other.