2006 Post Draft Review - 05/17/06

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Heya everybody, I’m back and have finally gotten around to doing a full review of the Steelers’ 2006 draft. I’m going to do it a bit different this year. In years past I would always list a player’s pros and cons and then a little take on my part. Since you can already read all about a guy’s pros and cons all over the internet, I’ve decided to take a different path. I’ll still throw in my opinion but I’m also going to throw in the after draft opinions of some other folks I know from around the football business. You never know what to believe from these folks before a draft but they are usually pretty straight shooters afterwards. So, this way I might be able to offer a little insight that y’all might not find on the Internet. Keep in mind; I’m going to paraphrase their answers to keep them a bit more concise. Anyway, let’s get on with it.

Pick 1, Round 1 #25: Santonio Holmes WR Ohio St.

Tim’s take: What can you say? The Steelers once again managed to grab the best player on the board at a position of need. Not only did they land the best WR out there, they managed to fill the hole left by Antwaan Randle El with a better WR. The price paid wasn’t cheap, their own first, third and fourth round picks but a team coming off of a Super Bowl with 10 draft choices can afford to burn a few to get the right player. The Steelers’ front office did just that. As for Holmes the player, he kind of reminds me of fellow Ohio Stater Terry Glenn when he first came out but a more physical version of him. He has the speed to get deep and the hands to make the catch when he gets there. His build is not thick but he is more than strong enough to take NFL punishment and has the mindset to dish some out as well. He’ll be schooled in blocking by the league’s best at the position, Hines Ward so I’m not too worried about his development there. My favorite thing about Holmes though is the way he can take a little play and make it huge. Ward can do that somewhat but not like Holmes. If he continues to progress the way he has at Ohio St., the Steelers may have just landed the best WR available in the last two drafts. All that for a few low draft picks; well worth the price.

Scouts’ take: For the most part they were both surprised and upset. Surprised because they figured that he would be gone by pick #20 at the latest and upset that the Steelers got another gift. After getting Troy Polamalu, Big Ben and Heath Miller in the three previous drafts, no one figured they’d get another top player considering where they were drafting. One guy who I know that is very close to the situation still can’t believe that the Giants made the deal and didn’t take Holmes for themselves. He fit a definite need for them (the Giants picked Sinorice Moss in the second), much more so that the player they grabbed with the Steelers’ pick at 32 (Mattias Kiwanuka-don’t even get him started on that pick). To say the least, the Steelers were viewed as the big winner in that trade by all considering the other two players chosen with the traded picks were LB Gerris Wilkinson and project OT Guy Whimper, neither one of which were too highly thought of. I agree with them. As for Holmes the player, everyone acknowledged his speed and thought more of his hands than I do. The negatives I heard were mainly size based although one guy did question his route running skills somewhat. Overall though, they liked the move the Steelers made.

Tim’s pick: I loved this move so there is no way I would change the pick. If I had to give another name, I guess it would be another Ohio Stater C Nick Mangold.

Whose roster spot: Antwaan Randle El is already gone so nobody will lose a job with Holmes coming in.

Interesting fact: According to Santonio, he’s been a Steelers fan for the last 10 years. I tend to believe him considering that he had a Terrible Towel at the ready for the cameras and a friend with him wearing a Roethlisberger jersey on draft day. The curious part is the number he has chosen, #10. For most Steelers fans, that number doesn’t come with fond memories.

Pick 2, Round 3 #83: Anthony Smith FS Syracuse

Tim’s take: I’ve said it before and I’ll repeat it here, I thought I was alone on this one. I saw Smith play in two games this year, one for Syracuse (I was watching to see RB Damien Rhodes) and the Senior Bowl. In both games, he was the only player to stand out. That may not be saying much at Syracuse but at the Senior Bowl, that’s something else. I was thinking after watching the Senior Bowl that I was watching a second round pick. That was until he ran his forty at the combine. I usually don’t put too much into a 40 time; I like the guys who know how to run on the field, not 40 yards in a straight line. But when he posted a 4.7, I figured he would be lucky to get drafted with that kind of speed. He went from being in my top five at safety to just another guy who might be able to play some special teams. That was until I heard that he had trouble with his start at the combine and had posted speeds ranging anywhere from 4.5 to 4.8 in individual workouts. What that told me (and obviously the Steelers as well) is that Anthony Smith doesn’t know how to run the 40. I had a WR client of mine have the same problem. We tried all the coaching in the world but he just couldn’t run it right and it cost him a lot of money. Thankfully, the Steelers front office is able to look past such issues and just watch film. Smith the player is fun to watch. If you see the ball, chances are he will be somewhere around it. He has great hands and 15 career interceptions to prove it (Chris Hope had 4 in the same time period in Pittsburgh). He’s also great on special teams having blocked six kicks during his career. It’s hard to look past performances like that and even more so after you’ve seen him play. I know Cowher doesn’t like starting rookies but Smith may not give him a choice. Maybe the best thing about this pick was that the Steelers were able to get a third rounder back by trading their second to the Vikings for this pick and another third. Smith has the talent to more than deserve a selection at the end of the second round and by trading back a few slots; the Steelers added another prospect in the third. Once again, great trading by the Steelers.

Scouts’ take: Opinions were all over the place on Smith but the negatives all focused on speed concerns. Nobody questioned his desire, skills or ability to play the position; some just wondered if he had the wheels to play at the next level. One guy envisioned him developing into a special teams ace like Chidi Iwouma while another saw him as a nice reserve for a few years but not fast enough to start. The positive thoughts were about his playmaking ability. The term “ballhawk" was used a few times. Pretty hard to get a solid read on the opinions though, they just varied too greatly.

Tim’s pick: As I’ve said, I like Smith, probably more than most people. The Steelers needed help at the free safety position and I think he will be an ideal fit for the Steelers’ cover-three scheme that Dick Lebeau likes to use. Therefore, I would stick with Smith as the pick here. If I had to throw another name out, I would have gone after OT Rashad Butler from Miami.

Whose roster spot: Chris Hope is gone and the Steelers are better off. Smith could step right in and do at least as well as Hope did the last few years but I’m hoping for a lot more.

Interesting fact: The Vikings ended up using the Steelers’ pick on a gigantic reach, Tarvaris Jackson, a QB from Alabama State. The man (Fran Foley) who led the Vikes’ draft was fired soon after this and his other gems.

Pick 3, Round 3 #95: Willie Reid WR/KR Florida St.

Tim’s take: This one didn’t surprise me too much; I had the Steelers drafting Reid with their first pick in the fourth round in my last mock draft. The Steelers needed a punt returner and were very interested in Reid the entire post season. You can’t blame them either; the guy runs close to 4.3 and had a 17.5 yard average per punt return. Not too shabby. He also has a history as a RB and could turn out to be one heck of a slot receiver with some time. What I keep hearing about are his hips and how fluid he is in changing directions. I’ve seen him play but never had the opportunity to really watch him so I can’t say for sure but with his speed and ability to change directions, he’s going to be tough to handle once the ball is in his hands. Yet another toy for Big Ben.

Scouts’ take: The first thing I asked was if taking Reid in the third round was too soon. All those who responded said no, he would have been gone by the time the Steelers picked again. One guy said his team had the position targeted in round four and he was at the top of their board. As for the player, everybody loved his speed, his “shiftiness" and big play ability. Another scout mentioned that it’s tough to find game breakers in the third and that “the Steelers just added a w or two in the win column" next season. I’m not so sure he’ll mean that much but from what I can gather; Reid had a few fans out there.

Tim’s pick: I hate to be boring but I would stick with this one too. He has the speed and the ability to step right in and return kicks for the Steelers, a need once Randle El took his game to Washington. If I had to throw another name out there I would take a look at TE Owen Daniels from Wisconsin. He could have made an ideal compliment to Miller at the TE position and posed a nice threat in two TE sets.

Whose roster spot: Since Holmes is using Randle El’s; the Steelers will need to lose one of their bottom WRs. Whether it’s Lee Mays or Sean Morey or both, the Steelers will keep talent over tenure with Reid.

Interesting fact: The Steelers started the run on kick returners with this pick. By the time they chose again, at least six other players who are able to return kicks were selected. I think the Steelers got the best of the bunch.

First Day Grade: A

Pick 4, Round 4 #131: Willie Colon OT/OG Hofstra

Tim’s take: Wow, you gotta see this guy play! I mean, what’s more exciting than popping in a Hofstra tape and watching their offensive line? These are the kind of missions that prove that scouts don’t get paid enough. On the bright side, I can take credit for predicting this one perfectly in my last mock draft. Yeah, I know big woop. Anyways, what I’ve heard about Colon is that he’ll finally give the Steelers another option at the reserve RT position and will be given the chance to compete for starting time at RG down the line. Sadly, he’s just not tall enough to handle the starting RT position in the NFL but I don’t think it will matter too much with the way Max Starks has developed. If Colon develops and is able to handle spot duty at RT if necessary he will finally give the Steelers a chance to get rid of Barrett Brooks. Or, as I like to call him, old “lunge and flop". Just to make sure everybody knows, his name is pronounced cuh-LONE.

Scouts’ take: I didn’t get a lot from my guys; Colon wasn’t in any of their territories (lucky for them). A guy in New York knew of him but viewed him as more of a project that they didn’t have time for. Another mentioned that he was too short for tackle, too slow for guard but might be worth a shot if you’ve got some patience. The consensus out there was that there was too much talent left out there to go reaching for a short RT. I tend to agree.

Tim’s pick: There were better tackles on the board in my opinion (Cal’s Ryan O’Callaghan for example) but I would have gone for an OLB prospect named Parys Haralson from Tennessee. He reminds me a lot of Greg Lloyd only bigger. Tough to look past that. He might end up being a reason to watch the 49ers next season.

Whose roster spot: He was brought in to knock “lunge and flop" off the roster. Let’s hope he does it.

Interesting fact: Willie’s known to come with a bit of a mean streak. You can’t blame him though; he’s from the Bronx, NY after all.

Pick 5, Round 4 #133: Orien Harris DL Miami (FL)

Tim’s take: This was the first Steelers pick that I really had a problem with and I know I’m running contrary to all reports out there. Yes, Harris has a ton of talent and has the size to play end in the Steelers’ 3-4. What the problem is, he has never produced much with all of that talent. I worry about guys who come out of college and look the part but never played the part. He has a brother, Kwame, who was a first round pick of the Niners who has already been a bust for the same reasons. Call it a gut feeling but I just don’t get a good vibe from this pick.

Scouts’ take: These guys seem to like Harris a lot more than I do but also have the same reservations. The old saying “looks like Tarzan, plays like Jane" was brought up once. The best and most hopeful comment on Harris was that if you can get a coach to light a fire under his @ss, you might get a top player and the Steelers have those kinds of coaches.

Tim’s pick: This is the pick I would have used on Ryan O’Callaghan. Only some past shoulder injuries have pushed him down into the second day. If he’s spending most of his time as a reserve, much of the risk of injury is lessened.

Whose roster spot: Kimo von Toasteroven has gone to the Jets so that will leave an open position. Harris will be battling former and now current Steeler Rodney Bailey for the spot. I give the edge to Bailey at this point.

Interesting fact: Orien was the top defensive line prospect in the country coming out of high school.

Pick 6, Round 5 #164: Omar Jacobs QB Bowling Green

Tim’s take: I was surprised and delighted with this pick. I figured that the Steelers would take a MAC QB in this draft but I thought it would be Bruce Gradkowski. Instead, the Steelers nabbed one of the most talented QBs in the draft who, unfortunately for him, made a bad choice by coming out early. Jacobs has all the ingredients to make it in the NFL except experience. He’s athletic with a strong arm who gets the ball to his WRs. His problem is that he has a pretty ugly delivery motion where it almost looks like he’s pushing the ball out. The sad truth for Jacobs was that if he had returned for his senior season, he would probably have been a first day pick and possibly even a first round pick. I think he’ll be a good developmental project for assistant coach Bruce Whipple and could make a nice second stringer for the Steelers in a couple of years.

Scouts’ take: They all said that he should have stayed in school. His mistake has possibly cost him millions. The big concern with Jacobs was with his throwing motion. Nobody was real sure on how to fix it but they all thought it would at least need some adjustment. Jacobs’ overall athleticism was praised especially considering he stands 6-4. One scout compared his game to that of Daunte Culpepper due to his size (he also weighs in at 232) and throwing ability. I replied to him wondering about the mental comparisons of the two but haven’t heard back. It should be noted, he scored the third highest on the Wonderlic test among all the QBs this year, he scored a 38; Culpepper’s score was 18.

Tim’s pick: I like this one on two accounts. First, Jacobs was great value in the fifth round and second, the Steelers needed to add a developmental QB to the roster. I would have made the same pick here. I won’t even name a second name because the Steelers were able to make another pick two picks later.

Whose roster spot: Tommy Maddox was released so Jacobs will have a spot up for grabs.

Interesting fact: I already used my Wonderlic factoid so I’ll go with this: In 2004, Jacobs had a 41-4 touchdown to interception ratio which was the best ever in a season by a NCAA player.

Pick 7, Round 5 #166: Charles Davis TE Purdue

Tim’s take: I don’t really have one. I saw Purdue a couple of times this year and he didn’t really stand out. Granted, I wasn’t really watching him but usually NFL quality players will stand out to me when watching their games. If they don’t, I sure hope he managed to do it in other games. As far as I can tell, the Steelers liked his athleticism and were looking for a pass catcher to put next to Heath Miller in two TE sets. I’m not so sure they got one though. On the other hand, at 6-6 and 260, he does make a nice red zone target.

Scouts’ take: I only had one guy respond to me on this one and all he said was “good athlete, might be a player". I guess we can take that for what it’s worth. I’m guessing that Davis was considered to be more of an undrafted free agent-type (UFA) than a fifth round pick.

Tim’s pick: No way would I have chased after Davis here so I’m hoping the Steelers know something most folks don’t with this one. I would have gone after Stanford DT Babatunde Oshinowo. In my mind, he would make a nice reserve NT behind Casey Hampton and Chris Hoke and would also allow Hoke to get some snaps at DE. The Steelers’ NT position is strong right now but with one injury, it gets thin in a hurry. The thing I really hate is that Cleveland got him instead.

Whose roster spot: The Steelers don’t have a third TE right now so he would have to make enough of an impression for the Steelers to forego carrying extra players at a different position. That might be difficult and his spot might be on the practice squad.

Interesting Fact: For those of you out there that like converted basketballers at the TE position, Davis joined the Boilermakers squad after the 2004 Sun Bowl and came of the bench in 19 games, averaging 2.9 points and 3.1 boards per game.

Pick 8, Round 6 #201: Marvin Philip C California

Tim’s take: I’ll be honest here, I don’t watch a lot of PAC-10 football and when I do, it sure isn’t Cal. That said, I’ve never seen Philip play but from sources I respect, he was rated pretty high at his position. In the rankings that I have seen, none of the ones I worry about had him rated anything less than the top five at center. He has good size for the position (6-1 307) but is anything but huge. While he does have good technique, it may not matter too much against the larger NTs and DTs in the league. My guess is that the Steelers drafted Philip for a year of seasoning on the practice squad to bulk him up to NFL level. Since the Steelers already have a bunch of money tied up at the position for this upcoming season, I really don’t see how he’d be considered anything more than a 2006 project.

Scouts’ take: This will be easy, no one responded to this one. No surprise though, none of them scout on the west coast. I’ll speak for them then and they would have said that this was an “extra special, super-duper pick!"

Tim’s pick: I can’t believe that FS Antoine Bethea is still available. He’s a solid return man plus has some good upside at his position. Granted, coming from Howard he might have some catching up to do with the big school guys but in the sixth round to get that kind of talent would have been nice. Instead Indy has landed him.

Whose roster spot: Philip would have to have a great camp and Chukki Okobi a lousy one to open up a spot.

Interesting fact: Philip will be coming in a little older than most rookies having spent 2001-02 on Mormon missions.

Pick 9, Round 7 #240: Cedric Humes RB Virginia Tech

Tim’s take: I’m a big fan of this pick because Humes is the big back the Steelers need. I’ve seen him play on numerous occasions (I like watching Virginia Tech for some reason) and I like the way he makes defenders bounce off of him. Notice I didn’t say that he bounces off of tackles, no, he makes the other guy bounce away. Now, it’s tough to project any seventh round selection making a defending Super Bowl Champion’s roster but I think Humes has a fighting chance. First, the Steelers’ true big back, Jerome Bettis, has retired. Second, I think the only reason he slid this far down was because of a 40 number (4.62) that told teams that he probably isn’t a full time back. The good news for Humes is that the Steelers don’t need a speed back on the roster with Willie Parker around. Third, the Steelers are not afraid to give lower drafted (or undrafted) backs a chance to help out. All Humes needs to do is do what he does best, run in short yardage and goal line situations. If he proves to be effective in this role and if the Steelers can see carrying an extra back (a big if there), then Humes might just make this team after all. If not that, the practice squad would make a nice fallback position until/if one of the other runners goes down with an injury. With Duce Staley’s and Verron Haynes’ histories, you can’t have enough backs ready to go.

Scouts’ take: None of them really had much to say about him. I had one guy compare him to the Giants’ Brandon Jacobs and he said Humes might make a good fit for the Steelers. His biggest problem in their eyes is his inability to run outside.

Tim’s pick: I have no problem with grabbing Humes here. I liked what I saw of him in college and I think he has a fighting chance to make the team which is about all you can ask of a seventh round pick. If I had to go in a different direction I would’ve taken a guy that the Steelers signed after the draft anyways, Ohio State DE (who’ll be shifted to LB) Mike Kudla.

Whose roster spot: The Bus has retired and left a possible spot behind Staley and Haynes. My guess is that they’ll use that spot for another position and keep Humes on the practice squad.

Interesting fact: Humes is a big fan of the weight room and has won awards at Virginia Tech for his prowess there.

Second Day Grade: C

Overall Grade: B

Well, that’s all I have for now so I’ll wrap it up. Before I go I would like to thank all of the folks that showed up for our draft party at Austin Avenue. Special kudos goes out to Doug Stanberry who drove all the way from Arkansas to join us in Dallas (Plano to be precise). Now that’s commitment.

A little info for the future here; we will be changing up our website a bit in an effort to give everybody out there a chance to voice their opinions about what I write or Steelers stuff in general. Also, I’ll be cranking out more frequent Jottings, just a bit smaller so I can get them done in a timelier fashion. The bigger ones take me a while. I’ll be starting up a new job soon so bear with me in June but look for more content as we move forward.

Until then…

Nuf fer now

Tim “still enjoying the Championship" Campion