Spike
04-18-2013, 09:00 AM
Labels can stick to football teams as surely as the colors they wear, such as the NFL team that wears black and gold with its long-standing identity of great linebacker players and Hall of Fame centers.
Then, there also is the Steelers' personality when it comes to their history at wide receiver. It's been a split personality. They've put receivers in the Pro Football Hall of Fame and used first-round draft picks on receivers. They are the only team to have two receivers earn Super Bowl MVP.
Yet, somehow, they long have had an air about them that they really don't place all that much importance in the position, that they can find them anywhere and always will be able to line up with wide receivers who will get the job done.
Tom Donahoe, when he was their director of football operations, once said receivers were a dime a dozen, and that's pretty much how they've operated for years
They will enter the draft next week on the hunt for more wide receivers because of the departure of Wallace, because Sanders could leave in a year and only Antonio Brown is under contract beyond this season.
That does not mean they will draft Cordarrelle Patterson of Tennessee or Tavon Austin of West Virginia in the first round. If the Steelers do have when it comes to wide receivers, it's their ability to find them in rounds three and beyond.
The third round has brought them Ward, Wallace, Sanders, Mills and Hastings. They found Brown in the sixth and Washington as an undrafted rookie. Their success -- even stronger recently -- from the third round and beyond could prompt them to wait again until that round to refill the position, especially in a 2013 draft that looks stocked with quality receivers headed for the third round and beyond.
"I think it's a deep receiver draft, a lot of really good players," said Gil Brandt, senior analyst and draft expert for NFL.com after spending 29 years as a personnel man with the Dallas Cowboys. "I think there are guys you're going to get in the fourth, fifth, sixth rounds who are very good guys."
Brandt likes receivers after the first round such as WVU's Stedman Bailey, Robert Woods of Southern California and Justin Hunter of Tennessee.
"They won't be interested in Austin, as high as he'll go, but ... there are just a bunch of big, fast guys who are out there," Brandt said of the Steelers.
"The nice thing about this draft class, there are a number of guys after Round 1 who can come in and give you the skill set they're going to develop," said Rob Rang of CBS and NFLDraftScout.com. Rang believes good receivers such as Woods, Hunter and Clemson's DeAndre Hopkins can be taken after the first round.
"Those are guys I could see going in the second round and could be as productive as Patterson and Austin."
Said Joe Hortiz, Baltimore's director of college scouting about receivers: "There is a really solid core group of guys in the middle rounds that I think will go in the second or third round that will be solid, dependable starters in the NFL."
That does not mean the Steelers won't take either Patterson or Austin in the first round. Each has the speed that would put them in Wallace's range. But this is a draft that has plenty of quality at wide receiver after that. And, as they have shown many times, the Steelers can find ones who fit them by waiting until the third round -- and beyond.
http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/sports/steelers/steelers-likely-to-dive-into-rich-deep-pool-of-wrs-683945/#ixzz2QnsQqSFj
------------------------
so we get to pick 2?
I'll take any of these guys first...
Ben likes em big & tall
Cordarrelle Patterson*, WR, Tennessee
Height: 6-2. Weight: 216. Arm: 31.68. Hand: 9.08.
40 Time: 4.42.
Projected Round (2013): 1.
3/23/13: Patterson showed off his great athletic skill set at the Combine. He was very fast in the 40 and did well in the field drills. His size, speed, strength and explosiveness is a rare combination.
Sources told WalterFootball.com before the season that Tennessee had a great third receiver behind Justin Hunter and Da'Rick Rogers. That receiver was Patterson, and after Rogers was kicked off the team, Patterson took his place as the starting X (split end) receiver.
The junior college product showed off his elite speed and explosiveness when he opened the year by beating David Amerson for a 41-yard score on a go route straight down the field. Patterson also took a carry for a 67-yard touchdown later in first quarter. He had six receptions for 93 yards and a score against the Wolfpack.
Patterson totaled 46 receptions for 778 yards and five touchdowns in 2012. He ran the ball for 308 yards and three scores, too.
Patterson is very fast and explosive. He is raw, but filled with potential and could become a first-round pick because of his dynamic skill set.
Keenan Allen*, WR, California
Height: 6-2. Weight: 206. Arm: 32.68 Hand: 10.08.
Projected 40 Time: 4.49.
Projected Round (2013): 1.
3/23/13: A mid-season knee injury kept Allen from working out at the Combine. He is expected to work out for scouts before the 2013 NFL Draft.
Allen was held back all year by sub-par quarterback play from his brother Zach Maynard, but the wide out still managed to illustrate that he is a good player. Allen totaled 61 receptions for 737 yards and six touchdowns. He also averaged 14 yards per punt return, plus scored a touchdown. Allen played a lot better than his stats indicate. He missed the final three games with the knee injury. Allen has good size with speed and quickness.
8/17/12: Allen would be the first receiver selected in most draft classes. At the same time, he could easily make a run at being the top receiver even if Woods is in the same draft class. Allen had a very good debut in 2010. He caught 46 passes for 490 yards and five touchdowns as a freshman.
Allen was even better in 2011, hauling in 98 passes for 1,342 yards and six touchdowns. He is faster than many defensive backs expect and has a second gear to explode downfield. Allen runs the tough routes over the middle and in the shallow part of the field. He is dangerous with the ball in his hands and gets good yardage after the catch.
Allen is a physical receiver and attacks the football in the air. Some teams will probably prefer him over Woods.
Justin Hunter**, WR, Tennessee
Height: 6-4. Weight: 196. Arm: 33.28. Hand: 9.38.
40 Time: 4.44.
Projected Round (2013): 1-2.
3/23/13: At the Combine, Hunter gave proof that the lanky, blazing fast receiver from 2010 and 2011 was on his way back. He ran extremely well in the 40 and looked good in the field drills. WalterFootball.com was told by scouts that Hunter should be a first-round pick with his rare combination of size and speed.
Hunter seemed to be gradually regaining his speed and explosiveness following his 2011 knee injury. He totaled 73 receptions for 1,083 yards and nine touchdowns this year. Hunter played better in the second half of the season, including massive games against Troy and Missouri. He should become more of a deep threat again once he gets further removed from his injury.
8/17/12: Hunter looked poised for a mammoth season last year, posting 16 receptions for 302 yards and two scores in the first two games of 2011. However against Florida, on a routine 12-yard catch early in the third game, Hunter went down with a torn ACL following a leaping reception. It was a surprising injury as he did not take a shot to the knee, or have another player fall into his leg in a manner that typically causes knee ligament tears.
Prior to the injury, Hunter looked like a truly rare receiver who is extremely tall, but has the speed of a burner wide out. He had 16 receptions for 403 yards and two touchdowns as a freshman in 2010.
Hunter is healthy and ready to go in 2012. He played in the Volunteers' full-contact scrimmage without incident. Hunter will match up against the top cornerback in the nation in North Carolina State's David Amerson in Tennessee's first game of the season . If Hunter can regain his pre-injury form, he could be a first-round pick in 2013 or 2014.
DeAndre Hopkins*, WR, Clemson
Height: 6-1. Weight: 214. Arm: 33.38. Hand: 10.08.
40 Time: 4.57.
Projected Round (2014): 1-2.
3/23/13: A strong Combine and pro day have Hopkins on the bubble of the first round. Sources have told WalterFootball.com that Hopkins has impressed teams in interviews and there are a few playoff teams at the back of the first round that are high on him.
Hopkins started the 2012 season on fire. He became the No. 1 receiver for Clemson as Sammy Watkins started the year suspended and was slow to return to his freshman form. Hopkins picked up the slack and became the top receiver for Tajh Boyd. Hopkins had consistent production all season and torched LSU to end the year with 13 receptions for 191 yards and two scores. He made huge plays to help lead Clemson to a comeback victory.
Hopkins totaled 1,405 yards on 82 catches and 18 touchdowns in 2012. He burned defenses with his deep speed while showing reliable hands and good route running.
8/27/12: Hopkins is not as talented as Sammy Watkins, but Hopkins is a dangerous receiver in his own right. He was secondary receiver in 2011, but still caught 72 passes for 978 yards and five touchdowns. As a freshman in 2010 he hauled in 52 passes for 637 yards with four scores.
Hopkins should produce well over the next two years with Watkins drawing constant double teams. Overall, Hopkins has a nice skill set with speed, hands and route-running.
plenty more here:
http://walterfootball.com/draft2013WR.php
Then, there also is the Steelers' personality when it comes to their history at wide receiver. It's been a split personality. They've put receivers in the Pro Football Hall of Fame and used first-round draft picks on receivers. They are the only team to have two receivers earn Super Bowl MVP.
Yet, somehow, they long have had an air about them that they really don't place all that much importance in the position, that they can find them anywhere and always will be able to line up with wide receivers who will get the job done.
Tom Donahoe, when he was their director of football operations, once said receivers were a dime a dozen, and that's pretty much how they've operated for years
They will enter the draft next week on the hunt for more wide receivers because of the departure of Wallace, because Sanders could leave in a year and only Antonio Brown is under contract beyond this season.
That does not mean they will draft Cordarrelle Patterson of Tennessee or Tavon Austin of West Virginia in the first round. If the Steelers do have when it comes to wide receivers, it's their ability to find them in rounds three and beyond.
The third round has brought them Ward, Wallace, Sanders, Mills and Hastings. They found Brown in the sixth and Washington as an undrafted rookie. Their success -- even stronger recently -- from the third round and beyond could prompt them to wait again until that round to refill the position, especially in a 2013 draft that looks stocked with quality receivers headed for the third round and beyond.
"I think it's a deep receiver draft, a lot of really good players," said Gil Brandt, senior analyst and draft expert for NFL.com after spending 29 years as a personnel man with the Dallas Cowboys. "I think there are guys you're going to get in the fourth, fifth, sixth rounds who are very good guys."
Brandt likes receivers after the first round such as WVU's Stedman Bailey, Robert Woods of Southern California and Justin Hunter of Tennessee.
"They won't be interested in Austin, as high as he'll go, but ... there are just a bunch of big, fast guys who are out there," Brandt said of the Steelers.
"The nice thing about this draft class, there are a number of guys after Round 1 who can come in and give you the skill set they're going to develop," said Rob Rang of CBS and NFLDraftScout.com. Rang believes good receivers such as Woods, Hunter and Clemson's DeAndre Hopkins can be taken after the first round.
"Those are guys I could see going in the second round and could be as productive as Patterson and Austin."
Said Joe Hortiz, Baltimore's director of college scouting about receivers: "There is a really solid core group of guys in the middle rounds that I think will go in the second or third round that will be solid, dependable starters in the NFL."
That does not mean the Steelers won't take either Patterson or Austin in the first round. Each has the speed that would put them in Wallace's range. But this is a draft that has plenty of quality at wide receiver after that. And, as they have shown many times, the Steelers can find ones who fit them by waiting until the third round -- and beyond.
http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/sports/steelers/steelers-likely-to-dive-into-rich-deep-pool-of-wrs-683945/#ixzz2QnsQqSFj
------------------------
so we get to pick 2?
I'll take any of these guys first...
Ben likes em big & tall
Cordarrelle Patterson*, WR, Tennessee
Height: 6-2. Weight: 216. Arm: 31.68. Hand: 9.08.
40 Time: 4.42.
Projected Round (2013): 1.
3/23/13: Patterson showed off his great athletic skill set at the Combine. He was very fast in the 40 and did well in the field drills. His size, speed, strength and explosiveness is a rare combination.
Sources told WalterFootball.com before the season that Tennessee had a great third receiver behind Justin Hunter and Da'Rick Rogers. That receiver was Patterson, and after Rogers was kicked off the team, Patterson took his place as the starting X (split end) receiver.
The junior college product showed off his elite speed and explosiveness when he opened the year by beating David Amerson for a 41-yard score on a go route straight down the field. Patterson also took a carry for a 67-yard touchdown later in first quarter. He had six receptions for 93 yards and a score against the Wolfpack.
Patterson totaled 46 receptions for 778 yards and five touchdowns in 2012. He ran the ball for 308 yards and three scores, too.
Patterson is very fast and explosive. He is raw, but filled with potential and could become a first-round pick because of his dynamic skill set.
Keenan Allen*, WR, California
Height: 6-2. Weight: 206. Arm: 32.68 Hand: 10.08.
Projected 40 Time: 4.49.
Projected Round (2013): 1.
3/23/13: A mid-season knee injury kept Allen from working out at the Combine. He is expected to work out for scouts before the 2013 NFL Draft.
Allen was held back all year by sub-par quarterback play from his brother Zach Maynard, but the wide out still managed to illustrate that he is a good player. Allen totaled 61 receptions for 737 yards and six touchdowns. He also averaged 14 yards per punt return, plus scored a touchdown. Allen played a lot better than his stats indicate. He missed the final three games with the knee injury. Allen has good size with speed and quickness.
8/17/12: Allen would be the first receiver selected in most draft classes. At the same time, he could easily make a run at being the top receiver even if Woods is in the same draft class. Allen had a very good debut in 2010. He caught 46 passes for 490 yards and five touchdowns as a freshman.
Allen was even better in 2011, hauling in 98 passes for 1,342 yards and six touchdowns. He is faster than many defensive backs expect and has a second gear to explode downfield. Allen runs the tough routes over the middle and in the shallow part of the field. He is dangerous with the ball in his hands and gets good yardage after the catch.
Allen is a physical receiver and attacks the football in the air. Some teams will probably prefer him over Woods.
Justin Hunter**, WR, Tennessee
Height: 6-4. Weight: 196. Arm: 33.28. Hand: 9.38.
40 Time: 4.44.
Projected Round (2013): 1-2.
3/23/13: At the Combine, Hunter gave proof that the lanky, blazing fast receiver from 2010 and 2011 was on his way back. He ran extremely well in the 40 and looked good in the field drills. WalterFootball.com was told by scouts that Hunter should be a first-round pick with his rare combination of size and speed.
Hunter seemed to be gradually regaining his speed and explosiveness following his 2011 knee injury. He totaled 73 receptions for 1,083 yards and nine touchdowns this year. Hunter played better in the second half of the season, including massive games against Troy and Missouri. He should become more of a deep threat again once he gets further removed from his injury.
8/17/12: Hunter looked poised for a mammoth season last year, posting 16 receptions for 302 yards and two scores in the first two games of 2011. However against Florida, on a routine 12-yard catch early in the third game, Hunter went down with a torn ACL following a leaping reception. It was a surprising injury as he did not take a shot to the knee, or have another player fall into his leg in a manner that typically causes knee ligament tears.
Prior to the injury, Hunter looked like a truly rare receiver who is extremely tall, but has the speed of a burner wide out. He had 16 receptions for 403 yards and two touchdowns as a freshman in 2010.
Hunter is healthy and ready to go in 2012. He played in the Volunteers' full-contact scrimmage without incident. Hunter will match up against the top cornerback in the nation in North Carolina State's David Amerson in Tennessee's first game of the season . If Hunter can regain his pre-injury form, he could be a first-round pick in 2013 or 2014.
DeAndre Hopkins*, WR, Clemson
Height: 6-1. Weight: 214. Arm: 33.38. Hand: 10.08.
40 Time: 4.57.
Projected Round (2014): 1-2.
3/23/13: A strong Combine and pro day have Hopkins on the bubble of the first round. Sources have told WalterFootball.com that Hopkins has impressed teams in interviews and there are a few playoff teams at the back of the first round that are high on him.
Hopkins started the 2012 season on fire. He became the No. 1 receiver for Clemson as Sammy Watkins started the year suspended and was slow to return to his freshman form. Hopkins picked up the slack and became the top receiver for Tajh Boyd. Hopkins had consistent production all season and torched LSU to end the year with 13 receptions for 191 yards and two scores. He made huge plays to help lead Clemson to a comeback victory.
Hopkins totaled 1,405 yards on 82 catches and 18 touchdowns in 2012. He burned defenses with his deep speed while showing reliable hands and good route running.
8/27/12: Hopkins is not as talented as Sammy Watkins, but Hopkins is a dangerous receiver in his own right. He was secondary receiver in 2011, but still caught 72 passes for 978 yards and five touchdowns. As a freshman in 2010 he hauled in 52 passes for 637 yards with four scores.
Hopkins should produce well over the next two years with Watkins drawing constant double teams. Overall, Hopkins has a nice skill set with speed, hands and route-running.
plenty more here:
http://walterfootball.com/draft2013WR.php