LLT
04-11-2011, 03:28 AM
Steelers carry impressive track record into challenging draft
Posted April 09, 2011
By Mike Wilkening
The Steelers, who hold the No. 31 overall pick in April's draft, have fared very well late in Round One since director of football operations Kevin Colbert began running the draft in 2000. DE Ziggy Hood, who showed major improvement last season, was the No. 32 pick in 2009. TE Heath Miller was the No. 30 pick in 2005, the same spot where the Steelers drafted OG Kendall Simmons (80 career starts for Pittsburgh) in '02. Also, they moved up from No. 32 to No. 25 to select WR Santonio Holmes in 2006, and Holmes was Super Bowl MVP in his third NFL season.
However, the 2011 draft is not as deep in first-round talent as others of recent vintage. Draft analyst Nolan Nawrocki gave 34 players first-round grades in PFW's 2011 Draft Preview, but only 29 of those players would have graded out as first-rounders last season, using PFW's grade-to-round conversion scale for the 2010 draft. Overall, the minimum grade assigned to a first-rounder in 2011, per PFW's scale, is 5.85, which is the lowest first-round minimum assigned since Colbert began running the Steelers' draft in 2000.
Read More: http://www.profootballweekly.com/2011/04/09/steelers-carry-impressive-track-record-into-challe
Posted April 09, 2011
By Mike Wilkening
The Steelers, who hold the No. 31 overall pick in April's draft, have fared very well late in Round One since director of football operations Kevin Colbert began running the draft in 2000. DE Ziggy Hood, who showed major improvement last season, was the No. 32 pick in 2009. TE Heath Miller was the No. 30 pick in 2005, the same spot where the Steelers drafted OG Kendall Simmons (80 career starts for Pittsburgh) in '02. Also, they moved up from No. 32 to No. 25 to select WR Santonio Holmes in 2006, and Holmes was Super Bowl MVP in his third NFL season.
However, the 2011 draft is not as deep in first-round talent as others of recent vintage. Draft analyst Nolan Nawrocki gave 34 players first-round grades in PFW's 2011 Draft Preview, but only 29 of those players would have graded out as first-rounders last season, using PFW's grade-to-round conversion scale for the 2010 draft. Overall, the minimum grade assigned to a first-rounder in 2011, per PFW's scale, is 5.85, which is the lowest first-round minimum assigned since Colbert began running the Steelers' draft in 2000.
Read More: http://www.profootballweekly.com/2011/04/09/steelers-carry-impressive-track-record-into-challe