TPOP: What Has a MOCK DRAFT Ever Done for Us!?!

[teegre]

Here is my Steelers mock draft (seven rounds) from The Point of Pittsburgh. Enjoy!!!

What Has a Mock Draft Ever Done for Us!?!
by Tiger Rowan

Several years ago, I wrote about how “pre-draft dinners with potential draft picks” was a good indicator about whom the Steelers might actually draft. To a degree, I was trying to be funny… because “funny” is my style of choice in the majority of my articles. But, truth be told, there was indeed a ton of truth in what I wrote.

That aforementioned article, in a nutshell, stated that during the 2013 pre-draft visits, Mike Tomlin had eaten dinner with Le’Veon Bell and then, when the draft came around, the Steelers did indeed draft Bell. Ergo, using “dinners” as a basis, I created an entire 2015 mock draft based solely on the players with whom the Steelers had eaten dinner.

In that 2015 article, one of the players whom I listed who had eaten dinner with Mike Tomlin, was none other than Bud Dupree (even though I did not actually mock him to the Steelers in my Dinner Takes All mock draft). Lo & behold, a month after that dinner (and a few days after my mock draft) the Steelers drafted Dupree.

In 2016, a very similar thing occurred: Mike Tomlin ate dinner with Artie Burns… and then, the Steelers drafted him.

In 2017, Mike Tomlin ate dinner with T.J. Watt… voila!!! the Steelers drafted him, as well.

I may not be the smartest man, but I noticed a pattern that was developing with those picks...

Read more:
http://www.thepointofpittsburgh.com/...r-done-for-us/


Feel free to pass this along to any & all fans of the NFL Draft.

[Born2Steel]

Another fun and interesting read. Well done.

I agree with what you wrote about Rudolph too. That very characteristic is why I see him being perfect in a Bellichick offense that gets rid of the ball before the pressure can get there. If he has the mind for it, Rudolph can succeed in NE. I really do think that's where he will end up if possible.

Question....why would you pass on Guice and go RB the next round? Unless you see both players equal I would take the far better athlete first. Just curious.

[teegre]

Another fun and interesting read. Well done.

I agree with what you wrote about Rudolph too. That very characteristic is why I see him being perfect in a Bellichick offense that gets rid of the ball before the pressure can get there. If he has the mind for it, Rudolph can succeed in NE. I really do think that's where he will end up if possible.

Question....why would you pass on Guice and go RB the next round? Unless you see both players equal I would take the far better athlete first. Just curious.

Thanks, man.

Interesting take on Rudolph. If he can learn to get rid of the ball quicker... hmmm...

ANSWER:
Good question. First of all, I think that Guice is almost assuredly a lock to go to the Lions. But, let’s say he is available at 28, then the plot does indeed thicken.

Reason for waiting on a RB:
-With so many really good RBs in this draft, one could wait until 60 to get: Rashaad Penny, Kerryon Johnson, Nick Chubb, or Ronald Jones III. Or, at 92, you could get: Royce Freeman, Mark Walton, Nehemiah Hines, or Kelan Ballage.

-There are only a handful of safeties who are as versatile as Reid... and, Colbert has stated that they are looking for a safety “who can play both FS and SS... as well as play the slot” (which pretty much signifies that they want Reid).

Reasons for drafting Guice:
-He is heads & shoulders better than those other RBs.
-He is the BPA.

[Born2Steel]

I think there are a lot of pretty good RBs in this draft. But this will be Bell's replacement most likely, I just can't get behind pretty good. I have no idea how this draft board will fall. I see Guice and Jackson as the 2 most likely players in round 1 if all 4 ILBs are gone. AND I'm not that sold on Evans with that groin injury even if he's there at 28. I hope the QB meetings were just for evaluation practice. Maybe if they are serious about Sutton going to FS, they take a CB if the right guy falls. So many directions this can go.

I am intrigued by the safety angle also. If you look at the past drafts with a "deep safety class", there has been a significant run on them in the 2nd round. Since there are only so many true FS guys in the world, it does make sense to get ahead of that run and take our guy at 28. They just didn't seem to show enough interest in safeties this year for me to believe it will be the 1st round pick unless it is also BPA. IMO, Burnett already upgrades Mitchell and Berhe upgrades Golden. Davis ???

Bottom line...I'm really looking forward to Friday morning.

[pczach]

Another good read teeg.

I don't know that Reid will be the pick. The evaluations on him are all over the place. Some love him....some think he will be a disappointment and not a first round talent.

With that said, your reasoning makes sense. The other thing is that the only thing that matters is what the Steelers organization feels about him. If they love him, he fits a position of need and adds another talented and smart player on the back end of the defense.

[Texasteel]

Off topic bud, but I'm watching Mayock's mock draft, and he just gave your guy Ragnow to Cincy.

[hawaiiansteeler]

Off topic bud, but I'm watching Mayock's mock draft, and he just gave your guy Ragnow to Cincy.

Mayock gave the Steelers RB Sony Michel, and interestingly doesn't have Vander Esch being selected in the first round...

[teegre]

Off topic bud, but I'm watching Mayock's mock draft, and he just gave your guy Ragnow to Cincy.

Well... that bursts my bubble.

Really though, it’s crazy how Ragnow has risen so drastically over the past few days. Someone must be searching through our boards... ,,

[teegre]

I am intrigued by the safety angle also. If you look at the past drafts with a "deep safety class", there has been a significant run on them in the 2nd round. Since there are only so many true FS guys in the world, it does make sense to get ahead of that run and take our guy at 28. They just didn't seem to show enough interest in safeties this year for me to believe it will be the 1st round pick unless it is also BPA. IMO, Burnett already upgrades Mitchell and Berhe upgrades Golden. Davis ???

Davis, Burnett, Buhre... and ????

Colbert came out yesterday, and stated that he wants a safety who can “play FS and SS... and slot”. Reid played seven different positions at Stanford. (Kyzir White also played multiple positions... but... that doesn’t fit with my mock. LOL)

[Shoes]

Very nice teeg, it would have been a perfect article if you had a TE in your mock.

[teegre]

Very nice teeg, it would have been a perfect article if you had a TE in your mock.

Thanks, man.

I do... Will Dissley (Round 5).

[Shoes]

Thanks, man.

I do... Will Dissley (Round 5).

I saw that but it was R5.

[teegre]

I saw that but it was R5.

You’re a fan of Reese Bobby, I see.

(“If it ain’t first, it’s last.”)

[Shoes]

Mayock gave the Steelers RB Sony Michel, and interestingly doesn't have Vander Esch being selected in the first round...

The guy looks pretty darn good!

[BlackAndGold]

The guy looks pretty darn good!

We would have our own version of Ingram and Kamara, just with a better #1 RB.

But we have other needs

[Shoes]

You’re a fan of Reese Bobby, I see.

(“If it ain’t first, it’s last.”)

[teegre]

We would have our own version of Ingram and Kamara, just with a better #1 RB.

But we have other needs

WISHBONE!!!

[teegre]

Another good read teeg.

I don't know that Reid will be the pick. The evaluations on him are all over the place. Some love him....some think he will be a disappointment and not a first round talent.

With that said, your reasoning makes sense. The other thing is that the only thing that matters is what the Steelers organization feels about him. If they love him, he fits a position of need and adds another talented and smart player on the back end of the defense.

Thanks, man.

I’ve seen him as high as 16, and as low as 60. That 60 mark is interesting, because it’s the Steelers. Maybe teams don’t like that Reid didn’t have a true position in the secondary; ergo, he may take a year or two to develop. IMO, that’s perfect for the Steelers, since Burnett is already the immediate starter. (Meanwhile, Reid can backup both safety positions, both CB spots, as well as the slot.)

As they say “All it takes it one team to fall in love with a player”... I just hope that that one team is the Steelers.

[Cyphon25]

After a very long hiatus I am back. Some comments on your mock:

- I like Reid and would be cool with that pick at one but there are 2 things that kept me from going that way in my final mock. The first is, I think ILB is the higher need so if it is between an ILB they like and Reid I think they are going to go ILB. Either LVE or Evans should be their in my opinion. It would be a very odd draft for 4 ILB's to go so early. The 2nd thing is, I think there is potential for safety at 60 with either Bates or Reid both of whom I think they really like (I prefer Reid). Of course if they are in love with one I could definitely see them going for one in the first but this is a year where I think they have enough pieces in place where I don't think they will feel the need to reach like they did with Burns. I wouldn't consider Reid as big a reach as Burns but it may still be a slight reach given that he has been mocked as far back as 60 as you point out.

- RB in the 2nd would make for a very interesting conversation (same goes for Guice in the first) because that essentially means they have concluded all talks with Bell. With Bens Superbowl window closing do they want that headache of how Bell will react to that? The only way I can see RB that early is if they have some plan for a tag and trade with Bell which I view as very unlikely.

- I am a Fred Warner fan but when we talk about trends another thing I like to consider is what Rooney says. Early in the offseason process he talked about needing to improve against the run and when Rooney speaks the Steelers world listens. On tape Warner shows much better in space than he does taking on the run and the good diagnosis he has reading routes and such sometimes seem to slow him down and make him hesistate reading the run. Plus he would be undersized for the task. Truth be told I think he profiles closer to a safety so if they take Reid in the first I am really not sure how likely Warner will be. Of course Bostic is strong against the run so maybe he is the answer to that and Warner is a bit of a wildcard piece they bring in to see what they can do with him.

- 2 Alabama players would be a little surprising. I am a fan of reading at the Depot and one of the things they mention a lot is how the Steelers haven't drafted an Alabama player since 1998 if I remember correctly. So 2 would certainly break the trend and do so in major fashion, relatively speaking.

- Depth at OLB is pretty thin so despite their lack of interest during this draft process I really think one will be taken at some point.

Fun read Teegre and since you put yours out there I will drop mine so you can take a bat to it if you'd like.

Rashaan Evans - ILB - Alabama
Jessie Bates - S - Wake Forest
B.J. Hill - DL - NC State
J'Mon Moore - WR - Missouri
Darrel Williams - RB - LSU
Brandon Facyson - CB - VT
Peter Kalambayi - OLB - Stanford

[teegre]

After a very long hiatus I am back. Some comments on your mock:

- I like Reid

- RB in the 2nd

- I am a Fred Warner fan

- 2 Alabama players

- Depth at OLB

Fun read Teegre and since you put yours out there I will drop mine so you can take a bat to it if you'd like.

Rashaan Evans - ILB - Alabama
Jessie Bates - S - Wake Forest
B.J. Hill - DL - NC State
J'Mon Moore - WR - Missouri
Darrel Williams - RB - LSU
Brandon Facyson - CB - VT
Peter Kalambayi - OLB - Stanford

Welcome back!!!

ILB vs. S:
What you say is true: the odds of 4 ILBs going in R1 are slim, since it hasn’t happened in years. That said, the NFL pendulum is switching slightly back towards the running game, thus increasing the need for ILBs. The fact that the Steelers has two meetings with Reid tells me that their interest is very strong.

RB:
In 1997, the Steelers and Rod Woodson were at odds. With their R1 pick, the Steelers selected Chad Scott, and within the hour, they signed Donnell Woolford. Maybe history repeats itself (and Bell is replaced). Or... that rookie gets 150 touches (still leaving Bell with 250 touches).

WARNER:
True. They’d prefer a thumper who can run. But, I don’t see any of those dropping to 28. They very well could go ILB in R2. All of that said, Warner can move. Like Watt, he can line up anywhere and play... and, will help cover TEs. Sort of a HYBRID. Plus, they drafted Travis Freeny to be that player, but he didn’t pan out; this time, it will.

‘BAMA PLAYERS:
True. That said, Tomlin had dinner with eight of them. While it was one big dinner, I’d bet that at least one of them becomes a Steeler.

OLB DEPTH:
They simply didn’t meet with any OLBs, besides Chris Worley. He very well could be a R7 pick, but I think Watson was just too good to pass up.

YOUR MOCK:
1, 2, 3, & 5a all visited... so, that is extremely possible. Any & all VTech players have a chance of being drafted. And, personally, I like any & all Stanford players.

(Thank you for the comments. Duly noted.)

[Born2Steel]

Davis, Burnett, Buhre... and ????

Colbert came out yesterday, and stated that he wants a safety who can “play FS and SS... and slot”. Reid played seven different positions at Stanford. (Kyzir White also played multiple positions... but... that doesn’t fit with my mock. LOL)

Yes he did. And that very point keeps tonight's possibilities running through my mind. I am getting more convinced on Reid.

[Texasteel]

What to do, what to do?

I know there are 4 ILBs that would be good picks. 2 are just plain out of reach, one more will likely be picked just before he gets to us, and is the 4th a health problem or not?

After Michel I think there is a bit of a drop off. Even if there isn't would Chubb, Penney, or even Jones II be there when we pick in the 2nd? How serious are the Steelers about Bell insurance? I just don't know.

The top 2 Safeties are out of reach. Harrison, and Reid, and Bates III could be there when we pick. I just never bought into the Bates mania, and I have seen Reid any where from late 1st to the 3rd round. I don't give a,,, I don't care, I like the Reid kid.

That leaves me with Evens, Reid, and Michel. So you can bet none of the 3 will be our pick..... I just don't know guys.

By the way, will be watching an OLB, I just didn't mention his name, and I'm not going to.

[Cyphon25]

Welcome back!!!

Thanks

ILB vs. S:
What you say is true: the odds of 4 ILBs going in R1 are slim, since it hasn’t happened in years. That said, the NFL pendulum is switching slightly back towards the running game, thus increasing the need for ILBs. The fact that the Steelers has two meetings with Reid tells me that their interest is very strong.

No disagreement here and as I said, I like Reid. Particularly if we are comparing him vs Bates who is the other popular name at S. Someone I want to keep an eye on is Deshon Elliott. Not a ton of draft buzz but I really liked his game. He had an Ed Reed feel at deep safety where he just always seemed to be where the ball was.

RB:
In 1997, the Steelers and Rod Woodson were at odds. With their R1 pick, the Steelers selected Chad Scott, and within the hour, they signed Donnell Woolford. Maybe history repeats itself (and Bell is replaced). Or... that rookie gets 150 touches (still leaving Bell with 250 touches).

With the interest they have shown in Guice I definitely wouldn't put it past them, it just wouldn't be a personal preference of mine. Partially because I don't see them necessarily splitting the snaps up so much. Tomlin loves to run Bell into the ground.

WARNER:
True. They’d prefer a thumper who can run. But, I don’t see any of those dropping to 28. They very well could go ILB in R2. All of that said, Warner can move. Like Watt, he can line up anywhere and play... and, will help cover TEs. Sort of a HYBRID. Plus, they drafted Travis Freeny to be that player, but he didn’t pan out; this time, it will.

Man if they go for a thumper I am Micah Kiser all the way and he may very well have a round 2 grade at this point. If they don't get an ILB in the first 2 Warner is definitely a guy I like. I am also a fan of Dorian O'Daniel.

‘BAMA PLAYERS:
True. That said, Tomlin had dinner with eight of them. While it was one big dinner, I’d bet that at least one of them becomes a Steeler.

No doubt. I have Evans in my mock so I think the streak will be broken one way or the other. Would just be pretty interesting if they ended up with 2. I wonder how much Dunbar is having an impact on that.

OLB DEPTH:
They simply didn’t meet with any OLBs, besides Chris Worley. He very well could be a R7 pick, but I think Watson was just too good to pass up.

Very true. I just wonder what the plan is. You have Watt and Dupree starting and Chick as the backup. Moats is mostly finished and Keion Adams hasn't done anything. It is a bit concerning.

[teegre]

Yes he did. And that very point keeps tonight's possibilities running through my mind. I am getting more convinced on Reid.

Jump on the bandwagon...

- - - Updated - - -

I don't give a,,, I don't care, I like the Reid kid.

Exactly!!!

31 other teams may not like him, but if he’s a good fit for the Steelers, then I’m all in.

[teegre]

Thanks

No disagreement here and as I said, I like Reid. Particularly if we are comparing him vs Bates who is the other popular name at S. Someone I want to keep an eye on is Deshon Elliott. Not a ton of draft buzz but I really liked his game. He had an Ed Reed feel at deep safety where he just always seemed to be where the ball was.

With the interest they have shown in Guice I definitely wouldn't put it past them, it just wouldn't be a personal preference of mine. Partially because I don't see them necessarily splitting the snaps up so much. Tomlin loves to run Bell into the ground.

Man if they go for a thumper I am Micah Kiser all the way and he may very well have a round 2 grade at this point. If they don't get an ILB in the first 2 Warner is definitely a guy I like. I am also a fan of Dorian O'Daniel.

No doubt. I have Evans in my mock so I think the streak will be broken one way or the other. Would just be pretty interesting if they ended up with 2. I wonder how much Dunbar is having an impact on that.

Very true. I just wonder what the plan is. You have Watt and Dupree starting and Chick as the backup. Moats is mostly finished and Keion Adams hasn't done anything. It is a bit concerning.

Reid

It's not even that I want a RB... but, as you said, it’s what I think is going to happen. Honestly, it is a 17 million game of chicken.

I haven’t checked out Kiser, but I will add him to my wish list.

Ooooh... I Had forgetten about Dunbar. We might draft five ‘Bama players.

OLB: That is a huge question. Maybe they have someone in mind that they didn’t visit with. Otherwise... hmmm.

[SteelMember]

Teeg/Cyphon... Ya'll need to "officially" put your mocks in the contest thread. Good a chance to win as anyone.

Tex... Gonzo... 86... Psycho... Everyone, I know you can cobble something as well.

http://www.steelersuniverse.com/foru...t-King-Contest

[Texasteel]

Teeg/Cyphon... Ya'll need to "officially" put your mocks in the contest thread. Good a chance to win as anyone.

Tex... Gonzo... 86... Psycho... Everyone, I know you can cobble something as well.

http://www.steelersuniverse.com/foru...t-King-Contest

I never enter the draft contest. No rule against it, just don't think it would be proper. Every one else should though. Good luck to you all.

I will give you one predictionl. There will be 2 lbs. of wings,, God knows how many fries, and several beers consumed in you living room tonight.

[SteelMember]

I never enter the draft contest. No rule against it, just don't think it would be proper. Every one else should though. Good luck to you all.

Mods are allowed, but I know you're superstitious... probably don't want your picks out there for the other clubs.

You still do wings on draft day?

[Dwinsgames]

Reid

It's not even that I want a RB... but, as you said, it’s what I think is going to happen. Honestly, it is a 17 million game of chicken.

I haven’t checked out Kiser, but I will add him to my wish list.

Ooooh... I Had forgetten about Dunbar. We might draft five ‘Bama players.

OLB: That is a huge question. Maybe they have someone in mind that they didn’t visit with. Otherwise... hmmm.

word is Tomlin was following Arden Key around like a lost puppy make of it what you will ...

I think if he can clean up his act he would be an outstanding pickup in rd2

[Texasteel]

You still do wings on draft day?

Draft wouldn't be official without um.