Steelers 1st Round Pick

[alancac98]

Fautanu didn't look below average

Fauntanu would be playing LT for a lot of other teams had they drafted him!

 

[FordFairLane]

This draft just played out poorly for us... there werent a bunch of off the wall picks pushing guys down and the talent pool the way it is 21 was just not a great spot for trading or picking... i think the guys from the bottom of the first all the way through the second are all about the same

My guess is they still have a lot of high end options at WR and OL was less stacked for them to wait till the second pick... id feel better if i was more certain about their oline coach

Agreed but lets say someone is offering you a late first or early second and some draft capital. Why don’t you take it? My thought is the Jets were trying to get Cooper and were willing to give us 2027 draft picks and like a 4th this year. Probably a 2027 3rd round to make the value fairly even. Steelers didn’t want the draft in Pittsburgh to not have a first round pick so they just drafted. I really don’t know if these GMs in Khan and Colbert are that bad or if it’s Rooney pulling the strings on these hair brained ideas.

 

[Litos]

The Steelers have 12 picks and probably 6-7 roster spots. They need to deal some of those and improve their draft position(s). Otherwise there’s going to have to hope several of their picks clear waivers and can be signed to the practice squad. I’m wondering if they tried last night or are regretting not trying to?

I can count 10 roster spots in a heartbeat
Backup QB
3rd/4th WR
Backup FS
3rd TE
ILB cause Queen ain't it
OT cause Broderick is injured
Starting OG
Outside CB Backup
 NT
Punter
Kick returner

 

[mainesteel83]

New coaches, new structure, new way of looking at things. Max has amazing feet and hasn't been playing football that long. I can't apply how the previous coaches did their job to how the current coaches will do theirs. Campen/Evans might coach this guy into a starter year one, Pro-Bowler for year two for all I know. Big human with athleticism with fixable flaws.

Applying the previous regime's MO (fitting the round peg into that square hole?) might be a thing of the past. I'm willing to reserve judgement. I like the player--might not have been my choice at #21, might've traded back, but I like the player and see the fit.

 

[slashsteel]

I can count 10 roster spots in a heartbeat
Backup QB
3rd/4th WR
Backup FS
3rd TE
ILB cause Queen ain't it
OT cause Broderick is injured
Starting OG
Outside CB Backup
 NT
Punter
Kick returner

Not sure they draft a P but yeah good list.

 

[alancac98]

Fautanu to guard. He’s a pro bowl guard but a below average tackle. If Max can play NFL tackle that is.

You don't move a round one LT to guard and play an undrafted free agent at LT unless both the #1 pick doesn't pan out at the position and look terrible AND the undrafted guy plays far better than expected. Cook played well, but you have to try Fauntanu there and give him some time back at his natural position. Now, had Fautanu played RT or been drafted in say the third round then fine, but LT is a premier position and Fauntanu was a round 1 talent at THAT position. Just my thoughts!

 

[Litos]

Agreed but lets say someone is offering you a late first or early second and some draft capital. Why don’t you take it? My thought is the Jets were trying to get Cooper and were willing to give us 2027 draft picks and like a 4th this year. Probably a 2027 3rd round to make the value fairly even. Steelers didn’t want the draft in Pittsburgh to not have a first round pick so they just drafted. I really don’t know if these GMs in Khan and Colbert are that bad or if it’s Rooney pulling the strings on these hair brained ideas.

A lot of assumptions there, no one has given a 2027th pick yet in any of the trades made.

Everyone is saving them for the supposed QB heavy draft

 

[jitter77]

Why is everyone enamored with Lemon? The kid seems to have a few screws loose and he hasn't even played in the NFL yet. He seems like a early headcase waiting to happen. I was also very high on Bain, but after hearing him speak I was glad we didn't move up to grab him.

 

[FordFairLane]

Have a look at the trades that were done. Teams weren't giving up much to move up. Teams moving down three spots were mostly getting middle round pick swaps back.

Steelers were going to get anything Huge but I feel they could have gotten a decent middle round pick and a day 2 pick in 2027.

 

[Litos]

Not sure they draft a P but yeah good list.

Said 10, punter is the 11th hehehe

 

[slashsteel]

Said 10, punter is the 11th hehehe

Ahh got me!

 

[Steeltime]

Rumor has it we could have traded down and didn’t. Not a fan of Khan anymore. Perfect opportunity to trade down and likely still get Max.

I presume trying to trade #21 for a lower 1st round and a 2027 pick because they sure as hell don't need ANOTHER pick in this draft.

 

[FordFairLane]

Fauntanu would be playing LT for a lot of other teams had they drafted him!

I haven’t seen Fauntanu at LT but I have seen him be below average at RT. Dylan Cook, albeit very limited LT snaps at 291, has looked very promising at LT.

 

[Steeltime]

I had Lomu ahead of Max and was expecting him to be the pick

Litos, when I watched Lomu, I saw he gives up way too much ground in his pass set. Also, he turns parallel to the sideline right after the snap, making him vulnerable to inside moves. Iheanachor is raw but is much better at setting quickly and with his pads square to the defender.

No doubt Iheanachor is raw, however. His nickname should be "Sushi."

 

[Djfan]

I was going to say I like his feet/quickness/agility, but his hands need work.
lol

I'm no O Line expert, but I saw a guy who kept the opponent in front of him, or ran him out of the play. Certainly, his footwork played a part in that, but keeping a guy there requires you influencing his balance point some, which means hands?

Either way, he showed something, and I bet he continues to learn with the right coaching. If he has only played the game a few years and got this far, he is a learner, and that is an amazing attribute for a pro.

Over all, this pick has grown on me, and I look forward to an improved trench on the offensive side.

 

[Fiji Mariner]

Lemon starts week one in the slot, Max is a project. Our track record at developing OL is one step up from abysmal. He was not highly rated, most analysts had him as a 2nd round pick at best, early third at worst.

The flip side of that coin is that Lemon just may be bat crap crazy

He might be a total Lemon, “experts” dubbing him as one of the worst interviews ever and a headcase…the Steelers sure didn’t need more of that IF that is the case

 

[slashsteel]

Litos, when I watched Lomu, I saw he gives up way too much ground in his pass set. Also, he turns parallel to the sideline right after the snap, making him vulnerable to inside moves. Iheanachor is raw but is much better at setting quickly and with his pads square to the defender.

No doubt Iheanachor is raw, however. His nickname should be "Sushi."

Raw but still gave up no sacks last season. More I glue into the pick the more I understand it.

 

[Confluence]

I can count 10 roster spots in a heartbeat
Backup QB
3rd/4th WR
Backup FS
3rd TE
ILB cause Queen ain't it
OT cause Broderick is injured
Starting OG
Outside CB Backup
 NT
Punter
Kick returner

Are you going to put 3 7th rounders in those spots? Doubtful. Not sure that those 3 late picks aren't really UDFA headstarts.

That leaves 9 picks, with an impressive 5 in the top 100, and FAs/trades to fill many of those spots.

I'd love to get S/NT/ILB and WR/TE adressed on day 2, but I think QB might get added earlier than most here think.

 

[Aussie_Steeler]

The Steelers have 12 picks this year so I would have used some of those to trade up.

Who would you have traded up with? Looking at players picked by each team ahead of the Steelers I think the only team, apart from Dallas, ahead of the Steelers that may have considered trading down to 21 would have been Minnesota.

 

[Terrapin]

I agree. I mean, I hate to break it to everyone, but if Mendoza doesn't transfer to Indiana, Omar Cooper Jr. is NOT a first round WR. He'd be in the middle of all the 2nd and 3rd rounders we are now looking at.

There are just SO MANY wide receivers now every draft. It's one position we seem really good as scouting, so trust the work/board and let one fall into your laps at pick #53 or pick #76.

I just don't think offensive tackles as athletic as Max Iheanacho just exist anywhere else except the first round and that's why it's probably the smarter pick in the long run for this organization.

If there are so many good WRs in the draft every year, how come we haven't found one in the last 5 years? Well Pickens, but we traded him for peanuts

 

[slashsteel]

If there are so many good WRs in the draft every year, how come we haven't found one in the last 5 years? Well Pickens, but we traded him for peanuts

Fitting that Dallas pulled his contract negotiations and are playing him on the tag. Those peanuts could have been crumbs with the way his potential issues.

 

[Fiji Mariner]

Actually its common for players to not play much as rookies or have extremely limited actions.. even first round picks.. in fact many first rounders who start right away end up busts...

Teams force first rounders on the field now because of the rookie contract structure, but the better result seems to come from teams that start guys when they are ready and earned it... that used to be the steelers way.. a guy comes in and plays special teams for a couple years behind a vet starter, finally starts late year 2 or 3, gets a RFA bridge deal, then becomes a star... cant do that anymore though...

Like I said in another post

90% of the board will have something to say evaluating a player that hasn’t played a down, many basing their opinion off a 30 second, made for draft day, highlight reel.

Also always seems that of that 90% it’s usually a vast majority that want to label guys as “taken too early” because the Steelers somehow had the nerve to pick a guy that wasn’t “their guy” or feel some sort of way because the Steelers didn’t trade up or back.

The instant reactions moments after a selection always crack me up

 

[Fiji Mariner]

You don't take the 7th lineman off the board in the 1st rd. And you certainly don't use a 1st rd pick on a guy that's basically been playing football for 2 years.

But I'm sure the diehards and media will all say this is the best pick ever, and after Saturday will say this is the best draft ever. Just like every year.

But you wanna use it on a potential headcase that had one of the worst interviews ever

So glad you aren’t the GM

 

[FAB802]

This is who you get when your standard has been mediocrity for a few years. You pick late teens or high twenties, and you hope a guy you like falls. The kid might be damn good, he is not a plug and play OL, period. I'm not as wound up about the embarrassment of Lemon being snatched. WR's aren't that tough to come by and there are plenty left in this draft.

They can't miss on any of the next four picks though. If you weren't using one of those extra 3's to move up, your scouts better know WTF they're doing. Call me skeptical on that. As always, all picks are maybe's until they perform at the next level. Time will tell.

 

[Fiji Mariner]

Not sure they draft a P but yeah good list.

This staff is likely smart enough to not have a dedicated return specialist too, not a position that needs a roster spot imho

A skill player or DB should be able to lock that down in its current impact to the game.