ESPN's Todd McShay and Mel Kiper Mocks.....

[TMC]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/draft08/columns/story?columnist=kiper_jr_mel&page=kipermock080401
http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/draft08/insider/columns/story?columnist=mcshay_todd&page=mcshaymock0401&action=upsell&appRedirect=http%3a%2f%2finsider.espn.go.com%2fnfl %2fdraft08%2finsider%2fcolumns%2fstory%3fcolumnist %3dmcshay_todd%26page%3dmcshaymock0401

Kiper has the Steelers taking Kentwan Balmer, DT from North Carolina while McShay has them drafting Gosder Cherilus in the first and Marcus Harrison, DT, Arkansas in the 2nd.

I have to say, with McShay's draft, if we took Cherilus in the first and passed on Quintin Groves with our second, I would probably blow a gasket.

[Sean]

Fucking Kiper is out of touch with reality...

Ever since we passed on Chad Pennington for Plaxico Burress, he hasn't been able to gauge the Steelers at all.

[DerbyCityBNGfan]

Kiper is a moron.

[FlaStGrad]

Kiper has Albert going #5... riiiiiiiiight!

[Superman]

At least we now know for a 100% fact that Balmer is nowhere near our draft board in the first.

[rossi]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/draft08/columns/story?columnist=kiper_jr_mel&page=kipermock080401
http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/draft08/insider/columns/story?columnist=mcshay_todd&page=mcshaymock0401&action=upsell&appRedirect=http%3a%2f%2finsider.espn.go.com%2fnfl %2fdraft08%2finsider%2fcolumns%2fstory%3fcolumnist %3dmcshay_todd%26page%3dmcshaymock0401

Kiper has the Steelers taking Kentwan Balmer, DT from North Carolina while McShay has them drafting Gosder Cherilus in the first and Marcus Harrison, DT, Arkansas in the 2nd.

I have to say, with McShay's draft, if we took Cherilus in the first and passed on Quintin Groves with our second, I would probably blow a gasket.

TMC these guys will change their mocks 3 or more times between now and draft day so don't let them get under your skin.
Is it me or after about the top 12 picks you could place picks 13-31 in just about any order. Seems to me the talent level from mid first to end of the first is close. TMC if you have time what are your thoughts on that?
Thanks.

[Tres Rios]

Fucking Kiper is out of touch with reality...

Ever since we passed on Chad Pennington for Plaxico Burress, he hasn't been able to gauge the Steelers at all.

Exactly. I loved his meltdown that year. He was spitting all over himslelf over that pick.

[smithessmokin]

both of these mocks are ridiculous.

[Thorndike]

I would rather we picked Cason in the first than either of those two. Balmer will be good...but is DT really our top need position in this draft?

[crimsonsteel]

Kiper has Albert going #5... riiiiiiiiight!

Exactly. Kiper has already changed his mock about 5 times.

[Vader]

Exactly. Kiper has already changed his mock about 5 times.

He has got to be able to go back and say he was right... how can he do that with only 1 mock?

[crimsonsteel]

Right on Potsie!

[Turbo Pig]

Balmer is a bum.. Please lord don't take him.... Please

[Tres Rios]

DT and RB - two positions I see come up for us in plenty of mocks that I wouldn't even pick in Round 6.

[BLITZ 43]

Kiper has Albert going #5... riiiiiiiiight!



Perfect maybe this will stop all the Albert @23 talk! Keep talking up Alber mel so he goes way before us.

[BermudaSteel]

I've been monitoring both Kiper and McShay, since late January---just to see what they would say about our "possible selections". Question: Which one got it right last year? I honestly can't remember.

But as far as these choices...NEITHER is the BPA at 23...but I am OK w/ Cherilus(RT) if it boils down to it.

[TMC]

TMC these guys will change their mocks 3 or more times between now and draft day so don't let them get under your skin.
Is it me or after about the top 12 picks you could place picks 13-31 in just about any order. Seems to me the talent level from mid first to end of the first is close. TMC if you have time what are your thoughts on that?
Thanks.

These guys really do not get under my skin. I do find it funny/irritating that they can bounce guys up and down their draft boards every year with no plausible reasoning. When I look at players, I either like them or I don't. Take my offensive linemen, I rank the tackles like this: Long, Clady, Williams are the top three and have separated themselves. Then comes a group of Otah, Cherilus, and Baker. Now, I understand that teams are beginning to overvalue the OT position this year and even though I do not feel that Otah, Cherilus, or Baker are worthy of the 23rd pick, to get the one (of the three) you want, you may have to take him at 23.

The guards, I still have grouped in a bunch of 3....with Albert, Rachal, and Schuening all viable guys. It really depends on what you want. You want a guy that can move and pull, pick Albert. You want a guy that can play right or left, can run block or pass block, but is not that gifted athletically, its Schuening. You want a guy that can do it all but is needs more technique and polish, its Rachal. At center, Pollack is my guy. The only reason I consider Pollack in the 2nd is he has opened the eyes of other people and shown he is worth it.

But, none of them have made massive rises to me. They all are still what I felt they were in January. While Williams and Pollack have moved up by a half round or more, they are still the same player and I realize that if I want them, I have to adjust where I would draft them.

And, as far as the 13th-30th guy, I actually feel there are 5 elite players in this draft, not 12. The elite guys are Jake Long, Chris Long, Gholston, Dorsey, and Ellis. Those guys are game changers and will impact immediately. Then, there is a group of guys that are extremely good, but either play a position that makes you wonder if they'll turn out OR play a position where even if you are excellent, the value is not there. I like McFadden, but not that much better than Mendenhall. I like Ryan, but not that much better than Brohm. I like Rivers, but Connor is pretty good too. I absolutely think Clady and Williams will be studs, but neither are dominant run blockers and may be limited to LT only. That is fine, but I think that keeps them from being elite.

The bottom line, this draft is loaded. I mean, it simply has talent all over. There are guards that people are not even talking about that can play in the NFL. Hell, Samson Satele, the guy I pimped last season, has a cousin named Hercules Satele, a left guard who is coming out. They moved Samson to center so Hercules could start. He is a big, mean, nasty SOB. He just completed his Pro Day where he benched 225-40 times. He is 6'2"-305 and someone is going to steal his ass in the 5th/6th. The thing is, those type guys are all through this draft at almost every position. The CB, WR, RB, OL, and LB positions have talent from top to bottom and the guys you take in the 4th/5th will have the potential to be an impact to your team as early as next season.

This is not the draft to fuck up.

[Superman]

These guys really do not get under my skin. I do find it funny/irritating that they can bounce guys up and down their draft boards every year with no plausible reasoning. When I look at players, I either like them or I don't. Take my offensive linemen, I rank the tackles like this: Long, Clady, Williams are the top three and have separated themselves. Then comes a group of Otah, Cherilus, and Baker. Now, I understand that teams are beginning to overvalue the OT position this year and even though I do not feel that Otah, Cherilus, or Baker are worthy of the 23rd pick, to get the one (of the three) you want, you may have to take him at 23.

The guards, I still have grouped in a bunch of 3....with Albert, Rachal, and Schuening all viable guys. It really depends on what you want. You want a guy that can move and pull, pick Albert. You want a guy that can play right or left, can run block or pass block, but is not that gifted athletically, its Schuening. You want a guy that can do it all but is needs more technique and polish, its Rachal. At center, Pollack is my guy. The only reason I consider Pollack in the 2nd is he has opened the eyes of other people and shown he is worth it.

But, none of them have made massive rises to me. They all are still what I felt they were in January. While Williams and Pollack have moved up by a half round or more, they are still the same player and I realize that if I want them, I have to adjust where I would draft them.

And, as far as the 13th-30th guy, I actually feel there are 5 elite players in this draft, not 12. The elite guys are Jake Long, Chris Long, Gholston, Dorsey, and Ellis. Those guys are game changers and will impact immediately. Then, there is a group of guys that are extremely good, but either play a position that makes you wonder if they'll turn out OR play a position where even if you are excellent, the value is not there. I like McFadden, but not that much better than Mendenhall. I like Ryan, but not that much better than Brohm. I like Rivers, but Connor is pretty good too. I absolutely think Clady and Williams will be studs, but neither are dominant run blockers and may be limited to LT only. That is fine, but I think that keeps them from being elite.

The bottom line, this draft is loaded. I mean, it simply has talent all over. There are guards that people are not even talking about that can play in the NFL. Hell, Samson Satele, the guy I pimped last season, has a cousin named Hercules Satele, a left guard who is coming out. They moved Samson to center so Hercules could start. He is a big, mean, nasty SOB. He just completed his Pro Day where he benched 225-40 times. He is 6'2"-305 and someone is going to steal his ass in the 5th/6th. The thing is, those type guys are all through this draft at almost every position. The CB, WR, RB, OL, and LB positions have talent from top to bottom and the guys you take in the 4th/5th will have the potential to be an impact to your team as early as next season.

This is not the draft to fuck up .

like ... Eric Young who's seen his status drop from a 2nd to around the 6th?

[BermudaSteel]

So, if I can "read between the lines", TMC...

We should take BPA EVERY round. Or is that just poppycock??

[RevBillyC]

The thing is, those type guys are all through this draft at almost every position. The CB, WR, RB, OL, and LB positions have talent from top to bottom and the guys you take in the 4th/5th will have the potential to be an impact to your team as early as next season.

This is not the draft to fuck up.


Exactly why this is the perfect draft to trade down in round 1, and maybe even in round 2 - if you can pick up a couple extra 4th or 5th rounders, you could haul in a boatload of talent.

[BermudaSteel]

Exactly why this is the perfect draft to trade down in round 1, and maybe even in round 2 - if you can pick up a couple extra 4th or 5th rounders, you could haul in a boatload of talent.

I have, now, no problem w/ us trading the 23rd pick...but we better get a good offer for it...

[OhioSteel]

Exactly why this is the perfect draft to trade down in round 1, and maybe even in round 2 - if you can pick up a couple extra 4th or 5th rounders, you could haul in a boatload of talent.

I agree, the only problem is finding someone to trade with that gives you good value in return plus still allows you to draft some of the guys the Steelers really think they could use. Unless there is a no brainer sitting there, I hope a trade works out.

[Slaine]

One of the QBs will drop and someone will get a hard on for Brohm or Flacco and they'll get desperate to land them.

[K from Cal]

This is not the draft to up.

That's why I really think we are going to trade down a bit. It's silly to spend first round money for a lineman unless he is far superior than anyone else out there. That is not the case for us at 23