SBD Mock 1.0

This is very early, so take it with a grain of salt...

1. Ezekiel "Ziggy" Ansah, OLB, BYU
I'm starting to think more and more that there's no way we get out of the first without a pass rusher. I think Chance Warmack is gone by the time we pick, and there's a lot of first round guys that could play OLB for us. Barkevious Mingo scares me because he's so light that I worry he would just get pushed around in the run game, and buried by bigger OT's. Dion Jordan is probably my 2nd favorite guy, but I think Ansah has the higher ceiling. He looks better every time he takes the field, and they say he's a sponge, imagine him with Lebeau teaching him. Reminds me of Jason Pierre Paul.

2. Justin Hunter, WR, Tennessee
Wallace is leaving and Heath may not be healthy for a while, that doesn't leave Ben with very many weapons. I'm also hearing that the Steelers coaching staff noticed Ben seemed very comfortable with Plaxico because of his height. They seem lukewarm on bringing Plax back. Hunter was coming off a knee injury this past season and seemed to get healthier as the year went on. He's a big receiver as 6'4" He also had blazing speed to beat guys deep prior to that injury. He's a bit of a risk but he came on strong towards the end of the season, and I think he has the ability to be special. He'd be a great compliment to AB.

3. Andrew Jackson, ILB, Western Kentucky
Jackson is a guy I'm really loving, even though I'm sure many haven't heard about him. I'm interested to see how he performs at the combine. He's from the same hometown as Ray Lewis and models his game after him. I like him for really the same reason I liked Vontaze Burfict last season, he's a physical bully on the field. He's plays fast and instinctual and blows guys up. I miss the swagger that Joey Porter brought to our defense.

4. TJ McDonald, Safety, USC
McDonald was a possible 1st/2nd rounder last season, but his stock dropped this year. He's a good all around safety, that excels in run support but bites on play-action fakes quite a bit. If he were there in the 4th though, he's worth taking.

5. Kenjon Barner, RB, Oregon
With Rainey gone, we need a change of pace back (especially if we go into the season with Dwyer and Redman our 1 and 2). We also need a kick returner. Barner is like every other Oregon back. He's fast, shifty, and can take it the distance on any carry, but he's not going to break tackles.

6. Colin Klein, QB, Kansas St
I personally like having a backup QB with some mobility. You don't want your starter getting killed on a scramble but if you're only counting on a guy a few games a year, and he has limitations in the passing game (which he does, thats why hes a backup), then it's nice to have an added dimension for defenses to worry about. Colin Klein was one of the best players in college football this past season. He's big and can use his legs. I think he's a great project

7. Omar Hunter, DE, Florida
Seems like we can't go a whole draft without taking a defensive lineman, so here's one!

 

my only problem with these bigger DE type OLB is thier speed and coverage ability. we have two types of OLB here. ansah is in the same mold as woodley and worilds. they are fine on that side, but we have guys for that side. we need the slightly smaller faster OLB type to take over for JH. okafor,ansah,montgomery are all in the mold of woodley , worilds types. we need a guy around the 245-250 range for that side.

i'm not sure barner will last to the 5th round. i'd take him a round earlier though.

we could probably snatch klien in the 7th.

 

Good point. I think Ansah could handle it eventually. He's a superb athlete... He would just need to learn the technique.

 

now montgomery is fast compared to ansah and okafor. he could be one of those bigger guys to be able to play the smaller OLB. go watch some film on the OLB from western kentucky too SBD. quanterus smith. that boy can get after it to. jamie collins is also one of those still big but faster OLB's. ogletree could also play that spot. dion jordan is another. those would be 5 guys i'd love for us to get for one OLB spot.

woodleys side though, worilds has shown he's much better on that side. that's where i'd lean more toward ansah,okafor, maybe even q.smith and montgomery there too, but we don't really have room for them on that side.

 

I would love it if Barner fell into our laps.

This team has a lot of areas that need attention. With Hood and Heyward in place (jury still out on them), I am not sure DL is a pressing need. LB definitely is. So is DB. Colbert and Tomlin have also done what they can to improve the line--I think it's still an area that needs attention. I am not saying the Steelers should devote 1st or 2nd round picks to the o-line, but I'd like to see as many young, healthy bodies brought into camp as possible. To me, you can't have too many of these guys in camp; it's like a baseball team drafting as many arms as possible.

 

I hate to pick on you draft, but i hate it. the first pick is not any different than the lbs we have that are to slow in my opinion to get to qb consistantly. i would like a speed olb who might even be a specialist. hunter has bust all over him. I am telling you i watch this kid every week. i think he lead the sec in drops. he has all the athletic ability in world but it does not translate to the field. he put his numbers up against akron, troy, kentucky, and georgia st. I could get on board with your 3 and 6 picks. I dont know if barner is alot more than rainey was though

 

I think hunter's teammate cordarelle patterson is a better option, but i'm starting to think he may go in the 1st.... a better option may be baylor's terrance williams or tenn. tech's de'rick rogers....if we don't grab another ilb early, than i think nc's kevin reddick or iowa st's aj klein would be worth a look.....i'm not that big a fan of tj mcdonald either, and that was before the down yr....ga's shawn williams or fla. int's jon cyprien i believe are better options.. as far as runners go, we need more than just a change of pace back. we need someone who can carry the load... while redman and dwyer have shown flashes, i'm not sure that either can do it over the long haul.... i'm looking at monti ball here, or even stepfan taylor later...as far as ansah in the first, i think if he's available than we have to take him... whether he plays olb or at the line will be up to the coaches

 

guys i am telling you, we do not want patterson, hunter, and especially rodgers. he was in trouble the minute he walked on campus. these guys are all character issues and they only play when their number is called. they can draw as many as 106,582 at neyland any given saturday. patterson would make a play and you cold hear it 30 miles away. next time he would decide to take a play off or do something stupid like field a punt at the 15 yrd line and run backwards and get tackled at the 2. u could here the boo's 30 miles away

 

I hear you on these guys, but rogers has the type of talent that can't be ignored.... if he can convince people of his maturity (mike adams anyone?), then i wouldn't mind using a 4th or 5th on him... this kid has game changing ability...

 

a 4th or 5th yes but rodgers will be taken a lot earlier from somebody else

 

Welp, looks like I'm going to have to update this. Ziggy Ansah blew up the senior bowl... He has the athleticism to shine at the combine as well. My guess is he goes to the Jets before we even get a sniff at him.

 

take that with a grain of salt SBD. these DE's every year shine at the SR.bowl. teams and players are limited in what they do there and are asked to do there.

him being able to do all the things DLB and butler will expect from him could make him look alot different here. i see some woodley in him. a good upfield pass rusher that will allow teams to run under him. that was one of woodley's weaknesses and he still does it. OC's will take full advantage of that. no way he would start in our defense for the next 2-3 years until he shows them a better overall skill for the position. not that he's not a talent, just not a good fit.

there are so many things he will have to become good at before we would put him out there. we won't use one trick ponies. that's more of what he is as of right now. i really doubt the steelers would take him that high because of it.

 

While I've never admitted to being an expert I agree with you here. I see him as a 4-3 DE anyways...not a 3-4 OLB.

 

I gotta agree with this. Having watched all of the Vols games this year, I don't think we would be happy with Patterson or Hunter.

 

I don't like either Hunter you have in the mock. Positionally, I think you are right about a WR, but whoever we go get there, I think they need to be someone who attacks the ball with their hands.

With the #7 pick, I think we look OLine rather than Dline. If we could find another Beachum I would be pretty happy. He didn't look like he was capable of anything in preseason, but he picked up his game a TON. That means...he is teachable.

I love picks 1, 3, 4, 5, and 6.

 

i would take rambo or elam in rd2
and markus davis wr in 4
i like ansah , but djon jordan and jarvis jones (can slip ), are other good options

 

Barner would be nice 4th (or even 3rd) is not too early. I would be ok w/ one more OL in the first round, as long as they get somebody good on D in round 2.