silatolu

this kid has some game about him. if you haven't had the time to watch some tape on him , you should. he's got some of that pouncey game about him. he can make multiple blocks on any given play in the run game, very similar to pouncey. i for one hope we grab this kid. he's got some nasty to him also. the best part is he could also swing out to LT if needed. i think he could play most positions on the line and definately start at LG next to pouncey. he looks like he could be a difference maker. thought?

 

I bounced back and forth between him and Osemele in my "hope" mock draft, eventually went with Osemele because I thought he was safer. But it was close. I wouldn't be disappointed with this guy in the 2nd. However, I wouldn't be counting on him for anything besides guard.

 

if we had to make a choice if gilbert went down, i could see him sliding out there in a pinch. i do think he would make a fine LG though. those multiple blocks are outstanding. i don't think osemele has that in his game. the more i watched him pulling and going downfield from the LT spot and making those blocks in the run game really reminded me of pouncey as a rookie. that jumped out to me with pouncey and it also does with this kid. very mobile and has a violent quality to his blocks. i like it. a little "tude" from our linemen.

 

I would hesitate to put him out at tackle year one, but he should be able to lock down the LG spot for us for years. Get him used to the speed of the NFL and then in 2-3 years he could be our backup LT, assuming we have a competent LG replacement. I'd be thrilled with him on our roster. The way he dominates some of those D-II guys is borderline unsportsmanlike, like he's a man amongst boys.

 

i'm just worried that he will be gone in the 2nd when we pick. similar to the way we may lose out on decastro and the tackles in the 1st. i could see us missing out on zeitler,osemele, silatolu,konz and brooks before we pick in the 2nd. i hope not. that would leave us washington,kelemete, nix,jones and such. i've seen silatolu moving up slightly on some boards just outside the first. i just wonder how much the steelers are valuing these linemen this year. with colberts comments about us not being able to have all 1st and 2nd rounders on the line. as much as we fans want a good gaurd and tackle, do they see it the same? they haven't in years past. colberts way of just plugging in the next big guy in a later round has run it's course ,i would hope. we now have a 1st,2nd,4th and 2 udfa's manning the line. colbert worries me at this spot on the team. guard is a pretty deep field this year and i could see him figuring to grab one later with this class. i hope not.

 

I'm afraid of the same thing. I think all of the top tackles (Kalil, Reif, Martin, Adams) will be gone before we pick, as well as DeCastro and possibly Glenn and Konz. Do we pull the trigger early on Zeitler, Osemele or Silatolu? If Konz or Glenn are there, does our FO pass them over and take someone else, like Doug Martin? If we don't get our OL in round one, we may miss out completely on a starting-capable player completely, as the guys that make it to the second round will likely be gone before we pick. We may end up with Brooks in the 3rd/4th, but I don't think he's starting for us this year, or maybe even next. As much as I hate to say it, I think our starting OL next season is already on our roster.

 

If Glenn is there when we pick, does Colbert pull the trigger on him? I think Silatolu will most likely be there for us in the second, just a gut feeling.

 

I'm afraid of the same thing. I think all of the top tackles (Kalil, Reif, Martin, Adams) will be gone before we pick, as well as DeCastro and possibly Glenn and Konz. Do we pull the trigger early on Zeitler, Osemele or Silatolu? If Konz or Glenn are there, does our FO pass them over and take someone else, like Doug Martin? If we don't get our OL in round one, we may miss out completely on a starting-capable player completely, as the guys that make it to the second round will likely be gone before we pick. We may end up with Brooks in the 3rd/4th, but I don't think he's starting for us this year, or maybe even next. As much as I hate to say it, I think our starting OL next season is already on our roster.[/quote:3qy2be4l]

with legursky coming off shoulder surgery, i'm not so sure he will start at guard without essex as that emergency center. we don't have another guy to do it and as often as he's hurt, we can't afford to do that. pouncey is coming off of ankle surgery too. we either draft konz early or we pick up a guy that plays center and guard later as an emergency guy. with 4 7th rounders, i could see a guy like snow from texas. we could draft a lot of guys late that are not bad players by any stretch if they decide to start legs.

 

What about Malecki -- doesn't he play C/G as well? Surely as good a a seventh rounder?

 

I am so tired of the Steelers picking an AVG/poor OL,I like that this guy may actually
have some swagger. I prefer my OL with athletic ability and meaness. I hope the Steelers
find some one like this. I am tired of these overwieght slobs that can't move their feet.
When will this drafting trend end of these guys?

 

rob, i really like malecki. he was a nasty player on the 3rd team line in preseason. he was a bright spot in the run game and stonewalled guys in pass protection. i zoned in alot on him during the preseason and have most likely been one of his biggest supporters since. i was upset when they dropped him off the PS. especially when we were looking for a guard last year. of course they were 3rd string defenders too. he looked pretty solid to me though.

don't get me wrong, but i liked legs too. i was one of if not the first to tell people on the old board about us looking at him and bringing him in from marshall. i also watched as he played in a lesser known post season all-star game and they tried him at guard, a position he had never played. he was also working with a former steeler at being a long snapper before we picked him as an udfa. only two other teams even went to marshall that year to look at anyone. legs was not top tier but solid, but the injuries are mounting for him and he could be replaced. it's hurt his growth here. i watched him play in HS.

as far as 7th rounders in this draft though,it's a little different this year. this position is really, really deep. even beyond the 7th round there are still some good guards. blackwell, from LSU. foreman from mich.st. lonnie edwards from texas tech. snow from texas. there are several others too. in most years these guys would be ranked alot higher, but there are just so many good guards this year, they are alot lower. corner back and wide receiver are also that way this year. there are alot of really good players late into this draft at certain positions. it's almost a luxuary that we have 3 extra 7th round picks this year. i'd use them. snow played alot of center at texas. most sites have him rated as a guard which drops him some overall. he's a much better version of legursky. he actually did play guard also for texas. edwards is a good LG. i'm not really sure how he did drop this far. blackwell is also. foreman has been very solid for mich. st. all these guys come from good solid college programs.

 

i see on NFL draft scout, that silatolu has moved up to late 1st round consideration. brooks has moved up to near that very early 2nd round consideration. they both could be late 1st round picks before draft day. martin has some flaws that need worked on. the more i watch adams tape the more good i see in his footwork over some others. his flaws are not near as bad as a couple of others like martin and reiff. i may have to rethink him. silatolu is still looking like a fine player that would fair really well as a guard. he may end up being a very bright spot in this draft.