Steelers 2009 DRAFT: First Reaction

1 st Round Pick - Evander “Ziggy” Hood - DL

This was not an urgent need for me but I did want them to address it in this draft. Eben Britton and Max Unger, both promising O- lineman were there and the Steelers passed. Yes we won the Super Bowl and therefore the O-line problems may be somewhat exaggerated. But I am not happy with the beating Ben takes and the drop off of the usually stalwart rushing attack. Since when did the Steelers have a rushing attack ranked out of the Top 10? Not often.

That said, Hood will be ready to go and step in when the aging veterans ahead of him begin to break down. He will have a development period and the Steelers are one of, if not the best at doing this. Bringing a young talent and allowing him to mature and learn the Lebeau defense.

This is a future pick. I am okay with it but I wish he was a O - lineman.

3 rd Round Pick – Kraig Urbik – OL

This is more along the lines of what they needed out of this draft. I still believe there were better picks but this young man does have some pedigree. He has a ton of experience at the College level. Okay so it is only college, but O-lineman need repetition to improve their footwork and technique. He can play guard or tackle. Although he is reportedly to plodding and slow for an NFL tackle.

The beauty here is that he will at least add depth to a depleted area of the football team. HE is from Wisconsin University, who have a reputation for developing quality lineman. And while he needs to improve, he does show the propensity for pass and run blocking.

I think he will be an asset, at least off the bench.

3 rd Round Pick – Mike Wallace – WR

I was a little surprised to see them take a Wide out before some more O-Lineman but this guy has some raw talent. His own school analysis says he lacks route running precision which is usually what makes a great college wide out a bust in the NFL. He does have a nose for the end zone though and was a very good return man at Ole Miss. That could be a nice addition to 2009 Steelers. He may have more opportunity that one would think with Limas Sweed, last years WR pick, trying to move up to #3.

Wallace can stretch a field. Most of the negative comments I have seen can be largely due to immaturity. Being in an organization of this caliber will fix that. Unless he is Plexico Burress. And he does not seem to be a knucklehead. This should be a decent pick.

I am in the middle on this one. Not for it or against it.

3 rd Round Pick – Keenan Lewis – DB

This is another example of the Steelers planning ahead. This guy has the Pittsburgh mentality and toughness. His weaknesses however seem to include fluid movement and track down speed. He may be better suited as a safety with the way he hits, especially if he has trouble covering NFL receivers.

A major attribute that Lewis has going for him is he appears to be a determined young man. He seems dedicated to overcoming raw ability with hard core study and preparation. He has a football acumen that may make him successful.

This can work. As a Philadelphia native, I remember a guy named Wes Hopkins. Like Lewis he had a football mind and work ethic. He was even cut a few times and he kept working hard to be a football player and not a specimen. He had a quality career and was known as a vicious hitter and teamed up with Andre Waters and became a deadly safety tandem.

I like this pick.

5 th Round Pic k – Joe Burnett – CB

He is a ball hawk and he is a good cover guy. The areas of concern are related to his size. A little small thus he is not a great tackler. That can be corrected and improved with confidence. There are defensive schemes that call for a cover guy however and he can fill that role. The Steelers have a host of DB's that can hit and tackle.

This could go either way.

5 th Round Pick – Frank “ the Tank ” Summers – RB

The last UNLV RB that made it in the NFL was Ickey Woods. If Frank is Ickey I'll be happy. There is not a whole said about Frank by the Draft guru's. He is a big boy and he has speed for his size. He ran a 4.55 40 at 243 pds! If Summers is a significant upgrade from Gary Russell then it was a good pick. We need a reliable short yardage guy. I hope he will become a fullback style blocker for Parker and Mendenhall. However he has shown a lazy attitude toward blocking in his past. That may be immaturity for the big man. Being a Steeler should fix that.

I feel good about this guy. Gut feeling. (and I have a big gut)

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6 th Round Pick – Ra'Shon Harris – DE

This guy is a talented athlete and has skills for this position. He has been labeled as an underachiever however. 298 Pd man who ran a 4.99 40. He can take collapse a pocket and hold his own at the point of engagement but has a hard time shedding blockers to get to a runner. He will have time to improve. Could make an interesting special teams player right away with his size and speed for his size.

Coin toss. Worth a 6 th Round coin.

7 th Round Pick – A.Q. Shipley – C

I am on record as not being a Justin Hartwig fan. I was hoping they would bring in a true center to push him to get better or get out of the way.

Shipley has the mentality of a center. Good feet, awareness, technique, and very agile. He is intense and able to get out on blocks. He lists at 6'1 ” 304 pounds but plays smaller. That is because he has short arms and small hands for a big man. Hard to say what impact this will have.

I think he has a chance to push Hartwig. Maybe a stretch but I am hopeful. For the 7 th Round I think this was a good pick.

7 th Round Pick – David Johnson – TE

It appears to me that the Steelers saw this guy as just a quality athlete available. I mean TE is a strong position for the Steelers but that does not mean you can be greedy. He has many of the skills needed for a TE. HE can catch and block very well. Some experts project that his speed for a TE and ability to stretch the field may merit a position change. That would be interesting. Maybe he could be a TE / WR. He would make defense cringe in the slot.

I liked this pick overall.

In summary I think the Steelers may have gotten some needed depth and some future starters. I believe they did better in the later rounds than in the first 3 rounds however. Time will tell. I will emphasize that I have faith in the Steelers talent evaluation and their track record. They have had a couple stinker drafts, but overall they have been consistent at finding future Steelers!

By Andy Natalie
ProFootball-fans.com Pittsburgh Steelers Correspondent