Pittsburgh Steelers Draft Review

1st Round, Pick #31: Cameron Heyward (DE Ohio State)

Very good job by Pittsburgh picking up Cam Heyward who I view as one of the most underrated players in the draft. The reason I give them only a B grade though, is that their offensive line was so bad last year, and with Derek Sherrod staring them in the face, I don't really agree with the decision to pass on him. I confidently view Sherrod as the draft's #1 tackle prospect, and think he would have been a great fit in Pittsburgh. That being said, Cam Heyward is also a great fit, and I think he will be one of the leagues better 5 Technique players in few years.

Grade- B

2nd Round, Pick #63: Marcus Gilbert (OT Florida)

Usually the Steelers never make a pick that I totally disagree with, but they definitely draw my ire with this one. As mentioned before, the Steelers O-Line is atrocious and needed to be fixed, but I don't like the O-Lineman they took. Marcus Gilbert is 6-6 330, but played tackle at Florida, there is not chance he will be able to do that at the next level. He is just not quick or athletic enough to cover the edge, and he will have to move to Guard. I'm not sure if the Steelers think he can actually play tackle, or if they just plan to move him to Guard, but either way, there were much better players on the board. Essentially Gilbert is just a big body, nothing special, he is not overly physical or strong, and isn't all that athletic. At least Gilbert can be a functional starter for them, but he is not going to fix their O-Line problems by any means.

Grade- D

3rd Round, Pick #95: Curtis Brown (CB Texas)

I really like this pick of Curtis Brown, as it fills a huge need, and he is a good value here. Curtis Brown is a cornerback who will never be an interception machine, but he is as fundamentally sound as they come, and he has the quick hips, agility, and speed to hang with any receiver. His biggest issue is definitely his lack of strength, as he is only 185 Pounds and will lose some 1-on-1 battles at the line, and for jump balls. He is NFL Ready, and if he can bulk up, he will be a very solid cornerback in the league. He actually reminds me a lot of current Steeler Ike Taylor, and also Tracy Porter from the Saints.

Grade- A

4th Round, Pick #128: Cortez Allen (CB The Citadel)

Pittsburgh may have just found another diamond in the rough here with Cortez Allen, and I think a lot of teams were disappointed when the Steelers pulled the trigger on him here, as he wasn't projected to go this high. From a physical perspective, Allen has everything you want out of a cornerback, he is an extremely smooth athlete that can stop and start, with the ability to change directions and accelerate instantly. He plays with good physicality and can get a good jam on the line. Allen was so dominant at the FCS level, that it is tough to pick out flaws in his game, though the transition will obviously take a bit of a learning curve. With Ike Taylor possibly gone for Pittsburgh, the additions of Allen and Curtis Brown make the Steelers secondary look pretty promising moving forward.

Grade- B+

5th Round, Pick #162: Chris Carter (DE/OLB Fresno State)

Chris Carter has a lot of potential, but I don't think he is a good fit with the Steelers. He is just not big or strong enough to play in the scheme the Steelers like to run defensively. Carter is explosive, and has a good burst around the edge, but he has a very hard time getting off blocks, and is not very strong at the line of scrimmage. Maybe they are looking for him to help out on special teams, but I don't see him making much of an impact in Pittsburgh.

Grade- D+

6th Round, Pick #196: Keith Williams (Guard Nebraska)

Keith Williams is a very good late round selection, and with the shape that the Steelers offensive line is in, he will probably make the team, and be in the rotation right out of camp. Williams is a solid, well rounded Guard who helped lead Nebraska to one of the nations top rushing attacks. He does not excel in any 1 aspect of the game, but is very reliable, and should be a solid backup, and occasional spot starter for a long time.

Grade- B

7th Round, Pick #232: Baron Batch (RB Texas Tech)

Baron Batch is a very talented running back, and when he is healthy, he can be a productive runner. Unfortunately for Batch he always seems to be hurt, or at least banged up with an injury that slows him down. He has good vision, and has the ability to hit the hole hard and break off some good runs. He is a good receiver out of the backfield too, and has the potential to be a nice 3rd down back. The whole thing with Batch is whether he can stay healthy. Not a bad choice in the late stages of the draft.

Grade- B