Position Rankings – Wide Receivers

From the players who have been linked to the Steelers, Titans, Bills, Vikings;

Wide Receivers

1. Percy Harvin (Florida)

2. Kenny Britt (Rutgers)

3. Mike Thomas (Arizona)

4. Darrius Heyward Bey (Maryland)

5. Hakeem Nicks (UNC)

6. Patrick Turner (USC)

7. Louis Murphy (Florida)

8. Mohamed Massoquoi (Georgia)

9. Mike Wallace (Mississippi)

10. Demetrius Byrd (LSU)

11. Jason Chery (LA Lafayette)

12. Travis Shelton (Temple)

13. Eron Riley (Duke)

Draft Prospects Who Are Exciting To Watch

In my draft preparation, I have tried watching as much film on YouTube as I can on players. Sometimes a scouting service will tell you a player’s strengths are this or their weaknesses are that, and then a team will draft a football player based on what he actually does in pads. Why? Because players don’t run 40 yards in a straight line on a football field in shorts and they don’t jump as high as they can from standing still.

Here are the guys who have caught my eye on YouTube, in no real order-

1. Joe Burnett, CB (Central Florida) – A decent CB prospect to begin with, Burnett streaks straight up the field on a kick-off return and splits 11 guys like they’re not even trying to tackle him. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve yelled at the TV when an NFL return man dances sideways before making a break.

2. Jared Cook, TE (South Carolina) – This man is YAC machine.

3. Jairus Byrd, CB (Oregon) – A touchdown machine every time he picks off a pass.

4. Kenny Britt, WR (Rutgers) – I laughed when I read that he was being compared to Michael Irvin. Then I watched tape. He’s always open, makes nearly every catch, and breaks tons of tackles. A legitimate #1 WR on many teams.

5. Pete Ittersagen, CB (Wheaton) – I am a Steeler fan and would love for Pete to get a shot on the roster. His punt return technique reminds me of a good centerfielder in baseball preparing to make a throw to the plate; he’s coming forward with his momentum AS he is catching the ball. So he’s into full speed or full break before the defenders can react.

6. Percy Harvin, WR/Cat back (Florida) – I’d be in Percy-world too if I was this good. He reminds me of how Antwaan Randle El was when he was with the Steelers. Just line him on the field and design some plays for him and good things are going to happen. The only difference is that Harvin could be 1,000 times better than ‘el ever was.

7. Frantz Joseph, OLB (Florida Atlantic) – I like my linebackers playing sideline to sideline and absolutely thumping anyone they hit. This man is violent on the football field and I could see him blowing up a punt returner very early in his NFL career.

8. Scott McKillop, ILB (Pitt) – Sideline to sideline. Smart. Instinctive. Team player. Great character. Always around the ball. Overachiever. What more do you want?

9. Phil Loadholt, OT (Oklahoma) – Massive man. Pancakes anyone?

10. D.J. Moore, CB (Vanderbilt) – Great in man to man coverage. Has great ball skills. Mirrors receivers’ every move. Can bait the QB into making throws. And he can potentially be a slot receiver.

11. Roy Miller, DT (Texas) – Disruptive. Always moving toward the ball. Looks like a beast on the field.

12. Jason Phillips, ILB (TCU) – Just hits. And does it hard. Makes plays. Always near the ball. Will be a starter very early in his career.

13. Everette Pedescleaux, DT (Northern Iowa) – I can’t find much on him except YouTube video and in the package I saw I could only say “Ew” and “Wow” so many times before I thought the plays being shown were replays. They weren’t. He’s big, disruptive, violent and although he only played at Northern Iowa, I could see him being a starter for a team like the Titans who are great evaluators of defensive talent; i.e. Cortland Finnegan and Jason Jones come to mind.

14. Javon Ringer, RB (Michigan State) – The man just hits the hole hard every time. There was a time when being a north-south runner guaranteed you of a shot in the NFL but now with the designed cut-back, zone blocking schemes, a guy with Ringer’s running style may be no more than a 10 carry per game player. And he may be over-worked from a long college career. But on tape, all he does is make plays.

15. Mike Thomas, WR (Arizona) – He’s tough, lightning quick with soft hands and he high points the ball better than just about anyone in this draft class. And he’s not a 1st rounder?

16. Patrick Turner, WR (USC) – I hate USC receivers. Always have since Keyshawn opened his mouth but watching Turner, I am reminded of a too-thin looking Plaxico Burress in his first 3 seasons in the league. The long strides, the good body control in his route running and he’s always open.

Position Rankings – Tight End

Tight End

1. Jared Cook (South Carolina) - Hands are good, route running and body control are good and he reaches full speed quickly in and out of breaks. He is a threat to take it the distance every time he touches the ball. His blocking does need work. He wasn’t asked to do it much at South Carolina, so it’s just a mystery about how adequate his blocking will be. A team like the Bills would vastly improve in the middle of the field by picking him early in Round 2.

2. Shawn Nelson (Southern Miss) - Fast and can stretch the field. Has good hands and long arms. Good at adjusting to bad throws. He does struggle running routes in traffic, so a team asking him to cross through linebackers who are good in coverage will need to be patient. His blocking is only adequate.

3. Brandon Pettigrew (Oklahoma State) - I just don’t see anything in his speed or route-running that makes me believe he is going to be anything more than a 30 catch per year tight end. And you don’t pay those guys 1st round money.

4. Richard Quinn (North Carolina)

Position Rankings – Offensive Tackle

From the players linked to the Steelers, Titans, Bills, and Vikings;

Offensive Tackle

1. Andre Smith (Alabama) - I know he has had his issues but if the Bills can get him at #11, it would be the steal of the draft. His initial punch is without equal in this class and in pass protection, his first slide step allows him to get to the edge before the defender. He will still need coaching as his technique can be inconsistent and lazy but he has all of the tools to be a great player.

2. Phil Loadholt (Oklahoma) - For as tall as he is 6′ 7″, he is an incredible in-shape 335lbs. His arms are long, his initial jolt to his defender is very good and his footwork is also good. As with most players, his technique needs coaching and he can be inconsistent, get lazy and begin to lunge at his defender causing him to whiff. These negatives aren’t anything that good coaching couldn’t rectify. If they do, drafting him in 2nd round will be a brilliant move. The fact that the Steelers brought him makes me wander if they view his a 1st round talent or if they are targetting him for a drop-back into the 2nd round should a trade be offered. I do not think he’ll last until the end of Round 2.

3. Eben Britton (Arizona)

4. Gus Parrish (Kent State)

5. Samuel Allen (Grand Valley State)

Position Rankings – Offensive Guard

As I mentioned in my opening rankings of Centers, these are my rankings as they pertain to the Steelers, Titans, Bills, Vikings and who these teams have been linked to.

Offensive Guards

1. Andy Levitre (Oregon State) -While not overly powerful, he is an absolute technician. He is intelligent and gets to the 2nd level and on linebackers quickly on runs. Visited/worked out with/for the Steelers, Titans, and Bills and a solid mid-2nd to mid 3rd round selection who will be a starter at some point very early in his career.

2. Louis Vasquez (Texas Tech) -A strong, aggressive, and tenacious linemen. He gets to the 2nd level and pops the linebacker with good strength. His technique is inconsistent and will need coaching if he is to transition from the spread offense he played in while at Texas Tech. Steelers Director of Player Personnel Kevin Colbert has been known to question the difficulty of evaluating how the spread offense players will translate to the pro game, if at all. Colbert may be referring this year to Vasquez and whether he’s worth the mid round pick it would take to draft him.

3. C.J. Davis (Pittsburgh)

4. Herman Johnson (LSU)

5. Mark Lewis (Oregon)

Position Rankings – Center

The rankings I will do this week are pertaining to only the teams that I follow closely; those being the Steelers, Titans, Bills, and Vikings. And from those teams, I am only ranking the players that I am aware of that have been linked to them by way of interviews, work-outs, or on-site visits so this may be an imperfect and incomplete set of lists.

Centers:

1. Eric Wood (Louisville) - While some may see him as the 3rd best Center available, I have heard from ESPN and read on the internet several times that the Steelers have him rated very highly. Though his technique is inconsistent, he is a tireless worker in watching game film as he strives to be prepared for each opponent so I believe his desire to improve is top-notch. Technically speaking, he needs work on his knee bend and his lateral movement. His intelligence and preparation allow him to make all of the line calls and recognize blitzes from all directions. He is a tenacious competitor once the ball is snapped.

2. Alex Mack (California) - Widely regarded as the best Center, Mack displays all of the tools to be a perennial Pro Bowl selection. His initial jolt is quick and strong and his footwork and his great hand placement keep defenders from getting past him. He is quick at picking up blitzes. His strength is good but not great so he will need to add bulk in the coming years. At times he will bend too much and lose the leverage he has gained when pulling or extending on a moving target. There aren’t any negatives in his game that cannot be worked through and he could also find himself as the Steelers 1st round selection or if someone covets him, Mack may go a pick or two higher as a team may wish to leapfrog the Steelers to secure Mack as their pick.

3. Max Unger (Oregon)

4. Blake Schlueter (TCU)

5. Cecil Newton (Tennessee State)

6. Robby Felix (UTEP)

7. A.Q. Shipley (Penn State)

Pete Ittersagen, Cornerback from Wheaton, Where are you?

Just a minor rant here.
The NFL Draft is 8 days away and even though websites put the names of the mid and lower level prospects attached to their own “pages”, these big name sites do nothing but copy and paste stats and basic bios.

I want to know all there is to know about Pete Ittersagen’s abilities and how they translate to the NFL game. And in 2009, you’d think I could find that information online and not have to pay for it.

Pittsburgh Steelers 1st Round Draft Pick

Historically, the Pittsburgh Steelers have always had at least one personal meeting with each of their first 3 or 4 draft picks. With that being said and knowing what players the Steelers have either worked out, had into Pittsburgh for a meeting, or both, I can be reasonably sure that their 1st and possibly 2nd pick will come from the following:

Player (overall ranking according to Great Blue Draft Report):
CB Vontae Davis (22)
CB Darius Butler (30)
C Alex Mack (32)
C Max Unger (36)
CB Alphonso Smith (42)
S Louis Delmas (54)
OT Phil Loadholt (55)
C Eric Wood (60)
DT Jarron Gilbert (62)
DT Ron Brace (66)
DE Lawrence Sidbury (85)

Potential Pittsburgh Steelers Draft Selections *updated 04/16/09

Here is a cumulative list of all players linked to the Steelers;

QB- Nate Davis

WR- Mike Thomas, Jason Chery

TE- Jared Cook

OL- A.Q. Shipley, Eric Wood, C.J. Davis, Phil Loadholt, Gus Parrish, Herman “house” Johnson, Alex Mack, Max Unger, Louis Vasquez, Andy Levitre

DL- RaShon Harris, Fili Moala, Lawrence Sidbury, Dorell Scott, Sammie Lee Hill, Brandon Long

LB- Scott McKillop, DeAndre Levy

DB- Pete Ittersagen, Joe Burnett, Don Carey, Rashad Johnson, Jairus Byrd, Alphonso Smith, Louis Delmas, Darius Butler

K- Ryan Succop

Potential Pittsburgh Steeler Draft Selections *updated April 10, 2009

Here is a cumulative list of all players linked to the Steelers;

WR- Mike Thomas, Jason Chery

TE- Jared Cook, Richard Quinn

OL- A.Q. Shipley, Eric Wood, C.J. Davis, Phil Loadholt, Gus Parrish, Herman “house” Johnson, Alex Mack

DL- RaShon Harris, Fili Moala, Jarron Gilbert, Ron Brace, Lawrence Sidbury, Dorell Scott

LB- Scott McKillop, DeAndre Levy

DB- Pete Ittersagen, Joe Burnett, Don Carey, Vontae Davis, Donald Washington, Sherrod Martin

K- Ryan Succop