Who do you hope the Stillers draft?

[ville5]

Well, rumors are supposedly starting that Stillers are 1 of 3 teams trying to get the Bears pick at 26. Without giving up their 1st rounder. Found this on Steeler message board. Take with grain alcohol, er, grain of salt.

[Stoosh]

I don't think I've ever seen a draft with this much instability from the very top to the very bottom, and that includes tonight's news about Houston signing Mario Williams as the first overall pick (and how'd you like to be that guy in Houston who had his custom-made Texans #5 "BUSH" jersey ready to go for tomorrow? You know there's at least one person out there who did it.).

Even at the back end of the first round, this is what I heard today. Listening to the radio this afternoon, one local sports talk station had one of these self-proclaimed draft experts on who said Ohio St. center Nick Mangold was no longer on the Steelers' map because of all the work they put in this offseason getting Hartings and Okobi back. Legitimate point.

Five minutes later, another station had another guy on who said he heard from his sources that the guy at the top of the Steelers draft board is none other than Nick Mangold. Sometimes I think most of these draft gurus are guys with too much time on their hands and the know-how to run a website.

Anyway, my thoughts still haven't changed. There a lot of guys that I would be happy with in this draft, but I'm still hoping for LenDale White. If he's at #32, they've got to take him. If they have an opportunity to trade up to somewhere between #20 (KC) and #26 (CHI) to get him, I'd take it. Despite what a lot of mock drafts are saying, it's been reported that Carolina is 1) more interested in DeAngelo Williams or Laurence Maroney at RB than they are White, and 2) they could be looking at TE more than anything else.

I understand the need for a wideout, but I'm really wary of falling into the Troy Edwards trap here, and I'm even talking about that with guys like Chad Jackson and Santonio Holmes. Here's what I'm thinking. You basically have the four big RBs (Bush, Williams, Maroney and White) and then you have a significant dropoff after that (Addai, Drew, Henderson, Moore, etc.). After those top four, the next closest thing you have to an NFL-regular might be Addai.

Contrast that with the wideouts. I just don't think the difference between the top three wideouts (Jackson, Holmes and Moss) and the wideouts the Steelers could get in the second or third round is as big as the gap between the top four RBs and the rest of the RB draft class. I'm just not seeing any of these wideouts becoming difference-makers at the NFL level. White could be a difference-maker for a team like the Steelers.

I think you could get White - who may be a better NFL back than anyone else in this RB class than Bush - and still get a decent wideout in the second or third round.

[ville5]

Buffalo, Houston and Steelers are trying to get the Bears pick at 26. Steelers are trying to get it AND keep the 32nd.
http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com ... -headlines

[FlyerNation]

I'm actually excited to have Duce be our power back this year. If White is there which he won't be because of Jax or Car then take him, but I'm not going to be as dissapointed with them taking perhaps Mangold or a safety. The only reason I say Mangold is becaue honestly Hartings was not a Pro Bowl center last year. I was extremely dissapointed in his play most of the season. If he didn't have Faneca I think he would be exposed, and I'm a fan of Hartings since he is a former Nittany Lion.

And yes if before anyone ask, I'm a huge Steelers fan like I've stated before. I always have been since my pops is from here. The Flyers, Sixers and Phils are my teams but I've loved the Steelers since I was 5. The best part honestly of moving to Pittsburgh when I left Cali was being here with the Steelers. Maybe the Sox or Leafs might make a case but I honestly believe there is no greater fan base in sports better than the Steelers. I might clown your devotion to the Pens but man this town is the best football town in the country.

[Stoosh]

I'm actually excited to have Duce be our power back this year.

It'll be nice to have him back in the fold this year, but I don't think they can count on him at all to be there for a full season. When he's healthy, he's very solid. But I'm worried about Willie Parker wearing down like he did midway through last year again, and if Duce isn't healthy to back him up, we're in trouble.

It's a done deal that they're going to add a back this year. It just depends on which one. I wouldn't be entirely disappointed if they let White go in the first round, traded up in the second round and took Joseph Addai.

I'm not going to be as dissapointed with them taking perhaps Mangold or a safety. The only reason I say Mangold is becaue honestly Hartings was not a Pro Bowl center last year.

Good point by you, FN. To expand on that a little further, I'll echo the sentiments expressed by Tim Benz on ESPN Radio 1250 during this week. The Super Bowl win hid the fact that this team was at one point 7-5 and not playing very well at all. And keep in mind, too...if Kansas City wins just one more game this year, the Steelers don't even make the playoffs. If KC won one more game, the Steelers would be picking closer to 18-20 and we'd all be talking about all the holes they have to fill.

I actually thought Hartings, Faneca and Simmons took steps back this year. And neither Hartings nor Faneca are getting any younger (this is going to be Faneca's ninth year in the league). And this is very likely going to be Hartings's last year, so from that end, I could get the Mangold pick.

The Flyers, Sixers and Phils are my teams

The lovely Mrs. Stoosh and I are going to take in tonight's game at PNC Park, so we get to see the Phils. I'm pumped because I'll get my first look at Ryan Howard & Chase Utley in person.

[Goalie]

The lovely Mrs. Stoosh and I are going to take in tonight's game at PNC Park, so we get to see the Phils. I'm pumped because I'll get my first look at Ryan Howard & Chase Utley in person.

"Yesterday we won a game. If we win today, that's called two in a row, if we win tommorow, that's called a winning streak. It has happened before."

Someone was going to say it, it might as well be me.

[Sam's Drunk Dog]

It's amazing the amount of Steeler fans here in East PA. I see at least a couple a day just walking from the train to work.

In the burgh, I'd see an Eagles fan about as often as a Pirates winning streak.

[DelPen]

It's amazing the amount of Steeler fans here in East PA. I see at least a couple a day just walking from the train to work.

In the burgh, I'd see an Eagles fan about as often as a Pirates winning streak.

Actually, it's amazing the amount of Steelers fans everywhere. I guess it's all those people leaving Pittsburgh and spreading out, having kids but staying Steeler fans and then those kids have little Steeler fans of their own.

Back to the draft, the only immediate need the Steelers have is a punt returner and that can be drafted in the 4th or 5th round or signed later in the summer and we need everything 2-3 years down the road except QB so anyone we draft that has promise is fine by me. If White is there I take him but I like what I see in Allen and Mangold and those two would be great picks too. In every case hey should take the best player regardless of position except if White is there because he will thrive in Pittsburgh.