The Pittsburgh Steelers may be in the midst of another dynasty after winning their second Super Bowl in four years, which was their sixth overall. Unfortunately with that success also comes roster attrition and this offseason alone the Steelers lost key cogs such as Marvel Smith, Bryant McFadden, Larry Foote and Nate Washington. However, one of the reasons Pittsburgh has been able to remain such a consistent franchise over the years is their first class player personnel department, which always seems to find capable replacements for lost stars. In addition to those free agent defections the Steelers also have some starters who are getting a bit long in the tooth so they needed to utilize the 2009 NFL Draft to bring in reinforcements for this season and beyond.
Defensive ends are often an afterthought in the 3-4 defense but no organization understands their importance better than Pittsburgh, one of the forefathers of the scheme. With Aaron Smith, Brett Keisel and Travis Kirschke all in their thirties the Steelers felt it was time to look toward the future, hence the selection of Missouri’s Evander ”Ziggy” Hood in round one. Hood was a three-year starter at defensive tackle for Mizzou and while his physical tools are all more than adequate (6-3 | 300 | 4.89) it’s his non-stop motor, work ethic, coachability, leadership skills and overall intangibles that really endeared him to scouts. The type who does everything well but nothing really great, Hood isn’t flashy but he is going to play in the league for a very long time. The Steelers have the luxury of bringing Hood along slowly and he is slated to work in a backup capacity as he adjusts to a new position as a rookie. However, Keisel will be a free agent next offseason so Hood will likely replace him in the starting lineup in 2010.
The Steelers traded out of round two so their next pick didn’t come until the third frame, at which time they chose Wisconsin OG Kraig Urbik. A classic Badger offensive lineman, Urbik isn’t a great athlete but he’s big (6-5, 328), strong and plays with a nasty demeanor. As a rookie Urbik will compete with Trai Essex and Darnell Stapleton for playing time at right guard but even if he doesn’t win a starting job he’ll provide the type of quality depth the Steelers were lacking on the interior of their line. Later in round three Pittsburgh brought in a potential replacement for Nate Washington when they selected Ole Miss WR Mike Wallace. Even though Wallace didn’t get a lot of national press he actually enjoyed a very productive college career as a three-year starter with the Rebels. A big play threat who averaged 18.9 yards per catch during his time in Oxford, Wallace lit up stopwatches when he ran a 4.33 forty at the Scouting Combine and that combined with his above average size (6-01/2, 199) sent his draft stock soaring. Hines Ward and Santonio Holmes are entrenched as the starting wideouts but Wallace will have an opportunity to compete with Limas Sweed and Shaun McDonald for a key backup role as a rookie. If nothing else Wallace should emerge as a situational deep threat who will help keep opposing defenses honest when he's on the field.
After losing Bryant McFadden as a free agent the Steelers were in need of some reinforcements at cornerback so they used their next two picks on the position. Late in round three Pittsburgh added Keenan Lewis out of Oregon St., who was a four-year starter for the Beavers. Lewis isn’t super fast but he has terrific size and bulk (6-1, 208) to go along with first-rate intangibles. In round five the Steelers chose Central Florida’s Joe Burnett, who garnered 1st Team All-Conference USA honors four times. Burnett isn’t the biggest or fasted cover guy but he’s a playmaker in the secondary and just a good football player. The Steelers intend to implement more zone coverage in their scheme, which is a style Burnett is ideally suited for. As an added bonus Burnett is also an excellent punt returner and could contribute in that facet of the game if called upon. As rookies both Lewis and Burnett will be competing for playing time as backups but while Burnett profiles as more of a career nickel or dime type Lewis could eventually contend for a starting job. With their second pick in round five the Steelers opted for UNLV RB Frank Summers, who earned the moniker “The Tank” thanks to his stout 5-9, 241 pound build. Summers is a big, strong, powerful runner but he also brings some versatility to table thanks to his ability to see action at either running back or fullback. Summers was brought in to upgrade the Steelers short-yardage attack but he will also contribute as a blocker, receiver and on special teams.
In round six the Steelers added some more defensive line depth when they chose Oregon’s Ra’Shon ”Sonny” Harris, a college tackle who will likely kick outside to end in Pittsburgh’s 3-4 scheme. Harris possesses an intriguing blend of size and athleticism but he was considered to be an underachiever in college before finally coming on as a senior. If Harris can continue to improve he could turn out to be a steal but many are concerned he lacks the intangibles to ever realize that potential. Late in the draft Harris was worth taking a flyer on as a developmental guy but he is a true Boom or Bust prospect. Pittsburgh may have landed a steal when they chose Rimington Award Winner (nation’s top center) A.Q. Shipley of Penn St. with the first of two seventh round picks. Considered by many to be a mid-round value, Shipley doesn’t have the ideal size you look for and isn’t a great athlete but he makes up for his lack of physical tools with top-notch intangibles. A three-year starter who began his Nittany Lion career as a defensive tackle, Shipley is extremely smart, a great technician, a hard worker and a team leader. As a rookie Shipley will battle for a roster spot as a backup and he is the type of player you never want to count out. With their final choice in the ’09 Draft the Steelers chose Arkansas St. TE David Johnson, who was also being looked at as an H-Back and fullback prospect by some teams. Johnson is a good all-around player with soft hands who can also hold his own as a blocker. However, it looks as though Johnson is facing an uphill battle as he attempts to make the Steelers roster so the practice squad might be a best-case scenario for him as a rookie.
This was a meat and potatoes draft for the Steelers but even though there wasn’t a lot of sizzle there was plenty of steak. This class may not produce a single rookie starter and in reality only one or two of their picks have that potential long-term. With that said Pittsburgh did a nice job of bolstering their depth at need positions with talented players and that is what a team coming off a Super Bowl win should be looking to do. Nobody is going to confuse this crop of rookies with the Steelers infamous haul from the 1974 NFL Draft, which produced four Hall of Famers (Lynn Swann, Jack Lambert, John Stallworth and Mike Webster), but it was undeniably a solid, albeit unspectacular, effort overall.
