The wait is almost over, football fans. It seems like forever ago that the Seattle Seahawks were hoisting their first Lombardi Trophy after decimating the Denver Broncos 43-8 in Super Bowl XLVIII. Thanks to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, pigskin addicts have had to wait an additional month this year for the NFL Draft – considered by many to be the official start of the NFL calendar year.
On paper, the 2014 edition of the draft appears to hold one of the deepest talent pools in years. The extra lead-up time has also made this one of the most anticipated drafts on record, and many players have seen their draft stock rise and fall several times over the months. A very active free agency period has changed the landscape of team needs as well, and outside of South Carolina DE Jadeveon Clowney, Clemson WR Sammy Watkins, Buffalo OLB Khalil Mack, and Auburn OT Greg Robinson, few players are considered guaranteed to come off the board within the top ten selections.
Local college football fans will be interested to see where their favorite schools top prospects land. For fans of the University of Pittsburgh, DT Aaron Donald – three months ago looked at as a third or fourth round pick – could find a new home within the first fifteen picks. QB Tom Savage has turned heads all spring, and he has worked his way into the conversation for teams searching for their next franchise signal caller. As usual, Penn State has several players with bright futures – with WR Allen Robinson and DT DaQuan Jones at the top of the list. West Virginia Mountaineers supporters will be interested to see where RB Charles Sims lands. Fantasy football fans will be interested to see which NFL teams go after potential impact rookies such as QB Johnny Manziel, QB Teddy Bridgewater, WR Mike Evans, and RB Carlos Hyde.
With less than 24 hours until the bell rings, here is who I believe the Steelers will grab in Rounds One and Two:
1) Calvin Pryor, FS – Louisville Cardinals
Before Steelers fans begin biting my head off for this prediction, I will state my case. The Steelers are in the market for a wide receiver, and they covet Texas A&M WR Mike Evans. If the stars align and Evans somehow manages to fall to #15, he will be a Steeler. The rest of the receivers on the board with first-round grades – LSU WR Odell Beckham, USC WR Marqise Lee, Florida State WR Kelvin Benjamin – are all very comparable to the next layer of talent at the position. The Steelers also need cornerbacks, and they would love to see CB Darqueze Dennard fall to them here, but it’s not going to happen. Dennard will likely be gone to Detroit at #10 or to Tennessee at #11. CB Justin Gilbert could be available here, and the Steelers would draft him ahead of Calvin Pryor if he is sitting there. Pittsburgh needs a prototypical 3-4 nose tackle, but there are none worth spending this pick on at #15 overall. North Carolina TE Eric Ebron would be a nice weapon for QB Ben Roethlisberger, but Ebron has a great deal of baggage that would come with him, including rumors of immaturity and laziness. This will be the final year for SS Troy Polamalu, who I fully expect to retire once his contract runs out at the end of 2014. Newly-signed FS Mike Mitchell looks to be a great signing, but in all honesty Mitchell has had but one productive NFL season. The Steelers have second-year safety Shamarko Thomas in the wings, and eventually I could see him taking over for Polamalu. Calvin Pryor is going to be the next great NFL safety. He is a dynamite tackler who plays with a chip on his shoulder, and he has a work ethic to go along with that chip. He plays the game very similar to Polamalu, but his best comparison is to a young Bob Sanders. The Steelers have nine picks in this draft, and they will get their big wide receiver later. Sometimes a player comes along who is so perfectly suited for a particular franchise that he simply has to end up there. That is the case with Calvin Pryor and the Pittsburgh Steelers. Pryor comes in and immediately contributes on special teams and as a nickel corner and roving safety.
2) Kony Ealy, DE/OLB – Missouri Tigers
The Steelers lost DE Ziggy Hood to free agency and the jury is still out on whether veteran Brett Keisel returns for another season. Kony Ealy is a first-round grade defensive end that could develop into either a pass-rushing outside linebacker or a dominant defensive end in the 3-4. He has great speed for his size, making him a natural pass-rusher. Where he needs work is on run defense, and that is what drops him down to round two. The Steelers have experience with these types of players, so they should have no problem developing Ealy into the next starting DE opposite Cameron Heyward.
All points lean towards a very intriguing next few days for football fans. The draft begins on Thursday night at 8:00 pm from historic Radio City Music Hall in New York City.
