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Steelers draft Mendenhall and Sweed with top 2 picks
By Dagger | April 27, 2008
I’ve taken bits and pieces of a number of different scouting reports and put them into one place.
Rashard Mendenhall
The Good:
-A physical inside runner
-Set school seasonal rushing records for most yardage (1,681) and touchdowns (17) in 2007, while also establishing an annual record with 1,999 all-purpose yards
-With a low center of gravity and thick legs, Mendenhall was a punishing force running between the tackles
-He also showed the quick burst and second gear to elude defenders in the open field. Knowing what professional teams want in a tailback, he worked hard in the offseason to improve his pass-catching ability, almost tripling his reception production as a junior over that of his previous season (34 to 12).
-Has excellent agility and balance through the rush lane
-Tough, competitive athlete who has played behind some very average offensive lines, having to create a lot on his own
-Has a good blue-collar work ethic.
-Slides through the smallest of creases and knows how to get “skinny” and get through the spaces
-Does not dance in the hole, showing good body lean moving forward
-Has good quickness with deceptive long speed
-Plays strong, but using him as just a short-yardage back would be wasting his ability to run over second-level defenders, as he has that power to get through the hole
-Tough runner who is more explosive than originally believed to be
-Has a downfield running style that would be a perfect fit in several offensive systems in the National Football League
-There is no question that he is NFL ready…all aspects of his game seem to be solid
-4.45 in the 40 at the combine
-26 reps on the bench
-Was slated to go #15 overall in most mock drafts
The Bad:
-Lacks breakaway speed, but generates good acceleration
-Has a feel for the cutback lanes, but lacks that extra gear and speed to turn the corner consistently at the next level
-Will need to work on becoming a better blocker
-Only carried load for one season
-Change of direction speed an issue (Mendenhall didn’t participate in any of the 3 Cone Drills or Shuttle drills at the combine
-Has had fumbling problems
-More quick than fast
Compares To:
Compares To: CEDRIC BENSON Both are well-built runner with thick frames that are best served running between the tackles, as neither has that blazing speed you want in an outside runner. Mendenhall capitalized from his only season as a starter into a future NFL contract, but while he has made marked improvement in 2007, there is work to be done. He knows how to pick and slide, but there are times he will just run right at a defender rather than elude. His ball distribution needs total refinement, as he has a knack for swinging the ball wildly when he runs. Like Benson, that leads to a high amount of costly fumbles. He is a good receiver out of the backfield and relatively durable, having never missed a game due to injuries. While he should be a first-round pick, with strong post-Combine workouts, he still has a big learning curve ahead of him.
My Take: When you’re picking at #23 and a guy who many feel is the 2nd best RB in the draft falls nearly 10 slots, you have to take him. He will be a nice compliment to Willie Parker and the Steelers will have a real nice 1-2 punch and will have a nice 3rd down back in Mewelde Moore. I’m extremely happy the Steelers didn’t reach for a need here to grab an Offensive Lineman. Having said that, I don’t think RB was a need in Round 1 and I think you can get good RBs later on in most drafts but when you look at who else was available you can’t really be disappointed because there weren’t any better options out there. SELECTION 2
Limas Sweed
The Good:
-Great size with big frame
-Long arms
-Smooth athlete
-Great leaper
-Good ball skills
-Good body control
-Can make the spectacular catch
-Adequate blocker
-Was projected to be drafted in the late 1st Round
-Before the season started (before the wrist injury) he was the most coveted WR in the 2008 draft class
-Limas Sweed has the size and strength to become a possible #1 WR in the National Football League
-Will not be bothered in the least with the more physical game in the NFL—in fact he may prefer it
-Sweed is as athletically gifted as there is a WR in the 2008 NFL Draft
-Should develop into an excellent red-zone target
-With his lengthy wing span and large hands Limas Sweed can make plays that, quite frankly, many other WR prospects in this draft just can not make
-Has tremendous upside, and there is a lot to like about his NFL future moving forward
The Bad:
-Lacks burst
-Health is an issue
-Has battled “drops” at times
-Does not have elite speed
-Limas Sweed injured his wrist early on during his senior season in 2007 and could not contribute the rest of the way
-Sweed on occasion can round off his routes…he needs to run his routes more precisely in the NFL
-Needs to improve on his acceleration
-May exhibit some rust upon his return to the game since he has been out for almost a year
Compares To:
ANDRE JOHNSON…..While Sweed is taller than Johnson and Johnson has better separation ability, both are long striders with a good burst off the line vs. a clean release. He is quick to gobble up the cushion and get behind the defender, but he is not the most polished route runner you will find. With his size and ability to shield the ball from defenders, he does a fine job of getting to the ball in a crowd. However, he must show better concentration skills, as he has left quite a few thrown balls on the ground. When out in front of the defense, he can take the ball to the house, evident by his 20 touchdown catches.
My Take:
I thought the Steelers were going to draft a WR with the first pick since it was such a need position. Sweed was predicted to go in the first Round by everyone and the fact that he fall all the way to the Steelers in Round 2 makes me wonder why. It has to be the wrist injury because based on potential and skill set, this guy is easily one of the top 3 WRs in this draft. Ben gets his big WR, we get a nice redzone target, and the most laughable WR Depth Chart in the NFL just got a huge addition. I’ll say it again, imagine if Hines Ward gets injured again….you’re then stuck with Holmes as your #1 and Nate Washington as your #2. Good luck with Nate Washington as your #2 WR. Remember, this is now a team that utilizes single-back formations that likes to play with 3 and 4WRs. This is no longer the Bill Cowher offense. We needed another WR and we got one.
Final Thoughts:
Most experts think the Steelers got not one but TWO steals on day 1 of draft weekend. We got 2 first round talents and two guys that could/should help this team immediately.
Am I upset we didn’t grab an OL yet? Not at all. With a healthy Marvel Smith, the removal of Sean Mahan, the addition of Justin Hartwig, and the insertion of Max Starks at RT, this O-line WILL be better than last year. Mahan was that bad people. He was a guard playing out of position and looked atrocious. With the “anchor of the line” now taken care of by Hartwig, we can move forward and fill out the LG and RG spots through camp competition. Remember: Colon, Kemo, and Essex aren’t bums. They can all play in this league and they were all drafted (Colon and Essex were drafted rather high) so I don’t really see the huge need. Sure we’ll look at OL in Rounds 3-6 but not getting one on Day 1 is not a big deal at all.
Am I upset we didn’t grab a DL yet? Sort of. You can’t argue with getting two steals like Sweed and Mendenhall but it would have been nice to have seen a nice DL fall into our lap. Just like OL, we’ll look at DL in Round 3 no doubt. In the 3-4 scheme you don’t really need to grab DL’s that high. Smith’s and Keisel’s can be found later….and since we’re just looking for depth we don’t need a first or second round stud I guess. You know, if the Steelers had signed any “average” veteran D-linemen over the past few years this area wouldn’t be such a big need. Kirschke and Eason aren’t even NFL caliber players but they remain on the depth chart.
Topics: NFL, Steelers | 5 Comments »
April 27th, 2008 at 1:59 pm
Can Dennis Dixon play 34 DE? I think this pick will bug me for the next few years. Orien Harris part 2 anyone?
I think the Steelers took the BPA concept too far, with the exception of Mendenhall and Sweed who were worth it.
April 27th, 2008 at 8:43 pm
I like the pick for Dennis Dixon. I think he has a unique skill set that could be very helpful. Not only could he be a back-up QB, but also has the speed to be a WR. A WR with the ability to throw the ball is really helpful in gadget plays, which we have done many times before. Granted it is not a DE, but I don’t think we would have picked up any DE that late that would have been any more helpful than to just add depth.
April 27th, 2008 at 8:45 pm
Good post by the way. I agree 100% with Dagger’s take.
April 28th, 2008 at 1:05 pm
Mendenhall needs a nickname quick…
April 28th, 2008 at 10:20 pm
Dags – Always dig your work. Wanted to let you know we moved over to new forums at Stillers.com
Come over and check it out sometime:
http://stillers-forums.com/forums/index.php