What does a team that just won a Super Bowl need via the draft? Usually the Super Bowl Champions just have to build depth or address a highly specific need or replace a player leaving via free agency.
For the Pittsburgh Steelers they had needs on their Defensive line, depth on the offensive line, and have a team philosophy that they can never have enough quality corners. Especially since they lost starter Bryant McFadden to the Arizona Cardinals.
With the final pick in the first round, the Steelers selected DT Evander “Ziggy” Hood from Missouri. Hood was the fourth rated DT in this draft, and the Steelers made him the third one selected.
This is a great pick because the team will not be forced to play him right away; they are solid up front and can let Hood develop into their system. In the 3-4 schemes he will be used as an end. Given the fact that he was so highly rated, and that he will not be rushed into playing we must give this pick an initial grade of B+.
The Steelers did not have a second round pick having traded it away to the Denver Broncos along with their 4th round pick for two third round picks. Their first pick in the third round (79th overall) was used on G Keith Urbik of Wisconsin, and the second (84th overall was used on WR Mike Wallace of Mississippi.
Urbik was the third rated guard in this draft, and was particularly attractive to the Steelers since he can also play the offensive tackle position. This is the depth on the O line that they needed. With that in mind we must give this pick an initial grade of an, A.
Wallace on the other hand was a wide out that looked to go far deeper in the draft. He was still very much a work in progress when it came to route running, but he has the one thing NFL teams crave in receivers and that is speed. Given that fact that he is averaging 54 yards per game, and has caught three TD’s in his rookie year, we must give this pick an initial grade of B+.
With all that being said let us take a look at the initial grades for the 2009 Steelers draft:
Round One- B+
Round Three- (79th overall) A
Round Three- (84th overall) B+
Talent- B
Need A-
Average- B+
And now a more complete look at the Steelers 2009 draft:
Round 1- 32nd overall DT Evander Hood Missouri
Round 3- 79th overall OG Kraig Urbik Wisconsin
Round 3- 84th overall WR Mike Wallace Mississippi
Round 3- 96th overall CB Keenan Lewis Oregon State
Round 5- 168th overall DB Joe Burnett UCF
Round 5- 169th overall RB Frank Summers UNLV
Round 6- 205th overall DE Ra’shon Harris Oregon
Round 7- 226th overall C AQ Shipley Penn State
Round 7- 241st overall TE David Johnson Arkansas State
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