Steelers focus on linemen, LBs and WRs
Associated Press
PITTSBURGH
Kevin Colbert spent the days leading up to the NFL draft stressing the Pittsburgh Steelers would focus on “want” and not “need.”
Maybe, but it’s no coincidence the general manager wanted — and got — everything his team needed.
The Steelers stockpiled prospects for its beleaguered offensive line and addressed depth issues at linebacker, nose tackle and wide receiver with their nine picks.
“It was no grand design,” Colbert said. “That’s just how these drafts break.”
Pittsburgh wrapped up the draft with a flurry of activity on Saturday, moving up in the fourth round to take nose tackle Alameda Ta’amu out of Washington then grabbing speedy Florida running back Chris Rainey in the fifth.
The Steelers selected Colorado wide receiver Toney Clemons, a Pittsburgh native, in the seventh round before choosing Texas A&M cornerback Terrence Frederick, Oregon tight end David Paulson and SMU lineman Kelvin Beachum with compensatory picks.
“The last three days unfolded very well for us,” Colbert said. “We got a lot of players we had targeted. We didn’t think we reached for everybody and we got everybody where we felt very comfortable.”
Pittsburgh addressed its line issues in the first and second round by taking Stanford’s David DeCastro and Ohio State’s Mike Adams then adding Miami (Fla.) linebacker Sean Spence in the third.
The only time the Steelers moved aggressively in the draft came in the fourth, when they traded picks with Washington and gave up a sixth-rounder to take the 348-pound Ta’amu, who gives Pittsburgh insurance at the position that anchors its 3-4 defense.
Longtime starter Casey Hampton is recovering from offseason knee surgery and longtime backup Chris Hoke retired in January leaving third-year man Steve McLendon as the most experienced nose tackle on the roster.
Ta’amu had 30 tackles and four sacks during his senior year with the Huskies and was an honorable mention All Pac-12 selection. He played extensively against DeCastro. Ta’amu had high praise for his former rival turned teammate.
“When you go against DeCastro, you can feel his presence,” Ta’amu said. “There’s not a lot of guards that can block down on a nose tackle and you can feel him. The thing about DeCastro is he’s explosive, from play one all the way to the last play. There’s not a lot of guards that can stay the same like that.”
The Steelers are in no hurry to bring Ta’amu along, though he believes he can be a three-down player. When asked about his pass rush skills, Ta’amu just laughed.
“My pass rush is amazing,” he said.
So is Rainey’s speed. The former All-American track star with the Gators is be used in a variety of ways.
“I think he’s a very versatile player that is very fast and explosive,” offensive coordinator Todd Haley said. “He can run it, he can return it. That’s a commodity.”
One the Steelers could use. Antonio Brown made the Pro Bowl as a return man last season, but will be elevated to a starting wide receiver following the retirement of Hines Ward.
Most of the new players — including undrafted rookie free agents — will participate in a rookie minicamp next weekend, though Adams and DeCastro will not be there due to academic commitments.