2009 Steelers Draft and Mel Kiper Sucks Thread

OK - folks talk to you tomorrow - I got us as 2 hits and a miss...

PJ's are on and lites going out...


enjoy the evening,

bb

Sean Spence is a football player...and he weighs 231 pounds...not too scrawny...Farrior weighed even less if I recall.

To me, there's no question. He'll be tried out at ILB.

I see Spence as an ILB, has worked with John Vilma but he needs to get stronger. Makes me wonder what their plans for our LB's are. Are they planning to move Timmons outside when they want to replace Harrison, is Spence's future outside? He is too small to be tackles. Depth when Foote leaves. I just don't know. I had a 4th round grade on him. Our first reach in my opinion.

Is Ray Charles a scout now, are they measuring the players in the metric system. The dude was small for LB 20 years ago.  Jeebus, I was willing to give Mike Adams a shot, but Sean Spence I don't see as big enough to take on a pulling Michael Oher or Joe Thomas.

And the Canadian kid (not Mano) is gone. Well forced to be in Canada kid.

I'm not going to be overly critical of this pick

ok, I will take your turn then. I feel he is TOO SMALL, like oompa loompa small, Lollypop GUild small, Shrimp Salad small, 


I agree though, right school, wrong player.

Don't bother looking for Sean Spence on the board, he wasn't. I don't consider it a miss until he makes the team and dresses.

ABP on beachbum

86. Sean Spence, OLB, Miami: <span style="color: red;"> D Grade 
I loved Pittsburgh's first two picks, but I don't quite understand this one. Sean Spence is talented and should have been picked a bit earlier than this, but I don't get how he fits into the Steelers' 3-4 defense. He's more of a Cover-2 outside linebacker. I trust the Steelers though, so it would't surprise me if this pick panned out. 


I just hope he isn't another Buster

u guys will love Sean Spence, fast and plays hard ,makes plays

I am interested to see how this works out. Spence is a very instinctive player which bodes well. Dick Lebeau obviously loved something about this guy or he wouldn't be here. Remember guys Timmons was undersized too initially and then bulked up. I like that he is good in pass coverage which was a huge liability for Hightower. He can be a 3 down player and NT is still there in the 4th.

Honestly Spence sounds like the ILB equivalent of Troy Polamalu with very similar strengths and weaknesses. Now, for those saying he is too small, remember that Farrior was playing at 209 in 2009, even though he was listed at 230. He claimed he just lost weight during the season.

I can also see a possible move to safety for him...it is a player they can work with and see how he fits best.

Am I the only one who hates the Cars.com ads where a little annoying head pops out of a person.  I would FIRE the ad agency who proposed that stupid concept. In fact I will never use cars.com because that ad is so bad.

Wow...Akiem Hicks in the 3rd.  I figured he wouldn't go any sooner than the 5th.  Looks like a big reach.

Agree. Love the player, scratching my head over where he fits tho other than ST.


Weird pick. Hope they have a plan. 

I just hope he isn't another Buster

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If he s..  his new Delta Tau name is... (no not pinto)  Sean Is Spent

Rob Rang on Spence ...

Read & React: Probably his best asset. Excellent diagnosing skills. Is rarely out of position even against quality play-action, though he can be too aggressive in attacking the hole, leaving cutback lanes for talented backs. Shoots gaps, escaping blocks of the behemoth offensive lineman to rack up tackles at (or often behind) the line of scrimmage. Sniffs out screens and draws quickly. High-effort player who hustles to the ball in pursuit. Is seemingly always around the action.

Run defense: Makes a lot of plays against the run due to his instincts and athleticism. Shows surprising explosiveness in his upper body, which combined with his natural leverage advantage, makes him a tougher block for offensive linemen than he appears. Would rather elude blockers, however, and does so well, zipping through holes to often trip up ball carriers before they've built their momentum. Very good chase linebacker. Possesses good timed speed and good balance to keep his feet while wading through the trash. Takes good angles in pursuit.

Pass defense: Gains good depth on his drops and trusts his eyes. Reads the quarterback and often gets a head start towards the receiver due to his instincts. Good agility and straight-line speed. Would like to see him be more physical in re-routing tight ends as they come off the line; instead he relies on his athleticism to mirror backs and tight ends. Lack of size hurts him in this area. Does not appear to have the loose hips to consider a move to a traditional safety role.

Tackling: A bit inconsistent in this area despite his hype. Good lateral agility and balance to break down. Reads the action so quickly and relies so heavily on his burst to make plays before blockers can get to him that he has a tendency to lunge, resulting in some ugly missed tackles. Generates impressive momentum and can explode into ball carriers. Generally does a nice job of wrapping his arms around the legs of ball carriers, but his relatively short limbs and weak upper body lead to some ball carriers running through his arm tackles. Very good effort in pursuit. Spends too much time on the ground, but isn't there for long.

Pass Rush/Blitz: An underrated element of his game. Does a nice job of anticipating the snap count and times his blitzes well. Great speed through gaps and has a legitimate burst to close on the quarterback. Doesn't rely strictly on his athleticism, as he has an effective swim move and good agility to elude blocks.

Intangibles: Signed with Miami as a 195-pound linebacker. Honored by his teammates as Miami's Most Valuable Player following 2010 season and Defensive Outstanding Player in 2011. Projects best as a weak-side linebacker for the NFL, but played on the strong side for Miami.

London Fletcher is 5'10". Just sayin ...

Could they be looking at Spence as a safety prospect?
 

Guys he's 230 lbs. He's not that small. Farrior's playing weight is about 215-218lbs.

Could they be looking at Spence as a safety prospect?

My guess is he will be tried as James Farrior's replacement at ILB.  I don't see him as a 3-4 OLB at all.  They say he studies hard and is an on-field coach.  Could turn out to be a great pick in 3-4 years...

What are the Bengals gonna do with all these DTs?!

What are the Bengals gonna do with all these DTs?!

Get stuffed by DeCastro and Pouncey 

The Raiders end Day 2 with their first pick of the draft. What a bad franchise.

I'd be a lot more upset with that pick if there weren't still A TON of guys we like on the board still.

Can't believe the number of reaches this year in the first 3 rounds.

At the end of the day I'm going to trust the Steelers on the Sean Spence pick. Instincts are invaluable at ILB. If they think he's big enough, I'll take their word for it until I see otherwise on tape.

Interesting day 2, but after the dust (and outrage, for some) settles I think they did a good job. 

and there you go TY Hilton GONE, I liked him.