Steelers Today – A Pittsburgh Steelers blog

With the 33rd pick in the fifth round (#164 overall) of the 2010 NFL Draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers select Crezdon Butler , CB from Clemson.

At 6’0″, 185 lbs., Crezdon Butler is a tall cornerback.  In today’s NFL, it is always good to have a CB with the height to stay with some of the tall receivers that are now so common in the NFL.  Besides being tall, Butler has a 40″ vertical leap, so that will help him to challenge receivers for the ball.

Butler is not an accomplished cornerback.  He didn’t accumulate a lot of interceptions or honors in college.  But he did play for Clemson, so he is used to competing against some very good competition.

In college, Butler saw action in all 13 games as a freshman, and then became a starter as a sophomore and never gave up his starting role.  So he has a lot of playing experience.

Crezdon Butler

He is a decent athlete, and he is actually faster than some of the top cornerbacks in this year’s draft like Joe Haden, Kareem Jackson, and Patrick Robinson.

He’s very good in press coverage, but he is going to have to bulk up at the next level, or he will get manhandled by some of the powerful receivers in the NFL like Anquan Boldin, Terrell Owens, Larry Fitzgerald, etc.

He has good football instincts, and seldom reads a play wrong.  He has good footwork, and excellent agility.  While he’s not a track star, he does have the speed to run with most receivers.  Moreover, he doesn’t hesitate to go up and challenge a receiver for the ball.

Go get the ball, rookie!!!

Despite his lack of bulk, he is still willing to tackle.  He won’t hesitate to take on a running back coming out of the backfield or a tight end.  This is going to be important if he is to have any chance of succeeding in Dick LeBeau’s system.  A corner who can’t provide run support is useless to LeBeau.

While Butler is an intelligent player who doesn’t make many mental mistakes, he is still going to need to be coached at the next level.  He has relied primarily on his athleticism, and he lacks good technique.  He’s going to need improvement on the bump and run.  His hand technique in redirecting receivers will need work.  Also, his backpedal is so bad that he is going to have to completely rebuild that aspect of his game.  But with proper coaching, he should be able to do it.  He has the football IQ and athleticism to succeed at the next level if he is willing to work hard.

Butler is not likely to win a starting position this year, but he is a tall, athletic cornerback who will add much needed depth at the position.  Ike Taylor is in the last year of his contract, so finding a potential replacement for him is going to be critical.  Both Butler and Keenan Lewis are tall cornerbacks who can guard some of the taller receivers that Ike covered so well for so many years.

Don’t expect to hear his name called this year.  But with hard work, he’s got the size and athleticism to compete for playing time next year.

To read about the Steelers’ other picks, click the name below:

Maurkice Pouncey – C, Florida

Jason Worilds – DE, VA Tech

Emmanuel Sanders – WR, SMU

Thaddeus Gibson – DE, Ohio State

Chris Scott – OT, Tennessee

Crezdon Butler – CB, Clemson

Stevenson Sylvester – LB, Utah

Jonathan Dwyer – RB, Georgia Tech

Antonio Brown – WR, Central Michigan

Doug Worthington – DT, Ohio State

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With the 20th pick in the fifth round (#151 overall) of the 2010 NFL Draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers select Chris Scott, OT from Tennessee.

At 6’5″, 330 lbs., this kid is big.  He was an offensive tackle at Tennessee, but showed a lot of position versatility, which is valued by Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin.  During his time at Tennessee, Scott has lined up at every position on the offensive line.  More importantly, playing in the SEC, he always faced top caliber competition.

Aside from being massive, Scott is very strong.  He has great upper body strength, and is able to control his man as a drive blocker.

At Tennessee last year, Scott was the starting left tackle.  However, he doesn’t have the foot speed to play that position in the NFL.  But his experience playing all of the other positions at Tennessee will make him a viable candidate to compete at any other position along the offensive line.  In fact, his presence may allow the Steelers to move Maurkice Pouncey to the center position immediately, and let Scott, Ramon Foster, Kraig Urbick, Darnell Stapleton, and Trai Essex compete for the right guard position.

I believe that Scott’s best position in the NFL is going to be guard.  He just doesn’t have the foot speed to set the edge, particularly against speed rushers.  If he were to try to play tackle in the NFL, he would look more like a matador than a football player.  But his size will allow him to be a good drive blocker in the running game against most opponents.  He also has long arms, so those qualities translate well to the guard position.

Chris Scott

He can handle most opponents one-on-one, and usually doesn’t need help.  He had an exceptional game against Florida’s Carlos Dunlap, who was a highly rated player coming out this year.

He has a dumpy looking body, and looks more fat than fit.  He only did 19 reps on the 225 lb. bench press at the NFL Scouting Combine.  He’ll need to get in the weight room and improve his overall strength and conditioning.

Finally, he has had some weight problems during his career, and the Steelers’ training staff are going to have to make sure that he keeps his weight under control.  Left unmonitored, he can easily balloon to 345 lbs.

Overall, this is a good pick for depth.  He probably won’t play right away, but he is another massive body to compete for playing time on the Steelers offensive line.

To read about the Steelers’ other picks, click the name below:

Maurkice Pouncey – C, Florida

Jason Worilds – DE, VA Tech

Emmanuel Sanders – WR, SMU

Thaddeus Gibson – DE, Ohio State

Chris Scott – OT, Tennessee

Crezdon Butler – CB, Clemson

Stevenson Sylvester – LB, Utah

Jonathan Dwyer – RB, Georgia Tech

Antonio Brown – WR, Central Michigan

Doug Worthington – DT, Ohio State

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The Steelers had 4 picks in the 5th round, and they traded their second one (#155 overall) to the Arizona Cardinals for former Steelers cornerback Bryant McFadden and the Cardinals’ 6th round pick.

Most fans were concerned that the Steelers were ignoring their need at cornerback.  Well, this move obviously changes that perception.  The Steelers get a proven veteran who already knows Dick LeBeau’s system.  McFadden should step right in and reclaim the starting position that he gave up to William Gay when he signed with Arizona.

McFadden is great in run coverage, which is an important skill for a cornerback playing in Dick LeBeau’s defense.

Welcome back, Bryant!

I hear the New York Jets released Alan Faneca today.  I wonder if the Steelers are talking to him too.

With the 18th pick in the fourth round of the 2010 NFL Draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers select Thaddeus Gibson, DE from Ohio State.

I can just hear Steelers fans now.  I know how you guys think.  You’re saying “$@*&%#!!!!!!  We need a cornerback, not another linebacker who’s not even going to play for 2-3 years!  The Steelers draft picks suck this year!!!”

Go ahead, you can admit it.  That’s exactly what you were thinking.  Now let me tell you why you’re wrong.

The most important position in a 3-4 defense is the nose tackle.  Without it, the 3-4 doesn’t work, and you may as well convert to a 4-3.  But the most impactful position is the outside linebacker.  The outside linebackers are the ones that get to rush the quarterback and cause general chaos.  A 3-4 defense can never have too many linebackers, and outside linebackers who can pressure the quarterback are like gold.  You can’t have enough of them.  And frankly, the Steelers have picked up two of the best OLB prospects in this year’s draft.

By strengthening the OLB position, you automatically upgrade the cornerback position.  Think about it.  What’s the best way to prevent a receiver from catching a pass?  If you said “draft a shutdown cornerback”, you’re wrong.  The best way is to hit/pressure the quarterback before he can throw the ball.

How many times did you see Arnold Harrison or Patrick Bailey on the field last year (not including special teams)?  Almost never.  That’s because the Steelers never give James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley a rest.  Never.  That’s not good.  Sure, Harrison and Woodley don’t like to come out of the game anyway, but that doesn’t change the fact that their backups aren’t very good.  That just changed.

Thaddeus Gibson came out a year early, after playing DE in a very successful Ohio State program.  He has faced excellent competition in the Big Ten.

At 6’2″, 243 lbs., Gibson will be converted from defensive end to outside linebacker by the Steelers.  Like Jason Worilds, Gibson is a pass rush specialist.  He is an exceptional athlete with very good speed for his size.  His 40 time was in the same range of linebackers 20-30 lbs lighter than him.

Thaddeus Gibson

Most scouts had Gibson rated as a potential 2nd round pick, so getting him in the 4th round is a nice value.

Gibson is an explosive edge pass rusher.  He has excellent closing speed, along with great quickness and agility.  He is a strong tackler who makes explosive hits.

He is experienced at dropping into coverage, and has the athleticism to stay with tight ends or running backs out of the backfield.  This is important, because Dick LeBeau is going to ask him to do exactly that.  Not many defensive ends coming out of college have experience doing this.

Gibson has a great physique with very well-defined muscles.  Moreover, he manages to maintain his speed and agility despite the muscle.

Gibson is going to have to work on his technique.  He tends to rely on his speed, rather than strength or moves to win one-on-one physical battles.  He’s going to have to change that.  He’s going to have to develop a few go-to moves.  When called upon to battle good blockers like Iowa’s Bryan Bulaga, Gibson was shut down.  But as a 3-4 outside linebacker, he will get more of a running start, so he won’t have to do as much straight up physical battling as he did as a defensive end.

But Gibson is going to be a project.  He has to convert from DE to linebacker.  This is a difficult transition for most players.  Bruce Davis and Alonzo Jackson were never able to make the transition.  But based upon his skill set, and the things that he was asked to do in college, I think Gibson will be able to make the move.

While the Steelers probably took Jason Worilds and Emmanuel Sanders too early, they got a great bargain with Gibson, since he was thought to be a 2nd or 3rd round pick by most.

Despite the desire by most fans to see the Steelers take a defensive back with this pick, this was a good selection.  Moreover, this is a very deep draft when it comes to defensive backs.  There are still some good cornerbacks and safeties left on the board.

To read about the Steelers’ other picks, click the name below:

Maurkice Pouncey – C, Florida

Jason Worilds – DE, VA Tech

Emmanuel Sanders – WR, SMU

Thaddeus Gibson – DE, Ohio State

Chris Scott – OT, Tennessee

Crezdon Butler – CB, Clemson

Stevenson Sylvester – LB, Utah

Jonathan Dwyer – RB, Georgia Tech

Antonio Brown – WR, Central Michigan

Doug Worthington – DT, Ohio State

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With their third round pick, the Pittsburgh Steelers selected Emmanuel Sanders, a wide receiver from Southern Methodist University (SMU).

I hate to be a critic.  I really do.  But just like the Steelers’ 2nd round pick, I think they reached on this pick.  Most scouts had Sanders ranked between the 15th – 25th best wide receiver in this years’ draft.  So why did the Steelers make him the 7th wide receiver drafted?  I haven’t seen Sanders’ name mentioned in any scouting reports prior to the 5th round.  Yet the Steelers took him in the 3rd round.  Hmmmmmm.

Having said that, let’s take a look at Sanders.

Emmanuel Sanders was a 3-year starter at SMU.  He is an exceptional athlete who lettered in 3 sports (baseball, basketball, and track) in high school.

He is more quick than fast.  He doesn’t have the pure speed to leave his defenders in the dust, but he has the quickness to change directions on a dime and get separation at will.  He is great at finding the gaps in a zone and will find a way to get open.  His skill set projects well to being a good slot receiver.

In addition to his shiftiness, Sanders also has very good leaping ability.  He has a 40 inch vertical, and can go up and get the ball.  He is deadly in the red zone, despite not being 6’5″.

He had an excellent showing at the East-West Shrine Game that brought him to the attention of many teams that had probably not even considered him prior to that outing.

WR Emmanuel Sanders

The problem with Sanders is that he’s small.  Very small.  He’s slightly under 5’11″, which isn’t so bad.  The problem is that he only weighs 180 lbs.  He is very thin, and almost looks frail.  I am concerned about his durability at the next level.  Also, his small frame made his blocking ability almost non-existent.  This guy is no Hines Ward.

To be fair, he is fearless going across the middle of the field, and he is willing to attempt to block.  But his size may make either of those activities very dangerous.

Sanders did put up very impressive receiving numbers, particularly in his senior year.  He had 98 catches for 1,339 receiving yards and 7 touchdowns in his final year.  However, many believe that his statistics are inflated because he played in June Jones’ pass-happy offense (Imagine Bruce Arians, only with half as many running plays) .

Sanders is good as a return man.  However, with Stefan Logan, Mike Wallace, Joe Burnett, and Antwaan Randle El, I’m not sure we will need to utilize that aspect of his game.

Off-field problems are on most Steelers fans’ minds these days, so it should also be noted that Sanders was suspended for the final 2 games of his junior year for violating the team’s “3-strikes” rule (he missed or was late to practice 3 times).

Overall, Sanders is a shifty receiver who will need to get bigger and stronger at the next level.  This pick was probably a reach, but the Steelers must have seen something in him that I didn’t.

To read about the Steelers’ other picks, click the name below:

Maurkice Pouncey – C, Florida

Jason Worilds – DE, VA Tech

Emmanuel Sanders – WR, SMU

Thaddeus Gibson – DE, Ohio State

Chris Scott – OT, Tennessee

Crezdon Butler – CB, Clemson

Stevenson Sylvester – LB, Utah

Jonathan Dwyer – RB, Georgia Tech

Antonio Brown – WR, Central Michigan

Doug Worthington – DT, Ohio State

(If you enjoyed this article, please consider leaving a comment below. Also, please subscribe to our blog by pressing the orange button below. You can also follow us on Facebook or Twitter by clicking the doohickies at the bottom of the right column of this page.  Thanks.)

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