2008 Pittsburgh Steelers preliminary report

The 2008 NFL Draft was held on April 26-27, 2008 at Radio City Music Hall and that weekend the Pittsburgh Steelers were looking to steal some talent. This will be the Steeler’s 76th season and they will bounce back from a 10-6 record from 2007, not a bad record but falling short of what Pittsburgh fans really want: an NFL championship! The draft is a strong indication of how the season could play out.

The biggest news to come out of the draft was the signing of first-round running back Rashard Mendenhall out of the University of Illinois. Wide receiver Limas Sweed was also drafted from the University of Texas in the second round. The third round gave the Steelers Bruce Davis from UCLA, a defensive end likely to switch to linebacker in the majors. After closing a trade deal with the Giants, the team also acquired offensive tackle Tony Hills, quarterback Dennis Dixon, linebacker Mike Humpal from the University of Iowa and safety Ryan Mundy from Pittsburgh.

What were the media’s impressions of the Steelers’ draft, as well as the team members themselves? Coach Tomlin seemed very pleased, stating that his strategy was to select offensive weapons rather than just a strong offensive line. (This strategy continued as the Steelers signed 12 rookie free agents.) Reactions to the draft pick itself were positive for the most part. Mendenhall became the first running back to be selected in the first round by the team since 1989, while Sweed was ranked by the franchise as one of the top three receivers in the entire draft. Why did the team pursue Sweed so eagerly? They were looking for a tall wide receiver at the suggestion of quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. Sweed is certainly tall enough to make a difference, standing at 6-foot-4. There were also positives for Hills, a former captain of his and Dixon’s varsity football team, who was a Heisman Trophy candidate.

Fans reacted similarly. Everyone is excited about Rashard Mendenhall, considered by many to be one of the best running backs in the draft and predicted by some pundits as a Pro Bowl player. Bruce Davis has been called a “classic Steelers” type of player, fast and in sync with his quarterback. David surprised some fans and pundits by how quickly he was picked, as he was projected to be much lower in the final draft. At 6-foot-6 and over 300 pounds, Tony Hills is a monster offensive lineman, although some have commented that he seemed injury-prone in his amateur days. Dennis Dixon received mixed reviews, with most predicting a long career with the team, but not necessarily starting for anyone in the near future.

The first two drafts were the most praised moves by the Steelers and have motivated many Steelers fans (and non-fans alike) to be projected as a playoff contender, maybe even a Super Bowl contender. All of this despite the team currently having the toughest schedule of any team in the NFL. That says a lot about Steeler’s confidence in the draft.