Steelers 2009 Draft = VALUE

Times are tough, and the economy is in a pinch.  Some people complained that the Steelers draft wasn't sexy or flashy enough.  Kevin Colbert did all he could drafting from the 32 slot and played the role of coupon Mom shopping at Wal-Mart in last weekends draft.  Here are four key picks to the Steelers 'generic' draft compared to the big brand name players who went much earlier. 

Here is a look at those comparisons: 

Malcolm Jenkins- pick 12 - 6'1 200 - 4.5 40YD - 33" VJ - 10'4" BJ - 31.5 arm
3 year starter in Big 10, 7 INT's in final 2 seasons
vs.
Keenan Lewis - pick 96  - 6'1 200 - 4.5 40YD - 38.5 VJ - 10'10" BJ - 33.25 arm
4 year starter in PAC 10, 7 INT's in final 2 seasons

Two very smart, productive, and seasoned corners from big schools, both have average speed and may be tried at FS at some point in their careers.  Athletically these two match up almost identically, and their college production was very similar.  The Steelers landed Lewis at pick 96 while Jenkins went at pick 14
 

Jeremy Maclin - pick 19 - 6'0 200 - 4.45 40YD - 35" VJ - 10' BJ
2 year starter in Big 12, 2300 yards 22td's- 24.0 KR avg with 1 td -
vs.
Mike Wallace - pick 84 - 6'0 200 - 4.33 40YD - 40" VJ - 10'10" BJ
3 year starter in SEC, 1900 yards and 15 TD's, 24.6 KR avg with 1 TD

Maclin was an explosive play maker at Missouri who excelled at returning kicks as well as receiving.  Wallace competed in the always tough SEC and held a similar, although lower profiled role with Ole Miss.  Both players are well built solid athletes with similar size and both need some work on route running.  Wallace however, has elite straight line speed and superior leaping ability that even a great athlete like Maclin can't compare to.  While Wallace wasn't quite as productive or as polished, he has a high ceiling and will be require to work at WR and kick return man in the NFL.  Getting Wallace at pick 84 while Maclin went two rounds earlier at pick 19 shows another very good value pick for the Steelers.  Maclin is my favorite skill position player in the draft, and in Wallace the Steelers landed a cheaper generic version of the same player.

Tyson Jackson - pick 3 - 6'4 295 - 5.0 40YD - 20 reps - 28.5 VJ - 8'6 BJ - 34/75 arm
3 year starter in SEC - 121 tackles - 19 sacks
vs
Ziggy Hood/- pick 32 - 6'3 300 - 4.90 40YD - 35 reps - 33 VJ - 9'0 BJ - 33.75 arm
3 year starter in Big 12 - 165 tackles - 15 sacks

Both players were productive 3 year starters in big conferences.  Both will have to make the switch to 3-4 DE in the NFL. (Jackson from 4-3 DE and Hood from 4-3 DT)  Jackson is a little taller and longer, Hood has better strength and speed.  Two similar players, yet Kansas City took Jackson at #3 overall and the Steelers got Hood nearly a full round later at #32.

Jon Luigs - pick 106 6'3 301 - 26 reps - 31"  VJ - 8'3  BJ - 4.4 shuttle - 31.25 arm -
4 year starter n SEC - Rimington award winner
vs
AQ Shipley - pick 226 - 6'1 306 - 33 reps 31" VJ - 8'4 BJ  - 4.4 shuttle - 29.75 arm -
3 year starter in Big 10 - Rimington award winner

Two very productive college players with similar measurables.  The big knock on Shipley is his height and short arms, but despite those negatives he dominated very good college competition.  Luigs is a little over 2" taller and has longer arms by 1.5".  The Steelers landed their center 120 spots later in the draft than the Bengals did.   Is that extra inch and a half on Luigs arms going to make him a better pro player?  Time will tell, but once again Shipley represents very good value where the Steelers nabbed him.
 

This is not to say that all or any of the Steelers picks will be as good of NFL players as the more highly touted players I compared them to, but we all know the draft can be somewhat of a crapshoot, and the Steelers drafted a lot of high quality players at lower valued draft slots.