SteelerFury draft coverage exclusive. Walter Cherepinsky

As we approach the draft, I wanted to do something a little different and get an outsiders point of view  about some draft philosophies and prospects with respect to the Pittsburgh Steelers. One draft site I like to look at and sort through mock drafts and analysis is www.walterfootball.com. There are thousands of sites out there, but theres alot of stuff on this one I tend to agree with and and I like the '09 projections as well. The site creator of www.walterfootball.com , Walter Cherepinsky, was kind enough to give an exclusive draft interview to SteelerFury. For any self proclaimed draftnik, www.walterfootball.com is definately a site you should bookmark for analysis and mock drafts. I'd like to thank Mr. Cherepinsky in advance for taking the time out of his schedule to answer a few questions I asked of him.  So please take the time to look through Mr. Cherepinsky's website at your leisure.

On with the Show

1. Can you tell us a little bit about the background of you and your draft website and the time and research that goes into it and what makes your product unique?

WC -I started my Web site back in 1999 as a project for an internet class. I graduated that spring, but kept maintaining the site as a hobby. Eventually, I changed my major at Penn State to sports journalism, and decided to use the site as a resume-builder. Eventually, I thought I could do this as a full-time gig, and that's what I'm doing now in addition to a few other things. Something that makes my site unique is that I'm more than just a draft site; I have weekly picks against the spread, power rankings and weekly write-ups during the season, fantasy football information in the summer, detailed free agency lists and trackers, and I even delve into college basketball, NBA and MLB

2. Jumping right into the draft, most Steeler fans recognize our need to reload the offensive line. Some fan favorites are guard Brandon Albert from Virginia and local kid Jeff Otah from Pitt. Can you tell us a little bit about these 2 guys and if you feel they'll be available at pick #23?

WC - In one of my recent mocks, I had the Steelers going after Branden Albert, but in the wake of the Justin Hartwig signing, which kicks Sean Mahan out to guard, the Steelers will likely look elsewhere in the first round. I had Jeff Otah before, but his stock has soared (I have him going 14th to the Bears right now). So, while Albert should be there, Otah won't be. Albert has everything you want in a guard; he's big, but he's also athletic. He has really long arms, so he won't suffer from Robert Gallery Syndrome. He's extremely quick for a man his size, and there is speculation that he could play tackle in the NFL.

3. Continuing with that thought, can you give us some insight on the depths and strengths of this offensive line class in the first 3 rounds and which direction do you see the Steelers going?

WC - Gosder Cherilus is an option in the first round. If they go after a receiver instead, like Malcolm Kelly, they might have a chance of landing Carl Nicks in the second round. Nicks has first-round talent, but his recent legal troubles have dropped his stock just a bit. I don't consider his issues anything major, but teams may overreact, making him a huge steal toward the end of Round 2. If Pittsburgh passes on him, the team could go after Heath Benedict, Tony Hills or even Barry Richardson in Rounds 3-4.

4. Its a well known fact that Coach Tomlin found his niche and earned his pedigree as a DB coach. Taking future expiring contracts into consideration, what kind of quality CB's can we expect to be available in the mid rounds that would be a good fit for Steeler football?

WC - This class is really deep at defensive back. The Steelers should be able to acquire guys in the middle rounds like Trae Williams, DeJuan Tribble, Dwight Lowery, Chevis Jackson, Simeon Castille and Marcus Griffin, all of whom would be solid fits in Mike Tomlin's scheme.

5. The Steelers starting defensive line starters are all entering the later stages of their careers and are all over 30, so it may be time to think about getting younger. Couple that with the Steelers sack production being down last year, can you talk a little about any quality 5 technique DE's that may be available in the mid to late rounds.

WC - Two five-technique guys you might be able to get in the middle rounds are Keilen Dykes and Kendall Langford. Dykes will be available a bit later than Langford because he had a mediocre Pro Day (he wasn't invite to the combine), but I still think he'll be a solid player up front in the 3-4

6. Another area that could use an overhaul are the special teams. What prospects do you feel could come in and make an immediate impact the coverage and return games?

WC - The guy everyone knows about is Corey Lynch, the Appalachian State safety who blocked the Michigan field goal in the upset. His teammate, Dexter Jackson, ran a 4.33 at the combine and will be a solid punt returner in the NFL. Then, you have the obvious guys like DeSean Jackson, Eddie Royal, Donnie Avery and the like.

7. Now that the combine is over, who would you consider combine "winners" and "losers"?

WC - We're in the Pro Day part of the schedule now, so I have a link for some of the guys who have improved or worsened their stock in the wake of their Pro Day: http://walterfootball.com/draftproday.php 

8. Do you have any inside scoop on any small school prospects that could begin to surface in the weeks leading up to the draft?

WC - The Steelers won't be looking for a quarterback, but watch for Ryan O'Hara, a QB from Central Oklahoma. He's big (6-5, 235), mobile and can definitely make NFL throws, unlike Colt Brennan. Matt McGuire and I both looked at some of his game film, and we were both really impressed. He was recruited by Arizona, so even he was in a Division-II school, at least one Division 1-A program thought he was worthy of playing on that level. A 3-4 rush linebacker to look for is Brian Johnston from Gardner-Webb. At 276 pounds, he ran a 4.66 and had a vertical of 35 inches. Those are pretty close to Chris Long numbers. He may come out of nowhere and get drafted in the third round.

9. Im personally in the minority on this, but alot of Steelers fans dont feel we draft quality prospects on day 2 of the draft. What kind of philosophy would you recommend to find late round impact players?

WC - Obviously, you very seldom find superstars in Day 2 of the draft. Sometimes I think it's better to use the picks in Rounds 5-7 on special teams or guys you feel will be solid role players/reserves for a very long time. I would even take someone with less athleticism if he has a good work ethic and solid technique. A perfect example of this is Sean Considine. He isn't the most athletic guy in the world (4.5 40 and 9' broad jump), but he's a blue-collar player who has stuck around for a while and even earned a starting job. You very rarely find a Marques Colston or Tom Brady in the later rounds; that's like a needle in a haystack. I would concentrate on building the core of my team/special teams.