Heading into World War II and some time beyond, the media frenzy that is the NFL draft today wasn’t much of an attraction to NFL fans or the media world at all.
Every year it's the same story - a guy gets tagged with the "injury risk" label and takes a steep tumble on draft day.
There are a few different versions of this story.
Sometimes it's a guy who was typically durable in college but can't work out for teams because of a recent injury. Sometimes it's a talented guy who has struggled with injuries throughout his career, the proverbial china doll.
Whatever the details of their tales of woe, injured players can present great late round value for teams that have enough depth to carry the attendent risk.
Here's a list of prospects for the upcoming draft whose injuries could affect where and when they're picked, and what kind of value they might hold for the Steelers, a team that is willing and able to stash away their later round picks for a year.
In the past few weeks, while other teams were pursuing bigger names at bigger price tags with bigger inherent risks, Steelers General Manager Kevin Colbert was busy re-signing his own 3rd tier free agents. Big news? Hardly, especially around the league. Big deal? You bet, as Colbert has once again positioned himself to operate with a great deal of flexibility in the upcoming NFL Draft.
With free agency now two and a half weeks old, the combine in the books, and pro days in full swing, let's take an updated look at how the first round could shake up. Again, like my last mock draft, the purpose of this article is to give you a general idea of who could be available when the Steelers pick at #32.
This is a piece by long-time poster steelers8036, the first in a series of first round mock drafts. Thanks to steelers8036 for putting together a well-thought-out early mock that places a premium on team needs and value. Keep checking back for more draft content this offseason - we're a busy draft bunch most years, but especially in the afterglow of a 6th championship.
A look at some lesser discussed prospects that could surprise on draft day, including forgotten Penn State standouts Gerald Cadogan and Deon Butler, as well as small school corner Ladarius Webb.
