Wednesday, April 18, 2007

Looking Back to the Draft

We're just over a week away and I have absolutely no clue what the Steelers plan to do on Draft Day. None. I have an idea, but hell, we all have ideas? Confusing things -- at least for me -- is the little issue of the more I read, the less certain I am about who I think Pittsburgh should take. Shoulda done my homework, I guess. Whatever.

Instead of worrying about the 2007 draft, I thought I'd kill some time by revisiting the 2006 draft. I was searching the SCI archives for something and I came across a column I wrote late last year.

Basically, I set up some rules, and held a 2006 re-draft. The idea, of course, is to put together the best rookie class possible. I won't reveal my picks until later, that way, you guys won't be so discouraged as to not even try to cobble together a list.

Okay, to the rules:

  1. You can't take a player drafted by the Steelers;
  2. You have to make your pick based on whoever was available after Pittsburgh made their pick in a given round;
  3. For the round in question, you have to select players taken between Steelers' draft picks. Case in point, Pittsburgh has to make its first-round selection based on the players available from picks #26 to #82 (the Steelers took Anthony Smith, their second pick, 83rd overall);
  4. Finally, if the Steelers have two selections within 15 picks of each other (like the supplemental and end-of-round second-day picks), you can draft two players up to the Steelers' third selection. For instance, Pittsburgh selected Willie Colon with the 131st pick and Orien Harris with the 133rd pick. Instead of being forced to take P. J. Daniels, the 132nd player drafted, you can cycle through all the players until you get to the next Steelers draft choice, which would be Omar Jacobs, taken 164th overall.

(Maybe these rules aren't so simple ... but trust me, it's definitely worth it.)

Oh -- you might need this -- the list of 2006 draftees, from Mario Williams to Kevin McMahan.

Alrighty nerds, knock yourselves out.

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