Day one of the NFL Draft is in the books. The day was a touch under four hours long, but there are no other four hours like it if you’re a member of the football faithful.
At the 31st overall pick, the Pittsburgh Steelers selected Cameron Heyward, star defensive end from Ohio State.
Heyward is a little over 6-foot-4 and a little under 300 pounds. His speed and overall bulk are above average. He is a high-character guy that Pittsburgh believes in. Heyward is known for his great "motor" and extreme work ethic. All these things speak volumes to Steelers player personnel czar Kevin Colbert.
The Pittsburgh defensive line just got considerably better by adding some depth. The pick wasn’t used on an absolute need, rather just a best available player. The pick was a smart pick on the Steelers part, however I truly expected Pittsburgh to select cornerback Aaron Williams from Texas.
The pick in the first round now makes the Steelers selection in rounds two and three very interesting. Still with needs at both offensive line and cornerback you have to expect those to be the picks. The only way the Steelers don’t go those paths is if a big-time player continues to fall down the board and is too good to pass.
A guy like cornerback Ras-I Dowling is expected to be on the Steelers' board for the second round to fill the corner position. Marcus Canon, an offensive guard from TCU, is also on the Steelers' board for the second round. Pittsburgh will have to choose one or the other if available. Neither will be available in the third round.
A lot more surprises took place on day one than expected. Trades were tough because teams couldn’t trade players, but that didn’t stop anyone.
The Atlanta Falcons made the only big move with the Cleveland Browns to move to the sixth overall pick and take wide receiver Julio Jones from Alabama. Cleveland gained the Falcons pick at No. 27, and their fourth round pick in the 2011 draft. They also got Atlanta’s first- and fourth-round picks next year.
Some other small trades took place but nothing major and none involving Pittsburgh.
There were certainly a few reaches this year as always. Offensive tackle James Carpenter from Alabama went to Seattle at No. 25. At the time, offensive tackle Gabe Carimi from Wisconsin was still on the board.
Perhaps the biggest reach in my opinion was the Minnesota Vikings taking quarterback Christian Ponder from Florida State at the 12th overall pick. He was projected as a second-, maybe a third-round talent.
One of the better picks of the day was defensive tackle Nick Fairly from Auburn going to the Lions to play next to Nndamakong Suh. The Lions now without a doubt have the best defensive line in the league.
Cornerback Prince Amukamara from Nebraska fell to the Giants making their defensive backfield stronger. Former Heisman Trophy-winning running back Mark Ingram was selected by New Orleans. The addition of Ingram will provide great backfield depth with Reggie Bush already in the Saints' stable.
The biggest surprise is that Clemson defensive end Da’Quan Bowers, the once thought of first-overall selection, dropped out of the first round entirely. He had an injury that teams are highly concerned about and didn’t take a chance. It will certainly be interesting to see where he falls now.
Day two will have both the second- and third-round picks starting Friday at 6pm EST.
At the 31st overall pick, the Pittsburgh Steelers selected Cameron Heyward, star defensive end from Ohio State.
Heyward is a little over 6-foot-4 and a little under 300 pounds. His speed and overall bulk are above average. He is a high-character guy that Pittsburgh believes in. Heyward is known for his great "motor" and extreme work ethic. All these things speak volumes to Steelers player personnel czar Kevin Colbert.
The Pittsburgh defensive line just got considerably better by adding some depth. The pick wasn’t used on an absolute need, rather just a best available player. The pick was a smart pick on the Steelers part, however I truly expected Pittsburgh to select cornerback Aaron Williams from Texas.
The pick in the first round now makes the Steelers selection in rounds two and three very interesting. Still with needs at both offensive line and cornerback you have to expect those to be the picks. The only way the Steelers don’t go those paths is if a big-time player continues to fall down the board and is too good to pass.
A guy like cornerback Ras-I Dowling is expected to be on the Steelers' board for the second round to fill the corner position. Marcus Canon, an offensive guard from TCU, is also on the Steelers' board for the second round. Pittsburgh will have to choose one or the other if available. Neither will be available in the third round.
A lot more surprises took place on day one than expected. Trades were tough because teams couldn’t trade players, but that didn’t stop anyone.
The Atlanta Falcons made the only big move with the Cleveland Browns to move to the sixth overall pick and take wide receiver Julio Jones from Alabama. Cleveland gained the Falcons pick at No. 27, and their fourth round pick in the 2011 draft. They also got Atlanta’s first- and fourth-round picks next year.
Some other small trades took place but nothing major and none involving Pittsburgh.
There were certainly a few reaches this year as always. Offensive tackle James Carpenter from Alabama went to Seattle at No. 25. At the time, offensive tackle Gabe Carimi from Wisconsin was still on the board.
Perhaps the biggest reach in my opinion was the Minnesota Vikings taking quarterback Christian Ponder from Florida State at the 12th overall pick. He was projected as a second-, maybe a third-round talent.
One of the better picks of the day was defensive tackle Nick Fairly from Auburn going to the Lions to play next to Nndamakong Suh. The Lions now without a doubt have the best defensive line in the league.
The biggest surprise is that Clemson defensive end Da’Quan Bowers, the once thought of first-overall selection, dropped out of the first round entirely. He had an injury that teams are highly concerned about and didn’t take a chance. It will certainly be interesting to see where he falls now.
Day two will have both the second- and third-round picks starting Friday at 6pm EST.
