PITTSBURGH -- The Steelers are preparing for this weekend's NFL Draft and will have their sights set on doing what they seemingly do best -- finding players that fit the mold of Steeler football and build a championship team with homegrown talent.
Mock NFL Draft: Who Will The Steelers Pick?At a pre-draft news conference Monday, head coach Mike Tomlin and Director of Football Operations Kevin Colbert spoke about the gamble of the draft, but remained careful not to reveal any of their cards.
"I like everybody. I'm a degenerate gambler. This guy [Colbert] has to talk me off the ledge," said a loose Tomlin. "We'll see what happens. I'm impulsive by nature. He's got a lot more patience than I do. I'm going to detail my training camp schedule while we're waiting to pick 32nd."
While Tomlin may spend the passing hours of the draft getting his plans for the upcoming season in place, Colbert will undoubtedly be glued to his draft board.
Most mock drafts have the Steelers choosing an offensive lineman to replenish a unit that allowed quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to be sacked 46 times last season (second most in the NFL).
Center Justin Hartwig only has one year remaining on a two-year deal.
Offensive tackle Marvel Smith signed with San Francisco in the off-season and guard Kendall Simmons was released.
But the Steelers kept the younger members of their line intact by retaining Chris Kemoeatu, Willie Colon, Trai Essex and Max Starks.
If history is any indication, the Steelers will go with an offensive player in the first round.
In Colbert's eight seasons, the Steelers have drafted 40 offensive players, 29 defensive and one special teamer.
Six of those eight first-round picks have fallen on the offensive side of the ball.
Colbert could also take the opportunity to bolster an aging defensive line.
The Steelers' four primary lineman are all at least 30 -- defensive end Brett Keisel, 30; nose tackle Casey Hampton, 31; nose tackle Chris Hoke, 31; and defensive end Aaron Smith, 33.
The last time the team chose a defensive lineman in the first round was when Hampton was drafted in 2001 out of Texas.
The Steelers could also be in the market to replace wide receiver Nate Washington and cornerback Bryant McFadden.
Washington left for greener pastures with the Tennessee Titans following the Super Bowl, while McFadden jettisoned to Arizona.
While Tomlin stressed the need to fill their spots, he cautioned they could do so in several ways.
"It's critical that they get replaced in terms of what they did for us on the field, but those replacements may be in the building. Those replacements may be in the third, fourth or fifth round of the draft for that matter. Those are positions that we need to add depth," said Tomlin.
The Steelers will likely look to second-year wide receiver Limas Sweed and third-year cornerback William Gay to fill the spots vacated by Washington and McFadden.
Gay's finest moment of his short career came during a Week 15 matchup between the Steelers and Baltimore Ravens last season.
With less than a minute remaining in regulation, Gay intercepted quarterback Joe Flacco in the end zone to secure a 13-9 win for the Steelers and help them lock up the AFC North division.
Gay, 24, is similar to veteran Steelers defensive back Deshea Townsend, with both players standing 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighing 190 pounds.
As a rookie, Sweed caught six passes for 64 yards, but was most noticed when he dropped a sure touchdown in the AFC championship game.
While Sweed had his struggles during his rookie campaign, so did safety Troy Polamalu and linebacker Lawrence Timmons.
Polamalu has since developed into one of the premiere players in the league, while Timmons seems poised to add his name to a long list of standout Steeler linebackers.
While Colbert's track record in the first round has been infallible, for every Ben Roethlisberger, there's a potential Ryan Leaf.
But even if a player doesn't work out, Colbert said the Steelers only let themselves down.
"If a player fails, then we failed to evaluate him correctly. If a player gets picked in the second round and doesn't contribute, that's not on the player, that's on us," said Colbert. "There could be different factors. Maybe he wasn't a fit, maybe he wasn't as smart as we thought, maybe he wasn't as tough as we thought."
Steelers First Round Picks Under Colbert: 2008: Rashard Mendenhall (RB) 2007: Lawrence Timmons (LB) 2006: Santonio Holmes (WR) 2005: Heath Miller (TE) 2004: Ben Roethlisberger (QB) 2003: Troy Polamalu (S) 2002: Kendall Simmons (OG) 2001: Casey Hampton (NT) 2000: Plaxico Burress (WR)
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