By BOB LABRIOLA
Steelers.com
There were a bunch of trades, and three quarterbacks among the top 17 picks. There were two centers picked in Round 1 for the first time in, well, forever, and another head-scratcher by the Oakland Raiders.
The NFL pushed the start of its 2009 draft back to 4 p.m. to accommodate ESPN, and whether the first 64 picks packed enough drama to merit the move can be debated. But for Steelers fans, the theme of the day took on the time-honored television phrase: stay tuned.
The Steelers closed the first round by picking Missouri defensive lineman Ziggy Hood, and when their turn came at the end of the second round, Director of Football Operations Kevin Colbert and Coach Mike Tomlin surveyed their board and decided the best course of action was to defer. And so the Steelers ended the day by trading their second-round pick, plus their No. 4 selection, to Denver for both of the Broncos third-round picks – the 79th and 84th overall.
And so, when the draft resumes at 10 a.m. on Sunday, the Steelers will have three picks in the third round – the two they acquired from Denver – plus their own, which will be the 96th pick of the draft.
“It was a chance to pick up some extra picks,” said Colbert. “It was a nice group of guys who were left and rather just taking one of those guys I think we will have a good chance at getting three. It was inviting. Like I said hopefully we’ll come out of it with three quality guys tomorrow.”
In the three hours between the start of the draft and the Steelers’ pick of Hood, there were a number of surprising and entertaining moments.
When the Jets’ trade up into the fifth overall spot was announced and their fans at the event in New York City began to react to the imminent selection of USC quarterback Mark Sanchez, Chris Berman shouted, “They just sold 2,000 more PSLs.” And if it’s unfair to question the Jets’ motives behind the move, it also would be naïve to ignore the PR boost the team got by making it.
Earlier in the week, Michael Lombardi, once a Raiders executive and currently among the gaggle of talking heads on the NFL Network, had vowed that Al Davis was going to pick Darrius Heyward-Bey because of the 4.3 in the 40-yard dash the player had run. But since Lombardi had been fired by Davis to start him on his media career, it seemed foolish to believe Lombardi suddenly was in tune with Al. Then, when Lombardi’s prediction came true, another analyst said, “That’s why the Raiders are picking seventh overall every year.”
One last item about the Raiders, just because they’re the Raiders. ESPN’s Erin Andrews, who moved her sideline reporting gig to the floor of Radio City Music Hall, said someone sitting at Michael Crabtree’s table, upon the announcement of the Raiders picking Heyward-Bey instead of Crabtree, was heard to say, “Thank God.”
The Browns traded back three times in the first round, and it almost got to the point where it seemed as though Cleveland was afraid to pull the trigger on a pick, and since this is the organization that once bypassed Ben Roethlisberger in favor of Kellen Winslow Jr., the suggestion wasn’t necessarily ridiculous. The Browns eventually made a first-round pick, and it was Alex Mack, the first of the two centers to go in Round 1.
As the Steelers’ first-round pick approached, the team was considering both Hood and Louisville center Eric Wood, but when the Buffalo Bills used the 28th overall selection on Wood, the Steelers were looking at using their No. 1 pick on a defensive lineman for the first time since 2001 when they chose Casey Hampton.
“We knew it would be close,” said Colbert about Hood’s availability at No. 32. “High-quality defensive lineman, we were excited that he was there. Surprised, probably pleasantly surprised, yes. Did we think it was impossible, no, but the probability, I didn’t feel good about the probability of him making it down to us.”
But Hood “fell,” and he sounded extremely happy about where he had landed.
“Just to be part of [the team] known as the Steel Curtain, it’s just a real honor,” said Hood. “I have no problems adjusting and doing whatever it takes.”
