Analyzing the Pittsbugh Steelers 2008 Draft:

Susceptible to speculation or worthy of a standing ovation? Checkmark both when critiquing Pittsburgh's Genesis on an '08 season that looks to light the Bunsen under the Offense's tail for the first time since head coach Mike Tomlin took the flaming torch from the highly-esteemed Coach Cowher. Coming into this draft, after doing the seasonal research on the mocks and message board debates world (wide-web) wide, it was a well-known fact that Offensive and Defensive Linemen were the top-needs for this organization coming into late-April. I even went to the extent of personally emailing a well-known writer for cbs.sportsline.com and called him out for drawing up a Mock Draft in which he foresaw Pittsburgh selecting Oregon Running Back Jonathan Stewart at Pick #23. Within seventy-two hours I'm scratching my head at how our organization could make such an eerily similar pick. Did our "Mr. Nobody," Undrafted Free-Agent from North Carolina not lead all Running Back's in rushing yards before going down with a broken leg against St. Louis late in the season last year? Did Big Ben's exceptional blitz-escapability not fall victim to a nearly league-high 47 sacks in '07-'08, after registering only one less the year before? Keep in mind that these numbers are being drawn up with All-Perennial Pro Bowler Alan Faneca in the picture as well.

So who was this man worthy of being the first rookie inducted into the franchise this year, if not the obvious pass-protector? If you came into this draft with not a smidget of information on who Rashard Mendenhall was, or what he'd bring to the table, you have been neglected some of the sweet glories football has to offer. Another "little guy" at 5'10, he stands at a nice 225lbs. that should be perfectly adequate to transition into the big leagues. At a closer look, you'll notice that he has been blessed with a change-of-direction that most backs in the NFL are performing without. Throw on a 4.45 40-time, recognize how developed his vision is, and take into account that he has an unnatural motor that doesn't allow his legs to stop moving and we've developed a prospect that shouldn't have even made it to the twenty-third pick. Only two backs went before him, and one of the teams (my own Hometown Charlotte Panthers) have most definitely heard some questioning as to why they didn't select Mendenhall instead. He's been dubbed as having great hands out of the backfield, and this only opens

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