Steelers Take OT Hills from Texas in Fourth Round

Knowing the need for lineman, the Steelers Draft Sunday finally included a lineman, as they took tackle Tony Hills from Texas with the 130th overall pick.  It was a later pick, as the team made a deal to move down with the Super Bowl champion Giants.  Hills is a big boy at 6-5, but is coming off an injury and reports say may affect his play in 2008.  We’ll see if can overcome it and make an impact with the Black and Gold.

Here is Scouts Inc. take on Hills:

Strengths: Possesses outstanding height and wingspan. Continues to add bulk to frame and still has room left to get bigger. He displays good feet and balance. A natural knee-bender with good mirror-and-slide skills in pass pro. He’s big enough to engulf smaller defenders at the point of attack. Has quick hands and does a good job of keeping pass rushers in front of him. Very impressive mobility when asked to pull or block downfield on runs and screens. Fires out quickly in the run game and takes solid angles.

Weaknesses: Needs to do a better job of sustaining once locked on. Seems to lack a mean streak and must become more physical in order to elevate his game to the next level. Hands are quick but he lacks explosive power behind his punch. Rarely jars defenders with his punch. Must continue to improve overall strength. He will struggle at times versus powerful bull rushers that stand him up and get him off-balance. Sustained a potentially career-ending knee injury during senior season in high school and a broken left fibula ended his 2007 season in mid-November so durability is clearly a concern.

Overall: Hills signed with Texas in 2003 and redshirted the year. He was moved from tight end to offensive tackle, and in his first three seasons (2004-06) appeared in 31 games, including starts at left tackle in all 13 games his junior year. He started the Longhorns’ first 11 games of 2007, but suffered a fractured left fibula that cost him the last two games. Hills was forced to redshirt and sit out the ’03 season after reconstructive surgery on his left knee, following a career-threatening injury (nerve damage). Hills is coming off a season-ending leg injury and he needs to get stronger at the point of attack. However, he’s still a good value early on Day 2 of the draft. The reason is he is quick, he moves very well for his size and he has the frame to bulk up without losing much if any of that agility.