The Steelers are chatting with a couple prospects, as the big one in town is Memphis defensive tackle Dontari Poe, a guy that many think the Steelers will take with their first round pick.
The Steelers are hosting five college prospects, including Memphis defensive tackle Dontari Poe, on the final day for pre-draft visits.
The 6-4, 346-pound Poe is considered a surefire first-round pick, and he is of particular interest to the Steelers considering veteran nose tackle Casey Hampton is going into the final year of his contract.
Poe sent his stock soaring at the NFL Scouting Combine in February, as he bench-pressed 225 pounds 44 times and ran a 4.98 in the 40-yard dash. He is one of the top defensive tackle prospects in the draft, and he may be gone before the Steelers’ first-round pick, No. 24 overall.
The Steelers are also meeting with Cincinnati tight end Adrien Robinson, SMU guard Kelvin Beachum, Arkansas wide receiver Gregory Childs and Colorado wide receiver Toney Clemons at their South Side headquarters.
Clemons is a local product, having starred at Valley High School in New Kensington. He started his college career at Michigan before transferring to Colorado.
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Dave B.
April 18, 2012 at 9:16 pm
If the Steelers are smart , they will say , NO to Poe . The guy may have been a work out wonder at the combine , but he was average at best during most of his games in college . He definitely was no super star .
Mike
April 18, 2012 at 9:17 pm
Yes, he tore it up at the combine, but I am always cautious of the “workout warriors” who make a name for themselves at the NFL Olympics and not necessarily on the field of play. The more I read about Poe the more this applies. The Steelers need a player that will be ready to handle significant playing time from the start and not a pupil with a season or two to learn the ropes. I like him as a prospect and if he falls to the 24th pick, I believe the Steelers will not need the full allotted time to run their card to the podium to announce the selection. His case just reminds me of the Mike Mamula factor a little too much.
DrGeorge
April 19, 2012 at 11:22 am
Dave B. and Mike have it right. In all likelihood, Poe will be taken before the 24th pick anyway; to get him, the Steelers would have to trade up, and he just isn’t worth it. The Steelers need a NG who is “a freak of nature,” like Hampton or Ngata. They are rare athletes, and Poe isn’t one of them. There are other NGs in this draft as good as Poe that will be available in the 2nd Round or later.
The Steelers also need an ILB to replace Farrior; an OG or OT to complete their refashioned O-line and protect Ben; a DE who is quick to the QB to improve our pass rush; and a lock-down CB. The Steelers generally use the #1 pick on the “best available player” at a position of need. The team needs are so diverse this year, it doesn’t matter what position they draft for, so long as the guy is a quality athlete who fits the Steelers’ organization. NFL defenses are changing to suit the rules of this pass-happy league; the Giants smaller and faster defenders are the prototype of the future. The Steelers must rebuild their defense this year, and I expect them to draft for speed at every position. If they address any of these needs in Round 1, it will be just as good for the team over all as picking Poe. Maybe better.
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