Steelers Should Get Defensive In 2001 Draft
Team Needs To Restock Line, Linebackers After Salary Cap Maneuvers
By Jerry DiPaola

Steelers officials may not want to admit it to a room full of reporters, but the team has missed the playoffs for the past three seasons and is in a major state of reconstruction.

Only four other teams in the National Football League share the dubious distinction with the Steelers of staying home from the 1998, 1999 and 2000 postseasons. For all the strides made last season in terms of attitude, preparation and general on-field nastiness, the Steelers still gave up far too many big plays and were unable to generate even a mediocre passing game or pass rush.

Now, they must replace two defensive starters after releasing right defensive end Kevin Henry and inside linebacker Levon Kirkland in a salary-cap purge.

Which is why the NFL draft April 21-22 is so important in the second year of the Bill Cowher/Kevin Colbert regime.

Here's a look at what the Steelers might do -- or might not do -- in the draft. They will pick 16th in the first round, their latest selection since 1998.

OFFENSE

No matter what you think of Kordell Stewart -- and many people outside the organization believe he'll never be any better than he is right now -- the Steelers won't use a high pick on a quarterback. He showed Cowher just enough production, leadership and maturity to buy himself another season in the coach's good graces.

In fact, the team most likely won't use the draft to drastically upgrade a passing game that finished 29th in the league last season and has been better than 23rd only once since 1994. Too much money and high draft picks have been spent on Stewart and wide receivers Plaxico Burress and Troy Edwards for the Steelers to keep throwing good money after bad. Improvement must come on the practice field.

Elsewhere on offense, the Steelers don't have great worries at running back -- although a more reliable backup to Jerome Bettis would be nice -- but young depth on the offensive line and at fullback is a must. Backup linemen Roger Duffy, Tom Myslinski and Larry Tharpe are serviceable, but they have seen their best days. In order, they are entering their 12th, 10th and ninth seasons.

After signing free-agent Jeff Hartings to replace former Pro Bowl center Dermontti Dawson, the Steelers aren't desperate, but they will consider some of the top guards after sure first-rounder Steve Hutchinson of Michigan. They include Purdue's Matt Light and Notre Dame's Mike Gandy who were on Cowher's North squad at the Senior Bowl.

Second-year pro Dan Kreider, who wasn't drafted last year, replaces Jon Witman at fullback, but there is no help behind him.

DEFENSE

The Steelers will use the draft to attempt to improve their speed, specifically at linebacker and on the line. When left end Aaron Smith's four sacks are the best your down linemen can do, there are serious problems to address in the pass rush. Plus, Chris Combs, a sixth-round pick last year from Duke, and Chris Sullivan, who contributed little after joining the team in free agency, represent the immediate candidates to replace Henry.

Inside linebacker used to a position of strength, but Kirkland's release and Earl Holmes' possible free agency after the 2001 season make it a priority this year.

The team would love to have Miami (Fla.) inside linebacker Dan Morgan fall to them on the 16th pick of the first round. Then, they would have their replacement for Kirkland and a tough run stuffer for the next 10 years.

More likely, the Steelers will opt for a pass rusher with one of their high picks. This year's crop of prospects is loaded with good defensive line talent and the Steelers probably will take either a tackle or end with one or both of their first two picks. (And those picks are especially crucial because the NFL took away the Steelers' third-round pick for violating the NFL's salary cap in the case of former offensive lineman Will Wolford.)

The best of the tackles are Georgia's Richard Seymour, 6-5, 300, and Marcus Stroud, 6-6, 330, Florida's Gerard Warren, 6-3, 310, Texas' Shaun Rogers, 6-4, 310, Miami's Damione Lewis, 6-2, 290, and Stanford's Willie Howard, 6-4, 290.

That's a wide variety of tackles and a few of them could move to right end to replace Henry, who recorded only one sack the past two seasons. Another option involves grooming an eventual replacement for nose tackle Kimo von Oelhoffen, who also could move to end.

Of course, with their depth depleted by the departures of Henry and Jeremy Staat, the Steelers may seek to draft a pure end. The Steelers could have retained Staat's rights by tendering him a one-year, $512,000 contract offer, but they chose to ignore him and let him become an unrestricted free agent.

It will be more difficult to find an end in the draft, because the Steelers' 3-4 defense demands a 290-300 pounder. The three best ends -- Florida State's Jamal Reynolds, California's Andre Carter and Missouri's Justin Smith -- are less than 280 pounds, and could be gone, anyway, by the time the Steelers pick in the first round. Reynolds, the top-rated end, is 6-2, 255 and the Steelers would have to redesign their defense to accommodate him. But with Kirkland gone, is a switch to a 4-3 defense such a bad idea?

There also is a need at free safety where Brent Alexander played better than disappointing 1999 No. 2 draft pick Scott Shields, but did not display great speed. The 16th pick is considered a reach for a safety, but the Steelers couldn't go wrong if they added Florida State's Derrick Gibson to their roster.

Cornerback looks like a disaster waiting to happen with Chad Scott, Dewayne Washington, Deshea Townsend and Jason Simmons eligible for unrestricted free agency after the 2001 season. The Steelers could look to fill the potential void by selecting Mississippi State's Fred Smoot or Syracuse's Will Allen. Cowher became especially enamored of Allen at the Senior Bowl.

Jerry DiPaola is a sports writer with the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.