#1 Cochran - PSR Showdown
What should the Steelers address in the draft?

Character
By Jerry DiPaola
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Some things have gone wrong with the Steelers lately. Their leaders and key players have either gone away or are acting like spoiled children who have had their favorite toy taken away.

Which tells me the Steelers' needs in this year's draft go far beyond a pass rusher, receiver or a better protector on the offensive line. The team needs all three of those things - desperately - but they also need players to grow into veterans who can do what Aaron Smith, Jerome Bettis, Antwaan Randle El, Joey Porter, Alan Faneca and Hines Ward did for the team for many years.

Yes, Faneca and Ward are still on the roster. But for how long?

Faneca complained about the hiring of coach Mike Tomlin over his buddy Russ Grimm, and then he failed to show up for the start of voluntary practice sessions after contract renegotiation talks were not progressing to his satisfaction. That is certainly not the definition of a leader.

Faneca could be gone soon and the Steelers better think long and hard about replacing him. The guess is those thought processes already have begun.

Ward keeps whining about the team releasing Porter, and he has also been a training camp no-show. He is much closer to the end of his career than the beginning, and the Steelers need to start looking for his long-term replacement. More than anything, the Steelers need a solid linebacker to set a fierce tone that made the defense great so often in the Cowher era. Porter is gone, James Farrior is 32 and James Harrison is better suited as a backup. Enough said! Penn State's Paul Posluszny, Florida State's Lawrence Timmons and Purdue's Anthony Spencer fit the mold, but only Timmons might be worthy of the 15th overall selection.

The Steelers will find players - Kevin Colbert seldom fails in that task - but they need an attitude as much as a talented roster.

One draft won't dig up the kind of leadership the Steelers need to win another Super Bowl. But getting those good character guys - what Faneca was early in his career, what Bettis was throughout his time in Pittsburgh and what Aaron Smith will always be - needs to start now.

Jerry DiPaola is an assistant sports editor at the Pittsburgh Tribune Review.

Sack Artist
By Jon Burton
WTAE-TV

When you look at the Steelers and the up-coming NFL Draft, it's hard to pinpoint one position of need. This is still a good football team returning on paper, but many of the parts are getting a tad older. The Steelers could use some more depth on both the offensive and defensive lines; they could also benefit from a bigger, short-yardage running back. And then, the more I think about it, another good young wide receiver would be nice.

So, which one of the aforementioned positions should the Steelers address? None of the above.

The Steelers need to draft a position that has burned them in the past: The Hybrid Pass Rusher.

It looks like new head coach Mike Tomlin will flip-flop between the 4-3 and 3-4 defensive fronts, so a quality rusher who can bring speed off the edge will be vital. Preferably one who can rush either from a down position or standing up.

I know what you're thinking, Steelers' fans. The names Nathaniel Adibi and Alonzo Jackson instantly come to mind; two major Steelers draft busts of the last decade. But, let's remember, with Bill Cowher now cooling his heels in North Carolina, director of football operations Kevin Colbert figures to have more say in who the Steelers select. Colbert is as good a judge of talent as there is in the league. He'll find the right players to be able to handle life in the Steelers new-look defense.

I don't think it can be underestimated how valuable Joey Porter was. Sure, his production dropped off last season, but he was still a threat as a pass-rusher, and putting pressure on the quarterback is a Steelers defensive tradition. It's also the best way to even the playing field while the team continues to adjust to a new coach and a new era.

As Raiders owner Al Davis once was so quick to point out, "The other team's quarterback must go down, and he must go down hard."

The other positional needs can be met in the later rounds, something Kevin Colbert has been quite adept at doing in the past.

So my advice for the Steelers this month: grab the best guy available who can put the other team's quarterback on his wallet.

Jon Burton is the sports director at WTAE-TV.