Steelers Draft Recap
By Jerry DiPaola

Round 1/23
Name: Rashard Mendenhall
Position: Running back
Height/weight: 5-foot-9 1/2, 224 pounds
College: Illinois
How He Fits: Mendenhall gives the Steelers what every NFL team that aspires to greatness needs: two capable running backs. In the case of incumbent Willie Parker, Mendenhall offers insurance in the event Parker is slow to recover from a broken leg that has had only four months to heal. The Steelers have not had a true complement to Parker since Jerome Bettis retired two years ago, and Mendenhall may bring that kind of power to the running game. The last time Parker and Bettis were together, the Steelers won the Super Bowl. More to the point: Parker was leading the NFL in rushing last December before his injury, and he has three consecutive seasons of more than 1,200 yards. The Steelers are not looking to replace him, but Parker had 651 rushing attempts the past two seasons. When Parker almost inevitably went down on that 651st carry, the Steelers' running game became woefully inadequate in the playoffs. Now, there is no excuse for failing to get that key first down while protecting a lead in the fourth quarter.

Round 2/53
Name: Limas Sweed
Position: Wide receiver
Height/weight: 6-foot-4, 212 pounds
College: Texas
How He Fits: Sweed gives quarterback Ben Roethlisberger the big, fast target he needs and had requested at the end of last season. There is no problem with the Steelers' top two receivers Hines Ward and Santonio Holmes. But the draft is as much about the future as the present, and Ward will be 33-years-old before the 2009 season. In a college career that included a national championship at Texas, Sweed totaled 124 receptions for 1,915 yards and 20 touchdowns (almost one every six catches). His pedigree, if nothing else, places him on a higher plane than current No. 3 Nate Washington. Now, there is another option to consider inside the red zone.

Round 3/88
Name: Bruce Davis
Position: Outside linebacker
Height/weight: 6-3, 252
College: UCLA
How He Fits: After losing veterans Joey Porter and Clark Haggans over the past year, the Steelers have a desperate need for depth at outside linebacker, a position of high importance in their 3-4 defense. Davis could slip into a backup role behind starters James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley, and perhaps turn into an option at inside linebacker. Like so many Steelers outside linebackers before him, he must make a transition from defensive end where he became an All-American at UCLA in 2006. He has amassed 12 1/2 sacks each of the past two seasons, but Davis needs to get stronger and more skilled in run support.

Round 4/130
Name: Tony Hills
Position: Offensive tackle
Height/weight: 6-5 1/2, 309
College: Texas
How He Fits: Before selecting Hills, the Steelers traded with the New York Giants, dropping seven spots near the bottom of the fourth round. His stock dropped because of a broken leg, but he brings experience in an elite program with 24 consecutive starts for Texas at left tackle. The Steelers have several question marks on the offensive line, beginning with left tackle Marvel Smith's back that needed season-ending surgery in December. Plus, there is uncertainty at right tackle and left guard where Willie Colon will battle Max Starks and Chris Kemoeatu, respectively, for starting jobs. Hills may fit in the tackle mix as a backup and insurance if the Steelers do not re-sign Smith, whose contract expires after the season.

Round 5/156
Name: Dennis Dixon
Position: Quarterback
Height/weight: 6-4 205
College: Oregon
How He Fits: Charlie Batch will be 34 before the end of the season and Brian St. Pierre is gone, forcing the Steelers into the backup quarterback market. Earlier this offseason, they signed former Boise State quarterback Jared Zabransky, who wasn't drafted when he came out of college in 2007. Zabransky will compete with Dixon for the No. 3 position. Dixon brings special athleticism to the position, after throwing for 5,129 yards and 38 touchdowns and rushing for 1,208 and 12 more scores.

Round 6/188
Name: Mike Humpal
Position: Outside linebacker
Height/weight: 6-2 1/2, 244
College: Iowa
How He Fits: Humpal gives the Steelers another option and possible depth at linebacker. He is considered a good bet to help on special teams.

Round 6/194
Name: Ryan Mundy
Position: Safety
Height/weight: 6-0 1/2, 205
College: West Virginia
How He Fits: Mundy, who transferred from Michigan in 2007 to complete a master's degree in sports management, had three interceptions for West Virginia last season. The Steelers believe he will bring intelligence and maturity to the safety position where Ryan Clark and Anthony Smith have yet to distinguish themselves.