Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Sunday, April 27, 2008
John Dixon/Champaign-Urbana News-Gazette
Illinois running back Rashard Mendenhall: The first running back taken by the Steelers since 1989.
The absolutely, positively, largest need the Steelers had entering the draft -- everyone knew it -- was to protect their $102 million quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger.
A big offensive tackle would do the trick.
Or, how about a big, powerful, fast running back and a tall receiver Big Ben requested?
"There are two schools of thought to protect a quarterback," Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said. "You can get linemen, or you can get him weapons."
That's the plan, anyway, after the Steelers selected Illinois running back Rashard Mendenhall with the 23rd overall pick, and 6-foot-4 wide receiver Limas Sweed of Texas in the second round.
Mendenhall became the first running back they drafted in either of the top two rounds since 1989, and he truly was a player few expected to last that long -- most mock drafts had him gone by the middle of the first round.
As for Sweed, the Steelers not only had a first-round grade on him, they ranked him among the top 25 players available in the draft and among the best three receivers.
Mendenhall is power-packed at 5-10, 225 pounds, runs a blistering 4.41 in the 40-yard dash for a man his size and catches and blocks to boost.
He should provide the perfect compliment to Fast Willie Parker, a Mr. Inside and Mr. Outside, if you will. For the record, Tomlin said Parker, their two-time Pro Bowl back, remains No. 1.
Parker led the NFL in rushing last season when the fibula in his right leg was broken on his first carry in the 15th game. He finished with 1,316 yards, his third consecutive season above 1,200.
"We have a Pro Bowl running back," Tomlin said. "This guy's going to help our football team. At this point, he's a young guy trying to fit in. He'll be backing up Parker."
Ultimately, however, they could be No. 1 and 1-A on the depth chart, two talented backs on a team that has rushed for more yards than any other since the NFL merger with the AFL in 1970 (they ranked third last season). Tomlin has said since he arrived as head coach last year that teams need two effective backs. Now the Steelers appear to have them, and in contrasting styles as well.
"This is an exciting running back," said director of football operations Kevin Colbert, obviously delighted. "He'll run a sub-4.5, he runs with power, he runs with moves, he can catch, he'll work as a blocker. This is something that's very exciting for this organization."
Mendenhall ran for 1,681 yards last season, including 155 on just 17 carries against Southern California in the Rose Bowl (9.1 average). He averaged a whopping 6.4 per carry for the season.
Colbert said the Steelers had an idea to try to trade down in the first round, but had 15 players on a list in which they would draft at No. 23 regardless. Mendenhall was one of those players.
Much of the pre-draft speculation about possible running backs falling to the Steelers centered around Oregon's Jonathan Stewart and not Mendenhall because few believed Mendenhall would drop that far. As it was, running backs Darren McFadden (Oakland at No. 4), Stewart (Carolina at No. 13) and Felix Jones (Dallas at No. 22) went ahead of Mendenhall, who admitted to disappointment the longer he waited.
"It was tough, I ain't going to lie," Mendenhall said. "As it started rolling, the sweat started rolling as well."
Funny, he said, he felt he received less attention from the Steelers than he did many other teams. He spent some time with them at the combine workouts in Indianapolis, but he was not on the list of 30 candidates they were permitted to bring to Pittsburgh for further inspection before the draft.
In the end, "I feel like the Steelers made a great pick," said Mendenhall, who compared his style to NFL rushing champ LaDainian Tomlinson. "You look at his footwork and his agility, he's a real balanced runner. He can catch the ball and he can run you over as well, so I can make the comparison to L.T."
"He's fired up, needless to say," Tomlin said. "And so are we."
Parker said last week that he would like to see the Steelers draft another back, not only to help the team but to give him some rest and to lengthen his career.
"We need somebody else in here," Parker said. "If they bring somebody else in here, I'm all for it."
Besides breaking an 18-draft drought at the top by taking a running back, the Steelers also hope to snap a 36-year lack of success at drafting any in the first round who panned out. Since taking Hall of Famer Franco Harris in 1972, the Steelers drafted three other backs in the first round before yesterday. None topped 1,000 yards in a season.
By their reaction yesterday, the Steelers believe they got it right this time. Tomlin called him a "humble, blue-collar worker" and a "quality human being."
"In terms of what he brings to the table, he's a complete back," Tomlin said. "He can run inside, he can run outside. He's a powerful runner. He's elusive and, of course, he has the speed to go the distance.
"It shouldn't be too difficult finding ways that he can contribute to this football team."
First published on April 27, 2008 at 12:00 am
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