pittsburgh steelers NFL jerseys, 1st Round (#24) G David DeCastro, Stanford
2nd Round (#56) OT Mike Adams, Ohio State
3rd Round (#86) LB Sean Spence, Miami
4th Round (#109) DT Alameda Ta\'amu Washington
5th Round (#159) RB Chris Rainey, Florida
7th Round (#231) WR Toney Clemons, Colorado
7th Round (#240) TE David Paulson, Oregon
7th Round (#246) CB Terrence Frederick, Texas A & M
7th Round (#248) T Kelvin Beachum, SMU
Analysis of Notable Selections:
David DeCastro: The DeCastro selection was the best value pick of the 1st round. Pittsburgh wanted to improve their offensive line and DeCastro does. The former Stanford star is a physical and nasty run blocker who is also very good in pass protection. DeCastro will play alongside Maurkice Pouncey to form quite a pair of interior blockers.
Mike Adams: Pittsburgh\'s offensive line is addressed again with the addition of a talented left tackle. Mike Adams has the coordinated feet, long arms and huge frame to develop into a quality left tackle. He dropped in the draft due to immaturity concerns including testing positive for marijuana. Adams has to mature and add some strength in the weight room, but he is a talented offensive tackle who could be Pittsburgh\'s left tackle of the future. Adams could start out at pittsburgh steelers NFL jerseys right tackle, but likely will end up at left tackle. There was some risk in selecting Adams, but he was worth taking late in the 2nd round.
Sean Spence: The former Hurricane lacks size, but he is a very fast, instinctive and productive linebacker. James Farrior was released pittsburgh steelers NFL jerseys and Pittsburgh plans on playing Spence at inside linebacker. He is undersized for the position, but Spence has the skills to overcome this. Spence is a fundamentally sound tackler who plays bigger than his size. He can excel on special teams as he gains some quality weight and adapts to the NFL.
Alameda Ta\'amu: Casey Hampton will soon be 35-years-old. That is long in the tooth for a position as demanding as nose tackle. Ta\'amu has the size, strength and heavy hands to succeed at nose tackle in the NFL. Hampton can mentor him and show Ta\'amu what it takes to be a professional. Ta\'amu is inconsistent and will require coaching to improve his technique and work habits. However, he made perfect sense for the Steelers in the 4th round and represented value.
Chris Rainey: The Steelers add a versatile playmaker to their offense. Rainey is small (5\' 8\" and 180 lbs), but he is tough for his size. He also has blazing speed and can make big plays running, receiving and returning kicks. Rainey also was a major factor on special teams with his ability to block kicks. The former Florida speedster dropped in the draft due to concerns over his durability and character. Chris Rainey represented value in the 5th round.
2012 NFL Draft Grade: A
Bottom Line: The Steelers proved yet again why they are one of the very best organizations in the NFL. The word that best summarizes Pittsburgh\'s draft is value. Pittsburgh wanted to improve their offensive line and did pittsburgh steelers NFL jerseys they ever. David DeCastro has a chance to go to several Pro Bowls. Mike Adams could be a bargain in the 2nd round. The Steelers may have found their future inside linebacker (Sean Spence) and nose tackle (Alameda Ta\'amu). You add in a versatile, explosive scatback and it was quite a draft.
