24. G David DeCastro A

Wow. This might have been the best pick of the 1^st round. DeCastro was 12^th on my board and deserved to be the highest guard drafted since Chris Naoele in 1997. And guard was a huge need for the Steelers. Once again, the rich get richer.

56. OT Mike Adams A-

I had a 3^rd round grade on Mike Adams because of all of the off the field stuff: 2 suspensions, 1 arrest, 1 failed drug test, as well as documented concerns about his work ethic (solidified by a disappointing Combine) and his passion. He also was a general disappointment at Ohio State after being the #2 offensive tackle recruit between Tyron Smith and Matt Kalil (two top 10 picks). However, he has amazing upside. He might even have more upside than Matt Kalil and if anyone can get it out of him, it’s the Steelers (not they might not be able to). He also fills a need so I do like this pick.

86. MLB Sean Spence B+

I really liked Sean Spence. Other than his size, he was a complete prospect and one of the underrated players of this draft class. However, his size could hurt him in a 3-4. He was a better fit for a 4-3, but he does fill a need and the Steelers have had success with smaller linebackers in the past (Lawrence Timmons).

109. NT Alameda Ta’amu A

I’ve mocked Ta’amu to the Steelers in the late 2^nd before and I was really surprised when he got out of the first 3 rounds. I had a 3^rd round grade on him before I knew about his injury, but he should be fine for the season. He’s still a great value in the 4^th round.

159. RB Chris Rainey B+

The Steelers needed another back behind Isaac Redman, who they are preparing to go forward with as the lead back in 2012 (anything they get from Rashard Mendenhall they are considering a bonus). Rainey is a great compliment for Redman, but this is a little early for him.

231. WR Toney Clemons A-

They needed a receiver with Hines Ward gone, especially a taller one like Clemons (6-2). They have enough shorter receivers (Mike Wallace, Emmanuel Sanders, Antonio Brown, Jerricho Cotchery). I just had Clemons outside of my top 250, but they had 4 7^th round picks and that doesn’t matter much in the 7^th.

240. TE David Paulson A

I actually mocked David Paulson to the Steelers in the 6^th. They needed another tight end in the mix even after signing Leonard Pope and Paulson is a good value here.

246. CB Terrence Frederick A

The Steelers always add a cornerback through the draft at some point and they had room on the roster after losing William Gay. Frederick is a good value in the 7^th and a good fit for their scheme.

248. G Kelvin Beachum B

I had Beachum outside of my top 250, but I guess they did need another offensive lineman.

Every year I always say during the draft that the “rich get richer.” Teams picking in the end of the first round always tend to draft much better (and grade out much better in my grades) than teams in the beginning of the first round. There’s a reason why some teams stay good for so long and the Steelers are one of those teams. They had yet another excellent draft this year.

David DeCastro might have been the best interior line prospect of the decade and Mike Adams is worth the risk in the end of the 2^nd round for a team like the Steelers, who desperately need a bookend tackle opposite Marcus Gilbert and who I give a good chance of getting the most out of him. Spence isn’t an ideal fit in a 3-4 in the 3^rd round, but the Steelers have done fine with smaller linebackers before though. Alameda Ta’amu looks like their nose tackle of the future in the 4^th round. All of their late round selections were also very good. From start to finish, this was an excellent draft.

Grade: A