Speaking of tall receivers in Pittsburgh

By Robert Rousseau | Saturday, March 08, 2008 | ( 0 )

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"I'm always going to ask for a tall receiver," Roethlisberger said a ways back, prompting some controversy. Well, in the spirit of seeing that through from a draft perspective let’s discuss the tall receivers—6-foot-2 or bigger— that the Steelers could draft if they chose to.

Keep in mind that it’s doubtful that Pittsburgh will choose a wide receiver with their first round pick. Most, in fact, believe that they will look to an offensive lineman, while some others are thinking defensive end. This would probably be a very sound strategy, so it’s likely that if they were to draft a receiver it would be after round one.

Speaking of the first round, Malcolm Kelly, a 6-foot-4, 220 pounder from Oklahoma will certainly be gone by the time the Steelers choose, leaving him out of the equation. So will another tall receiver by the name of Limas Sweed from Texas (6-foot-4, 215 pounds). That leaves the following players for consideration.

Adrian Arrington (Michigan): Arrington is a 6-foot-3, 203 pound wide receiver that runs the 40 yard dash in 4.55 seconds. In sum, he can leap, has good hands, and is tough. Last season he pulled in 67 balls for 882 yards and eight touchdowns but has never been the featured receiver.

He needs to get stronger.

Of course, the good news is that he has an upside and would likely be available in the late rounds if Pittsburgh were to decide to take a chance on him.

Adarius Bowman (Oklahoma State): Bowman is a 6-foot-3, 223 pound wide receiver that runs the 40 yard dash in 4.67 seconds. So, he’s not that fast or elusive. But what Bowman has proven over the years at Oklahoma State is that he’s a terrific leaper and a big play threat. Further, he’s an outstanding blocker, which is something that Pittsburgh likes to hear, even if there have been some off the field issues.

In each of the last two seasons, he’s caught over 60 balls. He has also accumulated over 1,000 receiving yards in both of those seasons. Despite the off the field problems, Bowman is known as a hard worker.

The best part is that he will likely be available in the third and possibly even fourth rounds. Given the Steelers other needs taking precedence in the early rounds, that makes Bowman a realistic possibility.

James Hardy (Indiana): Hardy stands 6-foot-6 and weighs 220 pounds. So he certainly fits the bill of a tall wide receiver. Last season as a junior he managed 79 catches for 1,125 yards and 16 touchdowns, so he’s been productive. He also runs the 40 yard dash in 4.5 seconds, so Hardy has some speed.

The negatives right now would be that he is not a good blocker. But spending time with Hines Ward will likely change that.

Hardy will probably be around when the Steelers choose in the first round. He will likely not be there when the team picks in the second, making him an unlikely selection.

Marcus Monk (Arkansas): Monk is a 6-foot-4, 222 pound wide receiver with 4.59 speed in the 40 yard dash. Thus, he has great size for the position, even if he isn’t a very fast guy. He’s also strong, tough, and is an excellent leaper that knows how to use his size in the endzone.

Unfortunately, Monk has battled injuries for most of his collegiate career and has not been very productive. Then again, playing in Arkansas over the last several seasons doesn’t necessarily lend to catching a lot of passes.

Marcus Monk isn’t exactly a can’t-miss-prospect. Thus, he’ll be available in the late rounds. But if the Steelers are looking for a red zone threat with nice athleticism and an upside, they could choose to take a chance on him.

Jordy Nelson (Kansas State): Nelson is a 6-foot-3, 217 pound receiver that has reliable hands and is a hard worker. Though he’s not fast (4.51 in the 40) he is quick. Beyond that, he hasn’t played the position for very long so there is an upside.

Last season he managed 122 catches for 1,606 yards and 11 touchdowns. Not bad, eh?

The Steelers would have to like this guy’s size. Further, he may be available somewhere in rounds 3-5.

Devin Thomas (Michigan State): Thomas is steadily rising up draft boards. He’s a 6-foot-2, 215 pound player that runs the 40 yard dash in 4.4 seconds. Further, he’s proven to have outstanding hands and has impressed in this regard during workouts.

Finally, he set a school season records with 79 receptions last season and 2,590 all purpose yards. Along with this, Thomas is also a very good kickoff returner. Guess is that he’ll be around when the Steelers draft in the first round, but not the second.

In the end, if we assume that the Steelers won’t take a receiver in the first round, we’re really only talking about a few guys that fit the tall receiver bill. Adarius Bowman would be a highly interesting selection, as would Jordy Nelson or Adrian Arrington. Marcus Monk would be a big time gamble that could prove fruitful in time.

It will be interesting to see how things play out.

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	About Robert Rousseau Robert Rousseau is a sports writer that has been published in a variety of print and online venues. He’s been writing for RealFootball365.com for almost three years now. When Rousseau isn’t writing about college football he tends to be penning mixed martial arts pieces for MMAFighting.com or...
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