SteelerWatch

DRAFT POTENTIAL:
- Day 1: MODERATE TO HIGH
- Day 2: VERY HIGH

Expect the fullback position to get a lot of attention this offseason. Throughout 2006 the team carried a single fullback, sometimes listing Jerame Tuman as the backup to starter Dan Kreider.

Kreider is one of the perennial bright spots of the team. He is, without a doubt, a top-five fullback and is arguably the best blocking fullback in the league. He quietly goes about his job each week, gives it his all, and has paved the way for Jerome Bettis, Willie Parker and — for the brief period when he was actually healthy — Duce Staley, among a host of others.

But Kreider is reaching that usability limit with fullbacks. Now a seven-year veteran, he isn’t getting any younger, and with age comes an increased likelihood for injury. While his outstanding play throughout his entire career has been a huge asset for the team, depending on him to last the entire season is actually a liability. One lengthy stay on the injury report can be disasterous for a team that prides itself in its running game, so a backup at the position is an absolute must.

Because Dan Kreider is essentially guaranteed to start, this is a perfect position on which to use a day-two draft pick. If there’s a late-round gem waiting to be called, you can bet the Steelers already have someone scouting for it.

There doesn’t appear to be much early-round interest in fullbacks this year, so what talent is out there should still be available in the later rounds. While it’s most likely that the Steelers will waite until day two, they may choose to grab the top remaining prospect at fullback late in the first day.

There are also a number of free-agent fullbacks who should be available this year, and two of the better ones available come from intraconference rival New England. You can safely bet that the Patriots won’t let both Heath Evans and Patrick Pass go, but don’t expect the Kraft family and Bill Bellichick to make much effort to keep them both around, either. The Patriots, like the Steelers, tend to look to the draft and rookie free agents to bolster their ranks and keep youth playing in their favor.

This entry was posted on Friday, February 16th, 2007 at 2:13 pm and is filed under Before the Draft, Offense. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.