Looking At The Price Steelers Would Have To Pay To Trade Up For Mike Pouncey

Jason La Canfora has Steeler Nation all going crazy tonight with his report that the Steelers have serious designs on trading up in the 1st round of the 2011 NFL draft Thursday night to get Mike Pouncey, the twin brother of Steelers center Maurkice Pouncey. La Canfora reports that a league source has informed him that Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin has given an edict to his personnel department to explore all realistic trade options should Pouncey slide down the draft board. In his report, La Canfora mentions the Chargers and Giants as teams that could possibly have their eye on the Florida twin as well. The Chargers pick 18th and the Giants 19th in the 1st round and La Canfora goes on to say that if the Dolphins do not select Pouncey with the 15th overall selection, the Steelers might have eyes on moving up.

I find it hard to believe that both the Chargers and Giants would pass up a chance to draft Pouncey, so my analysis below shows the teams picking after the Dolphins at 15. I have included the charts for the teams picking 16th-20th just so you have easy reference to their picks and the pick value. The Jaguars and the Patriots would be next in the draft order after the Dolphins at 16th and 17th and the Steelers would most likely have to trade up to either of these two spots to draft Mike and the cost would be heavy.

The Jaguars 16th overall pick is worth 1000 points according to NFL draft pick value chart and the Steelers first three picks add up to only 996. Although the Jaguars could settle for that small difference of 4, it would surely take that for them to move down 15 spots in my opinion.

The Patriots have two picks each in the first 3 rounds and would seem the more likely of these two teams, but would they want to trade with the Steelers? The Patriots 17th overall pick is worth 950 points on the value chart and the Steelers 1st, 2nd and 4th round picks total up to just 920 points. The Patriots would lose 3.16% value in that deal, which is not too far off other deals that Kevin Colbert has orchestrated on draft day. This would leave the Steelers with 3rd, 5th, 6th and 7th round draft picks if that were to be the deal.

Should an expensive trade like this take place, the Steelers still have to address the cornerback position at some point in the draft one would imagine the 3rd round would have to be that round. The remaining three picks one would think would be used to draft either a tackle, defensive end, inside linebacker, wide receiver, tight end or running back. Of course whenever free agency starts they will sign a handful of undrafted free agents with hopes one or two at the most could compete for a roster spot. The deal seems too expensive in my honest opinion as the Steelers could really use the picks.

La Canfora mentions the Buccaneers at the 20th overall spot as a possible trading partner because Tomlin is very close with Buccaneers coach Raheem Morris. Friendship is one thing, but business is another and regardless I do not see Pouncey sliding down that far.

Over the years I have learned never to say never when it comes to the NFL draft. Mike is a near sure fire talent like his brother Maurkice and I have to admit he would look great in black and gold, but the price to get just one interior lineman could be too great of a sacrifice if the secondary is not addressed properly in the early rounds.

I am not saying it will not happen, but I just do not share the same optimism that La Canfora and his source does. I think what you have here is one giant smoke screen if indeed the source is real. The Steelers are best served trading down instead if they are to make a move on Thursday. We will know for sure in just a few more days.