Bringing you guys a little NFL Draft throwback on this quiet Easter Sunday. I’ve spent part of my day going through old draft broadcasts, spending today watching a recap of the 2010 NFL Draft. One that was good to the Pittsburgh Steelers, headlined by Florida center Maurkice Pouncey serving as the team’s top selection, 18th overall.
Below is a snippet of NFL Network’s coverage reacting to the pick. I’d say they hit the nail on the head.
Mike Mayock’s assessment was spot-on, saying:
“I love that pick…this kid is a snap and play player. He can come Day One in training camp and immediately play. He’s big enough to anchor, he’s athletic enough to pull. I think he is an absolutely great selection for the Pittsburgh Steelers.”
Pouncey was a Day One starter, starting all sixteen games of his rookie season, finishing third in Rookie of the Year voting, and making his first Pro Bowl. An athletic freak who could play in space, he went on to become one of the great centers in Steelers’ history, joining names like Dirt Dawson, Mike Webster, and Ray Mansfield. Injuries slowed him down but didn’t stop him and he went on to make nine Pro Bowls and a pair of All-Pro teams. In Steelers’ history, only three other players have done the same: Joe Greene, Jack Lambert, and Mike Webster.
The selection graphic reminded me Pouncey was only 20 years old when he was drafted, though he turned 21 prior to taking his first regular-season snap. And of course, the broadcast had to toss in a shot of Tim Tebow, whose name didn’t dominate NFLN’s draft coverage as much as I had remembered. At the time, it was more of an ESPN obsession.
Pittsburgh would go on to hit on other draft picks later on in the weekend, selecting SMU wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders in the third round. Their biggest home run would be in the sixth, taking unknown Central Michigan WR Antonio Brown 195th overall, who would go on to become the best at his position for his era and one of the league’s most dominant players. But the draft started with Pouncey and it’s fun to look back at his start now that his career has ended.
