By G.Stryker
SteelerNation.com
There are drafts when the Pittsburgh Steelers move, make trades, and acquire players. There are also times when they just barely miss out on players due to the moves of other teams. As we revisit different Steelers drafts, we will take a look inside into what made those moments both special and memorable.
The Steelers had their sights set on drafting two specific defenders early in the 2001 NFL Draft. Sitting at the 16 spot, the Steelers really liked NT Casey Hampton. Problem was, the New York Jets really wanted that draft slot to get the WR they coveted Santana Moss, and didn’t think he’d be there when they drafted three picks later at 19. The Steelers liked that gamble, since nose tackle wasn’t a high priority for most teams, they decided to give up three slots to get their guy, while also picking up an extra 4th and 6th round pick. The 4th rounder was OT Mathias Nkwenti, and served as tackle depth for three years before leaving football for good. The 6th rounder was DE Rodney Bailey who served as a good rotational player until '03, and returned in '06 for a year. Rodney enjoyed a seven year career, so not too bad for value selecting this deep in the draft.
In the 2nd round, the Steelers were supposed to draft in the 50th spot, but they saw a first round talent dropping and really wanted that player. They traded their 2nd round pick and 4th round pick to New England to move up and draft the athletic, heavy hitting linebacker Kendrell Bell. Their trade up immediately paid dividends on defense, as Bell would be awarded AP Rookie of the Year, 2nd team All Pro, and Pro Bowl honors. Bell was a day one starter and it looked like the Steelers hit a homerun, but a promising rookie year never repeated. The rest of Bell’s career would be marred with knee injuries, and he never returned to his All Pro form. He finished his last three years in the league with Kansas City and retired after a seven year NFL career. Still excellent talent selected with this pick. The 2nd round pick, the Steelers traded was again packaged from New England to Detroit where they took center Dominic Raiola. Dom would enjoy a long 14 year career as the Lions starting center. The 4th round pick to New England was sent to San Diego, and they drafted linebacker Carlos Polk. Polk enjoyed an eight year career as a stellar special teams player and spot starter. He now coaches special teams for the Dallas Cowboys.
The 2001 draft fared well for the Steelers defense since they were able to move up and move down to grab the players they wanted.
Do you think the Steelers could have done better? Leave your thoughts below!
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