Sports

Steelers Make Illinois RB Top Pick In Draft

PITTSBURGH (AP) ― Illinois running back Rashard Mendenhall was linked to a number of teams in advance of the NFL draft. The Pittsburgh Steelers were almost never mentioned.

So imagine the Big Ten offensive player of the year's surprise when the Steelers, a team that hadn't met with him for weeks – and one that already has a Pro Bowl running back in Willie Parker - made him the No. 23 pick in the NFL draft on Saturday.

"Throughout this whole process, I didn't have any idea that I was going to end up with the Steelers. ... The draft, you never know, it's a poker game and you never show you know what you're going to do," said Mendenhall, who ran for 1,681 yards and 17 touchdowns and caught 34 passes last season. "Pittsburgh wasn't among them, Pittsburgh was out of nowhere."

The Steelers insisted that Mendenhall fell out of nowhere to them, even though a handful of the countless mock drafts had him lasting until late in the first round.

Director of Football Operations Kevin Colbert said the Steelers, seeking to add to the six picks they had going into the draft, seriously considered trading their first-round pick - something they haven't done in 41 years.

However, the Steelers drew up a list of 15 players they would choose if available, and Mendenhall was one of them, Colbert said.

The only surprise was that the Steelers rarely use a first-round pick at a position that already is a strength, and Parker was the NFL's leading rusher with 1,316 yards when he broke his right leg Dec. 20 against St. Louis.

Parker is healing on schedule and ran the ball several times during voluntary off-season workouts last week.

"Most teams have two productive running backs they can count on," Colbert said. "This is one who's a little bigger than Willie, and there's things he can do to complement Willie and that can only help us."

One factor that influenced the Steelers' decision is that they had virtually no running game after Parker was hurt, rushing for only 43 yards in their 31-29 wild-card playoff loss to Jacksonville.

They also were worried what kind of offense they would have should Parker get hurt again.

"In all honesty, when you look back at last year, once Willie was injured it made a difference," Colbert said. "Willie Parker is a Pro Bowl running back, and when you go from a Pro Bowl running back to anybody else, there's going to be a drop off unless you have another Pro Bowl running back. You want to try to add something to that backfield.

"Willie Parker is still going to be a great running back. We think Rashard Mendenhall is going to be a great running back as well."

The Steelers hadn't selected a running back on the first round in 19 years, or since taking Tim Worley at No. 7 in 1989. The former Georgia star gained only 1,338 yards in four seasons with them and was out of the NFL after the 1994 season.

The 5-foot-11, 224-pound Mendenhall averaged 6.4 yards per carry last season and 8.2 as a junior and has more than adequate speed to go with his size.

"Most people see me as a power back," Mendenhall said. "I see me as more speed and mobility, with the ability to be a pass receiver."

One of Mendenhall's best games came in the Rose Bowl, when he ran for 155 yards and a touchdown and caught five passes for 59 yards in the Illinois 49-17 loss to Southern Cal.

He finished his college career with 2,539 yards, 22 touchdowns and a 6.54 yards per carry average.

"Any tape you turn on, he's a force for that football team," Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said. 

The Steelers then opted for 6'4" tall Texas wide receiver Limas Sweed, the tall receiver that quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has asked for.

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