The Pittsburgh Steelers went into the 2009 NFL draft without any true needs and they emerged with good talent that will help them out immensely in about a year or two. The Steelers picked at the bottom of every round, but still were able to use their picks wisely.

With the No. 32 pick in the first round, the Steelers helped their defensive line out by drafting defensive tackle Evander ‘Ziggy’ Hood out of Missouri. Hood is very energetic and gives the Steelers more depth on the defensive line. Hood is extremely strong and has good movement, which may allow him to move to defensive end in the future. Look for Hood to be a starter in a couple years.

In the third round with the No. 79 overall pick, the Steelers helped themselves along the offensive line by adding offensive tackle Kraig Urbik from Wisconsin. Urbik has good size at 6-foot-5, 328 pounds and is a very tough, physical player that can create a good push off the line. Urbik is limited athletically, but he will have a chance to develop into a more versatile player.

With the No. 84 pick overall, the Steelers chose to draft wide receiver Mike Wallace from Mississippi. Wallace offers a pure deep threat because of his outstanding speed and quickness. Wallace has the opportunity to contribute early on with Nate Washington leaving via free agency. Wallace could become a solid third or fourth receiver for the Steelers.

With their last pick in the third round, the Steelers adding cornerback Keenan Lewis out of Oregon State. Lewis started 48 times in college and really came on strong at the Senior Bowl. The only knock on Lewis is his tackling issues, but that can be fixed fairly easily.

The Steelers had two picks in the fifth round and chose to take cornerback Joe Burnett from Central Florida with the No. 168 overall pick and running back Frank Summers from UNLV with the No. 169 overall pick.

Burnett is very talented, but lacks size at just 5-foot-9, 192 pounds. Burnett has good hands and should be able to compete for time as the dime cornerback. Summers is a big, bruising runner that will work well for the Steelers in short yardage situations. Summers could possibly act as a fullback because of his bruising style and size. Summers stands at 5-foot-9, 241 pounds.

The rest of the Steelers 2009 draft picks came in the sixth and seventh rounds, with the No. 205 overall pick in round six, the No. 226 overall pick in round seven, and the No. 241 pick overall in round seven as well.

With pick No. 205 overall, the Steelers selected defensive tackle Ra’Shon Harris out of Oregon, with pick 226 the Steelers chose center A.Q. Shipley from Penn State, and with pick 241 the team went with tight end David Johnson from Arkansas State. Harris was only a one year starter in college, but he is good against the double team and getting a push up the middle. Shipley is a local Pennsylvania product and is an outstanding football player. Although he has short arms, he still has very good ability. Johnson fits what the Steelers try to do offensively and will be good at stretching the middle of the field. In college, he averaged 16 yards per catch.

Overall Grade: B+

The Steelers gave themselves depth at a lot positions and were able to address areas now, before they become positions of need. The rookies the Steelers picked up will the chance to learn and develop before they are expected to contribute a great deal to the team. The addition of Hood on the defensive line was a very good pick and you may see him play a bigger role early on. With this draft, the Steelers will likely be picking at the end of rounds in next year’s draft as well.

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