With the 52nd Pick in the 2010 Stampede Blue Community Mock Draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers select...

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Arrelious Benn, WR - Illinois

Pick made by LV Steelers Fan:

The drafting of CB Kyle Wilson in the first round and the recent trade of WR Santonio Holmes leaves the Steelers with only one glaring hole: wideout. Pittsburgh has reliable veteran Hines Ward and explosive youngster Mike Wallace at the position, but not much behind them. SB XL star Antwaan Randel-El was signed this offseason and could be plugged in as a number 3 WR, but he will turn 31 this summer and has lost a step. Limas Sweed was drafted in the second round in 2008, but has been a spectacular bust thus far whose gut-wrenching drop of a perfect pass in the end zone against the Bengals in Week 3 last season doomed the Steelers' season. Veteran Arnaz Battle was signed from Frisco(sorry LovinBlue!) as a free agent, but he figures to mostly make an impact on special teams. Second year player Tyler Grisham, who caught a grand total of one (1) pass last season, rounds out Pittsburgh's WR corps.

The Steelers almost never draft for need, but when there is a player on the board who fills a hole and is a great value, they will usually jump. This is the situation that presents itself to Pittsburgh here in the middle of the second round. Wide receivers who have been taken already are Dez Bryant, Golden Tate, Damian Williams, and Mardy Gilyard. Any draftnik will immediately realize that there is a name that should not be missing from that list: Arrelious Benn, from Illinois. How a player with first round talent fell to the Steelers at 52 is beyond me, but if this happens in real life I can practically guarantee he will be the pick. 

Holmes's departure makes Benn a great fit for the Steelers. He is a physical specimen at 6'2", 220, 2-4 inches taller and 15-35 pounds heavier than any of Pittsburgh's top 3 receivers. His size makes him hard to jam at the line and/or knock off balance in the open field. He is really tough for smaller CB's and safeties to take down and can break tackles in the open field, making him great at racking up YAC, something that Holmes did much better than any other Steelers WR. Benn's size and strength also make him an asset in the running game, a must for any Pittsburgh receiver. His body control and route running(two of Holmes's strengths) are very impressive for a young player, and he has the ability to disguise his routes and confuse whomever is covering him. He is willing to catch passes in traffic in the slot and is great at winning jump ball situations and going up for the catch, which are areas where Holmes was less successful due to his slight physique. Benn's main weakness is his lack of elite speed and ideal awareness off the snap. However, the Steelers already have a burner in Mike Wallace, and awareness can be coached. Additionally, Benn is able to create space between himself and the corner with his strength. The closest parallel to Benn in the NFL today is new Ravens WR Anquan Boldin, although he needs to improve his feel in the passing game to make this comparison truly valid. Injuries haunted Benn during his last season at Illinois, but the Steelers have been willing to draft players with injury issues in the past. This has led to both great successes (Heath Miller) and spectacular FAILS (Limas Sweed).

How will he impact the 2010 Steelers?

If Benn is indeed all he is cracked to be, it will be tough for the Steelers to keep him off the field in 2010. He could easily slip into the slot to replace Randle-El by midseason, and, once Hines Ward retires, pair with Mike Wallace to form a dynamic receiving duo for years to come.

Benn's Scouting Report from Mocking the Draft

First Round pick for the Steelers: Kyle Wilson

The Patriots, and guest drafter Richard Hill, are on the clock...

First Round:

Second Round: