If He's Half As Crazy As Joey Porter, The Steelers Drafted Well

With the 15th pick in the NFL Draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers select Lawrence Timmons, LB, Florida State. Mike Tanier of Football Outsiders tells you all about it.

Mike Tanier of Football Outsiders tells you all about it.

The Steelers don't usually draft linebackers in the first round. They usually select them in the third or fourth round, then age them in oaken casks until they are the ripened to mellow perfection. New coach Mike Tomlin is apparently doing things differently Timmons is a great prospect, but he needs seasoning. Right now, he's a pass rusher only. He has huge upside, and with the best running backs off the board, it made more sense for the Steelers to replace Joey Porter than for them to reach at running back or defensive end.

Of course, it takes more than on-field exploits to replace Joey Porter. Timmons now has just 48 hours to either put his foot in his mouth or get involved in a public wee-wee contest with Chad Johnson or Kellen Winslow II. It's an awesome responsibility for a young defender, especially one that didn't go to Miami .