FanHouse Max Unger

With the draft approaching, we ignore projections and identify the dream scenario for each team in a series we call The Perfect Draft.

The Steelers are never big players in free agency, so the draft is of vital importance to the Steelers ability to contend year in and year out. With two Lombardi trophies and another AFC Championship appearance in the past five years, it's clear that Kevin Colbert and the Steelers' scouting department have done their job well.

The Steelers rarely draft players to start right away. Even 2003 first-round pick Troy Polamalu played only sporadically as a rookie and last year's top two picks, Rashard Mendenhall and Limas Sweed, will be asked to play much bigger roles in 2009 than they did in 2008.

To get ready for this weekend's draft, we're looking position-by-position at who could go in the first round. Click here for the rest of the breakdowns, beginning with quarterback.


OT Jason Smith (Top 10 pick), OT Eugene Monroe (Top 10 pick), OT Andre Smith (Top 15 pick), OT Michael Oher (mid-first round), OT Eben Britton (late first round).

Last year, seven offensive tackles were taken in the first round, and there's a chance that seven o-linemen will once again go this year. Because of the dire need for tackles, it's probable that several tackles will be nabbed 10 to 15 spots ahead of where they rank on most team's draft boards.

Now that Matt Birk has chosen the Ravens, Minnesota has to move on to Plan B. But the good news is that this is a very good year to be trying to replace a center.

The Vikings had been planning for the possibility of losing Birk since before the 2008 season. They already have 2008 sixth-round pick John Sullivan as a potential replacement and theoretically guard Anthony Herrera could also slide over and play center, but if the Vikings want to bring in some competition, the 2009 draft class is one of the best classes for centers in years.

In the Sporting News Top 99 draft prospects (released today at Sporting News Today), four centers are listed among the Top 99 prospects and ESPN has three centers in the top 65 on its board. If the Vikings aren't completely comfortable with Sullivan, they could snag another center in the draft and use it to not only give Sullivan competition, but in the case of a prospect like Max Unger or Eric Wood, it could also give them some improved depth at guard, and in Unger's case, tackle as well.