Meet the draft experts JOHN CZARNECKI FOX NFL Sunday Czar will analyze each team's draft night war room, the reasoning behind every first-round pick and why teams did or didn't cut a deal. PETER SCHRAGER FOXSports.com Live from New York's Radio City Music Hall, Schrager provides an insider's glimpse of the draft-night doings. 17. SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS MIKE IUPATI, G, IDAHO - Profile | Highlights CZAR'S FRONT OFFICE TAKE: Well, Jimmy Clausen is still on the clock with the 49ers passing on him. By picking Idaho guard Mike Iupati, the 49ers are saying they wanted to shore up their offensive line and that they are plenty happy with quarterback Alex Smith. At one time, Iupati was considered to be the Oakland Raiders' selection in the first round. Iupati may struggle with pass blocking, but he's a monster in the running game and very coachable. This pick means that Clausen could fall to the bottom of the first round or lower. SCHRAGER ON THE SCENE: The Niners take two offensive linemen with their two top twenty picks and neither is Bryan Bulaga. Interesting. I'd love to tell you that the Niners fans are doing something noteworthy, but they're not. And that's because another team is now on the clock. As soon as I even begin to think about the mayhem that's about to ensue, a "SHE SAID NO" chant breaks out in Radio City. Yep. The Steelers are on the board. "SHE SAID NO" is rocking the place. Just what Roger Goodell wanted to hear. 18. PITTSBURGH STEELERS MAURKICE POUNCEY, C, FLORIDA - Profile CZAR'S FRONT OFFICE TAKE: This pick was no surprise. Everyone knew that the Steelers had their sights set on Florida center Maurkice Pouncy, who was ranked between 20 and 30 on most team's draft boards. Pittsburgh has a long history of having great centers and director of football operations Kevin Colbert made the move, knowing that the Falcons also coveted Pouncy, who worked out privately with the Falcons last week. This pick also means that Coach Mike Tomlin probably wants to return to the power running game, knowing that Ben Roethlisberger will be suspended for at least four games. I don't think the Steelers ever wanted to trade Big Ben and this selection means they are going to stick with him or they would have gone after a quarterback here.
SCHRAGER ON THE SCENE: The Steelers address their interior offensive line needs and take one half of the Pouncey twins from Florida. Some of the comments being tossed around behind me? "Can he protect a bathroom hallway?" Ouch. "Can he watch Ben's blind side in small towns in Georgia?" Zing! Okay, okay. Before I lose my credentials to all NFL events, I'll just stop writing those down. The Steelers fans in the building look like the guys from "The Hangover" right now. Usually, an energetic crew--they look like they haven't slept in days. Rings around the eyes; frazzled hair. No tigers, babies or Mike Tyson punches to the face this week for them -- but it's pretty close. 19. ATLANTA FALCONS SEAN WEATHERSPOON, LB, MISSOURI - Profile | Highlights CZAR'S FRONT OFFICE TAKE: The Falcons had two needs -- center and linebacker -- and after losing out on Maurkice Pouncey -- they went for Missouri OLB Sean Weatherspoon, who can rush the passer and also cover running backs out of the backfield. The Falcons will obviously address the center need later in the draft because Todd McClure is 33 and he's started 128 consecutive games. Another possibility here was Oklahoma TE Jermaine Gresham, who will now be availabe for the Patriots. Weatherspoon is an ideal 3-4 linebacker.
SCHRAGER ON THE SCENE: I was sent a YouTube video of Weatherspoon dancing in the mirror at an Express clothing store in a local mall. It was two minutes long. Just odd stuff. A guy dancing in a mirror. Why was this not dissected by ESPN like the backflips? Both have the same relevance to playing in the NFL. Weatherspoon put up 400 tackles in college, can play inside or outside, and squats 700 pounds. He'll be a good fit in Atlanta. Hopefully, they have an Express store in the Lenox Mall. 20. HOUSTON TEXANS KAREEM JACKSON, CB, ALABAMA - Profile | Highlights CZAR'S FRONT OFFICE TAKE: Alabama CB Kareem Jackson was a tad of a reach for the Houston Texans, but he was considered the most physical cornerback in the draft. The Jets were extremely high on Jackson, who fills a big need with Dunta Robinson gone. The Texans believe that Jackson was well-coached at Alabama where Nick Saban plays a special with all secondary players. The pick does make sense because the Texans have to beat Peyton Manning if they are ever going to be a playoff team.
SCHRAGER ON THE SCENE: Just caught a heck of a move out of Commissioner Goodell. After Kareem Jackson was drafted by Houston, Goodell walks into the crowd, locates a teenage girl in a Steve Slaton Texans jersey, and hands her the Texans draft card. Meanwhile, the Jets and Giants fans are no longer on such great terms. I just saw two groups yelling at each other. All is right in the Big Apple. As for Jackson? Loved him in college. Very physical. I'm concerned about pass interference penalties at the next level. 21. CINCINNATI BENGALS JERMAINE GRESHAM, TE, OKLAHOMA - Profile | Highlights CZAR'S FRONT OFFICE TAKE: Like his quarterback buddy, Sam Bradford, Oklahoma tight end Jermaine Gresham missed last season with an injury, but many believed he was the draft's best receiving tight end. Gresham suffered a knee injury last year, but he's healthy now and ready to go. Greshman was expected to go the Patriots and that's why the Patriots traded out of their slot.
SCHRAGER ON THE SCENE: The Bengals go with Gresham, announcing the pick on the team's official Twitter feed. That's a first. First Jenny McCarthy and Jim Carrey announce their breakup on Twitter, and now this. Gotta feel for HBO "Hard Knocks" star Chase Coffman. After a six episode arc of being yelled at by coaches and doing next to nothing in his rookie season--the Bengals draft a tight end in the first round the very next year. I swear there was a pack of Bengals fans here earlier. They're nowhere to be found now. Perhaps they were all rushed to the hospital before their team was on the clock...Too exhausted from screaming obscenities about Ben Roethlisberger. For once, the Bungles are not the butt of the football world's off-the-field jokes. The hated Steelers are.
Receive your weekly recap of all the happenings around the world of sports.