What's The Deal With Ryan Mundy?

Has anyone noticed the lower leg injury to rookie Ryan Mundy? The question comes from Anon on yesterday's ill-excuse for a post. See, all anonymous commenters are not horribly misguided.

The Trib took it serious, wondering if the injury was worse than originally thought. The Beaver County Times had a concerning little note, saying:


[Mundy] will miss at least the next two preseason games with a lower leg injury. He may even be a candidate for the season-ending injured reserve list.


The Post-Gazette finally chimed in with a blurb, calling the injury a high ankle sprain.

So, is it time to pay attention? I know Charlie Batch and his collarbone take precedence over a rook, but this could hurt our defensive backfield moreso than anyone cares to think. Last week, I was ready to anoint Mundy as Troy's perfect partner in the secondary. I hope this injury doesn't derail that sentiment.

Early reports have Mundy missing a few preseason games, but is that the extent of the injury? The Beaver County Times piece, which mentions season-ending IR as a possibility, had me the most worried. Take a look at our secondary. Troy still has yet to practice, and he did little more than stand around in a jersey at St. Vincent this weekend. Barring any freak accidents, Troy should be back soon, solidifying the Strong Safety position. Free Safety is a crap shoot, with perennial stopgap Ryan Clark poised to start. Backing him up is Anthony Smith and Tyrone Carter. Mundy, in my mind, was the cute pick to come outta nowhere either this season or in the very near future and team up with Troy to create a formidable backfield. Now, Clark, Smith and Carter aren't total scrubs, but there must be concern when your safeties are either injured or career backups.

Am I putting too much thought into this, especially concerning Mundy? I mean, he is a rook...a late-round rook with a history of injuries at that, and the starting job was in no way his. He got bumped...his leg was sore...and he might miss a few games. Or, the cheap shot did more damage than originally thought, Mundy loses out on an injury-filled rookie year and never reaches any of the potential that made the Steelers draft him in the first place (for reference, think of Willie Reid and how his rookie injuries have slowed what was expected to be a decent Steelers career at worst).

So yeah, Mundy's injury has yet to be completely revealed, and we're stuck with a time frame stretching from a few weeks to possibly an entire season. Should we be concerned, or are you confident with a Clark/Smith/Carter/Townsend(?) chorus line at FS?

Ryan Mundy Makes Parties Hot Hot Hot!

I'm going to say it now, Ryan Mundy will team up with Troy Polamalu to make a sick defensive backfield in the future. It might happen this year, it might happen two years down the road, but I really enjoyed the pick late in this year's draft, and I'm certain the local kid can contribute as a solid starter.

Plus, he's humble. When questioned by the hot chick from Jocklife in the above video, Mundy says that his presence makes parties hot hot hot! His dance skillz need some help, though. He should take a cue from the Pittsburgh Colts' dance team.

Here's one more interview Mundy had with Jocklife. We as fans rarely get candid looks at rookies, mostly because they're young guys who need to entrench themselves in the new system. Mundy's favorite websites are actually pretty unexpected.

Who Did The Steelers Draft, Actually?

What better way to better understand your 2008 Steelers Draft Picks than from the mouths of bloggers?

I asked several NCAA football-team-focused blogs to chime in with a quick blurb about the Steelers draft pick coming from their respective school, and several were kind enough to share with you, the reader, exactly what kind of players now wear the Black and Gold.

Let's do this:


Limas Sweed - Texas
May end up being one of the best picks in the draft, without the wrist injury Sweed goes much higher and doctors don’t believe it will linger. Good team player who risked his NFL draft status to try to play through a painful injury for his Longhorn teammates. May not be the fastest wide receiver in the draft but runs very well (4.52 forty) for a 6-foot-4 receiver. Limas uses his size and leaping ability very well, and knows the benefits of a subtle push off to create separation. Should contribute to the Steelers early, especially in the red zone, and has the ability to become a true #1 receiver as he matures.


Tony Hills - Texas
Hills was a 4th round selection based on potential as much as performance. Was inconsistent at Texas and despite his measurables may not have the mean streak to be a dominating tackle in the NFL. Hills has good size and his frame should allow him to get bigger without losing any quickness. Is a good pass blocker thanks to his long arms and good feet (he was recruited as a 5-star tight end) but must get stronger to be an above average run blocker. If the light comes on for him, he has the intelligence, size, and athleticism to be solid left tackle for the Steelers.

- Brian from Bevo Sports


Dennis Dixon - Oregon
When I heard Dennis got drafted by the Steelers, I thought it was a perfect fit. He has all the tools to be an NFL QB. He's got the physical tools (size, arm, mobility). He's got the leadership ability. He's got the toughness (dude played on a shredded knee). And he's got the smart (scored an unreal 29 on his Wonderlic). The big question on him is his accuracy. He didn't throw the most accurate ball at Oregon, but got away with it because his receivers were so wide open in the spread.

If he can fix the accuracy thing, he could be a damn fine NFL quarterback. But, even if he's not a QB long term, he could still be a damn productive player. I look at former QBs such as Hines Ward of Antwaan Randle-El and Dennis is as athletic and as fast as those guys. If he doesn't work out at QB, I have no doubt he could switch to receiver and do some damage there.

Its a pretty good pick by the Steelers, because it offers multiple chances at success.

- Dave from Addicted to Quack


Mike Humpal - Iowa
All state sprinter still adjusting to his weight. Replaced Iowa's defensive MVP in both production and leadership after the MVP's injury in the middle of last season. A definite asset to a locker room. If he can stay healthy, he'll contribute for a few years, either as a weakside backer or on special teams. Great pick, great guy.

- Adam from Black Heart Gold Pants and Fanhaus


Ryan Mundy - West Virginia
To be perfectly honest, Mundy was viewed as a surprise pick by Mountaineer nation. A very solid college player, rarely out of place or beaten on any play, Mundy was still expected to catch on as a free agent after the draft. As a 6th round selection, the Steelers have drafted a player that will bring maturity and work ethic to the secondary positions (most likely safety). He may never be a star (or even a consistent starter), but he has the talent and drive to stick around in the league and contribute for the Steelers.

- Charley from West BY GOD Virginia


We can only assume Bruce Davis (UCLA) and Rashard Mendenhall (Illinois) are future Hall of Famers. Should the bloggers from each school get back to me, I'll update this post.

Many thanks to the participating bloggers for their insight.

Steelers 2008 Draft Class Recap

First Round
- Rashard Mendenhall, RB Illinois

Second Round
- Limas Sweed, WR Texas

Third Round
- Bruce Davis, DE/OLB UCLA

Fourth Round
- Tony Hills, OT Texas

Fifth Round
- Dennis Dixon, QB Oregon

Sixth Round
- Mike Humpal, LB Iowa
- Ryan Mundy, S West Virginia

Steelers Select Ryan Mundy

In what should be their final pick in this year's draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers selected S Ryan Mundy out of West Virginia.

The first words I saw when Googling Mundy was "injury prone."

Still, Guaranthony Smith might start hearing footsteps with this pick.

Mundy is originally from Wilkins Township, PA.

Barring some trade that gives us a 7th Round pick, the Steelers can close up shop early and start thinking about the upcoming season.