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    Ravens Jump Steelers In Order To Snake TE Maxx Williams

    By Dave Bryan May 1, 2015 at 08:53 pm


    The Pittsburgh Steelers seemed like they were poised to draft Minnesota tight end Maxx Williams in the second round of the 2015 NFL Draft, but the Baltimore Ravens made sure that didn’t happen.

    The Ravens traded their 58th overall selection in the second round along with a fifth rounder (No. 158) for the 55th overall pick from the Arizona Cardinals to draft Williams.

    According to Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the Steelers were indeed all set to draft Williams.

    Earlier in the evening it was reported that the Steelers might trade up in the second round and Williams was one of the players many speculated they attempting to move up for.

    After the Ravens drafted Williams, the Steelers drafted Mississippi cornerback Senquez Golson with the 56th overall pick in the draft.


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    • DoctorNoah

      Ugh. Like Dupree but don’t like where this draft is headed. Williams and Walford already off the board. We have already lost out on seemingly every good defensive back. I like that Golson has a big heart but can’t inagine he’ll match up outside against real talent. Maybe we jump at La’el Collins in the third to take some pressure off Mike Adams until he gets indicted. I’m not sure where we go from here.

    • walter mason

      Damn Ravens

    • DoctorNoah

      Also, if it wasn’t clear, we got played here. Depressing

    • Shawn S.

      Slick move by the Raisins. It will be painful enough if Williams turns out to be a beast (which he might), but even worse if Golson turns out to be “Dri on D”, meaning too small and picked too high (which he might).

      But that’s negative thinking, so I’ll stop.

    • Nick

      This makes me real mad. I thought he was an absolute steal in the 2nd and never thought he would last that late. Hopefully Jesse James is their guy and becomes the next Heath….

    • kdubs412

      Round One was a dream. Two is a goddamn nightmare

    • Donte Williams

      I didn’t want Williams glad he was off the board and I’m not mad at Golson pick after reading other post he a ball hawk with speed size doesn’t matter if you a beast ala Antonio Brown

    • Conserv_58

      What is clear is it’s the ravens that might have gotten played here. Kevin Colbert has been saying for months that this TE draft class is weak. I think the Steelers did what they do best. They stayed true to their board and took the player they had rated higher. I think Golson is going to pay higher dividends, especially if coach Butler sees him as his new slot corner. Golson would excel in that role.

    • steelersfan

      Man i hate them – only a 5th round too? Crazy.

    • Conserv_58

      A steal? Please. The ravens can have him. What the Golson haters fail to understand is he could be the perfect fit as the Steelers slot corner. This kid is a verifiable ball hawk and he’s got 4.4 speed, quick twitch moves, fluid hips, great hands and he’s the best pure zone coverage corner in the draft. It just so happens the Steelers play a lot of zone coverage too.

    • Nick Sabatella

      If you watched the tape…. it is clear that Maxx Williams is a very strong prospect. He is the perfect Steeler type tight end. And the Ravens of all teams jumped in front of us to get him. Ruined my weekend.

    • Nick Sabatella

      Please not jesse james… that guy looks so stiff. Tyler Kroft if anything. Walford is already gone too : /

    • Nick Sabatella

      Ruined…. my…. weekend

    • Luis Garcia

      Who cares? read that Maxx is an a@@ ? Who need them ? Am I wrong?

    • kdubs412

      He’s 5’8″ and can’t jump. Name me one above-average corner in the NFL who is that short. We got played and then reached like crazy. It’s dri all over again.

    • Nick Sabatella

      Ten year starter for us. Like a young heath with better spectacular catch ability. The one piece we are really missing on offense now is a tight end who can make people miss, and be an aerial threat and not just a security blanket. I really felt like he, or walford would make a HUGE difference for our offense once they got settled.

    • Orlysteel

      It’s a blessing in disguise, better to go for a corner that’s sorely needed, the TE, could wait another year the offense is loaded. They need to know what they have in Blanchflower.

    • Conserv_58

      I watched his videos and nothing about his game shows me that he is the future replacement for Heath. He’s isn’t fast, can’t jump very high and doesn’t have quickness. He doesn’t have a high ceiling either. I think the Steelers will find Heath’s replacement next season.

    • keith evans

      i agree Kroft for me if we are going to bother with TE at all, jessee is mechanical!

    • Josh Knepshield

      The best CB in the NFL today is Chris Harris. He is in the 5’9 range.

    • Conserv_58

      Watch his film and tell me Golson can’t jump. What about what I said about him playing in the slot did you not understand? I know that at his size he won’t be asked to play on the outside, but the kid could be a great slot corner.

    • LucasY59

      I wasnt too upset since I thought there was good value still available, but then they picked Golson,

      Jesse James in the 4th is the TE i had mocked to the Steelers, I think he is better value and could be better player with his size

    • Steeler Fanatic

      Tim Jennings and Brandon Flowers.

    • Conserv_58

      Ten year starter? Apparently you’re a comedy writer because Kevin Colbert would laugh at that description.

    • Andrew

      I feel like Jesse James would be a mistake. I like the Ohio State kid. He can block and catch, what more do we need?

    • Dx2nc

      The Steelers need to be more aggressive after the first round. All they had to give-up was a 5th round pick & they could of secured the best TE in the draft. So lets look back at those valuable 5th round picks: 2014 (Wesley Johnson) 2013 (Terry Hawthorne) 2012 (Chris Rainey) 2011 (Chris Carter) 2010 (Stevenson Sylvester, Crezdon Butler & Chris Scott). That’s some bang for your buck.

    • Nick

      A steal for late in the 2nd round…yes. When Jarvis Jones fails to cover the flats and Maxx Williams burns him, it is going to hurt us. CB makes sense, but if Heath goes down, with Bell out 3 games, we have to rely on 3 WR and that is it. Williams isnt the best TE prospect ever, but he will be a receiving threat.

    • Nick

      Im not real high on any of these TEs, other than Maxx, but as a Penn Stater, James would make me happy.

    • Erik Masucci

      He can’t block. Heath is a great blocker. Nowhere near a young Heath. I’ll take the above average hands and great blocker over a guy who simply can’t block any day

    • keith evans

      it’s not how high you jump, it’s when you jump! he has excellent timing, great hand-eye coordination due to his baseball background and massive mitts – 10 interceptions last season!!!

    • Nick

      That was a serious run-on sentence broski..

    • Luis Garcia

      Me says… “keep him”.

    • Andrew

      Like Golston more than Coates. We could have gotten a good depth player at WR later. TJ Clemmings would have been a steal, even Tre Jackson would have been better. Now Heurman (SP?) is off the board. He would have been the better pick. Hopefully we get another CB/S, a DE, and a NT. If Clemmings somehow falls to the fourth, we better take him.

    • WIINGY

      Should of drafted Gregory. Cowboys got the SOD

    • WIINGY

      He could play on the outside I suppose it depends on the matchup. No reason he can’t move around. Still not sold on the pick I suppose we will see.

    • kdubs412

      A slot corner is NOT what you should be trying to get in the second round….Blake is already fine there anyway.

    • GhettoBelligerent

      Except for the fact of multiple reports that Maxx is a D-bag = NOT a Steeler

    • Don2727

      Well, the ravens jumped cause they knew the Steelers would have taken Maxx. Hope their back up plan works..

    • Steve Klingensmith

      Strong prospect? ya. not sure what you mean about perfect steeler type te as he and H.miller don’t have anything in common. Personality or skill wise.

    • Lil Smitty

      You forgot to mention Ben getting a season ending injury.

    • Matt Manzo

      If James goes earlier I’d take Bell!

    • ND_Steel

      Heath WAS a great blocker, I’d say he’s pretty average all around now.

    • Steven Ledbetter

      Heath Miller has great hands. One of the best TE’s
      at holding on to the ball in the NFL.

    • Steven Ledbetter

      If Maxx Williams is what the Steelers were hoping for then they were stupid not to move up a couple of spots to get him. Can’t always just sit there because you don’t want to lose one of your later crappy rounders.

    • Milliken Steeler

      Being an average blocker at best, is the perfect Steeler TE?

    • Krankor

      Yeah, 5th round picks are worthless. It’s not like you’re gonna be able to use a 5th round pick to get a Mike Webster. Or even a Hardy Nickerson.

      Oh wait, it’s just like that.

    • Conserv_58

      That goes to show what you don’t know. Go to the official Steelers site and watch the video of what DB coach, Carnell Lake had to say about him.

    • Conserv_58

      They already have several receiving threats and they just drafted another one.

    • Conserv_58

      Go watch Coates video of his play in the senior bowl. He sure shut the mouths of those that were knocking him.

    • Conserv_58

      That’s nonsense. The ravens were fools to move up to take him because the Steelers had no plans to take him, in the first place. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN the Steelers tried to move up to the top of round two to take Landon Collins. That makes the ravens’ decision to trade up to take Williams all the more foolhearted.

    • Conserv_58

      At the beginning of last season Heath was still not 100% recovered from his knee injury, but as the season wore on Heath got better.

    • Heather Danis

      Don’t think they wanted Maxx Williams. I know a lot of Ravens fans here that are extremely unhappy having picked an overly arrogant guy who can’t block and who has a terrible work ethic.

    • Heather Danis

      As I mentioned above, I’ve been talking with a lot of Ravens fans here and they are not happy because of just that and his work ethic. They’re afraid his poor work ethic and his tendency to drop sure passes will affect tight games in the AFC North. He doesn’t like to be criticized so if the locker room gets on him, they’re afraid he’ll turn into a cancer.

    • Heather Danis

      So that still makes him better than Williams at blocking and Walford and Bell and Kroft and most of the other weak TE’s in this class.

    • kdubs412

      Oh you mean the guy who wanted Shaq Richardson and Terry Hawthorn who both couldn’t make it out of camp? Stop drinking the kool aid

    • Heather Danis

      Yah…not anywhere close. He doesn’t like to block and has a poor work ethic so if the desire isn’t there then the production and effort at blocking won’t be there either. Definitely not the “perfect Steeler TE”. However, yes, he will be a match-up problem to be dealt with in the passing game.

    • Heather Danis

      And he’s inconsistent as a pass catcher under duress.

    • steelersfan

      If this was in fact their guy they should have been more aggressive I agree. I liked the guy we picked though and it was a bigger need….hopefully it all works out.

    • kdubs412

      Darrelle revis and Richard Sherman are laughing in your face for that one. But sure there are a couple examples, it’s just very rare.

    • Nolrog

      You need to get out more then.

    • Rick M

      Sorry but his examples are far more relevant because they are from modern time and are players selected by the current F/O. Your’s are from a long, long ago time with totally different F/O staff involved. There’s just no comparison. The current F/O has failed badly in the 5th round so the value of a 5th rounder is not high.

    • StarSpangledSteeler

      If we could get Blake Bell TE in the 5th rd I think that’s the better pick.

      4th round – Adrian Amos (CB/FS)
      5th round – Blake Bell
      6th round – OG
      6th comp – RB
      7th round – DL

    • Matt Manzo

      That would be ideal, but I’m hoping we’re saving the 5th for Donald Celiscar! He can play FS and CB!

    • ND_Steel

      Agree, this is a weak TE class, I’m hoping we steer clear of the TEs. J James is interesting, as Hackenberg was terribly inaccurate this year; tough to say what James could be with a good QB.

    • Drizzle97

      Thank goodness! He can’t block! We want our WRs to block. So we sure want our TE to at least be a “willing blocker ” Wes, bell or ohio st TE in the 6th is more value!

    • SteelHorseman

      Exactly, I was under the impression we needed starters

    • SteelHorseman

      Greg Lloyd too! Wasn’t he 5th?

    • SteelHorseman

      I couldn’t agree more. We are going to waste 2 of these picks at least on players who aren’t making the final 53… Trade-up

    • SteelHorseman

      Osu tight end is currently a member of the Denver broncos. Let’s hope we move on bell… And Heath wasn’t the best blocked his first year or so. He got better, others can roo

    • JoeGreeneCokeKid

      We all wanted a corner there. There were plenty of tall corners on the board and Colbert took this one. It isnt like we waited or missed the good prospects. All the tall 2nd round guys I liked in this class were right there. (Heh, except Rowe, but I didn’t expect him to get to us…)

      I take this to mean that I was too superficial in my judgement on the CBs. I think Colbert got who he wanted so I’m going to trust until it is proven otherwise (and to me that means a few seasons)

    • Drizzle97

      He definitely got better, but he was a waaay better blocker and all around TE than Max.

      It would be different if he was athletic and a WILLING blocker. .This dude think he’s Jimmy Grahm

    • Heather Danis

      PJ Williams isn’t that great and has character issues, Darby isn’t either and neither are playmakers on the ball. The FO wants to try to increase ability to create turnovers. Quinton Collins has the ball skills but doesn’t have the experience the FO covets and is extremely raw for a 2nd. Chance though they might have gone with him in 3rd if there. Carter plays more like a safety and run defense is his strongest asset. Not great in coverage and not a ballhawk either. I think they went with their board when Nate Orchard went to Cleveland. What other CBs were you interested in by chance? Not criticizing but there were likely good reasons why he was higher on their board than the taller ones

    • bmorepurple

      Sour Grapes!!!! #Ravensnation

    • Andrew

      I’m not saying he is a bad player, but we already have a deep threat in Bryant. Coates is going in as our #4 WR right now, not to mention he has struggled with drops. We could have waited until round 5-6 to grab our #4 WR. Again, he has talent, its just the pick could have been spent better somewhere else.

    • Krankor

      His examples make an excellent case that we need to do a better job making 5th round picks, not that they are worthless and we should just forget about them.

    • Buccos9

      He could be a great slot corner, but we already have almost all slot corners. What we really needed was a good outside corner, not another Antwon Blake who gets devoured by tall receivers. The Ravens trade for Williams reminded me of the year we let the Jets swoop in one pick ahead of us to grab Darelle Revis. I’m sure nobody would have enjoyed sticking it to the Steelers more than Bruce Arians did last night, and if the Steelers really wanted Williams, they should have suspected that Arians and his GM might love hijacking their plans. We handed the Ravens another weapon. Let’s see if Golson can handle him.

    • Lisa Ryan

      f**k the Ravens, they are after all, only the purple Browns

    • Dx2nc

      yeah, nobody said they’re worthless but you went back to 1974. So yeah every 40 yrs or so you strike gold!

    • Skip Colins

      Lol. …..funny how when you miss out on someone, all of a sudden they become not so good. Where are you all getting the idea that he cant block from. If you actually did some research you would know he is the top te in this draft, a well rounded te who if there is anything he needs to improve on its his blocking. But to say he cant block is a joke. Not to mention he is a sophomore with tremendous upside. #RAVENSNATION

    • Vincent Mcelroy

      Steelers just drafted Jesse James in the 5th round!
      I think a way better over all T.E. than Williams!

    • JoeGreeneCokeKid

      Rollins was the next CB taken and also next on most draft boards. Prolly guy I expected. If before draft u told me he’d be steelers selection I would have been happy with that – but looking at how Steelers make their picks I think this makes sense.
      PS I like your assessment of Williams and carter, though might have liked them on steve smith..,

    • OhthePossibilities

      And after you turned around, they laughed.