Not too long ago David DeCastro was playing football at local powerhouse Bellevue HS. During his time as a Wolverine, DeCastro idolized the same person he'd be drawing comparisons to years later — former Seahawks offensive lineman Steve Hutchinson.
Picked at No. 24 overall in the first round by the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday, DeCastro will have an immediate impact. Experience in Stanford's pro-style offense will serve DeCastro greatly and help ease the transition from the college ranks to the NFL.
Though some mock drafts had DeCastro going as early as No. 11 to the Kansas City Chiefs, no offensive guard has been picked in the draft's top 15 picks since 2001. Either way, Pittsburgh feels fortunate for DeCastro dropping all the way to No. 24:
"We didn't think David would be here, we valued him that high," Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "We said earlier (this week) there are a few special players in this (draft) group. He was one of them. ... (Via: Mercury News)
DeCastro's pick has some Steelers fans beyond excited. Here is Neal Coolong's take from SB Nation's Steelers blog, Behind the Steel Curtain:
The Steelers just drafted perhaps the best guard prospect in the last 10 years. He fills the team's greatest need. And the Steelers still have an entire draft to address other needs.
David DeCastro is a Steeler. In the 400 mock drafts we ran on this site, and the 4,000 others we all collectively read, no one predicted he would fall to the point the Steelers could take him at 24.
This is Alan Faneca 2.0. This is a Pro Bowl-level player in his first year. This could not have worked out better for the Steelers.
For more analysis on the Steelers, and their draft picks, head on over to Behind The Steel Curtain.