2012 NFL Draft Results: Pittsburgh Selects NT Alameda Ta'amu In The 4th Round

The 4th round of the 2012 NFL Draft continued Thursday afternoon. For picks 106-110, the Seattle Seahawks got things started with Robert Turbin, a running back from Utah State. Turbin is powerful north-south runner with upside as a three-down back. Some have compared him to James Starks.

Pittsburgh had been associated with Alameda Ta'amu prior to the draft, as many wondered whether or not the Steelers would find a replacement nose tackle for Casey Hampton. Many believed he could have been picked prior to the fourth round.

106. Buffalo Bills: Utah State RB Robert Turbin, 5'10" 222 pounds

107. Kansas City Chiefs: Fresno State WR Devon Wylie, 5'9", 187 pounds

108: Denver Broncos: Baylor C Phillip Blake, 6'2", 311 pounds

109: Pittsburgh Steelers: Washington DT Alameda Ta'amu, 6'3", 348 pounds

Here is what Mocking the Draft had to say about the 6-foot-3, 330-pound Ta'amu:

Final word: When a defensive tackle is this big, the expectation is that the player is an immovable object in the middle. Coming out of Temple, the knock on Terrance Knighton was that he didn't play quite as strong as his size may suggest. The same thing can be said of Ta'amu. Like Knighton, Ta'amu is a better athlete than you'd expect and gets off his blocks fairly easily. There is also some versatility in how they can be used. Coming out, Knighton played both one- and zero-technique, much like Ta'amu was at Washington. While Ta’amu could hold up as a 3-4 nose tackle, he’s not quite as natural there as his measurables suggest.

110: San Diego Chagers: Louisiana-Lafayette TE Ladarius Green, 6'6", 238 pounds

Results from the 1st round of the 2012 NFL Draft can be found here, 2nd round results are available here, and 3rd round results can be found here. For more player rankings and draft information, check out Mocking the Draft.