The Pittsburgh Steelers lost another All-Pro from their defense, but instead of bemoaning it, they were quietly celebrating after a draft that aggressively went right after filling the gaping holes they have on offense and defense.

Their biggest move came when they signed unrestricted free agent cornerback Donnell Woolford to a four-year, $5.6 million contract on Saturday. That move in essence meant the end of Rod Woodson's long and distinguished career in Pittsburgh. They wanted to re-sign Woodson but when he balked at their last offer on Saturday, they turned to Woolford and he was signed to replace him.

They quickly followed that by drafting Maryland cornerback Chad Scott with the 24th pick on the first round. They believe he is mature enough and good enough to step right in, making him and Woolford their starting corners for 1997 and former Miami Dolphin J.B. Brown No. 3.

They also filled vital needs at wide receiver and drafted one of the most productive running backs of the last two years, San Diego State's George Jones, who rushed for 1,842 yards as a junior.

Scott was the player they wanted all along. They made the 6-1, 200-pounder the third cornerback they have drafted first in the past 11 years, starting with Woodson in 1987.

"He has size, he has speed,'' coach Bill Cowher said. "This guy is a great back. He's also played inside in the nickel. He's a solid tackler. He has a lot of qualities that fit this system very well.''

Scott and Woolford both fall into that category. The Steelers like their cornerbacks big, fast and aggressive. Woolford is only 5-9 but a stocky 192 and a proven aggressive player who can play man-to-man coverage and enjoys stuffing the run. He made the Pro Bowl after the 1993 season.

Unlike last year when they drafted unpolished offensive tackle Jamain Stephens in the first round, the Steeler expect Scott to contribute immediately. They will have to live with his mistakes, but they lived with those made by Woodson last year when he got burned deep too often and guessed wrong too many times to try to make up for losing a step because of his knee injury from 1995.

The Steelers also have lost Willie Williams and Deon Figures through free agency, which means their three top corners from last season are gone. They drafted another cornerback, Daryl Porter, who started three seasons at Boston College.

They went right after their glaring needs for depth at wide receiver, too. They need a No. 3 possession man to fill the shoes of free agent Andre Hastings and they believe they got that in San Diego State's Will Blackwell. Dave Culley, their respected wide receivers coach, had Blackwell rated as the second-best receiver in the draft. They also believe they got a steal in the seventh round when they took wide receiver Mike Adams of Texas. Adams was marked down by some teams for some run-ins with the law early in his college career but the Steelers checked him out and believe he was worth the risk. Adams can also be the good return man they so desperately need.

Offensive tackle Paul Wiggins of Oregon could become a starter for them in 1998 and Ohio State defensive end Mike Vrabel should help their gaping hole at that position.

Who knows what any draft brings until they start maturing and playing in the pros? But the Steelers believe they hit this one pretty good. They've done extremely well in the 1990s through the draft, and their talent evaluations have been among the best in the league. There's no reason to believe that this one won't rank right up there with the others.

By the way, when they drafted George Jones it probably meant the end of Erric Pegram's stay in Pittsburgh.

The combination of Jones, Jerome Bettis' hefty new contract and Pegram's $725,000 salary for next season should cause Pegram's departure in one form or another.

Pegram admitted as much.

"I don't see them having two starting running backs on the same team, paying starting salaries. Anybody can figure that out. I think the money deal is what it's all about.''

They traded two picks -- in the fifth and seventh rounds -- to San Diego for the Chargers' third-rounder in 1998. That was done so they could save money under the salary cap this year and to get a better player next year.

ROUND-BY-ROUND ANALYSIS

Round 1/24 -- Chad Scott, CB, Maryland

Having lost their top three cornerbacks from last season, the Steelers needed to fill this need big-time. They drafted a cornerback in their mold, a 6-1, 200-pounder with decent speed who can cover man-to-man, blitz the quarterback and stop the run. They expect him to start quickly. He is the man they wanted. A good pick for where they were drafting.

Round 2/53 -- Will Blackwell, WR, San Diego State

His lack of speed turned off some teams, but the Steelers have him pegged for their No. 3 man, a possession guy who catches the underneath routes. He excels at that and his production was good -- 60 receptions for 1,000 yards and 11 TDs last year. They need him to become their third or fourth receiver immediately and that's not asking too much for a rookie. He fills a need.

Round 3/82 -- Paul Wiggins, OT, Oregon

They weren't exactly looking for an offensive tackle at this spot, having drafted one in the first round last year, but they loved this guy so much they had to take him. They figured him a second-rounder at the least. It's hard to get good offensive linemen these days without paying millions for them and they have a line filled with players over 30. He could start in 1998 at left tackle. A decent pick.

Round 3/91 -- Mike Vrabel, DE, Ohio State

This is a big-time producer, but a tweener for the kind of scheme the Steelers play, the 3-4. He's not quite big enough (6-4, 275) to play end, too big for linebacker. The Steelers will try to move him around so teams can't get a double-team bead on him. They need defensive ends, but he's not a classic for them in that moud, certainly not one who can play over a tackle, overpower him and push the pocket. An OK pick.

Round 5/154 -- George Jones, HB, San Diego State

Jerome Bettis is only 25 and signed for the next four years so they're only looking for a backup, someone who can spell him and Jones should be able to do that job. He has great production and a strong, low-to-the ground body -- 5-8 1/2, 207. He did his running at San Diego State, where they run a wide-open passing offense. That, of course, is opposite of what the Steelers do. He allows them to save money by disposing of backup HB Erric Pegram ($725,000). A good pick for this round.

Round 6/186 -- Daryl Porter, CB, Boston College

The Steelers need cornerbacks and had to get another one. Some consider Porter a safety, but not them. He started for three years at BC and was productive, with decent speed and a good special teams man. Willie Williams was a late-round pick also and he started for them for two years before hitting it big in free agency with Seattle this year. Porter won't have to start and can make the team as the No. 4 corner. Picked to fill a need.

Round 6/199 -- Rod Manuel, DE, Oklahoma

This is a hope pick. The Steelers hope he can put on some weight and show more production that he did at Oklahoma. He has some quickness, but he's not very strong. He did the 225-pound bench press just seven times. Big things are not expected of him, but on a team that has no defensive ends to speak of, he at least has a chance. A gamble, but not a big one late in the draft.

Round 7/223 -- Mike Adams, WR, Texas

Even though he is their last pick, he has a better chance of making it than some of their other selections. They are desperate for return men and he did a good job of that at Texas. Plus, he had great production at receiver with 177 catches for 3,032 yards in college. Off-field problems kept some teams at bay, but if he keeps his nose clean he's a good fit with the Steelers. A real good pick at this spot.