Steelers Draft and Mel Kiper sucks thread!!

If Bush can play good right away, our defense should be much improved this season.

 

He won't be and Boykin plays like a slow tight end - he is good though for sure , just not sweating us going with Johnson instead.

 

Big Ben makes Lance Moore's look like AB's



ok exaggeration but there is some truth in there too

 

Yeah same here but I figured him or my cousin Vinny Williams would be cut sooner or later

 

cousin huh?

 

I think that was a reference to the movie “My Cousin Vinnie.”

 

I am Mr. Literal.

 

There's a very real chance we will be looking back at this draft as a great one for us. Pretty much guys up and down the draft at all level I expect to make the team and be good ones.

 

Maybe this is the class of four HOFers that help Rudolph win four Super Bowls.

 

my man

 

Favorite picks? Least favorite picks? I've been expecting grades from you guys lol

 

The Steelers scored a perfect seven on this draft. As in #7

 

Favorite pick was Benny Snell in the 4th. Fits what the Steelers like to to do in the run game and he always has a chip on his shoulder.

Least favorite was Ulysses Gilbert III in the 6th. I just feel like they could have gone safety at this point. Productive player with a high motor, but could end up contributing the least from everybody in the draft class.

Overall grade is a B+

 

Favorite Pick: Diontae Johnson, who was high on seemingly everyone's board in the know. Loved the pick. Our super Steelers excel as an organization at picking wide receiver talent and I believe they did it again.

Least Favorite Pick: Ulysees Gilbert III. It wasn't a bad pick, just my least favorite of a great draft.


Techheart's Takeaways (picks listed in order of how they were drafted):

1) Devin Bush ILB (Michigan) - He does it all and checks most every box. They say a little undersized, but he hits like a bigger player. Nothing not to like here. We can argue if we gave up too much, and many did, but the more I have read about that the more I feel really good about things. Especially when viewing the entire Steelers draft in hindsight. We have a more durable Shazier. This is going to be fun. He has great quickness all over the field and is very disruptive. He has good hands and playmaking ability. To watch him is to observe a gifted athlete in his natural element. This kid was made for the NFL - file under pedigree. Bush's flawless tackling technique is really a sight to behold in this day and age of diminishing fundamentals. He wraps ball carriers up very, very well and this is his preferred method on field when possible. When not possible he does whatever it takes to put the ball carrier on the ground.

2) Diontae Johnson WR (Toledo) - This kid is going to be awesome and make us forget AB. He obviously needs a little professional seasoning and but I could not be more pleased with this draft pick. His route running, ability to lose corners and linebackers in the dust with plants, speed and technique are premiums. He is tricky fast (file under fastest on the field in pads) and a guy who proves a 40-time is not the best metric but rather how fast a guy plays in pads and real football situations. He is also naturally gifted at catching the ball. His tape is so much better than AB's coming out of CMU. He is a gifted kick returner as well. He plays so fluidly, has such great hands and moves and is already so good that I expect him to make an immediate impact. He checks most all the boxes. At 5'10" and 182 pounds he plays more like a tall receiver. He has great jumping ability and catches the ball at the top of his jump. He also has incredible hands - file under AB like abilities.

3) Justin Layne CB (Michigan State) - He will be to cornerback what Bush will be to linebacker and Johnson to receiver. He has an instinctive, natural, and fluid ability to stay tight in coverage while simultaneously being aware of ball placement on the field. Some of his picks were sheer unbelievable athletic ability and others were due to flawlessly reading a play from A to Z. His tackling ability is more than adequate. He is large and string for a corner. This is another player who checks most all the boxes for his position. He has the ability to play receiver or cornerback, but is best suited to cornerback. He will excel at cornerback in every package. He is big and physical, covers well, and has ball skills (don't let the "just one" pick last year fool you on that). He is also good at squaring up a ball carrier when making a tackle and does not overrun the QB on a corner blitz.

4) Benny Snell Jr. RB (Kentucky) - "Snell Yeah" !! I was thrilled after watching this man's tape and talking to friends who know all about him from Kentucky. This guy is already NFL ready in size, stature and strength. He looks like a younger and healthier Leveon Bell right down the the #26 on his jersey. Although he is more traditional in navigating the LOS, he still displays Bell-esque patience and has a great first step to the hole. He has great vision and balance and hits the hole with speed and strength. He follows his blocks well and has great field vision. He has more speed than for what he gets credit, but is more of a bruising back with the ability to stiff arm and be elusive as well. You cannot arm tackle him. Bell never had game breaking speed but look what he did, Snell = Bell (hey that even rhymes). He looks a lot like Bell in the open field especially. He catches the ball effectively on screens. I wonder if he can catch well in other situations and scenarios? Expect him to provide the perfect punch to go along with Conner. Nose for the endzone - this guy scored 48 rushing TDs at Kentucky! We will always have fresh legs and toughness on the field at running back if this two headed monster is managed properly! Pedigree alert - he has it and looks tailor-made for the NFL. Oh, and if all that wasn't enough he is also great at pass blocking.

5) Zack Gentry TE (Michigan) - I almost listed this guy as my least favorite pick but with 6'8" size, hands and decent strength I believe he has the ability to step right in and fill the shoes ofJesse James which will ultimately add value right away potentially. Can you imagine this guy and the Vanimal on the field at the same time? He needs to continue to get faster and stronger. He does appear to me to catch the ball well in traffic. At his size he will make a great target for first down conversions on third downs. He is a project but one we needed. Who knows maybe we catch a break with this one and he develops quickly and has an immediate rapport with Ben, who never saw a tall tight end or receiver that he didn't like. He needs to improve his blocking and route running. I hope our talent evaluators got this one right because it felt a little like a reach.

6) Sutton Smith OLB (Northern Illinois) - This one left my jaw on the floor when I watched his tape. If you have not done that, do so immediately. Do not be fooled by the MAC schools - MANY big time players come out of this modest conference. He simply has that "it" quality and you know you are watching greatness in the making when you see "it." He has every measurable except is slightly undersized, but what he lacks in size he more than makes up for in quickness and heart. To say his motor is always running is an understatement. I FEEL like we have the perfect compliment to Watt with this one. Mock that all you want but expect to be proven wrong in the long run with this one. This kid is a splash play artist with game-changing potential any time he is on the field. He is also versatile and can play different positions. I have not seen this kind of closing speed, hitting, and technique for the turnover since Troy Polamalu, who was only 5'10" and 210 pounds. Sutton led college football in sacks one year. Just please go watch the tape if you haven't already. He doesn't even look small to me - at all. At 6'1" and 237 pounds, he plays a lot like TJ Watt at 6'4" and 252 pounds. Pound for pound he is a smaller TJ Watt but packs the same punch.

7) Isaiah Buggs DT (Alabama) - This guy is a BEAST and will have an immediate impact if onboarded and matriculated properly. WOW, he swallows guys up whole when tackling them. How did this guy slip so far down the boards (possibly scouts thinking when you play at Alabama you are also a product of all the talent around you)? This was a DEEP draft (for us anyways). Which says Colbert and Tomlin did their homework and had luck on their side as well this time around. This guy plays with attitude and has unusually good sideline to sideline speed for a defensive lineman. Intimidating presence, good tackler, high motor, and doesn't give up on a play or take plays off. He had eleven sacks in two years, most on Alabama, to go with 17.5 tackles for loss and 2 forced fumbles. Our defense is going to be very fast. This pick was great value for a later round pick.

8) Ulysees Gilbert III ILB (Akron) - He will make an immediate impact on special teams and is a tackling machine ... provides needed depth at linebacker. Amazing how all these defenders being brought in this draft are fast and really fundamentally sound tacklers. He has some playmaking ability with a few picks, and a few forced fumbles/strips, even taking the ball to the house. I wonder if he will shine even more on a team with more talent around him than he had at Akron? He is a LB/Safety hybrid type player who can blitz or drop back in coverage. He could be useful in matching up over the middle against tight ends in certain schemes. It will be fun to see how he is used.

9) Derwin Gray OT (Maryland) - Great size and what he lacks in natural run blocking ability he more than makes up for in natural pass blocking ability, which for a team like ours that is going to sling it around with Big Ben, is most important. I watched some interviews and he is very smart and articulate. He also comes off to me as a bit of a gentle giant with a big heart - kinda reminded me of Max Starks in ways both on and off the field. He also has the ability to dominate and maul/overpower some guys. Great leadership qualities as he was a team captain. He played against a lot of young NFL calibre competition and mostly held his own. Great value for a seventh round pick.

What I most appreciate about this draft is the team-first mentality, character, work ethic and passion for playing football of each player. I hope this signals a return to a more disciplined product on the field that has the potential to unseat the Patriots as the best in the business.


Some good links:

https://www.pennlive.com/steelers/2...roduction-pedigree-passion-future-is-now.html

http://www.espn.com/blog/pittsburgh...h-steelers-2019-draft-analysis-for-every-pick

 

Great summation tech ... I really follow in your footsteps on all these drafted. I think we have a shot at something special 2019/20 and can't wait to find out.

 

Voting in Round 2 for the GOAT Sports Movie was completed this morning. The Brackets for the Semi-Final Round are now up and posted.

Links:

• https://live4sportnetwork.com/forum/threads/semi-final-round-goat-sports-movie-bracket-1-of-2.21831/
• https://live4sportnetwork.com/forum/threads/semi-final-round-goat-sports-movie-bracket-2-of-2.21830/

 

Nice job Tech. I'm very happy with this draft. Bush and Snell really catch my eye and Layne and Johnson aren't far behind. The top 4 will all contribute in a big way. I'm sure of it.

 

Thanks man, I am super pumped for this season. Already found myself on ticketmaster last night scouring home games for tickets for my daughter and I.

 

Voting in the Semi-Final Round was completed today. The bracket for the Final Round is now up and posted.

Scroll down through the forums until you get to the Entertainment Forum, then go to Movie Channel . The thread title is: FINAL ROUND, GOAT Sports Movie.

 

Looks like our 2020 1st Round pick is already panning out. Mink looked good right out of the gate. Thanks Miami!