Steelers Draft and Mel Kiper sucks thread!!

General AJM, please report to the Ministry Of Information for reprogramming. This draft actually turned out pretty good. Having said that I am not as high on it as THIS guy:

(per analyst Chad Reuter):

"Pittsburgh Steelers
Draft picks: T.J. Watt (No. 30 overall), JuJu Smith-Schuster (No. 62 overall), Cameron Sutton (No. 94 overall), James Conner (No. 105 overall), Joshua Dobbs (No. 135 overall), Brian Allen (No. 173 overall), Colin Holba (No. 213 overall), Keion Adams (No. 248 overall)
Day 1 grade: A
Day 2 grade: A-
Day 3 grade: A
Overall grade: A
The skinny: The fact that T.J. Watt was available for the Steelers was amazing. He's a war daddy, and Pittsburgh can play him inside or outside for years. This was one of those picks where everyone will wonder in four years how Watt dropped this far. Many Steelers fans told me the team wouldn't take a receiver early; well, Kevin Colbert thought differently. JuJu Smith-Schuster is a very strong receiver who will be the physical pass-catcher the team needs. They could have used a pick on defense again, however, and found another receiver late in the draft. Colbert did get a corner/safety in Cameron Sutton who should become a starter down the line.

It's hard not to be happy for cancer survivor James Conner, but defenders won't be happy when trying to tackle this Steeler running back. I love the pick of Joshua Dobbs in the fourth round, with Big Ben going year-to-year from here on out. Cornerback Brian Allen is the next long, tall Utah cover guy with great potential, and getting long, athletic Western Michigan pass rusher Keion Adams late in the seventh will pay dividends."

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap30...7-nfl-draft-quicksnap-grades-for-all-32-teams

 

Jean, when you get a chance, please check your PMs.

Thanks.

 

GOOD NEWS !!!

Tom Brady will be on the cover of Madden. Let the curse continue !!!

 

Cornerback looks to be this teams biggest need, taking an early prediction-filled look at the 2018 offseason. Ross Cockrell is an impending free agent, and if he goes 11-year-pro William Gay will be this team's best option for the outside. Artie Burns will probably continue to get better, but while lots of fans appear to be very high on Brian Allen, his status is an enormous question mark.

Louisville CB Jaire Alexander is a junior in 2017. He had an outstanding season for the Cardinals in 2016 on defense and special teams. As more pundits catch wind of him, he'll start to rise in the proverbial rankings and is my special pick to watch this year. In the meantime, he'd look fantastic in black and gold.

 

we are due some good luck with corners .... sutton, allen, and golsen .... what if ?

 

If they are all available to play, Allen likely gets stashed on PS, and Sutton would likely be inactive unless he shows extremely well on ST. Golsen could be great, could be cut...hoping Golsen lives up to potential and nails down that slot. Cannot count on him though but on paper those three with Burns and Davis are pretty formidable.

 

Lol

 

I agree, there is reason for some hope this year in this area. Yeah, I thought about the odd man out dilemma too. Good problem to have though if all stay healthy in preseason and perform well.

 

Great video on STEELERS.com

http://www.steelers.com/videos/vide...e-fields/aba13d95-8c91-493c-89a0-39b37d2514af

 

Demo's Projected Team Needs for 2018:

Red

• Quarterback - When we win the Super Bowl, I have to believe Ben will want to go out on top. Even if that doesn't happen, Josh Dobbs hasn't shown yet (in limited preseason action against backups and third-stringers) that he is definitely Ben's successor. Maybe a little competition will at the very least force him to accelerate the process to become an NFL QB. In fact, we have such a solid team around the QB that we can afford to possibly sell the farm for the right to select a true franchise passer from the many who may be available in the 2018 draft.

What would it take to trade up from #32 to near the top of the draft? There's no way we could pull off going to #1 overall unless we traded our entire roster to the Jets for theirs, so our best hope may be to cross our fingers and pray that the logjam at QB in 2018 breaks loose a bit and causes a couple of guys to take a tumble. Sam Darnold is the guy with the most hype surrounding him but he isn't my personal favorite. Lest we forget, there was once a time when Landry "Lance" Jones was a true franchise QB coming out of Oklahoma, with some comparing him favorably to his predecessor Sam Bradford. I think I'd rather have either of the Joshes, Rosen or Allen. We might be able to pull off a similar trade to the one the Falcons made for Julio Jones back in 2011 (just not with the f***ing Browns). That would cost us a couple of first-round picks at least and maybe Le'Veon Bell (another franchise tag perhaps?), but the promise of a seamless transition to a new, young, hungry franchise QB to be placed in a dream offense would be more than worth it and ensure we keep pace with the Browns in the event that their many high draft picks work out.

Yellow

• Wide Receiver - This is to illustrate how QB stands to be our biggest need in 2018 by a Grand Canyon's length. Our top 4 receivers are all really solid at worst, and they're all under contract through at least 2018. The need lies in the fact that Martavis Bryant is the one who is set to be a free agent in 2019, and I don't know how willing the Steelers will be to re-sign him. Some young talent might be useful to keep our depth at the position intact.
• Tackle - Our starting tackles are solid, but our swing tackle Chris Hubbard is a free agent in 2018. Without him, there's nothing behind Villanueva or Gilbert. That has to be a secondary priority in 2018.
• Defensive End - Stephon Tuitt is still technically set to be a free agent in 2018, although he should be extended very soon. Even so, too much depth at DE is never a bad thing, especially since there's a significant drop-off after our starting two.
• Cornerback - Assuming Cam Sutton and Joe Haden both work out, this is a secondary need for 2018. Wiliam Gay is clearly declining as a player who will be 32 when we play in Super Bowl LII. Like DE, too many good corners is never a bad thing, and in Pittsburgh they're a rare sight.
• Outside Linebacker - James Harrison will definitely retire after we win #7, so at least one OLB will be necessary for depth.

Green

• Nose Tackle - Javon Hargrave is the only viable NT on the roster, even with Dan McCullers, who is going to be a free agent anyway in 2018. Unless we're planning on a full scheme shift in 2018 then this can't continue.
• Outside Linebacker - After we select one, we might wanna look at another. Arthur Moats is a free agent in 2018 as well.
• Running Back - All signs point to Conner being an effective back (proving me wrong). We are not a running-back-by-committee team, but if Bell ceases to be a Steeler in 2018 then we'll have nothing behind Conner, who should play on this team for years to come.

 

Come on demolisher, you know we will be able to get that #1 pick from the Browns. So what if it cost us 2 years #1s in a row. The Browns would screw it up anyways and wouldn't be able to do much with 2 #32 picks back to back.

 

Anyone in Steeler Country interested in Wazzu QB Falk? He just torched USC for nearly 350 yds and out performed Darnold by a country mile.

 

I am, he makes great decisions. I am not sure he will have all those last read options to running backs going pro but Falk will be coveted by many teams!

Take care,

JMac

 

Is it too early to start scouting quarterbacks?

Asking for a friend.

 

Will he be available around pick 25? I don't think we pick higher than that.

What about that kid from the other Washington team or maybe Jackson? I haven't looked at rankings yet.

 

I like the UDub QB too, but Falk looks right. The way things are going lately, I wouldn't be too surprised if this team lands a Top-20 pick. If that's the case, then Falk would be on target for the Steelers in April. Plus, if you're fishing for the next Gen-QB, why wouldn't you trade up? Most of the team's other pieces are locked down for a while (except Bell), so I don't see why they wouldn't trade up if necessary.

 

Agree with this 100%. If Ben calls it quits, or if the Steelers do what they did with Troy, there’s no reason not to trade up and get the guy you want. This team is in great shape for this situation. The defense is young and emerging, the offense has elite talent, they just need a signal caller. And if it takes 2 first round picks plus maybe another to go get him, you go get him. Franchise QB’s are hard to find, so do whatever it takes to get one IMO.

 

We have to get a franchise QB this time. I can't sit through another decade like the 1980's.

 

Not so hard to do. Just trade up to the Browns pick and select one. Worked for Philly and Houston!

 

Well, fortunately for me I was born in the late 80’s. So I don’t really have a lot of Steeler memories before the ‘95 Super Bowl with O’Donnell, then Kordell and Maddox. But yeah, I don’t want to sit through a decade of mediocrity or worse after Ben.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not mailing this season in, yet. The Steelers just need to establish balance on offense and I think Ben can still win the big one, but if I’m wrong and this is in fact the end of the Ben era, they should sell out to get a QB.

I had no issues with the Bears doing it this past draft, or the Lions paying all that money to Stafford. Any team that does whatever it takes to get or keep a franchise QB, is smart IMO.

Not having a franchise QB = no chance to win it all.