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GBMelBlount
05-11-2014, 11:24 AM
We won't know for a few years but what is your gut rating for the Steeler's 2014 Draft?

I will give us a B to B+

Bleacher's Report gave us an A- and not too many of those were handed out.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2048464-2014-nfl-draft-grades-report-cards-for-all-32-gms/page/26

Shoes
05-11-2014, 11:34 AM
I went B+ only because of the *wait and see* on Bryant, otherwise I would have given them an A. I like all of the picks and I think Archer will have a lot of fans on this forum by midseason.

GBMelBlount
05-11-2014, 11:41 AM
I went B+ only because of the *wait and see* on Bryant, otherwise I would have given them an A. I like all of the picks and I think Archer will have a lot of fans on this forum by midseason.

Who knows what will happen with Archer.

I have already nicknamed him "F" because so many people hated the pick. LOL

Dwinsgames
05-11-2014, 12:31 PM
I am torn , like a lot of it but feel they left better talent on the board at some pick points ... now we do not know if that is the case or not yet and may never truly know but just my opinion ...

love the first two rounds really love it .... when first pick makes you better in two spots its hard not to love , when second pick has first round talent , again hard not to love it ... couple that with both picks where big needs ....

I count UDFA as part of the draft class and outside of Mauro none of them makes the team and feel we could have done a better job in that department as well ...


solid but not sure spectacular ... couple guys with 4th round grades we got in 6th is also hard not to love

salamander
05-11-2014, 12:47 PM
I gave it a B. I seriously questioned some of their picks, or lack thereof.

Steeltreal
05-11-2014, 12:48 PM
Had a feeling this draft might mirror Tomlins fiirst in 07, It came pretty close minus a Punter in the 4th. Awesome Draft top 2, next 2 are dependent on How long Haleys here. Rest filled the needs, whats not to like. A-

SteelerFanInStl
05-11-2014, 01:27 PM
I'll give it a B but that's only because of some of the later round players that we were able to get. It just felt to me like we were just too set on the players that we were going to take and didn't look at the talent that was still on the board.

I still don't understand the Archer pick in the 3rd. He's a luxury that we couldn't afford at that point. There were still a lot of quality CBs on the board that could have contributed this year.

KeiselPower99
05-11-2014, 02:06 PM
I gave it a B+. I was not too sure on Shazier but the more I read and watch the more I am loving the pick. Tuitt and Bryant filled needs. Archer is the player the team wanted when we drafted Rainey and too be honest that kind of player is going to become more popular in the league due to the success of Tavon Austin and Darren Sproles.

Psycho Ward 86
05-11-2014, 04:41 PM
B+. Ryan Shazier, while not really a vital need with other great players left on the board, is going to be absolutely insane and just doesnt having any glaring weaknesses.

Tuitt is a 1st round talent and a top 10 talent if he declared a season ago. I have no concerns about his weight, because that was only because he was recovering from a hernia. Seriously, anyone who has had a hernia knows you cant do shit while you have one, and during recovery. The fact that he still played pretty well with that injury is remarkable in its own right. No defense in the league is going to be as terrifying with 2-down linemen (Heyward, Tuitt) in subpackages as we will be except for the texans (Clowney, Watt).

Dri Archer. I hated it when we did it, started to warm up to him, and now im back to square one because someone pointed out that he had 13 career fumbles (10 lost). Im excited about his potential, and now that i look at his film, he actually does pull some impressive tackle-breaking hat tricks, but im not sure he'll be all that great. he needs to be at least as good as dexter mccluster for me to be satisfied. im hating the darren sproles comparisons because he is actually significantly heavier than him (by 15lb), and doesnt have the kind of hands he does, and from what ive seen in scouting reports, probably not nearly as good of a route runner. As far as im concerned, this pick is the only one we really nuked, but has potential to be a decent pick.

Martavis Bryant, one of the 3 big receivers i had red flagged x10 (kelvin benjamin, allen robinson the other 2), because he has drop issues and is a raw route runner. Disconcerting for me because they are such stereotypical "intriguing big receiver problems," but for whatever reason he has phenomenal combatative ball skills, is supposed to be good in the red zone, and deathly fast. So im fairly excited about this one.

Wesley Johnson. Phenomenal technician and as versatile as they come. Could have been a late 3rd rounder. Great pick. He's just a bit undersized. I prefer technique or physique though.

Shaquille Richardson. Meh, our annual project cornerback. Great physical tools but very raw from what ive been hearing. Sounds like a 5th rounder to me, rather wouldve had Antone Exum, didnt like this pick.

Jordan Zumwalt/Daniel McCullers. Probably our best value picks of the draft. Love the mean streak on Zumwalt, he looks like a steeler to me. We'll be set at LB for a long time. McCullers could easily be the future at NT for us. Both could have gone in the 3rd/4th round.

Rob Blanchflower. I actually really like this pick even though its getting no love. He'll at least be a solid road-clearing #2 blocking tight end at some point, and has shown he can block. Numbers are down last season due to injuries.

As for UDFA, Dwins seems really high on Josh Mauro, so i consider that a great victory for us. Seems to me we got absolutely loaded with talent and depth in the front 7 in a hurry.

Steelerette
05-11-2014, 05:36 PM
B+. Love the draft pretty much top to bottom.. felt like we flubbed a little bit on CB but recognize that's in part because the Bears then probably later other teams too, kind of screwed us on who we wanted. My biggest gripe is the lousy job we did with UDFA. I mean other than Mauro and HoJo, who the heck are these people

Psycho Ward 86
05-11-2014, 05:38 PM
B+. Love the draft pretty much top to bottom.. felt like we flubbed a little bit on CB but recognize that's in part because the Bears then probably later other teams too, kind of screwed us on who we wanted. My biggest gripe is the lousy job we did with UDFA. I mean other than Mauro and HoJo, who the heck are these people

theyre undrafted for a reason

Steelerette
05-11-2014, 05:43 PM
theyre undrafted for a reasonWell yes and no. There were nearly a dozen respectable CBs who could have been drafted anywhere from 4 to 7 that just fell out of the draft entirely, Marcus Robison, Deion Belue, Louichez Purifoy, Carrington Byndom, Rashaad Reynolds, and so on... we didn't try to get a one of them... instead we bring in extra local boys to be camp bodies. I suppose it's nice to give them the opportunity but it's almost as frustrating for me as it must have been for Browns fans not even sniffing WR.

Mojouw
05-11-2014, 05:55 PM
Well yes and no. There were nearly a dozen respectable CBs who could have been drafted anywhere from 4 to 7 that just fell out of the draft entirely, Marcus Robison, Deion Belue, Louichez Purifoy, Carrington Byndom, Rashaad Reynolds, and so on... we didn't try to get a one of them... instead we bring in extra local boys to be camp bodies. I suppose it's nice to give them the opportunity but it's almost as frustrating for me as it must have been for Browns fans not even sniffing WR.

To be fair, all of those guys have significant question marks, and we may have been on the phone with each of them and they chose to go elsewhere.

Steelerette
05-11-2014, 07:41 PM
To be fair, all of those guys have significant question marks, and we may have been on the phone with each of them and they chose to go elsewhere.

Purifoy and Roberson in particular, I think they just got a healthy reality check that character matters. I think the Steelers would be a good organization for one of them to have the opportunity to turn it around. While we don't tend to take on troublemakers, we do seem to hold on to our own, and I don't think anyone could say anymore that we have much moral high ground over probably 28 out of the 31 other teams. So why not see if anything turns up... at least with Adams we saw that we're willing to take a chance on someone who wants to improve themselves in earnest.

What I'm doing right now though is trying to figure out who's likely to become a free agent at CB over the course of the summer.

st33lersguy
05-11-2014, 08:00 PM
I give it a solid B, I like a lot of the picks but there are some criticisms. One was waiting so long to draft a corner, and two was addressing the RB position (with the Archer pick) before addressing WR and CB

Shoes
05-11-2014, 08:01 PM
B+. Ryan Shazier, while not really a vital need with other great players left on the board, is going to be absolutely insane and just doesnt having any glaring weaknesses.

Tuitt is a 1st round talent and a top 10 talent if he declared a season ago. I have no concerns about his weight, because that was only because he was recovering from a hernia. Seriously, anyone who has had a hernia knows you cant do shit while you have one, and during recovery. The fact that he still played pretty well with that injury is remarkable in its own right. No defense in the league is going to be as terrifying with 2-down linemen (Heyward, Tuitt) in subpackages as we will be except for the texans (Clowney, Watt).

Dri Archer. I hated it when we did it, started to warm up to him, and now im back to square one because someone pointed out that he had 13 career fumbles (10 lost). Im excited about his potential, and now that i look at his film, he actually does pull some impressive tackle-breaking hat tricks, but im not sure he'll be all that great. he needs to be at least as good as dexter mccluster for me to be satisfied. im hating the darren sproles comparisons because he is actually significantly heavier than him (by 15lb), and doesnt have the kind of hands he does, and from what ive seen in scouting reports, probably not nearly as good of a route runner. As far as im concerned, this pick is the only one we really nuked, but has potential to be a decent pick.

Martavis Bryant, one of the 3 big receivers i had red flagged x10 (kelvin benjamin, allen robinson the other 2), because he has drop issues and is a raw route runner. Disconcerting for me because they are such stereotypical "intriguing big receiver problems," but for whatever reason he has phenomenal combatative ball skills, is supposed to be good in the red zone, and deathly fast. So im fairly excited about this one.

Wesley Johnson. Phenomenal technician and as versatile as they come. Could have been a late 3rd rounder. Great pick. He's just a bit undersized. I prefer technique or physique though.

Shaquille Richardson. Meh, our annual project cornerback. Great physical tools but very raw from what ive been hearing. Sounds like a 5th rounder to me, rather wouldve had Antone Exum, didnt like this pick.

Jordan Zumwalt/Daniel McCullers. Probably our best value picks of the draft. Love the mean streak on Zumwalt, he looks like a steeler to me. We'll be set at LB for a long time. McCullers could easily be the future at NT for us. Both could have gone in the 3rd/4th round.

Rob Blanchflower. I actually really like this pick even though its getting no love. He'll at least be a solid road-clearing #2 blocking tight end at some point, and has shown he can block. Numbers are down last season due to injuries.

As for UDFA, Dwins seems really high on Josh Mauro, so i consider that a great victory for us. Seems to me we got absolutely loaded with talent and depth in the front 7 in a hurry.

I really like this kid, he's got an edge when he plays, he can block doesn't use his body to catch.

Steelerette
05-11-2014, 08:27 PM
His name just makes me think of cauliflower, and I don't like Cauliflower.

He's from Massachusetts, strike two.

Batter up...

86WARD
05-11-2014, 08:39 PM
I hate trying to put a grade on draft classes before the players even hit the field...one of the most over rated things of the off-season...

Jaucer
05-11-2014, 09:31 PM
Not putting a grade on this but I think the Steelers got better in this draft, not just better but much better. To me they are going back to the old philosophy of drafting football players. Don't put too much faith in the combine or workouts but instead looking at the game film, the interviews, and things like that. Finding out who has the motivation and drive to succeed, what are their personalities and how do those fit into the modern day NFL. The NFL game is going more like the college came, speed kills. No longer is it about the big hitting, nastiness that it used to be. Now it's all about speed, agility, and out smarting your opponent, even in the psychological game (i.e. talk on the field). I won't use the term trash talking because to me that term has a negative connotation. I'm speaking of more the type of talking that just might be a simple word or two but gets into someone's head.

The other part of this going back to dafting players to get better is to not loose sight of the long term overall benefit for the short term immediate gains. Championship teams are not made in a single draft. So while certain needs may have been more glaring doesn't mean you pass up great talent and the ability to make the team better in the long run for the short term more pressing but lesser overall talent increase.

So in short my analysis is that even though we didn't get a "high" toted CB or WR we still made this team better. Here's how I put it and the numbers are just used as an example no real thought or study put into them. That's what the professionals in the FO and scouting department are paid to do.

Shazier is rated as a +5 vs Dennard rated as a +3.
Archer rated as a +2 vs anyone else available at the time rated as a +1.
Etc.

Anyone in business management knows that you can't always get the best available at every position. Getting that extreme rare talent at one position will always outweigh getting slightly better talent at two positions. And getting overall better talent across the board will always outweigh getting mediocre better talent at a position of really bad current talent. Whenever you get the chance to increase talent overall you do so. In the long run it works out better since you have now a team that has the talent to overcome that weakest link instead of always trying to get the person to replace the weakest link even thought they are only marginally better.

And that is what I think the Steelers did with this draft.

steelreserve
05-11-2014, 10:52 PM
I gave it a B-, maybe C+ if that was there. It all depends on how the late-round guys work out, of course. If McCullers, Richardson and/or Bryant turn out to be players, then of course this draft is a bonanza. That's a big if, though.

If they don't, I'll look at this as a draft where they knew what they needed and did it backwards.

Just a note on Shazier - I know he's a good player with a ton of athletic ability, but if he's THAT good on raw talent, how come people weren't talking about him going #1 overall and being the answer to everyone's problems? He's a first-round talent, but I do not get this same holy-shit feeling that a lot of people seem to have.

The other thing that I've pointed to as a problem several times before is that since Tomlin took over, we haven't taken anything but linemen and linebackers in rounds 1-2. That was 11 of 14 picks through the 2013 draft, plus a whiff on a RB and WR, with Bell the one productive skill player. (We even whiffed on about half of the linemen and LBs too.) That, as much as anything, is what left us with a ton of holes to fill that are now to the point where we can't cover them up anymore. So what do we do? The exact same thing - linebacker, lineman. The fact that they're good doesn't change the fact that we have completely one-tracked our strategy, and good things do not happen because of that. As always, we're hoping we win the lottery on sixth-round picks, but that comes up Ryan Mundy a lot more often than Antonio Brown. You cannot just keep pretending that your problems don't exist and hope you luck your way out of them.

I'm crossing my fingers as much as anyone that our CB/DT/WR prospects work out, but at the end of the day, those picks have about a 20-30% success rate no matter how good you feel about them on draft day, and when LeBeau says our DB corps is fine, we all know he's full of shit. It could always come up aces just by sheer luck and talent, but until that actually happens, this one is still a real head-scratcher for me.

Texasteel
05-11-2014, 11:08 PM
I gave it a B-, maybe C+ if that was there. It all depends on how the late-round guys work out, of course. If McCullers, Richardson and/or Bryant turn out to be players, then of course this draft is a bonanza. That's a big if, though.

If they don't, I'll look at this as a draft where they knew what they needed and did it backwards.

Just a note on Shazier - I know he's a good player with a ton of athletic ability, but if he's THAT good on raw talent, how come people weren't talking about him going #1 overall and being the answer to everyone's problems? He's a first-round talent, but I do not get this same holy-shit feeling that a lot of people seem to have.

The other thing that I've pointed to as a problem several times before is that since Tomlin took over, we haven't taken anything but linemen and linebackers in rounds 1-2. That was 11 of 14 picks through the 2013 draft, plus a whiff on a RB and WR, with Bell the one productive skill player. (We even whiffed on about half of the linemen and LBs too.) That, as much as anything, is what left us with a ton of holes to fill that are now to the point where we can't cover them up anymore. So what do we do? The exact same thing - linebacker, lineman. The fact that they're good doesn't change the fact that we have completely one-tracked our strategy, and good things do not happen because of that. As always, we're hoping we win the lottery on sixth-round picks, but that comes up Ryan Mundy a lot more often than Antonio Brown. You cannot just keep pretending that your problems don't exist and hope you luck your way out of them.

I'm crossing my fingers as much as anyone that our CB/DT/WR prospects work out, but at the end of the day, those picks have about a 20-30% success rate no matter how good you feel about them on draft day, and when LeBeau says our DB corps is fine, we all know he's full of shit. It could always come up aces just by sheer luck and talent, but until that actually happens, this one is still a real head-scratcher for me.

What player that was available at 15 was talked about as a possible 1st over all pick or the answer to every teams problems. Just because people say they like the pick, and think it was a good pick does not mean that they are worshiping at the Shazier alter. That would be like saying you are calling this a wasted pick, which I don't think is the case. Some like the pick and say why, and some don't like the pick and say why, thats all.

steelreserve
05-12-2014, 12:44 AM
What player that was available at 15 was talked about as a possible 1st over all pick or the answer to every teams problems. Just because people say they like the pick, and think it was a good pick does not mean that they are worshiping at the Shazier alter. That would be like saying you are calling this a wasted pick, which I don't think is the case. Some like the pick and say why, and some don't like the pick and say why, thats all.

I know, I'm not trying to badmouth anyone for liking the Shazier pick or Shazier as a player. I can understand why people like him, or even think that was the best move we could've made in that situation. I'm not frustrated that we got a bad player or anything. I'm frustrated that we seem to be in a drafting rut that is causing problems, and we kept that right up this year.

Yeah, maybe it was coincidence that this year, the two best players by far on the board when we made our first two picks happened to be another LB and lineman. When it's 7 out of 8 years, I don't feel like it's a coincidence anymore; in fact, it would be almost impossible. The point is, we could easily be drafting good players but following a pattern that leads to an unbalanced team, and to me it appears that's exactly what we're doing.

st33lersguy
05-12-2014, 01:01 AM
Overall assessment. Overall I liked the direction. It was surprising to see the Steelers to go so heavily based on speed. I liked the Steelers getting high upside guys with high ceilings in the later rounds with more potential than most late round guys (i.e. Bryant, McCullers). I do have to question sticking to the philosophy of drafting a corner in the late rounds. Pittsburgh has a poor track record with these late round corners and to see them continuing to try that philosophy is questionable. Outside linebacker depth, which is thin should also have been addressed. Overall: B

Individual

Ryan Shazier: Very productive in college, will help out in the run, knows how to blitz, will be able to match up well against the many athletic tight ends in the division. Plus ends the days of Troy stepping in at linebacker and sacrificing a safety. Helps both the run and the pass. A.

Stephon Tuitt: Was really a no-brainer. Serious depth was needed along the D-line and Tuitt was a steal in the middle of the 2nd round. Prototypical 3-4 end should be a solid starter who can play the run well and knows how to create a pass rush. A+

Dri Archer: Still have yet to warm up the pick. Sure he is very fast and can cause headaches in space, but it would have been better to address WR and CB before 3rd down RB. Plus his tiny frame has to be a durability hazard. Grade D.

Martavis Bryant: Big risk involved considering he is raw, he has one year of productivity, and he has issues with drops.In the first or second round these guys are players to stay away from, but in the fourth round where the risk and expectations involved with the pick are lower it is better. If he fully taps into his potential, then it is a great value selection, if not the cost isn't so high. Providing depth at a position that needed it and the fact that Bryant went a round or 2 later than he was slated to helps the grade. B+

Shaq Richardson: First corner drafted by the Steelers, and it comes in round 5. Finally good to see them draft a player at a position that was universally considered a need. A.

Wesley Johnson: O-line didn't need to be drafted early but needed to be drafted later for depth purposes and they get a versatile lineman that can play all positions and can be used to substitute for any position bitten hard by the injury bug. A+.

Jordan Zumwalt: He is a thumper, a special teams contributor, and a solid value pick, but I just didn't think they needed to draft another inside backer. They were better off drafting an outside backer. B-.

Daniel McCullers: Awesome pick. 3rd or 4th round value, adds more depth along the D-line, and if he can develop into at least a solid player, will be nightmare for defenses. What's better is if he doesn't pan out, if he fails to get developed, it is only at the cost of a 6th round pick. A+

Rob Blanchflower: Not sure what purpose this serves. Was probably going to be a camp body at TE, and the Steelers didn't need camp bodies at TE as much as they needed them at OLB. C

NCSteeler
05-12-2014, 08:11 AM
I like the Shazier pick. Not being a draft student, I didn't really know anything about him before we took him. When I heard he was on the phone with Jerry Jones when we selected him, I liked it no matter who he was. LOL

Shoes
05-12-2014, 11:19 AM
Overall assessment. Overall I liked the direction. It was surprising to see the Steelers to go so heavily based on speed. I liked the Steelers getting high upside guys with high ceilings in the later rounds with more potential than most late round guys (i.e. Bryant, McCullers). I do have to question sticking to the philosophy of drafting a corner in the late rounds. Pittsburgh has a poor track record with these late round corners and to see them continuing to try that philosophy is questionable. Outside linebacker depth, which is thin should also have been addressed. Overall: B

Individual

Ryan Shazier: Very productive in college, will help out in the run, knows how to blitz, will be able to match up well against the many athletic tight ends in the division. Plus ends the days of Troy stepping in at linebacker and sacrificing a safety. Helps both the run and the pass. A.

Stephon Tuitt: Was really a no-brainer. Serious depth was needed along the D-line and Tuitt was a steal in the middle of the 2nd round. Prototypical 3-4 end should be a solid starter who can play the run well and knows how to create a pass rush. A+

Dri Archer: Still have yet to warm up the pick. Sure he is very fast and can cause headaches in space, but it would have been better to address WR and CB before 3rd down RB. Plus his tiny frame has to be a durability hazard. Grade D.

Martavis Bryant: Big risk involved considering he is raw, he has one year of productivity, and he has issues with drops.In the first or second round these guys are players to stay away from, but in the fourth round where the risk and expectations involved with the pick are lower it is better. If he fully taps into his potential, then it is a great value selection, if not the cost isn't so high. Providing depth at a position that needed it and the fact that Bryant went a round or 2 later than he was slated to helps the grade. B+

Shaq Richardson: First corner drafted by the Steelers, and it comes in round 5. Finally good to see them draft a player at a position that was universally considered a need. A.

Wesley Johnson: O-line didn't need to be drafted early but needed to be drafted later for depth purposes and they get a versatile lineman that can play all positions and can be used to substitute for any position bitten hard by the injury bug. A+.

Jordan Zumwalt: He is a thumper, a special teams contributor, and a solid value pick, but I just didn't think they needed to draft another inside backer. They were better off drafting an outside backer. B-.

Daniel McCullers: Awesome pick. 3rd or 4th round value, adds more depth along the D-line, and if he can develop into at least a solid player, will be nightmare for defenses. What's better is if he doesn't pan out, if he fails to get developed, it is only at the cost of a 6th round pick. A+

Rob Blanchflower: Not sure what purpose this serves. Was probably going to be a camp body at TE, and the Steelers didn't need camp bodies at TE as much as they needed them at OLB. C

I think having a TE that can block & catch behind Miller is probably the reason. The two behind Miller don't have that combo.

Dwinsgames
05-12-2014, 11:27 AM
Rob Blanchflower: Not sure what purpose this serves. Was probably going to be a camp body at TE, and the Steelers didn't need camp bodies at TE as much as they needed them at OLB. C

the purpose is to displace the #3 TE currently on the roster Paulson , and I think he has a very good chance to do just that ....

we could have taken the head case Colt Lyerla who is more talented in spades but is such a headcase that he is STILL not on a roster after most if not all teams have filled their roster pool

HollywoodSteel
05-12-2014, 01:02 PM
the purpose is to displace the #3 TE currently on the roster Paulson , and I think he has a very good chance to do just that ....

we could have taken the head case Colt Lyerla who is more talented in spades but is such a headcase that he is STILL not on a roster after most if not all teams have filled their roster pool

Was he not even pick up as a UFA? I don't know much about him, but head cases with talent usually at least get a shot at training camp. He can't be a worse human being than Aaron Hernandez, and that dude had a couple of productive years. ;)

Dwinsgames
05-12-2014, 01:15 PM
Was he not even pick up as a UFA? I don't know much about him, but head cases with talent usually at least get a shot at training camp. He can't be a worse human being than Aaron Hernandez, and that dude had a couple of productive years. ;)


as of 9am this morning he was still unemployed...

he has a plethora of issues , its not like its 1 or even 2 things ....

lacks motivation . is known to just " not show up " figuratively and there has been times Literally , 2 acl tears , arrested in October 2013 , and that is just the tip of that iceberg

Drazo85
05-12-2014, 01:20 PM
I gave it a B. FO obviously had a plan and they stick to it.
I was surprised with Shazier pick, but i think he is as good as advertised. At first i thought it was reach, but later when the reports surfaced about Cowboys interest in him, turns out that it wasnt. Shazier is solid pick, high charachter guy, great college production, good tape, excellent speed. If he pans out he could help us in many different ways.
Tuitt pick was a very good one. He fills immediate need, and he has very high ceiling. It isnt very often to see 5 technique 300 plus linemen with his pass rushing abillity so he can help us in that department as well as occupying blockers, and stoping the run. First round talent in the second round.
The Dri Archer pick is mind boggling. He brings pure speed and kick return ability, not much else. I know speed is important, but just ask Raiders fans how important. He has small frame, cant run routes, cant run in between tackles, and to top it all he is a fumbling machine. In my opinion the only way this pick pay off is return game. But with the touchbacks increase and more and more strong legged kickers are entering the league, spending third round pick on this player is not smart decision.
Martavis Bryant is not typical Steelers pick. Has some charachter issues (to me not as much troubling), some concentration drops and is one year wonder. But his size and ability was too good to pass up. If he can resolve his off field problems, and develop good relationship with Ben, he could turn out to be a steal.
Shaq Richardson is the first and only corner we picked in this years draft. Again its developmental fifth round CB who has good physical features, but is too raw to help immediately on the field. FO and coaching staff surely thinks that cornerbacks that was available when was our turn to pick wasnt any better of what we already have on the roster. I sure hope so that LeBeau isnt going senile and that he is right about our secondary.
Wesley Johnson is depth pick. Munchak definitely has something to do with us picking up Johnson. Johnson pick reminds me on Beachum pick few years ago. Both are versatile, smart, hard nosed football players. If Johnson turns out to be as half as good as Beachum, we should be very happy.
Sixth round is best in terms of value of players selected. Many of us predicted that we would select two corners or maybe two wideouts, but guess what, the Steelers selected two linebackers. So this isnt supposed to be surprise, but somehow it is. That is nothing against Zumwalt, who is a thumper, with good football insticts and in terms of value is a great pick. Special teams is area where he could make immediate impact and deserve his roster spot.
McCullers could turn out to be a steal of this class. He is big, and i mean BIG guy, who, this is the most scary thought, can add some weight on his frame. His tape was not that good, especially against Alabama, where he was pushed back on several occasions. He is raw, but his value was too good and we had a great need to pass up this guy in the sixth round. He could sit a year or two, and eventually work his way in to the lineup.
Rob Blanchflower is a seventh round TE we pick up almost every year. He has some abillity, and could upset Paulson as third TE on the roster.

NCSteeler
05-12-2014, 02:08 PM
as of 9am this morning he was still unemployed...

he has a plethora of issues , its not like its 1 or even 2 things ....

lacks motivation . is known to just " not show up " figuratively and there has been times Literally , 2 acl tears , arrested in October 2013 , and that is just the tip of that iceberg

Cocaine use can cause all kinds of personality issues

Dwinsgames
05-12-2014, 02:46 PM
Cocaine use can cause all kinds of personality issues

hence the arrest in oct 13

Kittyfish
05-12-2014, 04:27 PM
I am the first to admit I don't know as much about football as the rest of you, but the afternoon show on a sports network (DAMN this auto-correct!) was doing a bracket type rating of the draft, and put the Steelers in the top two along with the 49ers. I guess we couldn't have done too badly, though of course time will tell. I guess I'll take their word for it and give them an A.

HollywoodSteel
05-12-2014, 05:29 PM
I am the first to admit I don't know as much about football as the rest of you, but the afternoon show on a sports network (DAMN this auto-correct!) was doing a bracket type rating of the draft, and put the Steelers in the top two along with the 49ers. I guess we couldn't have done too badly, though of course time will tell. I guess I'll take their word for it and give them an A.

What ultimately divides the thinking about our draft seems to be two things: Need vs. BPA, and the third round pick of Dri Archer. (Some of the really knowledgeable folks around here are also analyzing the UFA picks, but I doubt most professional analysts are taking that into consideration) As far as the first, it's not like you can say either camp is right or wrong about the philosophy. I can see both arguments, but since Fuller was gone at number one, I'm going to say I'm glad the Steelers didn't just go for the next best corner.

As far as Archer goes, again, I can see both arguments. Who's right or wrong about that will become clear soon enough. For now, I'll remain optimistic… because it's better for my health. :)

slippy
05-12-2014, 05:49 PM
Dri may turn out great, but i believe with picks in rounds 1, 2 and 3 you draft players that can play every down (or at least 66%, some exceptions being NT, slot corner, slot WR).

HollywoodSteel
05-12-2014, 06:02 PM
Dri may turn out great, but i believe with picks in rounds 1, 2 and 3 you draft players that can play every down (or at least 66%, some exceptions being NT, slot corner, slot WR).

None of our players play every down. Generally they only play either offensive or defensive downs, with maybe some special teams mixed in.

I know, I'm just being a smart-ass. I would stop if I could, but sadly it's not something I can turn off. :)

zulater
05-13-2014, 06:03 AM
I like this draft a lot. I think there was sound thought process employed with every pick. All these players look like they have game that will translate to the next level. Obviously it would have been nice to get a surer thing at cornerback, but I don't think Dennard is going to be a great NFL cornerback. I think he'll be a decent starter, but never anything special. So since I think Shazier is going to be a transcendent linebacker I fully support bypassing a position of greater need. Funny enough the pick that worries me most is Tuitt. I certainly can see the upside. But playing DE in the Steelers 3-4 is no easy thing, and it's usually a slow adjustment. So I can see Tuitt getting discouraged if he isn't getting playing time or making an impact early. A bad start for a 2nd round pick usually results in a bad ending. I'll reserve judgement on our 3rd round pick. I would have preferred they use that differently, but if this guy makes 2 or 3 game changing plays in a game then who knows? I love the kid from Clemson! Think this will be the steal of the draft! Our later round picks all look solid and I expect severla to contribute this season. I gave this draft an A.

Steelerette
05-13-2014, 07:58 AM
Ultimately I hope this draft has put us in position to be able to start taking chances, taking mid-round flyers on your Marcus Lattimores, your Aaron Colvins...

steelerdude15
05-13-2014, 09:52 PM
I give it an A-. I like this draft so far and I'm excited about Ryan. I have a very, very good feeling about him. I think he's going to be good inside linebacker and I think he's going to turn into a leader one day. I also like what our other picks can bring to the table. We'll see how everything pans out over the next few years.

HollywoodSteel
05-14-2014, 02:01 PM
I like this draft a lot. I think there was sound thought process employed with every pick. All these players look like they have game that will translate to the next level. Obviously it would have been nice to get a surer thing at cornerback, but I don't think Dennard is going to be a great NFL cornerback. I think he'll be a decent starter, but never anything special. So since I think Shazier is going to be a transcendent linebacker I fully support bypassing a position of greater need.

This is my thinking as well. Sometimes you gotta swing for the fences, and I love the chance that our #1 overall pick will be something very special (like a Troy P.) rather than just another pretty good contributor. I would have been fine with Fuller if he was there, but in some ways I'm glad he wasn't. Maybe I'm being overly optimistic about Shazier, but like you said, I'm excited by the possibility that he'll be transcendent. Or maybe I just like the sound of that word. :)

Dwinsgames
05-15-2014, 07:04 PM
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BntxjhfCIAAQlvX.jpg

Steelerette
05-15-2014, 07:09 PM
Nooo dont let Martavis wear #10. Scott Campbell, Korkie, and Stonio... that number is only suitable for kickers on this team.

Psycho Ward 86
05-15-2014, 07:12 PM
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BntxjhfCIAAQlvX.jpg

hope archer, bryant, and zumwalt dont follow in their former's footsteps...

Dwinsgames
05-15-2014, 07:40 PM
Earl Holmes was a pretty darn good #50

Mojouw
05-15-2014, 07:51 PM
kinda feel like Smith's # should be one of those that doesn't get recycled. But if they give out Woodson's jersey #....

86WARD
05-17-2014, 05:51 AM
That 34 has some stank on it...hope Archer can shake it...

86WARD
05-17-2014, 05:53 AM
hope archer, bryant, and zumwalt dont follow in their former's footsteps...

If Bryant follows Holmes' path...I'll be very happy with him being another Super Bowl MVP...