The Pittsburgh Steelers must change their defensive drafting philosophy

[polamalubeast]

The recent history of Steelers’ draft picks calls into question their overall defensive drafting philosophy.

I remember in April when the Steelers selected Terrell Edmunds in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft. I was disappointed because it followed the very same trend the Steelers have been following in their drafting style for the better part of eight years on defense.

Edmunds fits the mold of the super athlete, but not the polished football player. Coming out, he tested like a first-round athlete, but his tape surely didn’t look like one. I had Edmunds rated as a mid-third-round prospect entering the draft, and I favored such players as Justin Reid, Jessie Bates, and Kyzir White over him. All of these players have one thing in common — they’re not supreme athletes, but they are polished football players.

read more

https://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/2018/9/29/17891748/the-pittsburgh-steelers-must-change-their-defensive-drafting-philosophy-tj-watt-terrell-edmunds-nfl

[Mojouw]

This article makes so many assumptions and leaps of logic and makes my head hurt.

No mention of how the alternatives to Edmunds are playing. Just an assumption that they are better.

Also the binary distinction between elite athlete and polished football player is a bit of a straw man. Look up the measurables. Watt is just a tick here or there behind Dupree.

White isn’t even playing safety in the NFL. He is a 4-3 weakside LB. He is a next generation Derrick Brooks. or at least that is the role the chargers want him in. Now that sounds great. But it isn’t a position in this defense. You cant play a 220 pound guy on the edge in a 3-4. So if White is NOT a safety at the NFL level, what is the point of comparing him to Edmunds? The better comp would be Marcus Allen, who fits the article author’s definition of a football player and currently has no role in the defense.

Additionally, the article doesn’t address the Steelers most recent defensive draft miss, Jarvis Jones. That was the high water mark of their previous priotirization of a demonstrated record of success at a big-time school over almost anything else. Despite what folks will tell you, Jones was a technically sound football player. He knew where he should be going and what he should be doing once he got there. He was simply physically incapable of doing it at the NFL level.

Bottom line, and I can go and on about this stuff and if anyone wants I can support my point, but the Steelers are not alone in doing this. NFL defenses are on life-support around the league. Offensive schemes are forcing defense to declare their coverages pre-snap. Then the play design has an answer. So the QB can sit back and be like “Oh. Cool. Based on where they put player x on defense they are in Cover 2. Once we snap this thing, I go to the TE down the seam.” And as long as he is accurate and the pass rush is slowed enough, it is a completion. As a result, the only response right now by defenses is to collect athletes and hope they can make enough “splash” plays to survive.

Essentially what you are seeing is the NFL drafting elite athletes that are also really good football players. Find me an impact defender around the league that isn’t also a ridiculous athlete. It’s not going to happen. The challenges faced by NFL teams is to figure out how to evaluate college tape + measurables to determine which guys are going to fit their defensive design and are good enough athletes to survive in the NFL. Shockingly enough this is a totally inexact science.

The proper question is to not say the Steelers shouldn’t draft elite athletes. It is what aspects and measure of athleticism should be focused on. For instance Dupree has a lightening quick first step and is fast. By all measures he is an “explosive” athlete. But he isn’t very “bendy”. For a pass rusher, maybe “bendy” is more important than “explosive”. Or maybe DUpree is just too dumb to learn. Or maybe Porter is a trash coach.

I realize at this point I’m bouncing around and ranting - but articles such as this that offer no research, demonstrate a lack of knowledge about player usage and league trends, and honestly are simply not very thoughtful totally piss me off. Because now every damn time the Steelers defense doesn’t play to whatever standards someone wants to set, we are going to have hear about athletes over football players. Next draft cycle someone is going to go onand on about this. Remember how for a few years people swore up and down that Matakevich was the next Zac Thomas? At this point we know that he is NOT a viable player in a good NFL defense.

[st33lersguy]

I do think that a defensive philosophy shift needs to occur. Obviously there needs to be some emphasis on athletic ability, but athletic ability alone without polish is not working. This coaching staff is doing a terrible job of coaching up the raw athletic ability. Drafting guys like Bud Dupree and Artie Burns and putting them on this coaching staff is a recipe for failure

[Mojouw]

http://pfref.com/tiny/hgEFZ - last three years of first round DBs

http://pfref.com/tiny/TTNfH - last three years of first round edge rushers

Now, lets play a game, called find the non-ludicrous athlete on either list. I’ll give you a hint - you cant. Every single one of those players on both lists was drafted for their raw athletic ability fist, second, third, and fourth. Production or technical polish was a significant added bonus. If you want a polished product worthy of a first round pick, you need to not be drafting in the mid 20’s every single season. Last one the Steelers got, SHazier. Where did they draft him?

LIke I said, the entire premise of this article is flawed. The focus should be not on the players entering the system, but why are the players not ALL getting better once they enter the system? Figure that out and the rest will take care of itself.

[AtlantaDan]

No doubt the Steelers have missed repeatedly on drafting DBs while repeatedly hitting it out of the park when drafting WRs

But the problem with drafting a "polished football player" is that he may have the technique that allowed him to dominate at the NCAA level but has maxed out his abilities that simply are not going to be sufficient for success at the next level - as for drafting players that have both technique and great physical talent, you are more likely going to miss getting players like William Jackson when you draft in the 20s rather than the single digits or teens - such is the cost of making the playoffs

FWIW I do not regard Jarvis Jones to have been a polished player or a freak athlete - just a whiff on a first round pick who dropped to the Steelers on draft day for reasons other teams correctly analyzed but the Steelers did not. He dominated at UGA because of physical skills that were great for those he played against on Saturdays but insufficient on Sundays - this from his draft profile

One-year starter. Inconsistent using his hands to disengage from better blocks and to beat cut blocks from running backs in pass protection. Lacks an ideal frame to get much bigger and doesn't have the growth potential or the bulk teams want at the position. Will need to prove he can stay with NFL ball carriers in space when dropping into the flat. Not particularly smooth in deep drops. Doesn't have elite bend around the corner, and could use a spin or other counter move to keep tackles guessing.

http://www.nfl.com/draft/2013/profiles/jarvis-jones?id=2540137

[Mojouw]

Wait. HOLD ON! I just re-read the article again. And it is just so dumb that I can’t even.

The author argues that Jarvis Jones was an unpolished athletic marvel as a pass rusher. That couldn’t be further from any version of reality. Every single testing number ever said the same thing - Jarvis Jones was a sub-par athlete who got ALL of his college production from being the designated playmaker and/or beating offensive lineman with some technical skills in his pass rush.

I mean if you can’t get that right -it is a basic fact that is easily researchable since there are literally dozens of articles and blog posts discussing and dissecting the Jarvis Jones draft pick - then why should anyone believe that anything else in the article is useful?

[DesertSteel]

Did the guy who wrote that article even play Pop Warner? Typical armchair/hindsight analysis.

[Edman]

I said it before that it is on the coaching staff to bring out the best in their players and put them in positions to succeed. Mike Tomlin and Keith Butler have done a very poor job of that.

Jared Goff and Todd Gurley looked like hot garbage in 2016, now they're headlining one of the most dynamic offenses in the NFL. Went from 32nd to the best in one year. Did they suddenly learn how to play overnight? No, the Rams kicked Jeff Fisher (who was still stuck in 1999) to the curb and brought in offensive innovator Sean McVay.

The Steelers don't need better drafting. They need a Defensive system overhaul. The Lebeau Zone Blitz is obsolete and this Defense will continue to get worse until something gives. Butler is a dinosaur holding onto a dinosaur Defense.

[cold-hard-steel]

I think that a lot of people will be proven wrong about this defense as the season rolls on.I have a feeling you are going to see this group get better and better.I know as of now it seems pretty bleak,but i have this feeling they are going to be on the rise.Time will tell if i am right or wrong,but after all i am a believer!!!!!!! thats right,i am a believer!!!!!!!

[st33lersguy]

I said it before that it is on the coaching staff to bring out the best in their players and put them in positions to succeed. Mike Tomlin and Keith Butler have done a very poor job of that.

Jared Goff and Todd Gurley looked like hot garbage in 2016, now they're headlining one of the most dynamic offenses in the NFL. Went from 32nd to the best in one year. Did they suddenly learn how to play overnight? No, the Rams kicked Jeff Fisher (who was still stuck in 1999) to the curb and brought in offensive innovator Sean McVay.

The Steelers don't need better drafting. They need a Defensive system overhaul. The Lebeau Zone Blitz is obsolete and this Defense will continue to get worse until something gives. Butler is a dinosaur holding onto a dinosaur Defense.

Totally agree. Not making any changes will not make anything better

[GoSlash27]

I said it before that it is on the coaching staff to bring out the best in their players and put them in positions to succeed. Mike Tomlin and Keith Butler have done a very poor job of that. I agree with this, but for a different reason. I'll get back to it, but I need to address this part:


The Lebeau Zone Blitz is obsolete and this Defense will continue to get worse until something gives. Butler is a dinosaur holding onto a dinosaur Defense.
?? The Steelers don't play a "Lebeau Zone Blitz". They haven't played it for years. They've been primarily playing a Tampa 2 and press cover 3 out of the nickel, or variations thereof. They key the scheme to the players available, the strengths of the opponents week to week, and the rules. Lebeau zone blitz isn't a thing these days and hasn't been for a long time.

Back to your first point, we used to spend a lot more time developing players under Cowher/ LeBeau. They might spend 2 or 3 seasons on special teams and understudy for their eventual roles in the defense until they were "good enough" to be dominant. What changed under Tomlin was the "next man up" concept. Now we draft and sign players with lower ceilings who can play from day one, with little attention paid to development of long term project players.

You gotta keep in mind that the rules have forced these changes, not the staff. The NFL wants a faster paced game with less injuries (lawsuits) and they have created it by hobbling defenses. Tomlin has adapted to the times and this is the result. You won't see dominant defenses any more in this league and it's affected every team.

Could be wrong tho' ;)
-Slashy

[steelreserve]

Almost every starter on defense - I believe 8 out of the 11 - was drafted in the first or second round. Would've been 9 out of 11 if Shazier was still active. All are extremely gifted athletes. Yet the unit barely functions and has been that way for years.

That's not a problem with drafting, that's a problem with coaching. The odds of "missing" on our talent evaluations of one or two players out of that bunch are pretty decent - the odds of missing on 8 or 9 are nearly nonexistent.

Same thing was happening wirh the offensive line for years until we found Munchak. Same exact thing. The similarity is unmistakable.

Heads need to roll this offseason. Keep the D-Line coach because that's the one thing that seems to be working ok and players are developing beyond the talent they brought with them as rookies. Everyone else can go straight in the garbage if you ask me.

[86WARD]

I said it before that it is on the coaching staff to bring out the best in their players and put them in positions to succeed. Mike Tomlin and Keith Butler have done a very poor job of that.

Jared Goff and Todd Gurley looked like hot garbage in 2016, now they're headlining one of the most dynamic offenses in the NFL. Went from 32nd to the best in one year. Did they suddenly learn how to play overnight? No, the Rams kicked Jeff Fisher (who was still stuck in 1999) to the curb and brought in offensive innovator Sean McVay.

The Steelers don't need better drafting. They need a Defensive system overhaul. The Lebeau Zone Blitz is obsolete and this Defense will continue to get worse until something gives. Butler is a dinosaur holding onto a dinosaur Defense.

100%

Also: It’s easy to try to compare alternative players but they are obviously on different teams, they are in different environments, different teammates, totally different situations than the players that are on the Steelers. You can’t just up and say Player A or B is a better choice than Terrell Edmunds or Ryan Shazier or LeVeon Bell and vice versa. There are so many variables that come in to play that you can’t make that comparison.

One thing you can certainly judge is how the coaching staff moves from year to year with the team and how they improve or regress. Look at Mike Munchak...he took a rag tag bunch of O Linemen that 96% of this board would have shipped out of Pittsburgh as fast as they would have Sean Mahan and turned it into one of the better groups in the league. If he didn’t show up, those guys weren’t improving...not with Bicknell or whoever it was before Munchak.

I’ve said it a million times: Great coaches can cover up average players and great players can cover up average coaching. Unfortunately on defense, there’s average coaching and average players and pretty much like a Lyndsey Lohan Mugshot...no cover up!

[Mojouw]

I think we have to re-calibrate our sights for a Steelers defense.

All rule changes have favored the offenses. The adaptation and implementation of pistol, spread, RPO, and other wide-open college concepts and schemes has placed defenses squarely behind the innovation curve. While offenses have innovated and moved beyond playing a variant of one of about 3 or 4 options (Earhardt-Perkins, Air Coryell, West Coast, etc). As a result the coverage concepts and schemes that were developed to stop these offenses are not working in attempting to stop the cutting edge passing games we are seeing arrive in the NFL over the past few seasons.

Additionally, the adoption of college passing game concepts at the NFL level has enabled there to be a far larger pool of "good" NFL QBs at any given time. These guys can step in and do what they are used to doing rather than having to transition to an entirely different way of playing the game. This encourages more and more teams to just chuck the ball around the yard all day.

For many offenses, right now, the QB has the answers to the test prior to the exam. Only the "splash" plays of pass rushers or disguise of blitzers can generate enough disruption to create stops. That comes from freakish athletes.

I do not believe it is possible for NFL defenses to consistently stop anyone right now. Until defensive coordinators can develop responses to the waves of offensive innovations arriving in the NFL, they will continue to bleed yards and points.

The only realistic plan right now for a defense is to collect the best 14-20 athletes you can and hope they can use their individual talents to create enough disruption to create turnovers and get 2-3 key 3rd downs tops a game. Basically try and hold teams under 28.

[86WARD]

I think we have to re-calibrate our sights for a Steelers defense.

All rule changes have favored the offenses. The adaptation and implementation of pistol, spread, RPO, and other wide-open college concepts and schemes has placed defenses squarely behind the innovation curve. While offenses have innovated and moved beyond playing a variant of one of about 3 or 4 options (Earhardt-Perkins, Air Coryell, West Coast, etc). As a result the coverage concepts and schemes that were developed to stop these offenses are not working in attempting to stop the cutting edge passing games we are seeing arrive in the NFL over the past few seasons.

Additionally, the adoption of college passing game concepts at the NFL level has enabled there to be a far larger pool of "good" NFL QBs at any given time. These guys can step in and do what they are used to doing rather than having to transition to an entirely different way of playing the game. This encourages more and more teams to just chuck the ball around the yard all day.

For many offenses, right now, the QB has the answers to the test prior to the exam. Only the "splash" plays of pass rushers or disguise of blitzers can generate enough disruption to create stops. That comes from freakish athletes.

I do not believe it is possible for NFL defenses to consistently stop anyone right now. Until defensive coordinators can develop responses to the waves of offensive innovations arriving in the NFL, they will continue to bleed yards and points.

The only realistic plan right now for a defense is to collect the best 14-20 athletes you can and hope they can use their individual talents to create enough disruption to create turnovers and get 2-3 key 3rd downs tops a game. Basically try and hold teams under 28.

I think if you had to single out one thing that doesn't change from game to game, week to week, year to year, scheme to scheme is pass rush. If you pressure the QB, the rest of it doesn't work. Very rarely will you find a guy that isn't affected by the pass rush. As for the Steelers, they have about half that pass rush. They have the D-Line part, they are lacking the LBs to get it done. Watt is there but after that, there's nothing and this team really isn't goo enough on the back end to kick in for a coverage sack. They also aren't good enough to make up for the lack of pass rush. Thoughts?

But ultimately, I think you are right...offenses are far more advanced than the defenses. I hate to say it, but that's what makes a player like LeVeon Bell so valuable...he's one of the best backs in the league at having the skill-set to be a threat. He's not the best pass catcher, not the best runner, not the best blocker, best rapper but he's probably the best well rounded package out there...minus his off field intelligence.

[Mojouw]

I think if you had to single out one thing that doesn't change from game to game, week to week, year to year, scheme to scheme is pass rush. If you pressure the QB, the rest of it doesn't work. Very rarely will you find a guy that isn't affected by the pass rush. As for the Steelers, they have about half that pass rush. They have the D-Line part, they are lacking the LBs to get it done. Watt is there but after that, there's nothing and this team really isn't goo enough on the back end to kick in for a coverage sack. They also aren't good enough to make up for the lack of pass rush. Thoughts?

But ultimately, I think you are right...offenses are far more advanced than the defenses. I hate to say it, but that's what makes a player like LeVeon Bell so valuable...he's one of the best backs in the league at having the skill-set to be a threat. He's not the best pass catcher, not the best runner, not the best blocker, best rapper but he's probably the best well rounded package out there...minus his off field intelligence.

Definitely. Pass rush is key and I have not been impressed with any of the Steelers pass rushers this year individually. As a group they are getting it done, but individually, nothing special. I really thought Dupree and Watt would both have "breakout" seasons. It is still early, but they have both posted sacks that are honestly not very impressive.

[cold-hard-steel]

I know the main thing i see wrong with this defense is there is no cohesiveness. Once they get the communication down and start to become a more cohesive unit i think we will see a much better defense.Just have to jell man.They need to start jellin.

[Shoes]

We can always use this one as a model. :lol:



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMVnLsODqqg

[pczach]

Between the rules and the innovations the offenses have made, the defenses are playing at a disadvantage.

Even if you only draft secondary players that specialize in man coverage, there are ways offenses can help to neutralize that. The defense can line up with press man, and be terrific in that coverage, but offenses then go to bunch formations that make it very difficult to cover your man in the scrum with WRs crossing and using natural screens and pick plays by formation. Once a defender gets picked off his assignment, it's game over.

If you want to play strictly zone defense, you can, but teams will respond by spreading you out and making bigger zones that make it nearly impossible to squeeze off passing lanes or soft spots.

When you add to that the dynamic talent at the WR and TE positions, and rules that make it hard to put a hand on a receiver....plus the targeting penalties after they catch the ball......plus the roughing the passer penalties even when you do get to the quarterback to extend drives......man......that's a tough row to hoe from a defensive standpoint.

In the past, most games were decided by a handful of impactful plays. Now, those handful of impactful plays can be negated by a penalty on the defensive side of the ball.

Just playing to make offenses need more than 5-6 yards on third downs isn't enough. Offenses have waaaay too many ways to get a first down even if they don't execute a good play.

Everything I listed above makes every other method of moving the chains that much easier, and with more athletic quarterbacks becoming more and more common.....good luck stopping anybody boys and girls.

[Edman]

Almost every starter on defense - I believe 8 out of the 11 - was drafted in the first or second round. Would've been 9 out of 11 if Shazier was still active. All are extremely gifted athletes. Yet the unit barely functions and has been that way for years.

That's not a problem with drafting, that's a problem with coaching. The odds of "missing" on our talent evaluations of one or two players out of that bunch are pretty decent - the odds of missing on 8 or 9 are nearly nonexistent.

Same thing was happening wirh the offensive line for years until we found Munchak. Same exact thing. The similarity is unmistakable.

Heads need to roll this offseason. Keep the D-Line coach because that's the one thing that seems to be working ok and players are developing beyond the talent they brought with them as rookies. Everyone else can go straight in the garbage if you ask me.

I can't believe some want to replace the players when they have witnessed one of the biggest turnarounds in Steelers history: The much-maligned Offensive Line.

Mike Munchak has turned that unit into a stalwart. It also helps they canned Bruce Arians and brought in Todd Haley to create an offense that gets rid of the ball quickly. Now Ben isn't peeling himself off the turf anymore.

The Defense gets shredded the entirety of the second half of last year, and couldn't stop Jacksonville in the playoffs, and the organization cans Haley and keeps the Defensive guru whose unit fell apart against Bortles and co. Here we are in 2018, and the Defense has fallen into an abyss.

I guess Rooney was trying to save face with Butler or something, because this doesn't make sense at all.

[polamalubeast]

I can't believe some want to replace the players when they have witnessed one of the biggest turnarounds in Steelers history: The much-maligned Offensive Line.

Mike Munchak has turned that unit into a stalwart. It also helps they canned Bruce Arians and brought in Todd Haley to create an offense that gets rid of the ball quickly. Now Ben isn't peeling himself off the turf anymore.

The Defense gets shredded the entirety of the second half of last year, and couldn't stop Jacksonville in the playoffs, and the organization cans Haley and keeps the Defensive guru whose unit fell apart against Bortles and co. Here we are in 2018, and the Defense has fallen into an abyss.

I guess Rooney was trying to save face with Butler or something, because this doesn't make sense at all.

100% agree on Butler

I know this defense has some problem, but no reason for this defense to be a bottom 5 defense in the NFL as has been the case since Shazier's injury(230 points given in the last 8 games).

Some offenses look impossible to stop sometimes like rams or chiefs ... but the Jaguars?! .... They scored only 10 points against Buffalo before the game against Pittsburgh and only 2 first down in the 4th quarter the week after against the pats ...The jags are the same team that lost 9-6 at home last week!

Even if the chiefs are very strong on offense ,the chiefs have attempts only 5 3rd down in the entire game !!!!

It was embarrassing

[Dwinsgames]

Make from it what you will ( your mileage may vary )

Duds and Studs

Terrell Edmunds ... to soon to tell but is showing early promise

T.J. Watt ...looks like he will be a stud

Artie Burns ...Dud

Bud Dupree.... Dud

Ryan Shazier ... Stud with bad luck

Jarvis Jones ... Dud

David DeCastro..... Stud

Cameron Hayward... Stud

Maurkice Pouncey ...Stud


Summation ....
5 studs
3 duds
1 to soon to tell

That said we could be doing a whole hell of a lot worse

It is my contention this has a lot more to do with coaching than it does individual talents...

it stings because all the dud came in a spree with 1 stud in the middle who had a career ending injury giving us a 4 year drought of guys who would be what we consider the prime of their careers and normally still on our roster where as only 2 of the 4 are today and they are bottom of the heap kind of starters

[Dwinsgames]

as a side note to the duds ....

there is not a set logic of why they failed with those selections as they are very different ...

Jarvis Jones was not an elite athlete , but he had big collegiate success at a div 1 school in a tough conference ....

Dupree and Burns on the other hand where considered elite athletes for their pos but lacked dominate college statistics ....

so very contrasting styles of players and reasons for being taken so high ....

showing that great athletes do not always become great football players ( so much for antalitics huh ? ) and also just because you are highly successful as a Div 1 school production wise does not mean you can replicate it in the NFL ...

the trick is to marry the athletic players who produce statistically at a div 1 school , that said its easier said than done because when you are the Steelers you normally select 24th or later and the 23 teams ahead of you are already trying to do just that and the 24th ( or later ) best prospect on anyone's board is not a lock to a solid pro career ...there will be failures as there is no sure thing in projecting players its all an educated guess

[teegre]

Dwins’s last two posts pretty much nails it.

[86WARD]

Pretty much why the combine is a huge waste of time and money.

[Steeler-in-west]

In the case of Artie Burns i don't think it was a mistake to draft him where the Steelers did. He's already shown, early last year, that he can perform. Its consistency with him. So with him, its up to the coaches to help him correct what he's doing wrong at this point and get him back to what he was doing before. We do have a new secondaries coach, lets see what happens; if Burns can get his starting job back or not, i think it will reflect on the new DB coaches abilities.

[JimHarbaugh'ssoakedtissue]

Here is the thing and like the Pats we also pick almost last in the draft every year. Pats have better coaches to make up for their sh!t D. Now days you aren't touching a good CB unless you have a pick in the top ten. Burns was a desperation pick and horrible one. This new NFL, defense are not worth much and think Denver will be the last dominate defense we will see for many years. It is what it is and hope our offense keeps improving.

[pczach]

Pretty much why the combine is a huge waste of time and money.



It's a tool.

The problem is too many that pick players rely on the results of an event that measures athletic prowess but doesn't change anything you see on film while playing actual football.

If you see ability and instincts on the field, the combine can be used to solidify what you see in a player, and strengthen your belief in what he is capable of at the next level.

The problem is that way too often, teams fall in love with athletic measurements and forget that the game isn't played against air and hand timers.

Everyone gets fooled with what we see in players, myself included. But if you use it in the right context, it can help you determine how a good college football player can translate to the NFL.

[Dwinsgames]

It's a tool.

The problem is too many that pick players rely on the results of an event that measures athletic prowess but doesn't change anything you see on film while playing actual football.

If you see ability and instincts on the field, the combine can be used to solidify what you see in a player, and strengthen your belief in what he is capable of at the next level.

The problem is that way too often, teams fall in love with athletic measurements and forget that the game isn't played against air and hand timers.

Everyone gets fooled with what we see in players, myself included. But if you use it in the right context, it can help you determine how a good college football player can translate to the NFL.

it should solidify what you see on tape , it shouldn't elevate a guy that doesn't show it on tape ( sadly it often does just that )

the best thing that comes from the annual poke n prod should be... Medicals and interviews and for many that is what it is all about but every year we see a team or two take that flier early on a guy who was off the charts in shorts but had never lived up to that stuff on the field ...

[86WARD]

Between the rules and the innovations the offenses have made, the defenses are playing at a disadvantage.

Even if you only draft secondary players that specialize in man coverage, there are ways offenses can help to neutralize that. The defense can line up with press man, and be terrific in that coverage, but offenses then go to bunch formations that make it very difficult to cover your man in the scrum with WRs crossing and using natural screens and pick plays by formation. Once a defender gets picked off his assignment, it's game over.

If you want to play strictly zone defense, you can, but teams will respond by spreading you out and making bigger zones that make it nearly impossible to squeeze off passing lanes or soft spots.

When you add to that the dynamic talent at the WR and TE positions, and rules that make it hard to put a hand on a receiver....plus the targeting penalties after they catch the ball......plus the roughing the passer penalties even when you do get to the quarterback to extend drives......man......that's a tough row to hoe from a defensive standpoint.

In the past, most games were decided by a handful of impactful plays. Now, those handful of impactful plays can be negated by a penalty on the defensive side of the ball.

Just playing to make offenses need more than 5-6 yards on third downs isn't enough. Offenses have waaaay too many ways to get a first down even if they don't execute a good play.

Everything I listed above makes every other method of moving the chains that much easier, and with more athletic quarterbacks becoming more and more common.....good luck stopping anybody boys and girls.

You don’t agree that Mitchell Trubisky should have 5 TDs in the first half???

[86WARD]

It's a tool.

The problem is too many that pick players rely on the results of an event that measures athletic prowess but doesn't change anything you see on film while playing actual football.

If you see ability and instincts on the field, the combine can be used to solidify what you see in a player, and strengthen your belief in what he is capable of at the next level.

The problem is that way too often, teams fall in love with athletic measurements and forget that the game isn't played against air and hand timers.

Everyone gets fooled with what we see in players, myself included. But if you use it in the right context, it can help you determine how a good college football player can translate to the NFL.

If s a tool but it’s not necessary. There’s enough game film out there that they don’t have to hold a combine.

[Mojouw]

If s a tool but it’s not necessary. There’s enough game film out there that they don’t have to hold a combine.

I think DWins, mentioned it earlier -- but the medicals and the one-on-one interviews are the big key for the teams. We just hear about the drills and timed running parts more because it is the easiest for the media to cover.

I honestly do not think the combine has really changed the Steelers draft boards in recent years. Last one might have been Mike Adams and that was based on interviews and not drills.

[fansince'76]

If s a tool but it’s not necessary. There’s enough game film out there that they don’t have to hold a combine.

The Combine has pretty much become a business within itself: The Economics Of The NFL Combine (https://www.forbes.com/sites/darrenheitner/2013/02/21/the-economics-of-the-nfl-combine/#349ce0c9385e)

[86WARD]

The Combine has pretty much become a business within itself: The Economics Of The NFL Combine (https://www.forbes.com/sites/darrenheitner/2013/02/21/the-economics-of-the-nfl-combine/#349ce0c9385e)

Exactly. It’s another way to pull in money for the league.

[Born2Steel]

What would be better to watch leading up to the draft than the NFL combine? I don't care if it is ALL show and no substance. March Madness is over. Spring baseball has not started. What is the downside?

On drafting philosophy...It is constantly changing. Always fluid.

[Mojouw]

https://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2014/5/15/5709380/lsu-defense-john-chavis-spread-offenses

All about how recent LSU defenses have used athletes to stop spread offenses. Reading it is like an exact description of what the Steelers have been drafting lately. Gives an interesting idea on where I think this time thought it could go on defense.

But injury and poor mental play by the key guys has really soured the plan.

Article mentions that the spine of the defense has to be able to read and react to the offensive alignments and hustle other guys into their spots. That's not happening with these mental midgets...

[st33lersguy]

https://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2014/5/15/5709380/lsu-defense-john-chavis-spread-offenses

All about how recent LSU defenses have used athletes to stop spread offenses. Reading it is like an exact description of what the Steelers have been drafting lately. Gives an interesting idea on where I think this time thought it could go on defense.

But injury and poor mental play by the key guys has really soured the plan.

Article mentions that the spine of the defense has to be able to read and react to the offensive alignments and hustle other guys into their spots. That's not happening with these mental midgets...

I did some research. The article is from May 2014, John Chavis left LSU for Texas A&M after 2014 and was not retained when Kevin Sumlin was fired. He is now at Arkansas.

LSU's current Defensive Coordinator is David Aranda. Looking at his rankings, he's got an impressive resume. Before he was at LSU, he also happened to be DC at Wisconsin for a few years. LSU recently gave him a fully guaranteed contract worth $2.5 million because Texas A&M was trying to get their hands on him.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dave_Aranda

Also this reinforces the notion that they should try and target Devin While, the LB at LSU (he is a beast) even if that means trading up.

[Dwinsgames]

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