Grading Steelers' First 3 2014 Draft Selections

[GBMelBlount]

It will be years before we can truly grade this class however I'd like to know your early thoughts.

Shazier was the right choice imo.

Not only should he instantly upgrade our run and short passing defense but he allows Troy to play his position which improves our secondary.

This pick improves our entire defense.

Tuitt should be a significant upgrade along the defensive line as well.

He was an excellent value too, graded by some as a top 30 talent.

Archer's quickness and shifty-ness could add another dimension to our running and short passing game as well as kickoff returns.

While I understand the need at cornerback I feel our first 2 picks were very good selections which will help our secondary. It has also been bantered about that LeBeau is comfortable with what we have in the secondary. Still, I'd like to see us grab somebody now.

I will give us a solid "B" to "B+" so far.

[Steelerette]

I give us an A-.

Shazier is a solid A.

Tuitt is pretty much A+ for me. A bigger stronger Aaron Smith (at least potentially)? Hell yes.

Archer is a B, he's an exciting playmaker, maybe we left some guys on the board but no doubt he brings electric to the table.

But it's all in context. I'll be willing to promote Archer to B+ if the next three rounds go well or even A- if Colbert brings sexy back.

[Shoes]

Thats about how I see it Bro…..B+ And I think we will have a good day today.

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While there aren't any top TE left, I hope we can snag Blanchflower late

[MrPgh]

So far I'd have to give the Steelers a D. Tuitt was the only pick they got that I can get behind. Shazier may be a good player, but Dennard was a bigger need. As for Archer, words can't describe how stupid I think that pick is.

[st33lersguy]

Shazier: I did not like pick initially because of the initial shock of selecting a player that was projected to go in many mock drafts later than the Steelers were picking and not knowing a lot about the kid, but knowing more about the kid including seeing some game tape and knowing he will help the run defense, improve the pass rush, and cover the many pass catching tight ends in the division, this is an A.

Tuitt: Really a no-brainer selection here. D-line was starving for depth and Tuitt provided excellent value. Prototypical 3-4 defensive end. Another A

Archer: I am not much of a fan of this selection. Does provide depth at RB which raises the grade, but there were plenty of solid corners that were available, and would have much rather have had one of those corners in the 3rd round than an offensive toy. C-

[Psycho Ward 86]

Shazier: B+
Tuitt: A+
Archer: D

[Drazo85]

Shazier: B
Tuitt: A
Archer: C-

[Moose]

I'm satisfied so far with who was picked. I think with the pass rushing potential, we in a round about way, satisfied our big need for a awesome CB. A 'average' or a slightly above average CB may work now. Archer may be a threatening return guy we definitely could use. I can see an immediate use for Shazam and possibly Tuitt. Definitely will be an interesting camp. Right now I'd have to grade a solid 'B' on all 3.

[salamander]

I'm warming up to Shazier, Grade: B
Tuitt was a great pick, Grade: A-/A
Archer was unnecessary, Grade: D

[Pristas]

Thats about how I see it Bro…..B+ And I think we will have a good day today.

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While there aren't any top TE left, I hope we can snag Blanchflower late

Shoes, you nailed it. Blanchflower, Rd. 7, I like this guy too. Says he can actually block, imagine that.

[steelreserve]

Shazier: C
Tuitt: A-
Archer: F

Talent-wise, our first two guys are excellent (as they should be), but for filling needs in this draft, we pretty much fell flat. You hear LeBeau say he's happy with the guys we have, and who knows. Maybe Isaiah Green will suddenly figure out how to cover, and Ike Taylor will turn 26, and Butterbean will come play nose tackle and start kicking ass. But here in the real world, it looks like we still got problems, and did jack shit about them.

[Steelerette]

Shazier: C
Tuitt: A-
Archer: F

Talent-wise, our first two guys are excellent (as they should be), but for filling needs in this draft, we pretty much fell flat. You hear LeBeau say he's happy with the guys we have, and who knows. Maybe Isaiah Green will suddenly figure out how to cover, and Ike Taylor will turn 26, and Butterbean will come play nose tackle and start kicking ass. But here in the real world, it looks like we still got problems, and did jack shit about them.

We got us a NT. Big Dan McCullers... the man is BIG.

[Mojouw]

Shazier: C
Tuitt: A-
Archer: F

Talent-wise, our first two guys are excellent (as they should be), but for filling needs in this draft, we pretty much fell flat. You hear LeBeau say he's happy with the guys we have, and who knows. Maybe Isaiah Green will suddenly figure out how to cover, and Ike Taylor will turn 26, and Butterbean will come play nose tackle and start kicking ass. But here in the real world, it looks like we still got problems, and did jack shit about them.

I don't totally disagree, but I like to argue. Let's take it as a given that the best grade that Archer can have is an incomplete. Haley was going to get his scat-back. Whether or not that needed to happen with a 3rd round draft pick -- I have no idea.

I think we both agree that Tuitt looks like a great pick - -as long as he drops a bit of weight and plays more like his pre-injury self. I have concerns about motivation and what-not based on reports that he never got all the way back from the injury. But who am I to say? Let alone quibble with the evaluation of the pick.

As for Shazier, I disagree completely. I didn't like it at first, but have really come around. Dennard is not the second coming of Revis, Deion Sanders, or Darell Green. He wasn't the best athlete at his position in the draft class. Shazier was. By far. Look what the 49'ers have been able to do with both Willis and Bowman in the middle. The Ravens have Smith and Brown already and it didn't make them hesitate on tacking Mosley. The Steelers revamped front 7 looks the best it has on paper in a very long time. Tuitt, McCullers, McClendon, Heyward, Thomas, and Williams are all young and can move for fat guys. The LBer's can all run and hit.

So that leaves us to the non-Dennard having secondary. First off, there was already massive addition by subtraction in this group. Ryan Clark, as much as he was a great player for a long time, was a major part of the problem last year. Multiple back-breaking deep passes last season were the result of a CB (usually Ike) setting up and playing their man with the expectation of deep safety help. In many cases that help was terrifically late in arriving. Father Time caught up to Clark last year and he was a step or three slow all year. So that explains one safety. The other was Troy. He is slower than he used to be as well. However, he had some speed to lose. His problem was that in order to help an overmatched LB'er group he keep nosing around the box every damn play - both by design and patented Troy P. randomness. This made him late in coverage help as well.

So that has been fixed. Shazier pushes Troy back to the deep center of the field. Whether he stays there or not is anyone's guess. Even Lebeau likley only knows half the time. Mitchell squeezes Clark off the roster. Allen hopefully can regain his late 2012 form/potential. Ike - well that is a problem. But with a fleet corps of LB'ers taking the short zones and rejuvenated safety help over the top combined with moving him away from a #1 WR shadow role -- it MAY work for another year.

Basically I can sum it up like this. A corner of Dennard's talent comes out of school every year. An athletic freak like Shazier does not.

[Steelerette]

We can definitely go into next year's draft and take a CB, TE, OT, and then a bunch of luxury picks. I think it bodes well.

[Steeldude]

Shazier: (B+) A good prospect, but perhaps a little high at 15. Unfortunately, with Dallas wanting him with the next pick the Steelers' hand was forced. I think he could add about 10 pounds. A good pick It potentially solves the problem at ILB. What you have is a very athletic ILB who can over anyone on the other side of the ball, WRs included. Now can he turn that athleticism into a great football career? I truly hope he is not just another combine warrior. I am going to be optimistic on this one.

Tuitt: (A-) A very good value pick. A large man who is also agile. Could stand to slim down a bit. Played in a 3-4 at Notre Dame. He probably has the best chance of starting out of all the draft selections.

Archer: (D) A 3rd round pick for a guy who will be involved very little in the offense? He never returned punts and is quite the fumbler. Also, injury prone due to lack of size. Where does he fit in? RB? Even as a change-of-pace RB I doubt he will do much. His highlight runs are mostly, if not all, because of huge holes. Will he be able to hold onto the football on kick returns? It's reported he is not a good route runner and his size makes it easy for DBs to jam him. That hurts his chances of playing the slot. This would have been a better pick in the 4th or later. Oh well, it is what it is. I hope for the best : )

[Texasteel]

Shazier: (B+) A good prospect, but perhaps a little high at 15. Unfortunately, with Dallas wanting him with the next pick the Steelers' hand was forced. I think he could add about 10 pounds. A good pick It potentially solves the problem at ILB. What you have is a very athletic ILB who can over anyone on the other side of the ball, WRs included. Now can he turn that athleticism into a great football career? I truly hope he is not just another combine warrior. I am going to be optimistic on this one.
)

He's not just a workout warrior. Try to get some game tape, he is a kid that stands out game after game, and not in a bad way. I think your going to like him bud.

[MrPgh]

On paper this draft wasn't bad, but when you consider that CB was the Steelers biggest need and they addressed it only once with a 5th round pick, it feels like it was a rather disappointing draft.

[Steelerette]

For sure. I feel like this is a solid draft from top to bottom, for value, for adding to the team... but it sure feels funny not coming away with a bigtime cornerback.

Robinson has very high potential, a lot of tools, but he's not ready to play... it's going to take some development. Still, things fell how they did. I feel like in both the 1st and 3rd/4th we had to at least be considering CB but a team ahead of us went and ruined there being a pick they wanted. I'm more upset about the lackluster group of UDFA they brought in, when there were some CB they could have gone after there.

Let's see how the rest of the offseason goes.

I might be the only one but I have a feeling we may see Terry Hawthorne back in camp. And you never know who's going to wind up being a free agent... once we start trimming the roster, get an extension done, and get Woodley's June 1st money, we'll have the room to make a splash or two before the season starts.

[Texasteel]

On paper this draft wasn't bad, but when you consider that CB was the Steelers biggest need and they addressed it only once with a 5th round pick, it feels like it was a rather disappointing draft.

What we see as the biggest need may not be the same as what the team see's as our biggest need. Looks like the team is happy with what we already have. Time will tell who is right.

[Steeldude]

He's not just a workout warrior. Try to get some game tape, he is a kid that stands out game after game, and not in a bad way. I think your going to like him bud.

I do like the pick. I'm just saying I hope he is not another one of those combine standouts ala Scott Shields.

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On paper this draft wasn't bad, but when you consider that CB was the Steelers biggest need and they addressed it only once with a 5th round pick, it feels like it was a rather disappointing draft.

The draft was filled with CBs that were pretty much on par with each other. If this draft had some blue chip CBs then Dennard would have gone in the 3rd round or later, IMO.

[86WARD]

I actually like the Steelers draft a lot. Doubted the Archer pick at first but that pick got a lot better once they drafted Bryant...which very psyched about. I feel like they got two starters ou of this draft (Shazier and Tuitt) and two guys that will play/contribute (Archer and Bryant ) and then some nice developmental guys.

Maybe they don't feel CB is as big of a need as some of the fans...

[GBMelBlount]

The draft was filled with CBs that were pretty much on par with each other. If this draft had some blue chip CBs then Dennard would have gone in the 3rd round or later, IMO.

I also think CB was indirectly addressed with the first two picks.

I think they approached the secondary issues by attenpting to cure some of the underlying problems they feel contribute to the secondary issues instead of just medicating it as a symptom.

I think they were smart about this.

[stillers4me]

I also think CB was indirectly addressed with the first two picks.

I think they approached the secondary issues by attenpting to cure some of the underlying problems they feel contribute to the secondary issues instead of just medicating it as a symptom.

I think they were smart about this.

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