We could pick up a FA ILB and then dirty red would back up VW and the FA would back up the draftee. Still need to replace Mitchell with a good FA, I am hoping Davis struggles had more to do with covering up for Mitchell than anything else.
We could pick up a FA ILB and then dirty red would back up VW and the FA would back up the draftee. Still need to replace Mitchell with a good FA, I am hoping Davis struggles had more to do with covering up for Mitchell than anything else.
The more that see & read about Evans, the more I’m convinced he should be long gone by 28.
The fortunate thing is there are a lot of QBs and a lot of QB needy teams to push otherwise top 10 players down. I wouldn’t be surprised to see 6-7 QBs taken in the top ten this year.
Born2Steel & I were discussing this very thing...
http://www.steelersuniverse.com/foru...326#post633326
all it takes is a small scare and crazy things happen in the draft. Myles Jack was supposed to be a guaranteed top 5 pick, arguably the conversation for #1 overall and he falls to the 2nd round. David Decastro, easy top 10 pick, falls to #24.
Hell, sometimes, nothing needs to happen at all and people fall for no reason. Sharrif Floyd was going top 5 in every mock draft and he fell to #23 or #24 and nothing was wrong with him.
Prospects rising means other prospects are falling (that includes prospects whose stock is even)
I agree. Much of the Steelers first round success has been to take guys that "fall" for whatever reason.
Heath Miller was not projected to fall as far as he did. Injury (I think) scared teams away.
Dupree (I know. I know.) was talked about going in the top 7-12 picks. He dropped.
DeCastro.
Mendenhall and Holmes were projected higher by more than one "expert".
Happens almost every time the team picks outside the top half of the first round. Their pick ends up being a guy who "fell" on day one.
Buddha quit visiting message boards after he & I were asked to leave another Steelers forum.
HAM quit watching football altogether (one of the few to keep his promise) about two years ago.
Jon... is bathing with a dog somewhere.
And, yes, great people.
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(see above)
I get that.
I’m just not going to get my hopes up that somehow Minkah Fitzpatrick will be there at 28. Instead, I’m going to focus my attention on Justin Reid, Ronnie Harrison, and the other safeties with a much higher chance of actually being there at 28. (Make sense?)
Daniel Jeremiah's top 50 prospects for 2018 NFL Draft
By Daniel Jeremiah
NFL Media analyst
Jan. 26, 2018
RANK 27
Rashaan Evans, LB, Alabama
Evans is a versatile, playmaking linebacker. He moved all over the field in the Alabama defense. He aligned off the ball in the middle of the defense, stood up outside and even occasionally put his hand in the ground as a defensive end in pass-rush situations. Against the run, he's a tick late to key/read, but once he makes up his mind, he closes in a hurry. He runs right through blockers and if he doesn't make the tackle, he creates a pileup to slow down the ball carrier. He has outstanding speed to range sideline to sideline. He will miss an occasional tackle in space because he rarely breaks down, instead looking for the big hit. In coverage, he can easily mirror tight ends and backs. He will even match up in the slot at times. He isn't a polished pass rusher, but he can win with pure speed and effort. Overall, Evans is a tone-setter on defense and his versatility is a huge asset.
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap300...2018-nfl-draft
Three-round mock draft: Browns among 7 teams that pick QB
By Chad Reuter
Draft analyst
Published: Feb. 6, 2018 Updated: Feb. 13, 2018
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap300...s-that-pick-qb
I would take Evans if there at 28. I hate locking in on one player this early and before the combine. So far, I see several LBs that I would like to see us draft somewhere in the 1st 3 rounds.
P-G reporter Ray Fittipaldo has his full mock draft up for the Steelers
1. ILB Rashaan Evans of Alabama
2. ILB Josey Jewell of Iowa
Yes, two inside linebackers with the first two picks. That’s how depleted this position is.
http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/s...s/201802140045
If those 2 were available at those picks, I would certainly consider it. Everything depends on who's there at the pick like always. I agree 100%, the ILB position is that thin right now. Who on this roster is a sideline to sideline ILB? We have VW, Fort, and Matakevich who are darn good tackle to tackle ILBs. So unless we plan on running some sort of 3-3-5 defense, we must grab at least 1 ILB that has traits similar to Shazier. Take a look at some game tape on Jerome Baker and let me know what you think. Try to look past the OSU connection.
I think that the Steelers could justify double dipping in the draft at the position, but suspect it will be early + later rather than back to back.
Honestly, I'm not certain that any inside linebacker other than VW belongs on an NFL roster at this point. Matakevich is a great special teams player and really good at making tackles 3 yards past the line of scrimmage. Fort and Spence just look over-matched. Although to be entirely fair, I have no idea why they didn't give Fort a bit more playing time...couldn't have been worse!
Agreed. However in Matakevich's defense, he doesn't miss many tackles. Better 3-4 yard gains than a whiff and a 20 yard gain. Is that good enough? Not really, but you can't teach speed and Red simply doesn't have that. The fact that we had to bring in Spence is too telling. If the guys you have on roster are worse than a player at home, just doesn't make sense.