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- Apr 21, 2014
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1 TJ Watt OLB Wisconsin - A
They pretty much had to take Watt here. OLB was a huge need and Watt was the last of the top tier group. When Peppers and Njoku came off the board, Watt was the only choice.
2 JuJu Smith Schuster WR USC - B+
Wide Receiver was a big need. AB is the only reliable target. Who knows the future with Martavis? Coates can't be counted on. Rogers and Ayers are limited role players. Not only did they need a WR, but they needed a particular type, big and physical. The 2 that i wanted were Schuster and Godwin. I would have preferred Godwin but i'm happy with Schuster. Melifonwu, Awuzie, and Josh JOnes were picked just ahead of the steelers which made WR the best value with DB being so deep. Besides, they have 2 Third rounder so they can double up on DBs right?
3A Cameron Sutton CB Tennessee - B+
I would have preferred the taller Rasul Douglas but pretty much any CB is a good pick here. Sutton could be the man cover guy they need in the nickel.
3B James Conner RB Pitt - D
Conner will be a decent backup RB but i can't see taking a backup RB here when they could have locked down the OLB position with somebody like Carl Lawson or got another potential starting DB like Howard Wilson. Even if Watt is a stud, they still need depth so they can keep the pass rushers fresh. It's much harder to find a good pass rusher than a good backup RB. Same with the DBs.
4 Josh Dobbs QB Tennessee - C
It's pretty obvious that the steelers were dead set on drafting a QB and Dobbs was the guy. How serious are Ben's retirement threats? Based on his contract, he'd have to pay back tons of money if he retires early so it doesn't seem a QB was a glaring need. Sure you want to draft an eventual replacement but I'm not sure it had to be this year. This pick also factors into my low grade for Conner. The steelers had to know they were going QB in RD 4, which meant that when they picked Conner, the steelers knew that meant puching off DB until the end of RD 5.
5 Brian Allen DB Utah - A
He is a great athlete who likely would have been a much higher pick if DB wasn't so deep this year. He's a project though so he may have a hard time getting on the field. The Steelers track record under Tomlin of late round CBs has been pretty bad. They may have gotten very lucky that Allen was still on the board.
6 Colin Holba LS louisville - D
With the retirement of Warren i give this a D instead of F, but still, it's not like long snappers are that hard to find. Every team has one and most were street free agents and somehow each week we don't see tons of bad snaps and blocked kicks. Seemed a bit of a panic move to take a LS here. Cb Jalen Myrick, who the steelers visited multiple times was still on the board. Would drafting 3 DBs be overkill? Hell no. Not with as poorly as this secondary has played. Sutton and Allen aren't exactly sure things.
7 Keion Adams OLB Western Michigan - A
This is a great pick so late. He has the athletic tools to compete
Overall C+
I felt they had to come away from the draft with a Day 1 starting OLB and a backup OLB. Two DBs who can play as rookies like Burns and Davis did last year. They also needed a physical WR with hands to do the dirty work. They got Watt who should be a day 1 starter or at least a major role player from Day 1. They got the WR. They may have whiffed on DB. Burns and Davis were first and second rounders, but SUtton is a late 3rd and Allen is a late 5th.
This draft was very deep at CB so Sutton and Allen are better prospects than are usually available that late, but still you can't exactly pencil them in and the picks of Conner and Dobbs may have cost them getting that second DB or OLB that can contribute as a rookie.
The silver lining to me could be Allen and Adams. They are really great prospects for that late that could save this draft and this season. It's hard for me though to give the steelers a high grade for rolling the dice on filling their biggest needs with 5th and 7th rounders.
I feel like the steelers got too locked in on Conner and Dobbs and drafted each too high which jeopardized the rest of the picks. It seems they got luck with Allen and Adams falling to them.
Just because somebody makes their inside straight on the last card and takes the pot, it doesn't mean the hand was well played.
They pretty much had to take Watt here. OLB was a huge need and Watt was the last of the top tier group. When Peppers and Njoku came off the board, Watt was the only choice.
2 JuJu Smith Schuster WR USC - B+
Wide Receiver was a big need. AB is the only reliable target. Who knows the future with Martavis? Coates can't be counted on. Rogers and Ayers are limited role players. Not only did they need a WR, but they needed a particular type, big and physical. The 2 that i wanted were Schuster and Godwin. I would have preferred Godwin but i'm happy with Schuster. Melifonwu, Awuzie, and Josh JOnes were picked just ahead of the steelers which made WR the best value with DB being so deep. Besides, they have 2 Third rounder so they can double up on DBs right?
3A Cameron Sutton CB Tennessee - B+
I would have preferred the taller Rasul Douglas but pretty much any CB is a good pick here. Sutton could be the man cover guy they need in the nickel.
3B James Conner RB Pitt - D
Conner will be a decent backup RB but i can't see taking a backup RB here when they could have locked down the OLB position with somebody like Carl Lawson or got another potential starting DB like Howard Wilson. Even if Watt is a stud, they still need depth so they can keep the pass rushers fresh. It's much harder to find a good pass rusher than a good backup RB. Same with the DBs.
4 Josh Dobbs QB Tennessee - C
It's pretty obvious that the steelers were dead set on drafting a QB and Dobbs was the guy. How serious are Ben's retirement threats? Based on his contract, he'd have to pay back tons of money if he retires early so it doesn't seem a QB was a glaring need. Sure you want to draft an eventual replacement but I'm not sure it had to be this year. This pick also factors into my low grade for Conner. The steelers had to know they were going QB in RD 4, which meant that when they picked Conner, the steelers knew that meant puching off DB until the end of RD 5.
5 Brian Allen DB Utah - A
He is a great athlete who likely would have been a much higher pick if DB wasn't so deep this year. He's a project though so he may have a hard time getting on the field. The Steelers track record under Tomlin of late round CBs has been pretty bad. They may have gotten very lucky that Allen was still on the board.
6 Colin Holba LS louisville - D
With the retirement of Warren i give this a D instead of F, but still, it's not like long snappers are that hard to find. Every team has one and most were street free agents and somehow each week we don't see tons of bad snaps and blocked kicks. Seemed a bit of a panic move to take a LS here. Cb Jalen Myrick, who the steelers visited multiple times was still on the board. Would drafting 3 DBs be overkill? Hell no. Not with as poorly as this secondary has played. Sutton and Allen aren't exactly sure things.
7 Keion Adams OLB Western Michigan - A
This is a great pick so late. He has the athletic tools to compete
Overall C+
I felt they had to come away from the draft with a Day 1 starting OLB and a backup OLB. Two DBs who can play as rookies like Burns and Davis did last year. They also needed a physical WR with hands to do the dirty work. They got Watt who should be a day 1 starter or at least a major role player from Day 1. They got the WR. They may have whiffed on DB. Burns and Davis were first and second rounders, but SUtton is a late 3rd and Allen is a late 5th.
This draft was very deep at CB so Sutton and Allen are better prospects than are usually available that late, but still you can't exactly pencil them in and the picks of Conner and Dobbs may have cost them getting that second DB or OLB that can contribute as a rookie.
The silver lining to me could be Allen and Adams. They are really great prospects for that late that could save this draft and this season. It's hard for me though to give the steelers a high grade for rolling the dice on filling their biggest needs with 5th and 7th rounders.
I feel like the steelers got too locked in on Conner and Dobbs and drafted each too high which jeopardized the rest of the picks. It seems they got luck with Allen and Adams falling to them.
Just because somebody makes their inside straight on the last card and takes the pot, it doesn't mean the hand was well played.
