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Early Draft Grade

Omar10213245 said:
So I'm assuming this guy has Pittsburgh trading out of the 1st rd??
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It has two AFC teams going to the SB. Some brilliant work there. I have a sneaky suspicion that the Steelers QB pick will come about much earlier with a trade up. They have the extra picks to make it happen.
 
WindyCitySteel said:
Then what’s the point of an early grade?
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Exactly.
So many tend to make the comment that “we have to wait and see” if the draft lives up to its grade.
How long should we wait? One year? 2? 3?

How the player turns out has no bearing on the grade a team receives.
The point in grading is to evaluate how well a team addressed their needs, “steals” of the draft they may have acquired, the quality of players selected..

If every player ends up a bust on a team that received an A, the team still gets an A.
If I get an A in school, but end up doing poorly in the workplace, I still get to keep the A I earned in school.
 
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Aussie_Steeler said:
He has them taking Drew Allar at 14. The screenshot attached to this thread is missing the bottom few picks in each column. Click on the picture and it goes to the source in full screen.
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So the Steelers unload a bunch of that extra draft capital amassed through comp picks (maybe their 2nd, the 3rd and 4th round comps) to move up from 20-22 to 14 and then take Allar?!?!?

I give the 2026 Steelers draft an F 🤣 for panicking and making the move up for Allar. Should’ve sold more and went higher if a move up is the play.

Guess they should’ve taken Dart at 21 in 2025 when he was staring them in the face if this is the situation that’s gonna unfold.

Hope Howard has the job secured by then and they simply take a mid round guy to compete with Rudy for QB2 cuz this mock blows.
 
Fiji Mariner said:
If I had to give an early grade likely a C+

That could obviously become an A or a F
It’s the draft and ya never know for a few years

Took a first rounder Harmon that could be great, but also could See limited PT in first season due to scheme and Will need surgery at some point for shoulder/labrum. So while the talent is there at a need position there is definitely a reason he fell into their laps. I like the pick but I’d only give it a B due to these concerns.
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agree, if medicals clear this is an easy A, the guy is a consensus top 3 DT and was a roster need
Fiji Mariner said:
2nd rounder Metcalf: Grade C. that’s a **** load of coin for him, but the Steelers were desperate. Generally desperate moves don’t get As. Could have taken an equally talented receiver in the first at a much lower price tag and got there DL in the 2nd. Would’ve been way more cap friendly.
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getting a #1 WR in his prime with a #2 is a very good deal, even with the bazillion $, that's the cost of doing business and in year 3 it will be peanuts for the WR market. In your scenario you get Golden with the #1 pick I guess, then in the 2nd round who? Shemar Turner (lacks mass for the DT spot, can't hold double teams, reminds me of Leal), Darius Alexander (great size, but raw as sushi)? There's a reason both were consensus 3rd round prospects and no way close to Harmon, who has not only a high ceiling but a really good floor to hit the ground running.
I prefer the Steelers plan and give them an A- for Metcalf

Fiji Mariner said:
3rd rounder: Grade A. Got a solid player at a position of need late on day 2. That’s a win.
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YEAP!
Fiji Mariner said:
4th rounder: Grade B. Seems close to a luxury pick given the needs. He looks The part though and it’s good to have edge options. Never a bad thing to get a solid player in the 4th.
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agree, this was as BPA as it can get. Also it might be more of a need than we thought, clearly Nick Herbig is not built to play against the run, so he is not a good backup against big formations. With Sawyer the Steelers can give a breather to the starters without getting gashed. Sawyer has a high floor holding the point and that's not very common for rookie OLBs
Fiji Mariner said:
5th rounder: Grade C. A run stuffing Nt that likely could’ve been had later and will likely rarely see the field. Could even be a PS player if he can’t beat out Adams (where a team that would use him properly may steal him making it a wasted pick). There is upside potential in the right scheme: not the Steelers way to use the NT much though. This pick could easily become an F.
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Agree, a reach there, there were still other NT available and there was quite a few talented players there to take, I was hoping for G Myles Frazier, WR THorton, CBs Zah Frazier or Burke or Strong. For example, how much better is Black than Nazir Stackhouse, who went undrafted? Taat 5th could have been a high ceiling project
Fiji Mariner said:
6th rounder: Grade B. A potential backup who could even challenge to start late in the draft. So while the pick is a B it shows how poorly the Steelers have managed the position.
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a B sounds about right

Fiji Mariner said:
7th rounders: D-F
Two bites and got a slow, small, unathletic nepotism pick and a guy that will be PS bait at best when there were OL, receivers and safeties all With upside still available. I gigantic meh at the end.
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agree, it's like they don't even care at this point. Only way they are valuable is they become ST aces. We have Queen, P Wilson, Holcomb, Harrison (the ravens FA), Mark Robinson, WTF are we going to do with Another ILB?
Fiji Mariner said:
That makes the overall look like a C+ unless the coach uses guys properly (very unlikely) then maybe a B. If Howard is a miracle it becomes an A cuz any draft ya get your starting QB is an A. That’s the dream scenario. Likely just a big fat C, This crop looks super average.
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I see it as a solid B, the only reach was in the 5th round, and the 7th rounders have minimal weight (for me) in the whole bada-bing.
 
Drink IRON City said:
I think his post way out-performed the explanation needed. Go back and re-read it with interest & attention being your friend.

He gave a grade and ann explanation of that grade PLUS a scenario of the down fall grade.

He made a great point with the in-depth of the post.

I don’t need to defend him, but if he ever needs AIR support, I’m there………………….



Salute the nation
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Anywhere from an A to an F, which tells us that nobody knows how these guys will pan out.

My point stands. Early draft grades are largely worthless. Not just by fans, but by media and “experts” alike. Nobody knows until a few years down the road.

My favorite part of draft season every year is watching the so-called experts on TV and online lecture the people doing this for a living instead of reflecting on where they got it wrong. The prediction/mock part, not the actual results, which again, won’t be known for years.
 
Hypocycloids said:
If I get an A in school, but end up doing poorly in the workplace, I still get to keep the A I earned in school.
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Like all those folks who proudly display their degree/diploma on the wall......uh....what have you done in your actual work??
 
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Litos said:
agree, if medicals clear this is an easy A, the guy is a consensus top 3 DT and was a roster need

getting a #1 WR in his prime with a #2 is a very good deal, even with the bazillion $, that's the cost of doing business and in year 3 it will be peanuts for the WR market. In your scenario you get Golden with the #1 pick I guess, then in the 2nd round who? Shemar Turner (lacks mass for the DT spot, can't hold double teams, reminds me of Leal), Darius Alexander (great size, but raw as sushi)? There's a reason both were consensus 3rd round prospects and no way close to Harmon, who has not only a high ceiling but a really good floor to hit the ground running.
I prefer the Steelers plan and give them an A- for Metcalf


YEAP!

agree, this was as BPA as it can get. Also it might be more of a need than we thought, clearly Nick Herbig is not built to play against the run, so he is not a good backup against big formations. With Sawyer the Steelers can give a breather to the starters without getting gashed. Sawyer has a high floor holding the point and that's not very common for rookie OLBs

Agree, a reach there, there were still other NT available and there was quite a few talented players there to take, I was hoping for G Myles Frazier, WR THorton, CBs Zah Frazier or Burke or Strong. For example, how much better is Black than Nazir Stackhouse, who went undrafted? Taat 5th could have been a high ceiling project

a B sounds about right


agree, it's like they don't even care at this point. Only way they are valuable is they become ST aces. We have Queen, P Wilson, Holcomb, Harrison (the ravens FA), Mark Robinson, WTF are we going to do with Another ILB?

I see it as a solid B, the only reach was in the 5th round, and the 7th rounders have minimal weight (for me) in the whole bada-bing.
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Yeah, I like the kid Harmon, the Steelers ate their veggies and did the right thing at the dinner table picking a DL. Hope he is used properly.

To answer your question if no DK I would've drafted Dart who I didn't expect to fall in their lap and hoped for a WR in 2, which didn't materialize as the targets I wanted went early 2nd... so in hindsight they did very well imo. I just gotta get used to receivers making that crazy money that the market dictates these days. I guess having listened to your opinions maybe a B or B+ is a better grade for DK looking at the money as less of a factor.

Admittedly I'm the type of dumbass that thinks a team is firmly on the struggle bus until they have a franchise QB. I would have pulled the trigger on Dart if I'm being honest as I would have lacked the discipline to eat my veggies when a guy I see as QB1 or QB2 in the draft fell into my lap and all we have is Rudy and Skyler. (My mock along got QB-Dart, RB- Johnson, DL-Farmer, DL-Pegues, NT-Brinson, S- Dan Jackson and IOL-McLaughlin) had to triple dip on DL and pray after taking a swing at QB.

I'm more bullish on Nayha than when I posted originally as I saw the people in front of him as a logjam, that may cost us the pick if slipped onto PS, but with Adams gone gotta love the kid's run stopping ability and getting younger. Maybe he is closer to a B than I originally thought. Maybe they actually have a plan haha.

I don't quite get the trade back if they're gonna snatch guys that could be udfas but like you said its the 7th so these get very little weight in the equation.

Appreciate your response and insight, i already feel better about this draft.
 
jitter77 said:
Allar threw for <200 yrds 7x last season. I get he has size and arm strength, but i just do not see how he is a first round prospect. Maybe he will have a huge jump this year?
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I think I’d rather they draft a guy like Will Howard than Allar

What??? They drafted Will Howard!!! In the freakin’ 6th-hell yeah.

Hard pass on Allar from what I’ve seen thus far, but like you said maybe he will take a HUGE jump this year. Don’t get me wrong, I’d take him in the 3-4 range but he doesn’t even seem like second round talent from what I’ve seen thus far.
 
jitter77 said:
Allar threw for <200 yrds 7x last season. I get he has size and arm strength, but i just do not see how he is a first round prospect. Maybe he will have a huge jump this year?
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He'll get drafted in the first round because of tools. You're right though, right now wouldn't touch him anywhere near the first unless he takes a huge step forward next year.
 
5 QB's in the first 14 picks seems a huge stretch. 6 QB's in the first round also is highly suspect.
 
jitter77 said:
Allar threw for <200 yrds 7x last season. I get he has size and arm strength, but i just do not see how he is a first round prospect. Maybe he will have a huge jump this year?
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Penn State was a run heavy team with terrible WRs. He averaged just 25 attempts per game. He only had 2 games with 30 or more attempts. JJ McCarthy had 6 games under 200 for Michigan because they were run heavy and he went high in the draft.

NFL teams draft QBs based on physical traits, not stats. This past draft showed that with stat guys like Shedur and McCord going late.

Allar has elite arm talent, he reads defenses better than most and doesn't throw many INTs. he has a 5:1 TD to INT ratio. He also showed he's mobile. Allar had 300 yards rushing last year which is a lot for a pocket passer considering sacks get subtracted from a QBs rushing yards. His 25 season would have to be a disaster not to go in Rd 1.
 
ZonaBurgh said:
That explains Tape posting this. :LOL:
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When I posted it, I didn't even notice the teams. It doesn't matter on a made up draft order. I just though people who don't follow college football so closely would like to see why everyone keeps saying the 26 draft will be a QB draft and why the steelers didn't take one high in this past draft.
 
jitter77 said:
Allar threw for <200 yrds 7x last season. I get he has size and arm strength, but i just do not see how he is a first round prospect. Maybe he will have a huge jump this year?
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Arch Manning has thrown a grand total of 95 passes in two college seasons. Yet he seems to be a top 3 pick next year by many so called experts. Boggles the mind.
 
slashsteel said:
We must be looking at a different mock. I see two AFC teams..
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Sorry, you are correct. I hadn't looked closely enough at the logo at pick 32 as I was thinking NFC (given it was definitely the Raven logo at 31) so my brain didn't recognise it as the Buffalo, and didn't notice the Lion was higher up.
 
Steelmann said:
Arch Manning has thrown a grand total of 95 passes in two college seasons. Yet he seems to be a top 3 pick next year by many so called experts. Boggles the mind.
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The same reason the experts lost their minds over Sanders not being picked early. His last name.
 
tapeANaspirin2it said:
Penn State was a run heavy team with terrible WRs. He averaged just 25 attempts per game. He only had 2 games with 30 or more attempts. JJ McCarthy had 6 games under 200 for Michigan because they were run heavy and he went high in the draft.

NFL teams draft QBs based on physical traits, not stats. This past draft showed that with stat guys like Shedur and McCord going late.

Allar has elite arm talent, he reads defenses better than most and doesn't throw many INTs. he has a 5:1 TD to INT ratio. He also showed he's mobile. Allar had 300 yards rushing last year which is a lot for a pocket passer considering sacks get subtracted from a QBs rushing yards. His 25 season would have to be a disaster not to go in Rd 1.
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Yep. College stats and achievements really dont translate to anything in the nfl... pull up various college career leaders or heisman winners and there isnt a great amount of NFL success there... take a look at College championship QBs... they rarely win super bowls.... i mean you have Nameth, Montanna... then what? Career college backup Tom Brady and Hurts, who got benched in the championship and replaced by Tua...

College and tge Pros are just fundamentally different... so its physical and mental traits that get a guy drafted..
 
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