Bobby Bufford
Banned
- Joined
- Apr 13, 2019
- Messages
- 701
- Reaction score
- 153
- Points
- 43
Of course the draft has been discussed in here in many threads, but I thought it would be fun to discuss every pick in one thread.
1. Bush. (1:10, ILB, MU) This pick alone might make the 2019 Pitt draft class good on its own. Moving 10 spots up having to give up a 2nd and next year 3rd was a no brainer. We desperately need him. Forget the most common claim that we need him to make up for losing Shazier. We just need him, period. We had no speed at ILB. It was painful to watch. Teams could run wide and cream us with flank passes, and we were helpless much of the time. But this kid brings even another element, just as badly missing from this D: a guy who loves to hit people and has the speed, awareness, agility and instincts to do it. We were lacking such a beast, and without some of that sort, your D will NEVER be decent. Bush isn't an eloquent or an articulate speaker. He is not polished (see outfit on draft day). But he will peel paint off a car. He is a force. The entire D will pick up intensity because he is on the field. Football is not a sport of choir boys, and Bush ain't one. I've hear some say he may mean as much too Pitt D as Ray Lewis meant to the Ravens. Grade - A+
2. Diontae Johnson (3: 36, WR, Toledo). I'm sorry, this pick bothered me. It felt like since this pick was acquired by the AB trade that they were obsessed with replacing him with a player from the pick. Nonsense? Maybe. Was it a conscious move? Maybe not. But it sure felt like it. Some say he is very similar to AB in size and skill sets. I got news for everyone. He will never have the catching ability AB does. How many plays did AB make a grab where you said "No way he got both feet down and caught that" and then upon review you realize he did? It was mind boggling and it happened all of the time, may times in crunch time (I am not selling that we needed to find a way to keep him. I am glad he's gone and piss on him.) DJ will not turn into that. I'd settle if he turns into an Ernest Givens. I feel he was taken a tad too early, but if he works out, we won't care that much. But enough with "Well Colbert knows how to pick WRs" rhetoric. If his WR picks didn't have Ben throwing them the ball, they'd be half of what they are. Grade: B-
3. Justin Layne. (3:86, DB, MSU). Converted WR who has good length (6-2). Not a burner (4.5) but fast enough paired with his above average football IQ. A need pick, and I'm glad they didn't wait any longer to grab a CB. Steeler fans have been griping we didn't have any good man to man type CBs and this guy is one. He's got to be an upgrade over Burn't and Nonsense-aball. B.
4. Benny Snell, Jr. (4:122, RB, KY). I don't get y some fans are bitching over this pick. No, he's probably not an all pro. No, he isn't blazing. But what he is is a very productive back, who played in the big boy league with big boy defenses (SEC) where he logged almost 1,500 yards at 5 yards a pop when every team knew he was all KY had (lame QB). What's not to like about him? If you say it's his lack of homerun threat speed, guess who else was weak at homerun speed? Bell, that's who. RB is a bigger need than most realize. Conner - for various reasons) has never been dependable for long stretches. And with his style, he is likely to miss time every season. Samuels isn't an every down back, he never has been. (Yes, he had one game of over 100 yards but that will never be the norm for him.) We were in dire need of another legit NFL back and Snell is one. And he fits like a glove into Steeler DNA. I love him on this roster. A.
5. Zach Gentry (5:141, TE, MU). Sorry, I'm not going to gush just because he's tall (6-8.5). Spaeth was tall too, how good was he? But it was a need pick - after Vance, who has been hurt often his entire career, we have Grimble, who is only on an NFL roster because of the Steelers). I'm not going to gripe about the pick, because maybe for the spot, it was worth a shot. He's a former QB and if he has great work ethic, he could turn out to be at least a decent #2 and do well enough as a 1 if Vance goes down. But just because he is tall doesn't not mean he is a good blocker. That high center of gravity can make really tall TEs weak at the point of attack. C.
6. Sutton Smith (6:175, OLB NIU). Probably just a ST guy. Productive in college but got completely gobbled up by OT at Sr. Bowl. Not fast, big or anything. They say he needs to find a new position, but could that position be? The highly coveted "hybrid" safety? I don't see him making the roster. C-
7. Isaiah Buggs (6:193, DE, Ala). Has physical tools, but motor is low. I guess they think he can play DE. I don't see him making the team. D.
All in all, I see 5 players sticking, with one super star, heartbeat of the D in there. I think we will look back at this draft and say it was pretty solid.
1. Bush. (1:10, ILB, MU) This pick alone might make the 2019 Pitt draft class good on its own. Moving 10 spots up having to give up a 2nd and next year 3rd was a no brainer. We desperately need him. Forget the most common claim that we need him to make up for losing Shazier. We just need him, period. We had no speed at ILB. It was painful to watch. Teams could run wide and cream us with flank passes, and we were helpless much of the time. But this kid brings even another element, just as badly missing from this D: a guy who loves to hit people and has the speed, awareness, agility and instincts to do it. We were lacking such a beast, and without some of that sort, your D will NEVER be decent. Bush isn't an eloquent or an articulate speaker. He is not polished (see outfit on draft day). But he will peel paint off a car. He is a force. The entire D will pick up intensity because he is on the field. Football is not a sport of choir boys, and Bush ain't one. I've hear some say he may mean as much too Pitt D as Ray Lewis meant to the Ravens. Grade - A+
2. Diontae Johnson (3: 36, WR, Toledo). I'm sorry, this pick bothered me. It felt like since this pick was acquired by the AB trade that they were obsessed with replacing him with a player from the pick. Nonsense? Maybe. Was it a conscious move? Maybe not. But it sure felt like it. Some say he is very similar to AB in size and skill sets. I got news for everyone. He will never have the catching ability AB does. How many plays did AB make a grab where you said "No way he got both feet down and caught that" and then upon review you realize he did? It was mind boggling and it happened all of the time, may times in crunch time (I am not selling that we needed to find a way to keep him. I am glad he's gone and piss on him.) DJ will not turn into that. I'd settle if he turns into an Ernest Givens. I feel he was taken a tad too early, but if he works out, we won't care that much. But enough with "Well Colbert knows how to pick WRs" rhetoric. If his WR picks didn't have Ben throwing them the ball, they'd be half of what they are. Grade: B-
3. Justin Layne. (3:86, DB, MSU). Converted WR who has good length (6-2). Not a burner (4.5) but fast enough paired with his above average football IQ. A need pick, and I'm glad they didn't wait any longer to grab a CB. Steeler fans have been griping we didn't have any good man to man type CBs and this guy is one. He's got to be an upgrade over Burn't and Nonsense-aball. B.
4. Benny Snell, Jr. (4:122, RB, KY). I don't get y some fans are bitching over this pick. No, he's probably not an all pro. No, he isn't blazing. But what he is is a very productive back, who played in the big boy league with big boy defenses (SEC) where he logged almost 1,500 yards at 5 yards a pop when every team knew he was all KY had (lame QB). What's not to like about him? If you say it's his lack of homerun threat speed, guess who else was weak at homerun speed? Bell, that's who. RB is a bigger need than most realize. Conner - for various reasons) has never been dependable for long stretches. And with his style, he is likely to miss time every season. Samuels isn't an every down back, he never has been. (Yes, he had one game of over 100 yards but that will never be the norm for him.) We were in dire need of another legit NFL back and Snell is one. And he fits like a glove into Steeler DNA. I love him on this roster. A.
5. Zach Gentry (5:141, TE, MU). Sorry, I'm not going to gush just because he's tall (6-8.5). Spaeth was tall too, how good was he? But it was a need pick - after Vance, who has been hurt often his entire career, we have Grimble, who is only on an NFL roster because of the Steelers). I'm not going to gripe about the pick, because maybe for the spot, it was worth a shot. He's a former QB and if he has great work ethic, he could turn out to be at least a decent #2 and do well enough as a 1 if Vance goes down. But just because he is tall doesn't not mean he is a good blocker. That high center of gravity can make really tall TEs weak at the point of attack. C.
6. Sutton Smith (6:175, OLB NIU). Probably just a ST guy. Productive in college but got completely gobbled up by OT at Sr. Bowl. Not fast, big or anything. They say he needs to find a new position, but could that position be? The highly coveted "hybrid" safety? I don't see him making the roster. C-
7. Isaiah Buggs (6:193, DE, Ala). Has physical tools, but motor is low. I guess they think he can play DE. I don't see him making the team. D.
All in all, I see 5 players sticking, with one super star, heartbeat of the D in there. I think we will look back at this draft and say it was pretty solid.
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