Home Steelers Draft Breaking Down the Steelers Final Day Selections

Breaking Down the Steelers Final Day Selections

by Steeldad

The Steelers wrapped up the the 2016 NFL Draft with four selections on Saturday. Offensively, the Steelers drafted tackle Jerald Hawkins (4th) and receiver/returner Demarcus Ayres (7th). Defensively the Steelers picked up linebackers Travis Feeney (6th) and Tyler Matakevich (7th).

Jerald Hawkins, OT, LSU

Hawkins is a vastly experienced player with double-digit starts at both left and right tackle for the Bayou Bengals. He has some athleticism but I believe the Steelers will work him in at guard to potentially spell either starter. At 6′ 6″ and 305 pounds, he’s a better run blocker than pass protector s Mike Munchak will have a lot of work to do. If Hawkins can become the versatile type of lineman the Steelers like then he has a good chance of making the roster.

Travis Feeney, LB, Washington

At 6′ 4″ and just 230 lbs, Feeney relies on speed around the edge and to get sideline-to-sideline. What I like about him is that he’s a former safety who has made the transition to outside linebacker. While he may look like a guy who could be an edge rusher in a 3-4, he also could be a weak-side backer in a 4-3. For 2016, I see him being a guy who contributes heavily on special teams while learning the defense.

Demarcus Ayres, WR/KR, Houston

Ayres is a guy many scouts think came out a year early but let’s cut to the chase here; Ayres was drafted by the Steelers for his punt and kick returning skills. If he can become a viable threat as a receiver (most likely in the slot), then he gives himself an even better chance at making the roster. What’s undeniable is that he can make people miss and the Steelers are desperate for return help and if he can spell Antonio Brown then all the better.

Tyler Matakevich, LB, Temple

Talk about the classic over-achiever… Here’s a guy who isn’t real fast, isn’t real strong and isn’t real big but he’s a football player and he makes plays. He will come into camp ready to go and he’s going to push even the most hardened veterans in the linebacking corps. Like Feeney, he probably fits better in a 4-3 but make no mistake about it, he will find a way to make the roster as a special teams’ guru or he’ll push like hell to do so.

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5 comments

Vittorio May 1, 2016 - 3:33 am

Okay the Hawkins pick is fine but I would have waited until round 6 or 7 for a versatile OL, the Matakevich pick is solid and so is Ayers but Feeny needs to ad about 20 pounds and I doubt he can do that so that’s a wasted pick as well as the Hargrave pick from the 3rd round. How can Colbert or Tomlin or even the scouting department justify taking 1 DL in the draft when the DL group was ripe with talented players who I feel were so much better than Hargrave, guys like Tapper and Ridgeway I absolutely feel will have better more successful careers than Hargrave especially Ridgeway. Ridgeway said before the draft he can play any spot on the DL and yet in the 3rd round instead of taking someone of that caliber the Steelers they take a FCS DL. How can anybody justify that? I know your all going to say he fits what the Steelers do and he whooped everyone at the East-West Game but I ask you this if you were the GM and you have your choice of these 4 DL: Billings, Tapper, Ridgeway and Hargrave your going to tell me you take Hargrave over those 3? I find the Burns pick to also be a wasted pick. For crying out loud the Ravens got the better CB in Tavon Young, you watch as Young will be a very good CB and Burns will still be trying to fix his issues which are this: He’s Raw, Can’t Backpedal and really doesn’t want to tackle. This Steeler Fans is your 1st round pick enjoy watching this guy fail, I know I will. Oh sure you’ll rush to his Defense saying “how can you say that, he hasn’t played a single down yet and your already judging him” Your right but seeing how many folks like to rush to judgement on this site I figured I would do the same. Watch as next year the Steelers again will fail to address the DL issues casue despite what Heyward said it somehow fell on death ears in the Front Office this year.

steeldad May 2, 2016 - 4:39 pm

Judging any of these guys based strictly on where they are drafted from isn’t fair. What school was Donnie Shell from? Joe Greene? Jack Lambert? Greg Lloyd? Ben for crying out loud? Hargrave fits exactly what the Steelers were looking for on the DL. He is not a true NT because we are going away from that. Watch his film, it isn’t that he dominates lesser competition its that he goes hard on every single play. Guys from the “big schools” can’t even do that. Mitchell will work wonders with this kid.

Ben Anderson May 2, 2016 - 7:42 pm

Having to read dumb commentary from Vic, when he clearly doesn’t understand football or college scouting isn’t fair either.
But then, life rarely is.

JollyRob68 May 1, 2016 - 8:03 am

I like and wanted Hargraves in rd 3 and if they traded back in rd 1 they could of gotten Hargraves and Billings,Tapper or rumored Connor Cook in the 3rd.
Rd1 I wanted Jackson but Artie Burns was who I wanted over Alexander but should of traded back with Denver.
Sean Davis is who I wanted after Joseph & Neal were off the board. Plus to be honest if we got Joseph or Neal in rd 1 I’d still take Davis in Rd 2.

Solid draft that improved our height,length,speed and nastiness on Offense,Defense & Special Teams. Solid B draft grade.

We filled our needs with The top cb on the board,pre draft visits( so who you wanted over Hargraves doesn’t matter he was a pre draft visit?).

Vittorio May 1, 2016 - 6:51 pm

The issue remains of how can Hargrave be the best player on the board or for that matter the better DL prospect? You ask me the question of who I would want out of this draft on the Steelers DL a 1,000 times and the answer would be somebody better than Hargrave 1,000 times over. The DL issue still remains, don’t think for one second Hargrave fixes the problem cause he will further the problem not fix it. You watch as all the other DL who went before and after Hargrave go on to have successful careers while Hargrave ends up being just another footnote in Steelers History.

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