We are a few months removed from the conclusion of the 2015 NFL Draft. With that being said, what should we expect from these rookies? What will they contribute to the Steelers?
For starters, don’t expect anything radical. Its easy to get sucked into the hype that was built up around some of the higher draft picks. As good as they were in college, it doesn’t always translate into the NFL.
Needless to say, I’d be very surprised if any player from this year’s young crop starts for the season opener against New England. Bud Dupree and Senquez Golson would be the front runners to start at some point later on, hopefully towards the end of the season, barring injuries.
Not to say that the rest of the guys are chumps. It’s just that the position that Bud and Golson play at is totally up for grabs to the best playmaker.
Golson has already begun to turn heads, such as Antonio Brown’s. You know you must be doing something right if the best wide receiver in the league has acknowledged you. I suppose it doesn’t hurt practicing against the high pedigree of the Steelers receiver corps, either.
Sammie Coates will have his hands full during Training Camp competing for that fourth wide receiver spot. Darrius Heyward-Bey will be a huge obstacle to overcome for Sammie. I expect Coates to take a similar route that Martavis Bryant did and sit out a few games until he proves he has what it takes to earn a helmet come gameday.
Doran Grant will be in stiff competition to fight for a spot in the now crowded defensive backfield. So stiff in fact, I don’t really expect him to beat Senquez for the spot, so he’ll be, at most, the fifth cornerback behind Golson, Antwon Blake, William Gay, and Cortez Allen.
The next 3 guys from the class, which consists of Jesse James, LT Walton, and Anthony Chickallo, all have an uphill battle to make the roster. I don’t see any of them making it to the final roster, though I expect Jesse James will make it to the practice squad.
Gerod Holliman has what it takes to shine. If he wants a spot on the roster, he might have to beat out Robert Golden because I seriously doubt he’ll be able to beat out Will Allen. Do that, and maybe he can continue on his merry way to justify his worth on the depth chart.
Stats and info are courtesy of Steelers.com
