Home Steelers Draft Defending the Steelers’ Draft Decisions

Defending the Steelers’ Draft Decisions

by Steelbydesign

It seems like every year during the draft, the Steelers are one of those teams that grabs a guy that tumbles down the board, and people like Mel Kiper and all of the other “draftniks” love their choices and slap a meaningless “A” on their draft grade article next to the Steelers.

This year though, it felt a lot different.

Steelers fans and local writers yelled “who?!” when the name Artie Burns came from commissioner Roger Goodell’s lips late Thursday night. I’ll admit, at the time, I was not in a great mood either but that more due to the fact that William Jackson was snatched off the board just one pick before the Steelers were on the clock.

When Denver moved up to Seattle’s pick just one pick after the Burns selection, I thought why didn’t the Steelers make that deal that they were surely offered. Had they made that deal, we could throw in someone like cornerback Tavon Young or wide receiver Pharoh Cooper to our existing draft class!

All of that being said, once I went back and looked at the options at each pick, I can’t say that I’m strictly against anything that was done when you look at the board at the time…

 

1. Artie Burns, CB, Miami
It was pretty unfortunate the way the selections went for the Steelers this year. There was no obvious stud at a position of need that took a tumble like Bud Dupree or David DeCastro. Karl Joseph, Keanu Neal, Eli Apple, and William Jackson were probably high on the team’s board, but were all gone at that point.

So who were the value guys still available? Andrew Billings is the guy I really wanted at the time, but in hindsight we’ve learned that Billings may have had some sort of knee injury (speculation at this point). Regardless, there is obviously something about the Baylor defensive lineman that teams didn’t like, because he dropped all the way to the 4th round. Jarran Reed is another guy that I liked, but I think the Steelers just wanted to address the secondary worse. I know that “reaching” is seen as a bad idea in the draft but nobody really knows what a reach is because nobody knows how that player will pan out. Marcus Gilbert and Le’Veon Bell were seen as reaches, and Jarvis Jones and Mike Adams were seen as great value picks.

So they want to address the secondary. Why not Mackensie Alexander, who many saw as a better value at that point? I believe this team is seeking someone with more size than Alexander, who can matchup with larger receivers like AJ Green. Keep in mind several teams behind the Steelers were cornerback needy and they passed on Alexander as well.

So why not trade down? Regardless of what you and I think, Artie Burns was the Steelers’ guy at that point, and I felt like the team could’ve traded down and still grabbed him, but I’ve changed my mind now. Had the Steelers traded down Green Bay, Kansas City, Arizona, and Carolina would have been picking before them at pick 31.

Of those teams…

  • Kansas City needed a cornerback (they selected 3 in the draft) and traded down possibly because Burns and others came off the board.
  • Arizona needed a cornerback, selecting Brandon Williams in the 3rd and Harlan Miller in the 6th.
  • Carolina obviously needed a cornerback after losing Josh Norman, and would go on to select 3 in row in rounds 2, 3, and 5.

It’s possible that Burns would get past all 3 of those teams, but I would bet that he wouldn’t have.

2. Sean Davis, SS, Maryland
I think that the Steelers knew all along that there was no chance that they were going to finish the first 2 rounds without a safety being picked. There were too many options in that range, and the dropoff was too significant afterwards.

Davis wasn’t as well known as some other guys on the board like Darian Thompson and Vonn Bell, but I think he fits what they want at the strong safety spot the best. Vonn Bell seemed to be getting the most hype, but I see a very limited ceiling with Bell, and while he may be reliable I just don’t see a very high ceiling. He also isn’t going to be a guy to fill the box and punish running backs, which is what I think the Steelers really want. Davis fits the mold of so many Tomlin draft picks of a guy that can run and hit. While I think Davis shouldn’t play cornerback in the NFL, he was on last year, and that coverage experience will be beneficial against the Tyler Eifert and Rob Gronkowski’s of the league.

3. Javon Hargrave, DT, South Carolina State
I didn’t see many complaints about this pick. The only thing I saw mentioned is he may not be a scheme fit in a 3-4 defense. I think that the Steelers play a 3 man front so little now that his fit in that alignment isn’t all that important. Dan McCullers can play the small amount of snaps that they use that formation. Let Hargrave wreak havoc in 4 man fronts.

4. Jerald Hawkins, OT, LSU
Mike Adams is in his last year in Pittsburgh (if he even makes the team). The Steelers have a good right tackle in Gilbert, a project at left tackle in Villanueva, and a solid yet uninspiring swing tackle in Ryan Harris. Mike Munchak needs a project to mold in case Villanueva doesn’t continue to improve. Boring pick here, but fits the range, no real issues with it. Lance Zierlein of NFL.com wrote on Hawkins “his ceiling might be tied directly to whether a team allows him to sit while an offensive line coach works to correct the technical flaws that limit his effectiveness.” Sounds like Pittsburgh is a perfect landing spot for him.

6. Travis Feeney, OLB, Washington
I’m not sure where they’re going to play Feeney but I like the pick. He’s undersized but blew up nearly every drill in the combine. At 230 pounds, there’s no way he’s a traditional Steelers edge rusher. However, he does look like a coverage linebacker in a 4-3 WILL spot, with some pass rushing potential there.

7. Demarcus Ayers, WR, Houston
Ayers is pretty raw and probably should have stayed in school. I think he spends this season on the practice squad but there’s upside as a slot receiver. It would be nice if he could nab the team’s last wide receiver spot because he’s an experienced kick and punt returner; which is probably what the Steelers were most interested in.

7. Tyler Matakevich, ILB, Temple
This was a fantastic 7th round pick. Matakevich doesn’t have any great physical skill, but he’s incredibly smart and instinctual. He probably won’t ever be a full time starter but could be a valueable special teams player, run down specialist, and solid backup. I was a big fan of Keyaron Fox back in the day, I think he could be a similar player.

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7 comments

Vittorio May 3, 2016 - 7:05 pm

I don’t care about the 4 man fronts cause you take away the strength of Heyward by putting out there on the far end of the line. If Hargrave can’t fit the 3 man front then what was the point of taking him? Why weren’t guys like Tapper and Ridgeway considered? What Colbert and his scouting staff didn’t see that both guys have the ability spots on the DL or did he just flat out ignore those guys because he felt they had not shot at dominating the line as Mitchell said Hargrave would? For crying out loud Tomlin said Burns is essentially playing his senior year in black and gold. If that’s the way Tomlin viewed it then why take him? If they wanted a CB who could probably start why not take Tavon Young or Kalan Reed? I’m supposed to believe Burns was the best option? Forget about Billings for a moment and look at Robinson and Reed. What issues did they have that dropped both guys to the 2nd round? The picks of Davis, Matakevich, Ayers and Hawkins don’t upset me to much but the Fenney pick does. At 230 lbs. how is he supposed to make an impact? The second Feeney even attempts to rush the passer he will get eaten up and blown aside by the opposing OL.

Ben Anderson May 3, 2016 - 8:48 pm

Why weren’t guys like Tapper and Ridgeway considered? What Colbert and his scouting staff didn’t see that both guys have the ability spots on the DL or did he just flat out ignore those guys because he felt they had not shot at dominating the line…?
I actually will try explaining this to you. Not sure if you’ll even consider the validity of the points but here they are and they’re public knowledge:
Ridgeway: conditioning and injury issues
Tapper: coasted through 2015 after a solid 2014
It really was that simple. Neither player was worth a day 2 pick. And the Steelers were not the only team to pass on them three times. 31 other teams also did. Further those 32 teams in the NFL are staffed by professionals with decades of scouting experience and access to a sea of information on these prospects that is never made public.

Vittorio May 4, 2016 - 12:58 am

At that spot of the 3rd round I’m supposed to believe Hargrave was the best pick and as far as the issues you pointed out they can be fixed. Conditioning for Ridgeway can be fixed and the injury concerns weren’t pointed out by anybody I saw or wrote and the same can be said about Tapper. Short Arm’s for Hargrave will end up hurting him and the next level. Once the opposing OL get a sense of how he plays they’ll take him out, it won’t be easy but they’ll get it done. I can’t see what all the hubbub is about Hargrave I don’t and I’m being honest here which is something I do when it comes to commenting on this site. If I’m wrong I won’t admit cause I will still feel it was the wrong pick and if I’m right I won’t brag about it I’ll just simple point out how the Steelers had chance to get somebody better and they passed up on them. You pointing out how the other 31 teams passed on those guys well yeah if a guy is rated as a 3rd round pick or lower you wait until that round and see if that guy is still there and if not you go towards the next guy. I feel the same way with the CB’s. 1 CB is all they felt they need. Why not take a chance on guys who end up going in the 6th and 7th rounds and see what happens. When the issue of CB and DL comes up again next draft season and believe me it will I will be right back here pointing out the same issues again.

Ben Anderson May 4, 2016 - 7:34 pm

That’s ok, Vic. I have access to all of your comments and will be happy to point out how, why and where you were wrong.
I look forward to another “I changed my mind” explanation.

Vittorio May 5, 2016 - 6:48 pm

“OOHH I’m shaking in my boots, I’m so scared” That was sarcasm in case you didn’t understand what I said. I stand by my thoughts on this draft. The picks of Davis, Hawkins, Ayers and Matakevich were fine I can’t really complain about those picks. The other 3 picks yeah I have issues with: Burns needs to be molded as Tomlin has said, Hargrave don’t even get me started on that one cause you know my feelings on him and Feeny he won’t make to the final 53 man roster so that was a wasted pick and please don’t say he come in on passing downs cause the dude will get eaten up before he has a chance to beat the OL.

Ben Anderson May 6, 2016 - 5:03 pm

Yes, Vic. We all realize that you’re too oblivious and stubborn to ever admit that you’re wrong. But, when it’s proven out. I will point it out to you and then you can try to explain that you really were not.
Glad to see though that you go on record with all of this stuff.
Things like:
(1) If the Steelers lose the first game in 2015, they will miss the playoffs.
(2) After the debacle that was the Seattle game you said the Steelers would win out the rest of the season, win their division and have a 1st round bye.
I can pull up the comments to give you the quotes themselves and if you deny any of this, I will do just that.
It seems that you are an all black or white fan. Everything is great with the team, player, prospect, coach, or administrator or everything is completely bleak and we should write them off.
It’s really easy to dismiss hyperbole and exaggeration like yours. But, when you add a complete inability to understand the game itself coupled with an oblivious insistence that you actually do, and that everyone else is wrong; it makes it fun to point and laugh at.
So hey, at least you provide some entertainment.

Vittorio May 6, 2016 - 6:58 pm

Allow me to explain. When I said if they lose to the Pats in Week 1 and miss the playoffs I felt it would be true based on the 2012 and 2013 seasons in which both years they lost the first game and ended up with a .500 record so I had reason to be a pessimist after that game. The whole thing about them winning the last 8 games after losing to Cincy was simple, I felt that they would run rampant over the last 8 games and get the division and a bye and I came darn close to that actually happening going 6-2 isn’t bad yeah they didn’t get they bye or the division but I felt they were better than Cincy and that was proven in the wild card game. When I say I don’t like the Hargrave pick and saying there were better options on the board that is me being honest and it goes beyond the whole Billings thing. I mentioned how Ridgeway said himself that he can play any spot on the DL but instead they take a guy who I feel won’t amount to anything in this league so that was the reason I was mad. The Burns was just as bad. How do you justify that pick when Tomlin said himself “he’s a piece of clay and were going to mold him”? How can you even call that a 1st round pick? The Feeny pick makes no sense either he adds weight or he is useless so why take him instead of another CB? Look at someone like Tavon Young he will see the field more than Burns casue at least Young isn’t a piece of clay that needs to be molded to see the field. I supposed to believe Hargrave will do better than say a Charles Tapper or A’Shawn Robinson or even Vernon Butler that is seemingly far fetched. One last thing I’m glad I can entertain you people.

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