The Pittsburgh Steelers selected Notre Dame defensive end Stephon Tuitt in the second round this evening adding yet another piece to the rebuilding puzzle on defense.
Tuitt is a monster at 6’5″ and 307lbs and will be expected to play defensive end, but is extremely versatile and could see some time in nickel and dime packages anywhere along the line.
He seems to be a perfect fit for the Steelers at defensive end simply because of his style and overwhelming strength.
Tuitt is not overly violent or aggressive but plays hard and does his job. In other words,he sounds like a perfect replacement for Brett Keisel and this would more than likely spell the end of his career in Pittsburgh.
Despite starting in all 13 games last season for the Irish, Tuitt does has some injury issues. He dealt with a hernia in 2012 and then he missed this year’s combine with a foot fracture that required surgery. Obviously the Steelers feel he is at full health or they wouldn’t have drafted him.
The question with Tuitt as it is with Ryan Shazier is how soon will Dick LeBeau let these guys on the field? If the they can contribute significantly then they are worth being selected this high but if they follow the typical LeBeau paradigm, they’ll see the field only on special teams and that does no good for anyone.
Let’s hope Tuitt gets a quick opportunity.
Marc Uhlmann writes for and co-owns www.steelcityblitz.com. Follow him on Twitter @steeldad and follow the website at @SCBlitz. He can be heard weekly on Trib-Live Radio talking Steelers and is a blogger for ESPN 970 in Pittsburgh.
