The 2015 Draft class brought a new wave of talent to the roster. The class consisted mainly of players on the defensive side of the ball, with 6 of the 8 guys drafted being on defense.
Its obvious the FO had the lack of turnovers and sacks in mind when selecting their players. Each of their picks have a knack for finding the football. The talent is apparent with all of them, especially Bud Dupree and Senquez Golson.
Alvin “Bud” Dupree is an athletic monstrosity that can see playing time in his rookie year. The Steelers are very fortunate that Bud was there with the 22nd overall pick after some projected him to go Top 10.
If his college skills translate into the NFL, he’ll be the real deal.
Going more in depth with the defensive backfield, one of the more surprising selections was CB Senquez Golson in the second round. Most analysts had him pegged in the 3rd round, yet that conflicts with the view that the Steelers had. Some reports say that the team even tried to trade up to select him.
Whatever the case, they got an absolute ballhawk, although a short one at that. Listed at 5 ft 8 in. and 176 lbs., he walked away from the college scene with 10 interceptions in his final year with Mississippi.
He has an uncanny, sometimes mystical talent for picking off passes. Being that short and still making plays against receivers 3-7 inches taller than him speaks volumes.
With most people still iffy on him because of his size, they have to remember its not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog.
CB Doran Grant was a fourth round selection that made sense and had a lot of value. The 5 ft 10 in., 200 pounder has a lot to be proud of. Not only did his alma mater, Ohio State, win a championship, he has 9 career interceptions to his name in his four year tenure with the team.
A very intelligent man, he has the size and tackling ability to play safety in the NFL. Like his new teammate Golson, Grant has great football instincts that are great assets to his game. He has experience playing inside and outside, which also serves to prove his versatility.
Doran has incredible skills that will help him in the long run, whether as a cornerback or as a safety.
Last but not least, we arrive to the curious case of S Gerod Holliman. Oh, Holliman. Once considered a third round prospect, he slid all the way to the seventh round where the Steelers scooped him up. The 6 ft, 218 pounder obviously has ballhawk skills, as evidenced with his 14 interceptions in his final year with Louisville.
Sounds like an awesome addition to the team, right? If only his tackling ability wasn’t completely horrendous. How bad you may ask? Well, as I just mentioned, it caused him to have a freak slide all the way to the seventh. That bad.
Yet, there is hope for him. Maybe an entire offseason with the Steelers coaching staff will teach him not to hit like a seven year old girl. If that happens, ladies and gentlemen, we may have a huge steal on the roster.
Stats and information courtesy of NFL.com and Steelers.com
