2017 Draft

[ATL96Steeler]

Yep. Exactly. Anything can happen on any given Sunday but I think anyone who is honest about the situation would be forced to admit that we lost ground to NE rather than gain any. We got smoked last year and now we're even farther away.

The only thing I can say with much confidence...they have enough to defend the north, and if they do face NE again in the playoffs, they will play it more aggressive on DEF. Will it matter? Right now I'll say maybe a closer game but same end result.

 

[Bridgeburner]

The only thing I can say with much confidence...they have enough to defend the north, and if they do face NE again in the playoffs, they will play it more aggressive on DEF. Will it matter? Right now I'll say maybe a closer game but same end result.

I can get behind that. You can always hope that someone has the game of their lives on defense (Dupree?) and that Ben and Lev earn their paychecks and we sneak one past the goalie.

 

[Ewa PGH Fan]

The WR in the second round was a head scratcher to me BUT no where near as much as the LS in the 6th. WTF???

On the WR, we're all forgetting that the FO looks ahead with these draft picks and with Bryant one mess up from a lifetime ban and a UFA next year, they're planning ahead.

Why no TE was baffling to me but I think it's the fall out of the Green FA signing from last year. The FO can't seem to see he's injured way more than he plays.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

The WR in the second round was a head scratcher to me BUT no where near as much as the LS in the 6th. WTF???

On the WR, we're all forgetting that the FO looks ahead with these draft picks and with Bryant one mess up from a lifetime ban and a UFA next year, they're planning ahead.

Why no TE was baffling to me but I think it's the fall out of the Green FA signing from last year. The FO can't seem to see he's injured way more than he plays.

WR...that didn't register with me until Sun morning actually, but all that you say there is true. Certainly a preemptive move which I can appreciate. I still don't get it at 62.

LS...just goes to show you they had more picks than they needed...really should've leverage one or two for better positioning....a rarity though.

 

[Ewa PGH Fan]

WR...that didn't register with me until Sun morning actually, but all that you say there is true. Certainly a preemptive move which I can appreciate. I still don't get it at 62.

LS...just goes to show you they had more picks than they needed...really should've leverage one or two for better positioning....a rarity though.

I agree about leveraging that 6th round pick to move up instead of taking a LS. Even if they'd picked the LS in the 7th round we'd all still be shaking our heads but at least in the 7th it would've been a matter if grabbing an UDFA they coveted above all.

 

[Bridgeburner]

I wouldn't say Perine is far better than Conner

Been doing homework on this and I have to admit, I'm with you now on this comment. They're comparable enough that I can see the choice. What I wasn't seeing is the possibility that Conner continues to improve a full year after beating cancer. His ceiling is possibly higher than Perines.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

I agree about leveraging that 6th round pick to move up instead of taking a LS. Even if they'd picked the LS in the 7th round we'd all still be shaking our heads but at least in the 7th it would've been a matter if grabbing an UDFA they coveted above all.

Every team always says all the right things about their draft haul and Colbert and Tomlin have been no different.

Tomlin says each draft is on it's own merit in terms of rookie production, but you have to know he's looking for production from Watt, Juju early and I'm thinking he's going to give Gay every opportunity to keep the slot job, but he's going to be on a short leash.

 

[Bridgeburner]

So. I wasn't hot on Watt but didn't hate it. At the very least I underestimated that pick and am a HUGE Watt fan now. One of the steals of the draft.

Limas... I think it's safe to say that I was completely wrong about this kid. His rookie season absolutely validated his draft slot and his future is even brighter.

I was extremely hard on the Steelers after this draft and they made me happy by proving me wrong. In case anyone is wondering though, I do still plan on being a judgmental prick this year again and continuing to assert that I know more than the team.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Not sure we've ever had 2 guys drafted in the 1st & 2nd rounds come in and make as big a splash as rookies as Watt & Juju. The 2007 draft with Timmons & Woodley comes to mind, but both of those players didn't start until their 2nd year. Timmons originally started behind Harrison at ROLB, and Woodley behind Haggans at LOLB.

And from what we've seen of Sutton, Conner, Dobbs, Allen, & Adams... Every one of them appears to have potential exceeding their draft position. Simply put, last year's draft was a great draft class. We can't put labels on it yet because we need to see how some of the latter rounds pan out. But if they can get starters (not going to say pro-bowl caliber yet, but that would be a huge bonus) out of Sutton, Conner & maybe 1 more out of the rest then this draft will go down as one of Colbert's best, without question. The only thing that really f*cks up that equation was the 6th round selection of Holba (longsnapper) that didn't even make the team lol.

Watt... The kid is an animal and is certainly on his way to living up to his brothers gigantic shadow. He's been one of the most versatile defenders on the field in that he can cover a lot of ground against both the run & pass. His ability to drop into coverage is vastly underrated. If he can perfect his craft as an edge rusher then he is going to be a dangerous player for years to come. 7 sacks as a rookie? That's very impressive by itself. Throw in 8 passes defensed & 1 INT. That's spectacular production from an OLB.

Smith-Schuster... Steelers once again struck gold in the WR room. This kid proved to be more versatile than everyone but AB that was ahead of him on the depth chart. Move over Bryant & Coates, this kids only 21 frickin years old and he's here to stay. He plays offensive football like Hines Ward aka a linebacker, he blocks like a monster, he stiff-arms like a truck, goes up for jump balls & fights like hell for them. His teammates love him for the tremendous energy & tenacity that he brings to this offense. By the numbers... He finished the regular season as the leading rookie in receiving yards (917yds) & receiving TDs (7). All that production from a player that wasn't even a starter until about midseason, and missed 2 games to boot. He was drafted not to replace anyone, but to upgrade the already dynamic WR corps. And that is a pure understatement for what they ended up with. I admit that I underestimated his speed & return abilities.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

Not sure we've ever had 2 guys drafted in the 1st & 2nd rounds come in and make as big a splash as rookies as Watt & Juju. The 2007 draft with Timmons & Woodley comes to mind, but both of those players didn't start until their 2nd year. Timmons originally started behind Harrison at ROLB, and Woodley behind Haggans at LOLB.

And from what we've seen of Sutton, Conner, Dobbs, Allen, & Adams... Every one of them appears to have potential exceeding their draft position. Simply put, last year's draft was a great draft class. We can't put labels on it yet because we need to see how some of the latter rounds pan out. But if they can get starters (not going to say pro-bowl caliber yet, but that would be a huge bonus) out of Sutton, Conner & maybe 1 more out of the rest then this draft will go down as one of Colbert's best, without question. The only thing that really f*cks up that equation was the 6th round selection of Holba (longsnapper) that didn't even make the team lol.

Watt... The kid is an animal and is certainly on his way to living up to his brothers gigantic shadow. He's been one of the most versatile defenders on the field in that he can cover a lot of ground against both the run & pass. His ability to drop into coverage is vastly underrated. If he can perfect his craft as an edge rusher then he is going to be a dangerous player for years to come. 7 sacks as a rookie? That's very impressive by itself. Throw in 8 passes defensed & 1 INT. That's spectacular production from an OLB.

Smith-Schuster... Steelers once again struck gold in the WR room. This kid proved to be more versatile than everyone but AB that was ahead of him on the depth chart. Move over Bryant & Coates, this kids only 21 frickin years old and he's here to stay. He plays offensive football like Hines Ward aka a linebacker, he blocks like a monster, he stiff-arms like a truck, goes up for jump balls & fights like hell for them. His teammates love him for the tremendous energy & tenacity that he brings to this offense. By the numbers... He finished the regular season as the leading rookie in receiving yards (917yds) & receiving TDs (7). All that production from a player that wasn't even a starter until about midseason, and missed 2 games to boot. He was drafted not to replace anyone, but to upgrade the already dynamic WR corps. And that is a pure understatement for what they ended up with. I admit that I underestimated his speed & return abilities.

Great write up.

Definitely one of the best impact drafts we've seen from a rookie class in a long time as you said.

Juju...let's admit it we all wanted somebody else in that spot. I always understood the concept...bigger slot guy that could play in between the hash marks...he's proven to be way more. His production, blocking, enthusiasm imo has gotten a rise out of Bryant. He certainly wanted to be more than just a deep ball guy once Juju surfaced. Kid is a star in the making.

TJ...I wanted Tak McKinley, but was very happy with TJ. Surprised by how quickly he absorbed the DEF, rnu, coverage, and pressure...his brother playing in a 34 I'm sure helped. Being a former TE I figured he had to be pretty athletic to be moved to DEF, coupled with a Pro Bowl brother to learn from, his sack numbers I'm not surprised.

Connor...just stay healthy...I've seen enough. Maybe he won't be Bell, but he can be an effective RB at this level...learn pass pro and I can see him getting a lot more snaps next yr even if Bell stays.

Sutton...good to see him break thru the injuries and get on the field. The fact they didn't just shelf him for the season told me they like what he brings...imo he will be the dime next yr and probably punt return...long term I think he or Allen takes over for Haden.

Adams...maybe a blessing in disguise for him to go on IR...reportedly some early synergy in camp with he and TJ...mabye this kid is the next diamond in the rough.

Dobbs...As much as I want him to succeed, we just don't know. He'll get a shot a QB2 next yr...we'll know better how to view him after that...if he can't beat out Jones next yr, he probably is a permanent QB3.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Great write up.

Definitely one of the best impact drafts we've seen from a rookie class in a long time as you said.

Juju...let's admit it we all wanted somebody else in that spot. I always understood the concept...bigger slot guy that could play in between the hash marks...he's proven to be way more. His production, blocking, enthusiasm imo has gotten a rise out of Bryant. He certainly wanted to be more than just a deep ball guy once Juju surfaced. Kid is a star in the making.

TJ...I wanted Tak McKinley, but was very happy with TJ. Surprised by how quickly he absorbed the DEF, rnu, coverage, and pressure...his brother playing in a 34 I'm sure helped. Being a former TE I figured he had to be pretty athletic to be moved to DEF, coupled with a Pro Bowl brother to learn from, his sack numbers I'm not surprised.

Connor...just stay healthy...I've seen enough. Maybe he won't be Bell, but he can be an effective RB at this level...learn pass pro and I can see him getting a lot more snaps next yr even if Bell stays.

Sutton...good to see him break thru the injuries and get on the field. The fact they didn't just shelf him for the season told me they like what he brings...imo he will be the dime next yr and probably punt return...long term I think he or Allen takes over for Haden.

Adams...maybe a blessing in disguise for him to go on IR...reportedly some early synergy in camp with he and TJ...mabye this kid is the next diamond in the rough.

Dobbs...As much as I want him to succeed, we just don't know. He'll get a shot a QB2 next yr...we'll know better how to view him after that...if he can't beat out Jones next yr, he probably is a permanent QB3.

Juju/TJ... I was in the same boat on both. Wanted Takk McKinley, and didn't like the WR pick in the 2nd Rd. I was fearful of letting Coates go to the Browns, but I always seem to forget what a franchise QB does to a WR. Without one, WR talent essentially goes by the wayside. I admit I was higher on Eli Rogers than I should have been. Eli's ceiling was much more evident this season giving way to the much more talented player in Juju. Same could have been said about Demarcus Ayers getting the boot. Most of us liked him allthewhile severely underestimating Juju. Shame on us lol.

Conner... My only worry about him is without the drastic contrast in running style between him & Bell, he may not be the impact player. IMO what made his impact so good during his small exposure was that defenses would get so used to staying gap-contained & patient waiting for Bell that when a downhill/1-cut runner suddenly shot a gap they would get caught completely off-guard. I hope I'm wrong. He still has the skillset to play at this level. He's a very physical runner which will bode well. Like you said if he can upgrade his pass protection skill then he'll be a much more dependable player for the offense, so long as injuries don't plague him of course.

Sutton... Haven't been able to watch this kid very much. I admit the last couple games were difficult for me to watch the games in their entirety. Aside from the NE game, I was coming & going throughout each game. Holiday season coupled with the toddler in the house makes it difficult. But I agree with your assessment on why the coaches didn't shelf him which means he is going to eventually be the future. I remember reading about how smart he was this offseason. Like TJ Watt, he's a quickstudy.

Adams... Agreed here as well. IIRC he didn't get to play more than a few practices in pads during TC before the injuries sidelined him. Or he might have sat out of TC altogether? Don't really remember. But i do recall hearing good things. Excited to see what he brings to the table next offseason.

Dobbs... I think we were all so down on Landry Jones that we were thinking this kid could come in and immediately grab the QB2 spot. That was wishful thinking. I want this kid to be the future of the backup position, but the reality of him becoming more than that is very slim. Hate it or not, with the recent win against CLE I think Landry will be very tough to beat out in camp. It has never seemed to matter how bad Landry looks in the preseason, the coaches always give him the benefit of the doubt.

 

[Superbelt]

Juju...let's admit it we all wanted somebody else in that spot. I always understood the concept...bigger slot guy that could play in between the hash marks...he's proven to be way more. His production, blocking, enthusiasm imo has gotten a rise out of Bryant. He certainly wanted to be more than just a deep ball guy once Juju surfaced. Kid is a star in the making.

Nope. I was maybe the only one who was ECSTATIC with the JuJu pick. I knew he was Hines reincarnated.

Cloud 9 as soon as the pick was in.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

Nope. I was maybe the only one who was ECSTATIC with the JuJu pick. I knew he was Hines reincarnated.

Cloud 9 as soon as the pick was in.

Yep, you were in a small boat.

For me, it wasn't so much that I didn't like Juju...(admittedly Idk who he was)...it was the position...I really wanted a LB in that spot.

Good I didn't get what I wanted!

 

[Yo Tee]

Let us relive this draft.

TJ Watt
JuJu Smith-Schuster
Cameron Sutton
James Conner
Joshua Dobbs
Brian Allen
Colin Holba
Keion Adams

Dobbs, Allen, Holba and Adams aren't on the team anymore. Conner and Sutton have been huge disappointments. JuJu and TJ have been really the only highs of this draft.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Let us relive this draft.

TJ Watt
JuJu Smith-Schuster
Cameron Sutton
James Conner
Joshua Dobbs
Brian Allen
Colin Holba
Keion Adams

Dobbs, Allen, Holba and Adams aren't on the team anymore. Conner and Sutton have been huge disappointments. JuJu and TJ have been really the only highs of this draft.

Sutton is far from a disappointment... Conner's only "disappointing" because he cannot stay healthy.

As far as talent... This is easily one of Colbert's best drafts in the last decade.

 

[Yo Tee]

Sutton is far from a disappointment... Conner's only "disappointing" because he cannot stay healthy.

As far as talent... This is easily one of Colbert's best drafts in the last decade.

I guess we haven't seen enough of Sutton, but I can't say that I'm glad we drafted him. He's been a non-factor honestly. Conner is a huge disappointment and it's because he can't stay healthy. He was supposed to be the answer to Bell leaving and he hasn't played a full season in 3 years. 2018 was a really good year and I hope he can do that again but he keeps getting hurt. I have no confidence in him but I hope he stays healthy for sure.

Talent wise I agree. Couldn't have asked for a better draft that year. TJ and JuJu are a yes in my book. Conner and Sutton are still question marks still for me. Conner is one fully healthy season away from showing what he can actually do. I mean, Conner missed 3 games in 2018 and was 27 yards away from 1,000 yards rushing, so we know he's got it in him, we just gotta hope he stays healthy to play the full season.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

I guess we haven't seen enough of Sutton, but I can't say that I'm glad we drafted him. He's been a non-factor honestly..

Stopped reading here... Did you even watch half the games down the stretch last season? He single-handedly closed out 4-5 games with crucial PBUs or INTs in closing minutes. I might be over-exaggerating that stat, but I don't think its very far off. Granted we haven't seen him play extensively as a starter, but every time he's on the field he makes an impact.

Saying he's been a non-factor tells me you haven't been paying attention.

 

[Yo Tee]

Stopped reading here... Did you even watch half the games down the stretch last season? He single-handedly closed out 4-5 games with crucial PBUs or INTs in closing minutes. I might be over-exaggerating that stat, but I don't think its very far off. Granted we haven't seen him play extensively as a starter, but every time he's on the field he makes an impact.

Saying he's been a non-factor tells me you haven't been paying attention.

He was drafted 3 years ago and you say he closed out 4-5 games last year. So I'm supposed to think that he was worth drafting because of 4-5 games at the end of last year? I need to see more than that. By this point, he should be a starter if he's that good, no? I have been paying attention, he just hasn't shown me anything in the last 3 years to say that he was a good draft. Where we drafted him, Eddie Jackson was still available. He's improving for sure but not enough to me to say that he was a win in this draft. But we'll see this year. I obviously hope he steps it up again this year but 4-5 games over the last 3 years doesn't do enough for me.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

He was drafted 3 years ago and you say he closed out 4-5 games last year. So I'm supposed to think that he was worth drafting because of 4-5 games at the end of last year? I need to see more than that. By this point, he should be a starter if he's that good, no? I have been paying attention, he just hasn't shown me anything in the last 3 years to say that he was a good draft. Where we drafted him, Eddie Jackson was still available. He's improving for sure but not enough to me to say that he was a win in this draft. But we'll see this year. I obviously hope he steps it up again this year but 4-5 games over the last 3 years doesn't do enough for me.

He's had the luxury of sitting behind others to develop... Much like your QB debate going on in the other threads... Developing ain't such a bad thing. He played in 15-16 games in 2018 as a dime player before the Steelers signed Steve Nelson in the following offseason. Nobody was going to step into a starting role over Haden, Nelson or Hilton last year. Those are 3 pro-bowl caliber DBs. Sutton was even being touted as the camp MVP last offseason, and yet he still couldn't crack the starting lineup.

Sutton's time will come. But for right now he's a luxury, and far from a non-factor.

 

[Yo Tee]

He's had the luxury of sitting behind others to develop... Much like your QB debate going on in the other threads... Developing ain't such a bad thing. He played in 15-16 games in 2018 as a dime player before the Steelers signed Steve Nelson in the following offseason. Nobody was going to step into a starting role over Haden, Nelson or Hilton last year. Those are 3 pro-bowl caliber DBs. Sutton was even being touted as the camp MVP last offseason, and yet he still couldn't crack the starting lineup.

Sutton's time will come. But for right now he's a luxury, and far from a non-factor.

We will see. I obviously hope for the best with him.