2018 Draft...way too early talk

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

1. McCullers... Shouldn't have been resigned anyways. But now they have fresh blood it will be easier to cut ties.

2. Wilcox... Yep. At his cap hit of $3.8mil there is no reason to keep him unless someone gets injured or suspended. Which is a thought that sort of crept into my brain this morning. Why draft 2 safeties when they only really needed 1? Well maybe there's a suspension looming that hasn't hit the media yet. Hope not!

3. Dobbs... Already touched on this yesterday, but yes he's on the chopping block. It's going to be him vs Jones for the QB2 spot, and the loser will get the axe so long as Rudolph stays healthy.

4. Hawkins... I think he is the least at risk only because I think Okorafor is destined to play inside. But we won't know until camps get underway. Gilbert is UC through 2019, and AVill just got his big 4-yr deal last offseason. Hawkins is still being groomed to be the backup swing OT. I'm sure Okorafor will push Hawkins for the spot, but with Foster getting up there in age I'm guessing they want more bodies inside. Just my thoughts.

 

[Superbelt]

If there is one thing I'm confident in for this team, it's the OL. In Munchak I Trust.

 

[Bridgeburner]

In Munchak I Trust.

Preach it brother.

 

[Bridgeburner]

My Unqualified Draft Grades (Since I knocked it out of the park last year right Limas?)

Terrell Edmunds - Could be one of those things that the pundits missed but the entirety of the front offices didn't. Maybe. But I honestly don't see it and I've looked. Not sure where he fits in or if he is even a first round talent. Surprise me Steelers. You've done it before. C-

James Washington - Was probably the best player on the board or close to it. Maybe not our biggest need but I'm never gonna zap them for taking the highest rated player. Especially when I agree. B+

Mason Rudolph - Upgrade for Ben's backup with the potential to be more. Would have hated it in the second round but I'm okay with it in the third. Not thrilled, but okay. C

Chuks Okorafor - I guess. C

Marcus Allen - Like the player. But we need another SS? C

Jaylen Samuels - Role player. I don't know really. D

Joshua Frazler - I know nothing about this guy. At all. So. C

Looks like a "C" grade to me. Kind of "meh".

 

[ATL96Steeler]

My draft recap.

Overview...after some initial feelings of WTF! I've had some time to look at this with class more objectively than the earlier emotional view. Clearly the front office sees the team with a glass half full eye, especially when it comes to the DEF. Colbert was being Colbert when he said this draft class didn't offer very many LBs they felt would help this squad and that reflected in his class.

DEF...3 of the 7 selections were spent on this side of the ball. I was very surprised they didn't take a OLB or ILB, but not very surprised they took 2 safeties.

Edmunds...I think he brings a faster, physical presence to the DEF. I still think Burnett will play SS, Davis FS, with this kid in some sub pkgs. Typically the NT comes out for nickel...I think we could see AVill coming out also now.

Allen...less athletic maybe, but brings a similar style of play. Depth, ST...make you wonder if Wilcox has a spot on this roster...he has to bring his best to camp to stick.

Frazier...as @FaCe-LeE-uS mentioned...competition for the back up NT job. Best man wins with McCullers.

OFC...Washington, love this pick...not a MB clone (in some ways that's good) but I don't think there will be much dropoff in production.

Rudolph...moving up to get him say enough. I would've preferred a DEF player here, but I wasn't the highest on Hubbard (CIN) or Jefferson (CIN) either. We'll get an up close look at them. I like his size, nice arm, I agree it does probably mean the experiment with Dobbs is over and Rudolph slots in as QB3 for this yr and hopefully QB2 next yr...maybe he's the guy that takes over for Ben, maybe he's not, but we can hope he's a better QB2.

Okorafor...didn't see OL coming off the board here, plus I thought OG might be the position. According to what I've read, they've been scouting him all season after seeing him last year...they clearly feel like he's an OT with LT ability so we'll see.

Samuels...another big bodied player that can play between the hash marks...not a true TE, but Juju's production I'm sure influenced this pick....I'm thinking he will be in the TE room mostly but maybe in the WR room at times, Grimble needs to be concerned.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

My Unqualified Draft Grades (Since I knocked it out of the park last year right Limas?)

Terrell Edmunds - Could be one of those things that the pundits missed but the entirety of the front offices didn't. Maybe. But I honestly don't see it and I've looked. Not sure where he fits in or if he is even a first round talent. Surprise me Steelers. You've done it before. C-

James Washington - Was probably the best player on the board or close to it. Maybe not our biggest need but I'm never gonna zap them for taking the highest rated player. Especially when I agree. B+

Mason Rudolph - Upgrade for Ben's backup with the potential to be more. Would have hated it in the second round but I'm okay with it in the third. Not thrilled, but okay. C

Chuks Okorafor - I guess. C

Marcus Allen - Like the player. But we need another SS? C

Jaylen Samuels - Role player. I don't know really. D

Joshua Frazler - I know nothing about this guy. At all. So. C

Looks like a "C" grade to me. Kind of "meh".

Edmunds...He wasn't a 1st rounder on any of the boards we used in the Hoop mock draft, but they have a plan for Edmunds. I'm like...surprise us, but I see him having a sub pkg role early.

Yeah several picks I would've like to have seen a different player taken, so this was one a headscratching type draft for sure. That said...look at the board at that pick.

28...Taven Bryan, Mike Hughes, Sony Michel, Lamar Jackson were the next 4 players off the board to close out the round. Darius Leonard was really the most notable player and he went 36 overall. I think I would've felt better about the draft with him vs Edmunds....but they saw him last year when they scouted Hargrave so they knew about him.

 

[Bridgeburner]

Seeing Colbert just said they had Rudolph rated right with the "rest of the quarterbacks drafted".

Doesn't sound like they view him as a backup only. Sounds like they truly believe in his talent and upside.

But... these are the same guys that liked Landry Jones and Dobbs so...

 

[ATL96Steeler]

Seeing Colbert just said they had Rudolph rated right with the "rest of the quarterbacks drafted".

Doesn't sound like they view him as a backup only. Sounds like they truly believe in his talent and upside.

But... these are the same guys that liked Landry Jones and Dobbs so...

As a pocket QB with the measureables that matter (he's not running away from many people I understand) I think he has a similar throwing ability and they had to like his intangibles.

 

[Superbelt]

Seeing Colbert just said they had Rudolph rated right with the "rest of the quarterbacks drafted".

Doesn't sound like they view him as a backup only. Sounds like they truly believe in his talent and upside.

But... these are the same guys that liked Landry Jones and Dobbs so...

IIRC they tried to bullshit us that they had a 1st round grade on Laundry Jones too. I remember they said they had a 1st round grade on Trai Essex, too.

I believe them more this time. Landry was never considered a 1st round talent in anything I have seen.

At times Rudolph has been talked about in the tier with the guys who went in the 1st round.

 

[Superbelt]

THIS was January:

2018 NFL Draft Prospect Rankings: Mason Rudolph reclaims top QB spot, Roquan Smith rising

Laundry never was talked about like Mason.

 

[Bridgeburner]

THIS was January:

2018 NFL Draft Prospect Rankings: Mason Rudolph reclaims top QB spot, Roquan Smith rising

Laundry never was talked about like Mason.

Interesting...

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Interesting...

Rudolph was top 5 on a lot of boards early on. He, Rosen & Jackson were the guys everyone wanted. Then Josh Allen & Sam Darnold draft stocks skyrocketed and everyone sort of forgot about Mason. I never understood the Josh Allen hype. Big arm, good mobility and that's it. Questionable accuracy, awareness, mechanics, etc. His college numbers were pretty awful against subpar defenses. Buffalo thinks they got a steal, but they have a very raw product right now. They better pray that he transitions quickly, but IMO I think he'll be a bust.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

This ought to be interesting... Never liked Madden. He tends to spew a lot of BS. But this I gotta tune in for.

 

[Ewa PGH Fan]

We didn't draft a LS or move up to draft a Punter in the 5th like the Seahawks, so not too bad but obviously the 1st round head scratcher lowers this draft unless he turns out to be a diamond in the rough that only the Steelers' FO saw.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

1. McCullers... Shouldn't have been resigned anyways. But now they have fresh blood it will be easier to cut ties.

2. Wilcox... Yep. At his cap hit of $3.8mil there is no reason to keep him unless someone gets injured or suspended. Which is a thought that sort of crept into my brain this morning. Why draft 2 safeties when they only really needed 1? Well maybe there's a suspension looming that hasn't hit the media yet. Hope not!

3. Dobbs... Already touched on this yesterday, but yes he's on the chopping block. It's going to be him vs Jones for the QB2 spot, and the loser will get the axe so long as Rudolph stays healthy.

4. Hawkins... I think he is the least at risk only because I think Okorafor is destined to play inside. But we won't know until camps get underway. Gilbert is UC through 2019, and AVill just got his big 4-yr deal last offseason. Hawkins is still being groomed to be the backup swing OT. I'm sure Okorafor will push Hawkins for the spot, but with Foster getting up there in age I'm guessing they want more bodies inside. Just my thoughts.

1, 2, 3...agreed...Dropping both Mitchell and Golden, I wasn't surprised they took two S, but both seem to fit the same role, but obviously depth was part of the decision.

4...Okorafor could end up inside, but they seem to think the sky is the ceiling for him as a T.

OL transition...seems to be setting up for Foster to be the 1st out with his contract ending after this season...Finney is ready to start in '19. In '19, Gilbert is up and either Hawkins or this kid will likely be vying for that job and if it's Hawkins, Big Okra moves into swing role.

 

[Superbelt]

And Wilcox is now a free agent.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

We didn't draft a LS or move up to draft a Punter in the 5th like the Seahawks, so not too bad but obviously the 1st round head scratcher lowers this draft unless he turns out to be a diamond in the rough that only the Steelers' FO saw.

It wasn't just the Steelers FO...several teams made picks that were a little head scratching....what this year really showed me was you can't trust the online big boards to match up with how the teams might view players (Guice coming off at 59?, and Rashaad Penny...27? Most people had Guice 20 to 40...and Penny a 2nd day guy)

Even the #1 overall pick...granted most people thought he'd go 1st round, but #1 overall didn't start percolating strongly until a day or so before the draft.

Second...even though the money is different..the bottom 5 or 6 players 1st round and the top 5 or 6 players in the 2nd round are kind of interchangeable depending on need and or supply. Example, if one of the bottom teams needed a OT, Corbett likely becomes a late 1st rounder vs #33.

 

[Ewa PGH Fan]

It wasn't just the Steelers FO...several teams made picks that were a little head scratching....what this year really showed me was you can't trust the online big boards to match up with how the teams might view players (Guice coming off at 59?, and Rashaad Penny...27? Most people had Guice 20 to 40...and Penny a 2nd day guy)

Even the #1 overall pick...granted most people thought he'd go 1st round, but #1 overall didn't start percolating strongly until a day or so before the draft.

Second...even though the money is different..the bottom 5 or 6 players 1st round and the top 5 or 6 players in the 2nd round are kind of interchangeable depending on need and or supply. Example, if one of the bottom teams needed a OT, Corbett likely becomes a late 1st rounder vs #33.

If the people making those big boards (Kiper and Mayock for example) were any good at this they'd be working for a team and not projecting drafts for a living. Plus the teams have access to a lot more info than any outsiders get so projecting what they're thinking is a crap shoot at best. That said the proof is always on the field. Some players play at or above their draft position and some below it. It's just the nature of the beast.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

And Wilcox is now a free agent.

Good find.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

Good find.

You called it, kind of predictable with the dbl dwn.