2020 Draft & FA

[SteelersPride]

im gonna be 100% honest. I like this draft. Claypool DOES play slower than his 40 time, and ND folks tell you that. But he is an athlete, he has the capabilities. I dunno that THIS year he cracks the top 3 wr's, which upsets me. But I think hes a RZ threat immediately with ebron, and tack on juju and vance, and thats a good RZ package. Plus maybe they use him all over, and move to a very athletic TE, regardless, no one has posted stats at the combine like he did besides calvin johnson. He produced against good competition so lets see.

THe charlotte fella, yeah, in true NFL circles, this guy was climbing, and highly regarded. So im on board. He just wasnt a media darling. Look deeper.

mcfarland was taken a bit early, he had alot of sleeper hype , i like him, but i dunno if hes the style rb i would of taken, hes fast, quick twitch. I still like it.

Dotson, ive seen people say hes way overhyped and horrid technique, ive seen hes an absolute steal. This ones beyond me, i dont know enough about him.

brooks i really like heres an article on him
The Draft Network

carlos davis i need more info on too

 

[ATL96Steeler]

Regardless of the validity... I never imagined Winston would settle for a backup salary & role. 1-yr deal though, so he could come out in 2021 in high demand.

Brees is going to shut it down one day...at his age, you need a backup ready and Hill is not as good as Winston...period, so if you can lure him in to watch Drew do it for a yr...I'd do it.

Can't blame PIT if they were indeed in the mix....Drew is on yr to yr deals basically, Ben is signed thru '21.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Brees is going to shut it down one day...at his age, you need a backup ready and Hill is not as good as Winston...period, so if you can lure him in to watch Drew do it for a yr...I'd do it.

Can't blame PIT if they were indeed in the mix....Drew is on yr to yr deals basically, Ben is signed thru '21.

Don't doubt that PIT was "in the mix", just that they reportedly offered something more lucrative. Gotta see the numbers before I'll believe it.

 

[Bridgeburner]

Did we really need a RB with Conner, Samuels and Snell on the roster?

Yes, yes we did. Because we don't have any good reliable running backs on the roster.

 

[Bridgeburner]

Now that I've had more time to digest...

Claypool - B+
Sticking with my original grade here. Like I said before, I worry about this pick being nothing more than a combine star. But I've had some time to watch some film. And the writeups are true that he is quite the physical presence. He surely doesn't play like his combine workout indicated, but it was hard to tell judging by his usage. Maybe there is another level to his game that hasn't been unlocked. Still, Mims was my guy if WR was the choice. Mims is the more accomplished & dynamic player IMO. But I'll defer to Colbert's WR drafting! lol. We've learned to stop doubting the man when it comes to receivers.

Highsmith - A
Agreed on the agonizing round to watch. So many names I wanted just kept getting crossed off. And yea, this was definitely a BPA pick. But I loved Highsmith long before they took him. Great value and surprised he lasted that long. He'll be a contributor this year on ST & in relief of the star OLBs.

McFarland - C-
Upgrading this grade a touch. Still feels like they misplayed this pick. They probably didn't feel like the OL picks fit the value at this time, and the DBs they wanted were still fairly flush, so they opted to wait. And by making this decision they knew they couldn't wait until Rd6 to grab O-line, so it was opting to wait on DB until the 6th. After they took McFarland these safeties came flying off the board: Wallace, Hawkins, Sneed... Ugh. That was a gut-punch for me. Its debatable they could have found a similar scat-back type of RB in the 6th Rd. Eno Benjamin lasted until the 7th, which was a very comparable pick (and even higher rated prospect). Benjamin isn't as fast, but he's just as effective.

Dotson - B
Considering how long they waited, this was a good value pick in comparison to the last several OLineman taken. It was a decent choice to wait, but like I said, I think they were deadset on picking OL here after passing @124 before the wait for the 6th Rd. Dotson measures up well to some players taken as high as the 2nd Rd, not just in size but in ability as well. But this is a BIG man.

Brooks Jr - C-
Feels like they knee-jerked here after missing out on superior talents in the 4th. He was the highest combine-rated Safety available, but I liked Geno Stone more (went to BAL in the 7th). Brooks Jr looks like a Marcus Allen clone. Box type safety with piss-poor coverage skills. This means Edmunds will NOT be transitioning to the hybrid role Barron left behind unless someone else can step up & fill the FS role. Agree on this looking like not much more than a ST pick. Hard to see him impacting elsewhere until much further down the road.

Davis - D-
Everything I'm reading about him reminds me of McCullers. But this is a poor-man's Big Dan. Hefty man with poor technique. Plays short-armed & straight-legged (pad level too high). Seems destined for PS. They had a need at DT so the pick fills that need, but still looks like a low ceiling player that probably could have been signed as UDFA. "effectiveness plummets when he's forced to play on the move. He's not a plus run defender and offers no value as a rusher..." lmao. If he didn't fill a position of need I would easily give this pick a F.

Overview - C-
Can't help but feel like they mispicked at 124 & 198 which brings this draft's value way down. McFarland appears to be a sleeper of sorts so I'm optimistic, but again, Eno Benjamin could have been had in the 6th. K'Von Wallace @124, and Benjamin @198 would have been way more valuable to this team this year. I loved the Highsmith pick. Obviously if we take into account Minkah as the 1st Rd pick then this overall grade skyrockets to an easy A-. I'm optimistic enough about what Claypool, Highsmith & Dotson bring to the table to even consider this draft in the B territory.

I was gonna post my grades but it would have looked a lot like this.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

Don't doubt that PIT was "in the mix", just that they reportedly offered something more lucrative. Gotta see the numbers before I'll believe it.

More lucrative...lol...maybe $10 more....lol

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

im gonna be 100% honest. I like this draft. Claypool DOES play slower than his 40 time, and ND folks tell you that. But he is an athlete, he has the capabilities. I dunno that THIS year he cracks the top 3 wr's, which upsets me. But I think hes a RZ threat immediately with ebron, and tack on juju and vance, and thats a good RZ package. Plus maybe they use him all over, and move to a very athletic TE, regardless, no one has posted stats at the combine like he did besides calvin johnson. He produced against good competition so lets see.

THe charlotte fella, yeah, in true NFL circles, this guy was climbing, and highly regarded. So im on board. He just wasnt a media darling. Look deeper.

mcfarland was taken a bit early, he had alot of sleeper hype , i like him, but i dunno if hes the style rb i would of taken, hes fast, quick twitch. I still like it.

Dotson, ive seen people say hes way overhyped and horrid technique, ive seen hes an absolute steal. This ones beyond me, i dont know enough about him.

brooks i really like heres an article on him
The Draft Network

carlos davis i need more info on too

Dotson is a PFF favorite:

OFFENSIVE GUARD
First Team: Kevin Dotson, Louisiana
If you haven’t heard the name Kevin Dotson by now, you’re going to want to remember it. Not only is Dotson a PFF first-teamer in the Sun Belt, but he is also a PFF first-team All-American. Dotson was the highest-graded right guard in the entire FBS by a significant margin, with a 90.6 overall grade (second was at 81.5). In his first three seasons with the Ragin’ Cajuns, Dotson was always among the top at his position, with PFF grades in the mid-to-high 70s. Though in 2019, Dotson took a big step forward, going from good to great by allowing just two pressures on his 339 pass-block snaps and recording a 90.4 run-block grade that was above all at his position.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

 

[ATL96Steeler]

im gonna be 100% honest. I like this draft. Claypool DOES play slower than his 40 time, and ND folks tell you that. But he is an athlete, he has the capabilities. I dunno that THIS year he cracks the top 3 wr's, which upsets me. But I think hes a RZ threat immediately with ebron, and tack on juju and vance, and thats a good RZ package. Plus maybe they use him all over, and move to a very athletic TE, regardless, no one has posted stats at the combine like he did besides calvin johnson. He produced against good competition so lets see.

THe charlotte fella, yeah, in true NFL circles, this guy was climbing, and highly regarded. So im on board. He just wasnt a media darling. Look deeper.

mcfarland was taken a bit early, he had alot of sleeper hype , i like him, but i dunno if hes the style rb i would of taken, hes fast, quick twitch. I still like it.

Dotson, ive seen people say hes way overhyped and horrid technique, ive seen hes an absolute steal. This ones beyond me, i dont know enough about him.

brooks i really like heres an article on him
The Draft Network

carlos davis i need more info on too

DT/NT is not settled imo, but I feel pretty good about the draft as well.

Highsmith...admittedly he creeped up on me...did not know who this kid was...liking the write ups and Face was on him a long time ago...the 1st sign will be him taking over Chick's role as the 1st OLB off the bench. That should be in short order considering the draft stock of his competition.

Dotson...if you're getting any hype coming from La Lafayette...I think you can play...the question for these guys is always how will they handle the jump in competition? Very large man, with reasonably good feet. The beauty of this pick is he can be coached to play with his butt lower over the next yr...he'll figure out why when he faces Brandon Williams the 1st time.

Brooks Jr...I think they knew how they wanted to use him before he was even picked. Allen has had an opportunity to crave out a role and he hasn't so that 3 S pkg job is his for the taking.

Davis...yeah...need to at least let the dust settle on him, but I'm not sure here...Hargrave was a 43 DT too, but his body type was functional as a 34NT...the job is really a 1 gap run defender now...no longer the old 2 gap Hampton played.

McCullers is a big man himself...not easily moved, but he sat behind Hargrave for 4 yrs so if he's the best NT PIT is running out there next year...the AFCN teams gameplans should be to test the Steelers front line vs the run.

At this point I can see them looking at a vet. Sly Williams is a name.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

DT/NT is not settled imo, but I feel pretty good about the draft as well.

Highsmith...admittedly he creeped up on me...did not know who this kid was...liking the write ups and Face was on him a long time ago...the 1st sign will be him taking over Chick's role as the 1st OLB off the bench. That should be in short order considering the draft stock of his competition.

Dotson...if you're getting any hype coming from La Lafayette...I think you can play...the question for these guys is always how will they handle the jump in competition? Very large man, with reasonably good feet. The beauty of this pick is he can be coached to play with his butt lower over the next yr...he'll figure out why when he faces Brandon Williams the 1st time.

Brooks Jr...I think they knew how they wanted to use him before he was even picked. Allen has had an opportunity to crave out a role and he hasn't so that 3 S pkg job is his for the taking.

Davis...yeah...need to at least let the dust settle on him, but I'm not sure here...Hargrave was a 43 DT too, but his body type was functional as a 34NT...the job is really a 1 gap run defender now...no longer the old 2 gap Hampton played.

McCullers is a big man himself...not easily moved, but he sat behind Hargrave for 4 yrs so if he's the best NT PIT is running out there next year...the AFCN teams gameplans should be to test the Steelers front line vs the run.

At this point I can see them looking at a vet. Sly Williams is a name.

Davis....You know... For as bad as his draft writeups/analysis have been, his tape sure makes him look a lot better than that. Odd.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Good thread she has goin here... Click the tweet & read her replies to it to get more info.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

 

[SteelersPride]

darrin hall's a beast. keep him cut snell

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

SI's draft grades:

https://www.si.com/nfl/2020/04/26/n...m&xid=socialflow_twitter_si&utm_medium=social

For those that don't want to scroll through:

PITTSBURGH STEELERS
2 (49). Chase Claypool, WR, Notre Dame
3 (102). Alex Highsmith, LB, Charlotte
4 (124). Anthony McFarland Jr., RB, Maryland
4 (135). Kevin Dotson, G, Louisiana
6 (198). Antoine Brooks Jr., S, Maryland
7 (232). Carlos Davis, DT, Nebraska

Pittsburgh’s first-round pick is already a success considering it was dealt last year for Pro Bowl free safety Minkah Fitzpatrick. That takes a bit of the sting out of the possibility that no one from this draft class will make major contributions in 2020.

The guy with the best chance to prove this wrong is Chase Claypool. Pittsburgh’s offense is heavy on isolation routes, which means it’s dependent on having wide receivers who can win. Right now, there’s really only one: JuJu Smith-Schuster. Last year’s third-rounder, Diontae Johnson, showed encouraging flashes as a rookie, and 2018 second-round speedster James Washington made far fewer of the mistakes that marred his rookie season, but neither guy is a sure thing No. 2 receiver. (Or even No. 3 receiver.) With a Super Bowl-caliber defense and 38-year-old quarterback, the Steelers need their young wideouts to make plays right away.

As for top defensive pick Alex Highsmith, with T.J. Watt aboard and Bud Dupree a somewhat surprising franchise tag recipient, it’s clear the Steelers are drafting for depth at outside linebacker, both now and for the future.

Grade: C

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Interesting & telling write-up from a Maryland Football fan:

University of Maryland Terp Here!

I got to watch two of your draft picks, Anthony McFarland, Jr. and Antoine Brooks, Jr., live and up-close over the past two seasons. I consider myself an amateur scout (I scouted over 200 prospects for this year), so I wanted to give you guys a fair and accurate report on both of these guys.

McFarland is better than advertised. He was banged up all of 2019 and his draft stock fell off a little, but his 2018 tape shows a solid Day 2 talent. He's everything that the scouting reports say he is: a quick, explosive runner who can take it to the house on any play. He ran a 4.44 40 yard dash, which seems about right for him; that speed shows up on tape. Despite his smaller frame, he packs a lot power when he lowers his shoulder and he's good at running through contact. He's no Le'Veon Bell when it comes to patience and vision; he tends to see the first hole and hit it rather than wait for another lane to open up, and vision is pretty average. And while he showed he had good hands, he never really ran routes (90% just swing and wheel routes) and saw few pass protection reps. He obviously has the tools to pick up those skills, but for now, I wouldn't trust him as my third down back.

Antione Brooks was a great player and leader for our defense, but there are plenty of reasons why he's a 6th rounder (to be honest, I'm a little surprised he got drafted at all). Brooks showed up to Maryland as a linebacker, but moved him to safety, where he played fairly well. For an NFL safety, however, he's a very poor athlete. He's doesn't have quick feet, his hips are really tight, and he's pretty slow. He ran a 4.64 at the Combine but he plays slower than that. He held his own in underneath zone coverage, but he doesn't have the range to be a free safety in Cover 1/Cover 3 defense. Playing him in man coverage against slot WRs was tricky, as he didn't have the flexibility to stay in phase with most WRs. That's a lot of negatives, but he's a very smart and instinctive run defender. He rarely misses tackles, takes good angles to the ball, and is willing to lay the wood on opposing runners. He's a LB/S tweener who may struggle to find a starting job for you guys, but at the very least, he'll be a solid contributor on special teams from Day 1.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Decent film breakdown of Alex Highsmith:


High motor & tenacious off the edge. Great burst in pure rush situations. Processing is a little slow when put in "read & react" mode. Sometimes even allows himself to get swallowed up in those situations. Decent instincts but needs to process quicker. Needs work on his hand technique & lateral agility.

Full game film against Clemson: