SportsHoopla 2017 Draft

[Psych-Ward]

Judge's ruling... Yes, this is definitely how you get rainbow'd.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Great writeup ATL!

Always a pleasure participating in these mocks together. Thanks for driving the ship for us!

1.30 - McKinley... You've said it before, but the most important thing to think about with all the other edge prospects that were available at this slot (Harris & Watt realistically) is they are limited in coverage. Gone are the days of Lebeau's 3-4 OLB's. We are seeing edge guys dropped back more often so having the most athletically gifted prospect on the edge gives them the highest upside for success. It'll take time for him to groom, but he's almost the same sort of freak of nature that Dupree is in terms of size & speed. Gotta have it!

2.62 - Lewis... Really bummed we missed out on Davis, but the price was steep & this pick was a no-brainer given the need & BPA. As we know, they need upgrades at both the Buck ILB (V-Will) & slot CB (Gay, Golson), and seeing as how the drop-off for BPA at ILB was fairly sharp after Davis, it made Lewis an easy grab.

3.94 - Jackson... Somewhat inconsistent pool we had going this round. But the way the draft developed we ultimately felt Jackson would give us a faster turnaround for meaningful contributions. Also worth noting that my ILB's in this pool had Kendell Beckwith, of whom we were able to grab 41 picks later! Ultimately found out that we were absolutely right to wait on it!

3.105 - Gallman... Had our eyes on him at this spot from the beginning. And just so happened that he was BPA at RB at this exact pick. Marlon Mack was taken by GB at 93. There wasn't much discussion necessary.

4.135 - Beckwith... Great grab. Nothing in his rehab indicates any setbacks. Likely would start the season on PUP wherever he goes, but could expect him to get in some sort of participation around midseason. Also worth mentioning that Steven Johnson was resigned so there is another ILB option outside of V-Will & Dirty Red. Questionable depth at best, so throwing in a draft pick makes sense. After missing out on Davis this was the right call. Another player we looked at was Jayon Brown from UCLA.

5.155 - Griffin... Been loving this kid's upside ever since the combine. Sadly that's what got him noticed and he won't likely be around after the 3rd Rd. Luckily for us he went overlooked in this mock. I had my eyes on both Griffin & Howard Wilson from Houston. Wilson went at the top of the 4th, so I didn't think there was any chance Griffin would fall. As soon as I saw he slipped into the 5th Rd I set ATL on the trade path. 4 CB's went after Wilson, before we traded up. Still scratching my head over how he slipped past those picks. Corn Elder & Jalen Myrick were decent picks, but Brendan Langley & Damontae Kazee over Griffin? No chance! We won big on this pick.

7.248 - TBD... Wide open. Going to have to wait & see.

Again... Love this mock. It may not produce the immediate returns that most want, but realistically its not much of a possibility given the pick position & draft needs. This draft gives them some of the best results that they could hope for. Still preparing myself for a Rd 1-3 stab (TE, QB, WR). I see the reasoning, but I still don't want any part of those positions outside of TE. Even then I still think a TE at 30 isn't much of a reality given BPA.

Thought I'd give a final thought on the last pick...

7.248 - Josh Malone, WR Tennessee... We are 2 days away from the draft and the NFL's decision on Martavis Bryant has yet to be passed. That has to be weighing heavy on Colbert & Tomlin's draft strategy. With that in mind, we somehow found a 6'3" speedster WR with a 3rd Rd draft projection still available in the 7th Rd. This decision was a no-brainer. He ran a 4.40s 40 at the combine, & a 30.5" vertical jump. He's got the athleticism, but he's a raw product. Could have used a Sr season of NCAAF to polish his craft, but the upside is good. He would easily be able to compete with Sammie Coates, Cobi Hamilton & Justin Hunter for snaps at outside WR3.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Thanks again for steering the ship for us this year @ATL96Steeler !

 

[Ewa PGH Fan]

Thought I'd give a final thought on the last pick...

7.248 - Josh Malone, WR Tennessee... We are 2 days away from the draft and the NFL's decision on Martavis Bryant has yet to be passed. That has to be weighing heavy on Colbert & Tomlin's draft strategy. With that in mind, we somehow found a 6'3" speedster WR with a 3rd Rd draft projection still available in the 7th Rd. This decision was a no-brainer. He ran a 4.40s 40 at the combine, & a 30.5" vertical jump. He's got the athleticism, but he's a raw product. Could have used a Sr season of NCAAF to polish his craft, but the upside is good. He would easily be able to compete with Sammie Coates, Cobi Hamilton & Justin Hunter for snaps at outside WR3.

IMO the NFL owes the Steelers a decision on Bryant before the draft even if it's as long as he continues to meet all requirements of the drug program we will reinstate him before training camps start. But what the heck do I know???

 

[ATL96Steeler]

IMO the NFL owes the Steelers a decision on Bryant before the draft even if it's as long as he continues to meet all requirements of the drug program we will reinstate him before training camps start. But what the heck do I know???

I felt the same way. Of course you probably know by now that they (Steelers) got just that. Bryant is back in the fold with conditional status. Clean, you play.

Good for the Steelers, great for Martavious...kid can get back on the field and resume his career...hope he makes the best of his second chance, or is it third?

 

[Ewa PGH Fan]

I felt the same way. Of course you probably know by now that they (Steelers) got just that. Bryant is back in the fold with conditional status. Clean, you play.

Good for the Steelers, great for Martavious...kid can get back on the field and resume his career...hope he makes the best of his second chance, or is it third?

Yes, saw it after I posted my comment. I hope he can stay clean!!!

 

[ATL96Steeler]

Yes, saw it after I posted my comment. I hope he can stay clean!!!

You and a whole lot of us.

I hope he brings the WR competition level up overall in camp as well. It will be pretty interesting to see who makes the 53...Of the big body WRs, Hunter, his spot is no longer guaranteed, I think we can already put Hamilton back on the PS or count his release. Coates? He has to bring it, hopefully his fingers are in good shape. DHB, can he stay healthy, is ST work enough?

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

You and a whole lot of us.

I hope he brings the WR competition level up overall in camp as well. It will be pretty interesting to see who makes the 53...Of the big body WRs, Hunter, his spot is no longer guaranteed, I think we can already put Hamilton back on the PS or count his release. Coates? He has to bring it, hopefully his fingers are in good shape. DHB, can he stay healthy, is ST work enough?

This is going to be one helluva camp for WR's... I'm freakin ecstatic over the thought of the level of competition they have within that group.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

@ATL96Steeler @SteelersPride

Our 2017 mock:
1.30 - Takk McKinley, OLB UCLA
2.62 - Jourdan Lewis, CB Michigan
3.94 - Eddie Jackson, S Alabama
3.105 - Wayne Gallman, RB Clemson
4.135 - Kendall Beckwith, ILB LSU
5.155 - Shaq Griffin, CB UCF
7.248 - Josh Malone, WR Tennessee

Actual 2017 draft:
1.30 - T.J. Watt, OLB Wisconsin
2.62 - John "JuJu" Smith-Schuster, WR USC
3.95 - Cameron Sutton, CB Tennessee
3.105 - James Conner, RB Pittsburgh
4.135 - Joshua Dobbs, QB Tennessee
5.173 - Brian Allen, DB Utah
6.213 - Colin Holba, LS Louisville
7.248 - Keion Adams, OLB Western Michigan

Strange, strange draft the Steelers had. We passed on QB in our mock, but we pretty much knew the Steelers were going to draft one. We were still 5/7 if we include Brian Allen as a S. How did we pass up a LS though??? How silly of us...

 

[ATL96Steeler]

@ATL96Steeler @SteelersPride

Our 2017 mock:
1.30 - Takk McKinley, OLB UCLA
2.62 - Jourdan Lewis, CB Michigan
3.94 - Eddie Jackson, S Alabama
3.105 - Wayne Gallman, RB Clemson
4.135 - Kendall Beckwith, ILB LSU
5.155 - Shaq Griffin, CB UCF
7.248 - Josh Malone, WR Tennessee

Actual 2017 draft:
1.30 - T.J. Watt, OLB Wisconsin
2.62 - John "JuJu" Smith-Schuster, WR USC
3.95 - Cameron Sutton, CB Tennessee
3.105 - James Conner, RB Pittsburgh
4.135 - Joshua Dobbs, QB Tennessee
5.173 - Brian Allen, DB Utah
6.213 - Colin Holba, LS Louisville
7.248 - Keion Adams, OLB Western Michigan

Strange, strange draft the Steelers had. We passed on QB in our mock, but we pretty much knew the Steelers were going to draft one. We were still 5/7 if we include Brian Allen as a S. How did we pass up a LS though??? How silly of us...

In comparing the drafts...McKinley, Lewis, Jackson were all off the board when PIT drafted...we dbl down on CB/and got a S...obviously they felt a lot stronger about WR than we did, but overall I like our draft much much better.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

In comparing the drafts...McKinley, Lewis, Jackson were all off the board when PIT drafted...we dbl down on CB/and got a S...obviously they felt a lot stronger about WR than we did, but overall I like our draft much much better.

Yea I think our draft produces more immediate impact from multiple positions, whereas what Colbert got will take some time. I think Smith-Schuster will have the best chance of making an impact out the gate. Watt will need to pickup the playbook quickly but should be able to spell Harrison but I'm not sure how likely that will be given how raw he is. I say should with the intent for need.

 

[SteelersPride]

I love some of the guys as players, such as juju and conner, but i think our draft stunk, we passed over so many needs, and what seemed like at least better players, i mean i know the front office takes what they view as BPA, and what they think fits........ but dear god we waited to address needs. I think our draft sucked

that being said im no fan of jerseys, i think they are dumb and said id never buy one, i am most likely gonna buy a james conner jersey

 

[Ewa PGH Fan]

@ATL96Steeler @SteelersPride

Our 2017 mock:
1.30 - Takk McKinley, OLB UCLA
2.62 - Jourdan Lewis, CB Michigan
3.94 - Eddie Jackson, S Alabama
3.105 - Wayne Gallman, RB Clemson
4.135 - Kendall Beckwith, ILB LSU
5.155 - Shaq Griffin, CB UCF
7.248 - Josh Malone, WR Tennessee

Actual 2017 draft:
1.30 - T.J. Watt, OLB Wisconsin
2.62 - John "JuJu" Smith-Schuster, WR USC
3.95 - Cameron Sutton, CB Tennessee
3.105 - James Conner, RB Pittsburgh
4.135 - Joshua Dobbs, QB Tennessee
5.173 - Brian Allen, DB Utah
6.213 - Colin Holba, LS Louisville
7.248 - Keion Adams, OLB Western Michigan

Strange, strange draft the Steelers had. We passed on QB in our mock, but we pretty much knew the Steelers were going to draft one. We were still 5/7 if we include Brian Allen as a S. How did we pass up a LS though??? How silly of us...

Yes, I can no longer take your mock drafts seriously after you missed sooooo badly on a LS. I just don't understand how you could've missed that???

 

[ATL96Steeler]

I love some of the guys as players, such as juju and conner, but i think our draft stunk, we passed over so many needs, and what seemed like at least better players, i mean i know the front office takes what they view as BPA, and what they think fits........ but dear god we waited to address needs. I think our draft sucked

that being said im no fan of jerseys, i think they are dumb and said id never buy one, i am most likely gonna buy a james conner jersey

I bought a Troy P jersey for my niece...she loved his hair...we had it framed. My golf buddy's last name is Foote so I got him a Foote jersey, but I've never owned a jersey for myself. I know somebody that knows Bettis pretty well, if I can ever arrange a meeting, I buy his jersey to have signed along with a Terrible Towel and have them framed for my OFC. My Towel from the 70s unfortunately was ripped off. I say my towel, it was a group owned towel and the 'Burg native of the group took it with him to Alaska where he still lives and still has the towel.

Looking back on the real draft...I have several guys I liked at 62 which would've shifted the back end of the picks...generally speaking...Juju, Dobbs, and Holba are players I would have had different names in their spots. Maybe out of a desperate need to be positive, some are really looking forward to seeing what this Adams kid has.

At this point I really hope TJ picks up the DEF quickly, Juju is a factor and Sutton (or Golson) take the slot job...I feel pretty comfortable with Conner will get some snaps this season.

 

[Ewa PGH Fan]

I bought a Troy P jersey for my niece...she loved his hair...we had it framed. My golf buddy's last name is Foote so I got him a Foote jersey, but I've never owned a jersey for myself. I know somebody that knows Bettis pretty well, if I can ever arrange a meeting, I buy his jersey to have signed along with a Terrible Towel and have them framed for my OFC. My Towel from the 70s unfortunately was ripped off. I say my towel, it was a group owned towel and the 'Burg native of the group took it with him to Alaska where he still lives and still has the towel.

Looking back on the real draft...I have several guys I liked at 62 which would've shifted the back end of the picks...generally speaking...Juju, Dobbs, and Holba are players I would have had different names in their spots. Maybe out of a desperate need to be positive, some are really looking forward to seeing what this Adams kid has.

At this point I really hope TJ picks up the DEF quickly, Juju is a factor and Sutton (or Golson) take the slot job...I feel pretty comfortable with Conner will get some snaps this season.

It's impossible to be positive even if by some miracle 1 or 2 of these guys end up in the HOF when they drafted a LS!!!

 

[ATL96Steeler]

It's impossible to be positive even if by some miracle 1 or 2 of these guys end up in the HOF when they drafted a LS!!!

Colbert Has Message For Fans Questioning Steelers' Decision To Draft Long Snapper - Steelers Depot


This probably won't make you feel any better but, it's worth reading.

 

[Ewa PGH Fan]

Colbert Has Message For Fans Questioning Steelers' Decision To Draft Long Snapper - Steelers Depot


This probably won't make you feel any better but, it's worth reading.

This comment to the article says it all.

"There's no problem with adding a long snapper to the team. The issue is using a DRAFT PICK to do so. You're never going to convince me that this guy wouldn't have been available as an undrafted free agent after the draft was over. Wasted Pick."

 

[ATL96Steeler]

This comment to the article says it all.

"There's no problem with adding a long snapper to the team. The issue is using a DRAFT PICK to do so. You're never going to convince me that this guy wouldn't have been available as an undrafted free agent after the draft was over. Wasted Pick."

That's the beef that everyone has...LS are drafted so infrequently that most likely he's available as a UDFA...couple that with not taking a TE and taking a QB in the 4th, it is hard to be positive about this draft.

I don't like it either, but I'm over it already....I guess I played so many bad golf holes and had to get over it quick, you get use to discarding negatives...lol!