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My Steelers draft analysis

Discussion in 'Steelers Talk' started by blackandgoldpatrol, May 1, 2022.

  1. blackandgoldpatrol

    blackandgoldpatrol Well-Known Member

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    1. Kenny Pickett --- Not a bad pick, but not the pick I wanted.. I personally think it should've been Linderbaum.... That said, a franchise QB covers a multitude of sins... We've seen it with Ben, so if Pickett is the real deal, I'll be happy.
    Grade: B+

    2. George Pickens ---- just like Pickett, this was a decent pick, but again, not the one I wanted, or thought we needed most.... I thought we should've gone with Travis Jones.
    Jones was the last dominant NT in this draft.. Tyson Alualu is going to be 36 soon and I don't see a consolation prize in next yrs draft. .... In addition, there were still some very good quality wr's left that we could've had later... That said, I do believe Pickens will be a very productive receiver in our offense... And look forward to what he will show
    Grade: B+

    3. DeMarven Leal --- in this case, I feel the team had no choice as they are hamstrung with Stephen Tuitt's situation.... Leal will need some time in the weight rm, but in the meantime, he offers great value in the pass rush..... With Tuitt's situation up in the air, I can't really nit pick this one
    Grade: A

    4. Calvin Austin ---- here's where I get harsh...With Darrian Kinnard still on the board, we double dip at wr... And the wr we get is yet another attempt at trying to bring in a pint sized speedster for yet another round of gadget plays that never seem to work for us,..
    IMHO, This was a total wasted pick, and one that will bite us in the rear until the next wee man we take another chance on
    Grade: d+

    6. Connor Heyward ---- Another wasted pick..Yes, having another set of brothers on the team makes for an interesting story, but what's the real point....we weren't using the other brother who plays the same position correctly (or much at all), so how is Heyward any different aside from salary... And if it is about salary, then we will lose one brother for the sake of another....
    Grade: D-

    7a. Mark Robinson ---- converted RB who's still learning the ILB position..,. I'm pretty sure we could've gotten him as an UDFA..... I know it's the 7th Rd, but if we're going to add depth at the position, then there were better options available in the 4th
    Grade: D

    7b. Chris Oladokun ---- wasted a draft pick for the sake of bringing a 4th arm into camp.. another that could've been signed as an UDFA.....
    Grade: F

    Final observation:
    Not the best use of draft capital on day one and 2, but still picks that were justifiable.... Day 3 was a total vomit show.... A mostly offensive draft that, for the most part, ignored the defense (which was dead last against the run, which in turn effected the pass defense). We had limited draft capital and misused the capital that we did have..
    Overall grade: C-
     
    Last edited: May 1, 2022
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  2. TGH

    TGH Well-Known Member

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    You are very generous with your grades. Mine are harsher.

    RD1 Kenny Pickett QB
    Grade B - Exceeded expectations (5 Points for rd 1 value + 1 for getting a highlight player)
    Excellent QB prospect, but-for the age. Could have gone #1 overall in another draft where more teams needed a QB at the top of the draft.

    RD2 George Pickens WR
    Grade D - Below Expectations (0 Points)
    This is a round, the second round, for shoo-in producers at high level and not for projects. Guys who produced in college consistently like Juju and DJ and Claypool and AB and so on. That is how we draft. Not like this! This wideout missed games and did not produce consistently. He is a project.

    RD3 DeMarvin Leal DT
    Grade D - Below Expectations (0 Points)
    Measured skinny at 6-4 283 and ran 5.00 40. For comparison, Cam Heyward measured at 294 and ran 4.92 40. Tuitt measured 6-5 304 and ran 4.92 40. Leal is below expectations. A better prospect more in line with expectations was available, Perrion Winfrey, 6-4 290 ran 4.89 40. And highly ranked too.

    RD4 Calvin Austin WR
    Grade D - Below expectations (0 Points)
    5-8 wide receiver, no thanks.

    The rest is an F, failed. (0 points) I won't even go into who was available and what chances were missed.
     
    Last edited: May 2, 2022
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  3. dobbler-33

    dobbler-33 Well-Known Member

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    Kind of a head scratching draft all around but here we go stillers n’ at! Sorry @jeh1856 seems appropriate!
     
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  4. Steelers '08

    Steelers '08 Well-Known Member

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    How did we not get an offensive lineman???? We have one of the worst O-lines in the league. We seem to ALWAYS draft WR’s. We have enough for right now IMO. Hopefully Pickett works out but we’ll see. Also, total agree with grabbing another QB. We have a bunch of unproven QB’s in the lot. First it’s supposed to be Trubisky but are we going to just throw Pickett out there? Good old Mitch is not the guy you want Pickett emulating. This upcoming season should be very very interesting. We’ll see just how good of a coach Tomlin is without Big Ben and I actually don’t mind Tomlin. It can get way worse!!!
     
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  5. Da Stellars

    Da Stellars Well-Known Member

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    I'm really struggling with the Center position. They are saying Kendrick Green is getting moved to guard ... okay, so who is going to be the starter? The Vikings back-up center that we signed a few weeks ago? I just can't see how it gets much better from last year?

    The only way it MIGHT get better is if Kendrick Green stays at Center and has a come to Jesus moment and significantly improves his technique, adding 20lb's of muscle, but what are the odds of that happening?
     
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  6. AskQuestionsLater

    AskQuestionsLater Writing Team

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    [​IMG]



    Kenny Pickett: Time will tell here but as I stated multiple times and will again, the intangibles are clearly there for him to succeed at the NFL Level; some of the tangibles as well. It is how much more is his ceiling is what's concerning to me. This all said, he is in much better standing and will be more productive than others are giving him credit for; doubly so in comparison to members of the 2021 QB Class in their respective Rookie Seasons (Trevor's is still a wash to me but still has to count here).



    Grade: B+


    George Pickens: Really thought he would have been gone in Round One. Had him as a Top 40 player by the time the NFL Combine has come and gone; no movement for him either. To get him at 52?! That is pretty damn good. Look for he and Pickett to make some noise on Sunday's. Biggest aspect of all?! The person announcing his pick could have very well announced his replacement should he not showcase any improvement in Year 3.


    Grade: A+



    DeMarvin Leal: Among all the picks in the class... this one worries me the most; for good reason to. Which DeMarvin Leal will the team get in his Rookie Season; the one who was widely considered a Top 20 pick heading into the 2021 NCAA FBS I Season or the one that disappeared too often in games during the 2021. Too much inconsistency for me here. I understand why Leal was the pick; doubly so since Karl Dunbar was at Texas A&M's Pro Day (more on this in a bit) but I hope I am wrong with this one. Like... I really do hope I am wrong on this one for he is one of the biggest boom/bust players of his class.


    Grade: B-



    Calvin Austin III:


    [​IMG]




    Had him going in the Top 50. One of the best deep threat WR's in the class the same?!?! To say that I am ecstatic about this pick is nothing short of an understatement. CA3 however is more than just a speedster. He is a more polished WR than others are giving him credit for; a solid return man the same. Not only did the Steelers find a possible Chase Claypool replacement in George Pickens, they add another deep threat who not only can play the slot but also on the outside as well. Homerun pick here in my opinion.


    Grade: A+



    Connor Heyward:


    Thought he would go in the middle of the 5th Round. However, not only is the value great (again), the fit is as well; more so than others realize. While I would imagine that Derek Watt is going to be gone by the end of the NFL Preseason, I do believe that, among the brother's gone first, Trey Edmunds likely is the candidate here. As for Connor's skillset, he is a FB but really is not. Now, Coach Roberts states he is going to mainly be used as a TE but I doubt this is going to be the case for Connor can fill multiple roles. Not only is Heyward a physical, violent player, he does bring some value in the passing game. His best attributes though will definitely be felt in both blocking and Special Teams; both of which will be needed as the team could use more options. All in all, I really like this pick and Connor will win over fans sooner rather than later health permitting.



    Grade: A




    Mark Robinson:



    I understand that the team does need more ILB depth... I do. However, I do not understand this pick too much. While he is new to the position... in a position that has many.. and I mean MANY players who have either good or even sufficient Special Teams experience... just does not seem to fit here. Outside of Special Teams value.. there is not much overall value to be had here.



    Grade: D




    Chris Oladokun:



    Again, this is a very good, potentially great pickup here. Yes, yes, the Steelers already have the likes of Trubisky, Rudolph and now Pickett. However, that all said, Pittsburgh has historically carried four QBs heading deep into Training Camp and often, the final week of the NFL Preseason. Chris Oladokun, while not a starting caliber QB, does have some very good traits that make him a very good developmental option. While he has bounced around quite often and has truly settled into one school, Chris does bring solid traits to him and abilities that mesh well with Matt Canada's Offense. Given the fact that the team essentially has Mitchell Trubisky for one season, nabbing this nip in the bud was important for there is no guarantee on how the FA Market will look weeks from now and never mind into 2023. While I do not expect Oladokun to make the 53, should Mason indeed get traded before the start of the 2022 NFL Season, Chris' performance in the preseason could play a major role in it all as Mason is set to earn $3 Million this season. In addition, let us think about it another way; Mitchell Trubisky is not owed much either this year or next year. Even if he does beat out Pickett and have himself a season.. that is quite the form of trade bait the Steelers can use to their benefit. Should Pickett beat out Trubisky, Trubisky can be cut without much of a penalty in 2023.




    Grade: B




    Overall Grade: A-



    Now, heading into the draft, nabbing a QB was paramount for the team. Which one though, was the question. Pittsburgh had every QB of their beckon call to select from and Pickett turned out to be the one they coveted so much; even going so far as to possibly trade up with Houston for him. Thankfully, this did not happen. Now, I do still question if Pickett can become the guy who can carry you or is the guy that needs carried. However, Pickett will have little to no excuse to not perform well should he win the starting job come Week One. My second personal wish list was to nab not one but two DEFCON I WRs as outside of Miles Boykin and maaaybe Chase Claypool, that is truly, more or less, what the team was going to field come 2022. Not only did the team nab two deep threat options... they got two options that were the top 5 overall in the entire class; quite the haul in it of itself for certain. Connor Heyward likely signals the beginning of the end for Trey Edmunds and also cranks up the heat for Derek Watt to perform. While the team could very well keep two FBs on the roster, Heyward will likely end up being the Steelers full time FB option before long if Derek Watt's injury history is anything to go by I am afraid. Chris Oladokun may just be a camp arm to some.. but I personally see more to him than that, a backup.. but a potentially good one should it work out.



    Leal and Robinson are my biggest gripes though; doubly so on Robinson. Leal just concerns me for there he is a classic case of extreme paradigms; either he hits or he will flame out. Robinson... just does not make much sense to me at all; doubly so since Buddy Johnson was drafted last season. While these two are concerns... they are not issues for me.



    In the end, thank you Mr. Colbert. Truly. Over a generation of rock solid drafting and even more superb success; one losing season in a 22 year span. Not many GMs can claim that; his own former GM Rival Ozzie Newsome included. He wanted to leave the Steelers in good hands... and he did by going out with a bang.


    Enjoy retirement Mr. Colbert!! Your Gold Jacket awaits!! Who knows?!?!.....


    Big Ben and Kevin Colbert both go in together?!....


    Do NOT rule that out.
     
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  7. dirty

    dirty Well-Known Member

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    Without getting into each round or even facts. I'm giving them an A to start. If it excels later I'll upgrade to a A+.

    If it stinks, then I'll downgrade to a B. :)
     
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  8. TuRnDoWnForWaTT

    TuRnDoWnForWaTT Well-Known Member

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    Kenny Pickett

    We all knew the Steelers were going to take a QB round 1. Kenny Pickett was the most NFL ready of any of the QBs. If not for the small hands, Pickett was a guy worthy of going in the top 5. I like the pick.

    A

    George Pickens

    Heres where I will take some heat. Pickens presented value where he was selected. However, this guy is a project. ACL injury aside, Pickens has some maturity issues. Beyond that his college production was scattered. His best year was his freshman year. His numbers dipped the next year but I will give him a COVID pass. We can't really evaluate his junior year due to the injury. He brings all of the same qualities to the table that Claypool does. Given time I think he will be better than Claypool. The talent is there. I have no doubt about that. I just see him more of a prospect, than I do a guy who is going to immediately be a stud.

    B

    Demarvin Leal

    I like the pick. Again, this is a project. Leal needs to add weight. If Tuitt comes back Leal will not play much of a role this year. I do believe that given time this will be a starter for the Steelers for years to come, potentially even a Pro Bowl type guy. He is a project who is going to need some time. There is some great value here getting him in the 3rd.

    B

    Calvin Austin III

    This is my favorite pick in the draft. Forget Austin's size. Look at his production over the course of his career. The guy changes directions better than any player in this draft. He has good hands. He runs a complete route tree. Austin will contribute more this season than Pickens will IMHO. This is exactly the kind of wideout the Steelers needed. I give the Steelers a lot of credit for adding a variety of talent to the WR position. This is a pick that helps the Steelers immediately.

    B+

    Conner Heyward

    We all knew this was coming. I just never thought it would be in the 6th. There were clearly better options on the board at the time. Let's face it. The only reason Heyward was selected was because of his name. That doesn't necessarily make it a bad pick. I like Conner as a player. I think he is already an upgrade over Watt. The kid can contribute in a lot of ways. I wouldn't call the pick a waste. But again, there were some guys out there that could have provided depth at positions that should have been prioritized.

    C

    Mark Robinson

    I didn't know anything about Robinson going into the draft. So honestly it is probably unfair to be too harsh. He is a converted running back. I am sure the Steelers think they found a raw talent that they can mold into a decent linebacker. Sometimes stuff like this works out, other times it doesn't. It is a 7th round pick, so if you want to take a chance on a guy like this, round 7 is certainly the round to do it.

    C-


    Chris Oladokun

    This was my least favorite pick in the draft. The Steelers passed on position players at every turn in this draft. There were plenty of players the Steelers could have taken here that at least had a chance of being some quality depth. Having a 4th camp arm isn't going to add any real value to this team. Even if he ends up QB3, I don't see the value here. This was a complete WTF moment for me.

    F


    Summary

    If Pickett becomes a legit franchise quarterback, then this will be an epic draft regardless of the other players selected. Pickens and Leal are good future prospects IMO. Both need to add some weight. But I think the future for those guys is bright. Austin is a guy that contribute right away. The rest of the draft was Meh.... The thing I hated about this draft was that so many positions of need were ignored.

    Final Grade

    C

     
    Last edited: May 2, 2022
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  9. Karl

    Karl Well-Known Member

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    Typically, I don't like to grade the draft so soon.
    I prefer to see how they come through camp and how they actually will be utilized and if they contribute.

    1st and 2nd rounders, I'd like to see break into the starting lineup.
    *The exception being will be Pickett - I hope he sits this season. BUT if he beat the others, that's bonus points.

    3 and 4 rounders, I want to contribute in spot play.
    5,6,7 rounders - Special teams, contributions as backups... present good competition.

    As far as the draft strategy
    RD 1 - As I mentioned, if the QB's fell, the Steelers are QB needy. It made no sense not to pick the best QB, NFL ready, of this draft rather than take a long, long shot on a small school QB.
    RD 2 - The WR surprised me but the got a good one. I was expecting OL.
    RD 3 - Again I was a bit surprised, but they got a guy that should have been a first-round pick at one time.
    RD 4 - And yet again, they went a different direction than I would have thought - WR. The slot guy is important and they are working to give Mitch and Company as much help as they can.
    RD 5 - I would have traded into the 5th - they did not.
    RD 6 - Heywood is not a guy I would selected either. But he brings some value to help in the offense.
    RD 7 - They did get a LB and the 4th QB.

    So, overall they went against what I thought, but that is nothing new. I have never drafted a Super Bowl team, so we will see what happens. It's usually about two years to figure out a good grade for the draft and it remains to be seen how they backfill with Free Agency now.
     
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  10. Animus

    Animus Well-Known Member

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    I'm not sure why some are deeming Pickens a project. He's very likely going to contribute day 1. If it wasn't for character issues, he's a first round draft pick. If he can play between the whistles, especially on run plays, Yinzers are absolutely going to love this guy. The problem is, he tends to play beyond the whistle: look no further than the fight with the GT corner in the endzone. Overall I believe he'll be a stud; however, just like any prospect, he has as much a shot as becoming a bust than he does a Pro Bowler.
     
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  11. Brice

    Brice Well-Known Member

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    Pickens without Austin is the head scratcher. But, Pickens with Austin is the A Grade. With Austin running the deep routes; Pickens was drafted to compete for the #1 WR spot that DJ currently holds.

    Connor Heyward is a power RB/FB that will turn some heads. He should not have been drafted in the 6th round as a TE. Not sure why he chose to compete as a TE at the combine?
    upload_2022-5-3_1-28-7.png
     
  12. SteelersFanIrl

    SteelersFanIrl Well-Known Member

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  13. Blast Furnace

    Blast Furnace Staff Member Mod Team

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    From Rays chat today in regards to Tuiit:

    Ray Fittipaldo: They've been very coy about his situation. I don't have a great feel for how it will unfold. First OTA is May 22 so we'll see if he's there then.



    He also said in a different answer that the Steelers hope to have Leal and Loudermilk as eventual starters.

    As I said before, I have a feeling Tuiit is done with football and Leal and Loudermilk are the future hopeful replacements for Tuitt and Heyward.
     
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  14. Rel

    Rel Well-Known Member

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    Regarding point 2, you wanted them to go with the guy that fell to the middle of round 3 in the 2nd round?

    How is Alualu going to turn 36 soon when he hasn't' turned 35 yet?

    Multiple draft sites praise the Calvin Austin pick, people seem to love him. If he is as fast as people say he is, his height won't matter.
     
  15. steelersrule6

    steelersrule6 Well-Known Member

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    Austin will be more than a gadget player, he will probably be their main slot WR.
     
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  16. SGSteeler

    SGSteeler Well-Known Member

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    TBH I think its more than fine. Cole has started 39 games over the course of the last 4 years (which is 10 per year) He has been a starter in the league and has performed at a starting level when he has been in. Green was the worst center in the league last season and got benched. Cole will be a massive upgrade by just not being terrible. It will be a HUGE surprise to find that Mason Cole, who has performed better than Green for the entirety of his NFL career, will all of the sudden get worse and preform like Green did last year. This isn't a Jeff Hartings type move, but getting a Ramon Foster level player to play C for us for the next few years... which I think is needed. Can't have all pro's at every position. We need those solid players on good contracts to round out the team.

    I hated the alternative of spending high draft capital on another small, quick, short armed C. We have other needs and I had enough question marks on Linderbaum to think that he isn't an "instant and forever" pro bowler like Pouncey was while he was a Steeler. There will be other Centers just as good as Linderbaum in every succeeding draft, and we could just as easily get someone as good as him or better in the 2nd or 3rd round.

    Cole will hold it down for a few years until its time to draft our next center. At that point he can move to starting G if there's an opening there, or go to another team. I think we made good use of our resources to cover that hole on the line.
     
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  17. SGSteeler

    SGSteeler Well-Known Member

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    Austin is actually the first "gadget" player we have taken that ACTUALLY plays a position. Austin 3 is a WR. Not a return specialist, not a trick play savant, but a guy who lined up at the WR position at Memphis and performed well there. Sauce Gardiner called him his toughest matchup in college, and went on to say that he wants another crack at him bc Austin went for like 6-7 catches and over 100 yards on him during the year prior to last. We didn't draft another Dri Archer, we drafted a small WR. Big difference.

    I just hope we develop him as such and don't fall in love with the gadget thing with him. He could actually end up being a solid target for us (and a poor man's Tyreek Hill).
     
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  18. blackandgoldpatrol

    blackandgoldpatrol Well-Known Member

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    Time will tell sooner rather than later, because we now have to face the guy I wanted twice a yr
     
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  19. blackandgoldpatrol

    blackandgoldpatrol Well-Known Member

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    If he is, and shines, I'll be the first one to eat crow...... Right now, I don't see it and definitely don't like it
     
  20. Boot55

    Boot55 Well-Known Member

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    I think they did a great job with the draft this year. I also feel Leal will turn into a player for us. Once he gets coached up he will blossom.

    I give a B+ but who really knows at this point…wait a few years.
     
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  21. Animus

    Animus Well-Known Member

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    The thing for me is that I'm not totally willing to give up on Green. Everything you said about him is true, as are other people's criticisms of him. Thing for me is that he was a rookie playing a new position. I'm also not willing to make Green the starter this year, or even next year. But as a long term solution, I think he has potential and could be fine. He just needs more time learning the position.
     
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  22. SGSteeler

    SGSteeler Well-Known Member

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    Oh, I certainly agree with you. It is very possible that Green turns out to be a decent player. He was thrust into a hard situation last year (due to some negligence from our FO and HC not having any other options), and it made him look bad when he should've just been sitting as a back up learning and getting better. I'm not willing to make him the starter right away either, but its certainly not out of the cards for him to earn that role back. There's plenty of good players in the league who looked lost as rookie starters. I'm not ready to cut him or anything. He has some Chris Kemoeatu in him (which I appreciate).

    I was just commenting on how bad he was last year... which unfortunately was just the truth. But that doesn't mean he will be that player for his whole career. I'm sure there was a lot going on mentally and he just seemed to lose confidence. Another year learning will do him good.
     
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  23. steelersrule6

    steelersrule6 Well-Known Member

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    Austin will probably be their #4 WR, with his speed I see him making an impact on the offense, he's a good route runner and he won't be facing the other teams top 2 CBs.
     
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  24. S.T.D

    S.T.D Well-Known Member

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    Who???
     
  25. blackandgoldpatrol

    blackandgoldpatrol Well-Known Member

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    .

    Linderbaum and Travis Jones
     
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