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Draft impressions

Discussion in 'Steelers Talk' started by Steel_Elvis, Apr 30, 2022.

  1. Steel_Elvis

    Steel_Elvis Staff Member Mod Team

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    Now that it’s over, what are your thoughts on the draft as a whole? It’s years too soon to fairly grade any picks, but it’s certainly fair to have opinions. I’m underwhelmed. I love the Pickens selection in the 2nd, and from there it’s varying degrees of feeling neutral to disappointed. Whether or not this draft is a success will likely depend on Pickett. I don’t get where Leal fits in. He has some OK tape in the edge, but he is way too slow to play there in the NFL.

    But really for me the disappointment is about what we didn’t do. We didn’t address a huge need at safety. We didn’t take an outside corner to develop behind Wallace and Witherspoon. We are likely heading into the season with Chuks as our starting RT, and Haeg as our backup for both tackle spots. We “addressed” D Line depth with a guy who needs to gain 15 lbs. of mostly muscle to play DE in our system. We have no true run stuffer for the zero or 1 tech inside.

    I’m definitely underwhelmed. I don’t think we kept pace with our competition these past few days. Just my view, but I’m… underwhelmed.
     
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  2. 58stillers

    58stillers

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    Impressed…. I give it a preseason A…. There will always be weaknesses and needs…. But we took a QB, WR, DL, WR….. and Cam’s brother as a FB….. I like it
     
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  3. Boot55

    Boot55 Well-Known Member

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    I think you are looking at it wrong. We drafted players that will have an impact this year and the up coming years.

    The WR room is deep. Oline will be ok with who we have now, plus the might add an OL summer when other teams trim their rosters.

    We already have our CBs (4). I do believe they will have a good year.

    Im also thinking that TE will have a solid year at ss. He has been above average past two yrs, maybe he grows more this year.

    I love the wr Memphis. I saw him play some in past, the his a player.

    Overall, I give the team a B+ to A
     
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  4. Boot55

    Boot55 Well-Known Member

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    The kid from A@M is a beast and is a mean ass. Give him a year and see how he blossoms under Cam.
     
  5. Rush2seven

    Rush2seven Well-Known Member

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    We got the franchise guy. Next three years will tell if he’s a great, good, so-so, or poor franchise guy.

    Next we picked up the next installment of quality receivers to the team.

    Third, we have a developmental prospect who could see the field if Tuitt doesn’t.

    Forth, we picked up 4 more players. In 2 years maybe one of them is still on the team.

    Lots of needs on defense still.

    I’ll give it a B-
     
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  6. HeinzMustard

    HeinzMustard Well-Known Member

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    Too much O and not enough D. No secondary picks at CB and S. Disturbing.
     
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  7. AskQuestionsLater

    AskQuestionsLater Writing Team

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    My final thoughts on this draft looking as this point in time?!



    [​IMG]


    Kevin.... F#%king..... Colbert....


    What. A. Draft. What a way to go out no less. Thank you Mr. Colbert... for everything! :steelflag::steelflag::steelflag:



    Outside of the inability to get a Safety and the questionable pick of Leal, this draft went just about as well as I thought it would personally. This team lacked SERIOUS DEFCON I ability at the Wide Receiver position. Exiting the draft, the team now has the likes of George Pickens, Calvin Austin III, Miles Boykin and Chase Claypool (big slot option anyways). To say that this is quite the collection of explosive weapons and possibly, some of the most explosive the team has seen since the Young Money Crew days is not as far fetched as one believes. Not only just the Wide Receiving room, Connor Heyward is going to surprise some people; more so than others are giving him credit for. If I am Derek Watt, I am readying my walking papers as Cameron's younger brother is more of a Offensive Weapon than Derek ever was in addition to having near identical Special Teams value due to his experience there at Michigan State. Even if Watt is kept this season, Trey Edmunds is likely the one who will be out then at that point for he offers even less than both Watt and Heyward.



    Defensively, I just hope DeMarvin Leal proves me wrong in a big way. You have honestly no idea Elvis how much I want him to prove me wrong. Again, just looking at his 2020 tape alone... that easily made him a Top 20 pick entering the 2021 season. However, after the season's conclusion... way too many questions for me. Most pay attention to a poor combine showing and, to be fair, I did but not in his case. His tape was more of a concern; the lack of consistency being my greatest issue with him. I have said this many times over since Karl Dunbar visited the Texas A&M Pro Day and will again; Karl HAS to light a fire under his ass; Cameron Heyward doubly so. Doing that will be a great first step towards getting the player many thought Leal would be from 2020 heading into 2021. If not... yikes...




    Pickett though was initially my biggest concern but not even close to what it was now due to how Day Three has played out. I still question Pickett's ceiling and how much more can he grow as a whole but, if there is one trait I did admire about Pickett, that dude will bust his chops off; evident by his improvement during his time at Pitt. Hopefully, what Tomlin and Colbert are seeing in Pickett is something that we all can see sooner rather than later. For that matter, unlike the likes of Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson, Justin Fields, and even Mac Jones, Pickett is in a much better position to succeed thanks in part to his surrounding cast and therefore, is in much better standing than the aforementioned four were when they started back in 2021. Heck, I can even go as so far as to say that, outside of Justin Herbert, Pickett is in better standing to perform well in comparison to the likes of Tua and even Joe Burrow (a historically porous Offensive Line).



    Now, time will tell how this class performs. I do hope at least the likes of Pickett, Pickens, Austin and Heyward succeed at the very least if I am being honest. However, should Leal prove me wrong... all the better. One aspect we all can agree on though.







    What a legend. Once again Mr. Colbert.. thank you... truly. For everything; both good and bad!


    :steelflag::steelflag::steelflag:



    No doubt his Gold Jacket is waiting for him. Sooner than later would be my bet.
     
    Last edited: May 1, 2022
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  8. SteelerNole

    SteelerNole Well-Known Member

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    Meh
     
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  9. Bob in Canada

    Bob in Canada Well-Known Member

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    I like it! I expect the offense will definately be improved. They added a ton of speed!! If OC MC can't succeed with these players, then he should be shown the door.

    With so many holes it was going to be impossible to address everything. I assume they have a plan as to why the defense did not get addressed more in the later rounds and am curious to hear their explanation.

    I expect Mason may be traded before the season starts. Hopefully they can get at least a 5th! If the ND St. QB ends up being a legitimate backup then that is great value there!
     
  10. Ender

    Ender

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    This captures my sentiments almost exactly, Elvis. Right now it’s sort of a “meh” draft, but if Pickett pans out I will forget about all the other picks.

    I feel like both 7th round picks were basically throwaway picks, so I’m really wishing they had packaged those two picks and our 3rd to move up in the 3rd to get the NT from UConn. I’d feel MUCH better had we gotten him instead of Leal.
     
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  11. S.T.D

    S.T.D Well-Known Member

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    For sure hope and pray the Guys We picked all are great. Only player I'm sure about(if He's completely healthy) is Pickens. As far as the positions We picked.....Well I shouldn't even have 2 say...
    I will say again panic picks in the loss of a certain player, and doing everything they can 2 rectified it. I still can't get over the " weakest Qb class in awhile " ....so We draft 2. One of the best DB classes in awhile , and We draft none.:shrug:
    So all in all....:puking 3:LoL
     
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  12. strummerfan

    strummerfan Well-Known Member

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    Overall I’m really pleased with the draft. I didnt want them to draft a qb, but fully expected them to do so. Obviously Pickett was their guy all along. They’ve been watching him, talking to him, and presumably helping him for 5 years. They know better than pretty much everyone else on the planet what they’re getting with Pickett. They’ve had so much success over the years and consistently fielded competitive teams that I have no choice, but to believe in the pick. We’ve known for a while the Steelers needed speed at wr and they got it. We’ve had problems with drops and they grabbed two receivers that catch the ball. Austin might be small, but he’s not afraid of going across the middle and taking a shot( looking at you dj). It’s a solid draft overall to me. We addressed out major areas of need and might have grabbed our next franchise qb without mortgaging the future. It’s a good time to be a fan of the Steelers.

    our next starting quarterback will have Johnson, Claypool, Pickens, Friermuth, and Harris as targets. On top of that they can take the top off with Austin
     
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  13. S.T.D

    S.T.D Well-Known Member

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    More than freaking Disturbing IMO :shrug:
     
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  14. bradshaw12

    bradshaw12 Well-Known Member

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    At the end of the day, all that matters is Pickett. If he becomes a 4500+ yards, 30+ tds a season qb, good draft. All of these other guys seem like reaches to me. Also, not addressing the o-line bothers me. But, we will see.
     
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  15. HeinzMustard

    HeinzMustard Well-Known Member

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    All things point to inevitable signing of the Honey Badger. Has Matthieu been signed yet?
     
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  16. SteelersfaninPhilly

    SteelersfaninPhilly Well-Known Member

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    Following the 2022 NFL Draft the Steelers agreed to terms with 10 undrafted rookie free agents.

    The team signed five defensive players and five on offense.

    The full list is below:

    Offensive tackle Jake Dixon - Duquesne
    Running back Mataeo Durant - Duke
    Defensive lineman Donovan Jeter - Michigan
    Outside linebacker Tyree Johnson - Texas A&M
    Outside linebacker T.D. Moultry - Auburn
    Guard Chris Owens - Alabama
    Cornerback Chris Steele - Southern California
    Offensive tackle Jordan Tucker - North Carolina
    Running back Jaylen Warren - Oklahoma State
    Cornerback Bryce Watts - UMass
     
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  17. Da Stellars

    Da Stellars Well-Known Member

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    • Round 1: Kenny Pickett, QB, Pittsburgh
      I didn't want a QB in this year's draft ... we would have been better served getting a Center or run stuffer to fix our horrible run defense

    • Round 2: George Pickens, WR, Georgia
      I like this pick, I'm sure his knee is fine, but there is some worry there

    • Round 3: DeMarvin Leal, DE, Texas A&M
      I like this pick, this is insurance in case Stephon goes AWOL, and Heyward's age.

    • Round 4: Calvin Austin III, WR, Memphis
      I have little faith this one will pan out, at best he is a return guy

    • Round 6: Connor Heyward, FB, Michigan State
      We got an UDFA in the 6th, terrible pick

    • Round 7: Mark Robinson, LB, Ole Miss
      Project ILB, total crapshoot

    • Round 7: Chris Oladokun, QB, South Dakota State
      A complete WTF headscratcher of a pick.
     
    Last edited: Apr 30, 2022
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  18. The Sodfather

    The Sodfather Well-Known Member

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    B- is about where I am as well. I wanted both interior lines addressed. I'm not entirely sure the Steelers thought they were going to lose Washington and McCloud, thus the two WR picks. Some folks seem to think Leal doesn't fit the system, we'll see. I'm not over the moon about taking KP, but I don't loathe the choice, either. I like the fast kid in the third round and I like Cam's brother. If he plays like his old man and his brother, he'll be a steal.
     
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  19. BigBensBigBong

    BigBensBigBong Well-Known Member

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    My impression is that if Pickett turns out to be a backup QB, we probably did below average-poorly in this draft.

    If Pickett is better than Trubisky, then this was a good-excellent draft.

    What else is there to say? Just don`t have that warm and fuzzy feeling about it. Only time will tell.
     
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  20. Da Stellars

    Da Stellars Well-Known Member

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    Draft Impression:

    Ravens had a great draft.
     
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  21. mac daddyo

    mac daddyo Well-Known Member

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    carlos davis and kahlil davis on the nose with alualu and adams capable of playing there as well. so i really don't think leal was drafted to move to the nose.

    haeg, chaz green, okrafor and leglue can play tackle. it's not just haeg. green will be in the mix i'm sure.

    maybe they like pierre and layne more then we think and they feel he just needs some more time. isaiah johnson also has some nfl experience in oakland. 6-2 corner. maybe they feel he can step into one of those backup spots. he played in sub packages in oakland. they have added chris steele from USC as an UDFA. linden stevens as well was a futures pick the end of last year. he's out of cincinnati. also bryce watts as an UDFA.

    stiner may be in the mix for them at strong safety. he didn't seem lost last year in preseason. depends what we can do with him, killebrew, karl joseph and edmunds.

    we also added another OLB from where else? Texas A&M. it's like their new favorite place. moore, johnson, sternberger, leal and tyree johnson. memphis as well with, austin, avery, maulet, miller, :cool:
     
  22. Hanratty#5

    Hanratty#5 Well-Known Member

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    Tyree Johnson is a good pass rusher from Texas A&M with 9 sacks last year. He is a pure pass rusher though and comes off the field when they are expecting the run.
     
  23. Hanratty#5

    Hanratty#5 Well-Known Member

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    The big surprise for me was Carson Strong going undrafted but I see the Eagles signed him as an UDFA. He is definitely a better passer than Hurts. Also Smoke Monday not getting drafted wasn't expected but he did sign with the Saints.
     
  24. mac daddyo

    mac daddyo Well-Known Member

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    didn't see this and started a thread about these guys. sorry in philly. didn't mean to step on your toes. :cool:
     
  25. Steelrules

    Steelrules Well-Known Member

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    Every April, the Ravens have a great draft. By January, maybe not.
     
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