1st Round Defensive Draft Choices in Tomlin Era

Hey Everyone.

I was curious after reading another post about who have been our 1st Round Defensive Draft Choices during the Tomlin Era. I put Lamar Woodley in there (even though he was a 2nd Round Draft) because I really loved it when the Steelers went back to back LB that Draft (Tomlin's first Draft, again, loved it). Woodley delivered for us like a #1 IMO.

My question is:

Out of the 11 players listed, how many do you think have really lived-up to 1st Round Billing? For me, it is 5/11:

• Woodley: Played like a 1st Rounder.
  
  
• Timmons: Borderline but he made my cut.
  
  
• Heyward: No doubt.
  
  
• Shazier: I love this guy. What a tragedy.
  
  
• Watt: No doubt.

Given my choices, and I even threw Woodley in there who was a 2nd Rounder, I really do not think that we have drafted that well for 1st Round Defensive Players in the Tomlin Era. And before the Tomlin loyalists get all rabid, I am not placing all the credit or discredit on him for these draft choices as we all know that it is a collaborative effort when the picks are made.

In conclusion, I think that the Steelers' Organization has drafted well below average over the past 14 years when it came to 1st Round Defensive Players. Doing the math, for my picks: 5/11 = 45% success rate. As a side note, I did not include Fitzpatrick for the simple reason is that we did not "Draft" him.







STEELWINDS The East Side Kid

 

How would you know if the Steelers have drafted well below average unless you're a true fan of the other 31 teams to gauge whether that statement has any validity??? Could you even name all the first rd defensive draft pics for any other team?? I know I couldnt and I highly doubt you looked it up for 31 other teams or even half the teams which means you would be pulling a statement that definitive out your arse.

 

Hey SteelReal.

I am solely going on what these 11 guys have accomplished as Pittsburgh Steelers. Stick to their performances and do not worry about the other teams. I am not concerned about the other teams as that is irrelevant to the gist of my post. Again, it is the body of work of the 11 players that I posted for their time spent playing with the Steelers. It is that simple. If you view it from that very focused take, I am curious as how you would rate the guys in that list. Are you pleased with what Jarvis Jones or Artie Burns did while here? Simple evaluation. Stick to the list. Our guys.

Here maybe this helps. As an Educator, I do not have to know how well other teachers are performing at other schools to know how well the group at my school is performing. All I have to be concerned about is what is going on in my own "backyard".



STEELWINDS The East Side Kid

 

Ok...well you've edited your post since I responded to take out the part where you said they were below average. As far as how well the Steelers have done....im going to be a little bit lazy and say it might have helped to note the draft pick number for those guys. It might influence what we think. I think we would all agree once you go past a certain number in the draft (even the first rd) it becomes a real crap shoot....especially if someone snatches up someone you really really wanted that was a no-brainer. For example Artie Burns was definitely not the Steelers first, second or even third option, but I think they were desperate for CB help and somewhat "settled" because other teams had snatched up the cream of the crop that draft. The same applies to Edmunds. They were hoping but they certainly would have liked to have picked DBs that went earlier. Is this being taken into consideration???

I would not include Woodley as a first rounder since he wasnt one.

I think we would all agree one of the glaring issues with picks we believe to have "failed", or lived up to 1st rd status, is that they may have reached on later picks on positions they were desperate for and probably should have just gone with best available on the board rather than position even if they felt they were secure already at a certain position. Its cost them at minimum 2 times already just based on the two I mentioned alone. Of course hindsight is 20/20.

 

I read somewhere that first round picks have a roughly 50% success rate. So give or take some interpretations of success (Bush, Dupree) the Steelers seem about there.

 

If you truly are an educator I’m terrified for this country.

 

This. I don't have a problem with the busts and guys who took a few years to get going, namely guys like Jarvis and Dupree. Those were both considered good picks on draft day, both were highly rated players. You miss sometimes.

What I have an issue with is reaching for need with better players on the board - Artie Burns, Terrell Edmunds, Devin Bush. That many misses to average picks in a short span can set a team back. First round picks are the gold with which to invest in franchise foundational players, the Steelers have been spending it on hookers and booze lately.

 

Ok, now you are again talking

We took a very good running back, a player considered a good pick, and you have condemned it excessively. And you wanted us to reach badly for an offensive lineman, which at that point would not have been considered a good pick and definitely would have been a reach.

No wonder no one takes you and your little sister Benny seriously.

 

You left off the part about Jones taking a couple years to develop. He never developed. He was a true first round bust. The biggest swing and a miss in a long long time.

 

Hello STEELWINDS,

It is always nice to hear your thoughts my friend. I hope you and yours are all doing well.

I disagree with your assessment of the Steelers defensive first round draft picks. I question some of the Steelers mid round selections. But personally, I think they have drafted very well in the first round, especially on the defensive side of he ball.

Devin Bush is going to be an outstanding ILB in this league. People seem to forget how well he was playing in 2020 before the injury. I do believe it was you STEELWINDS who recently made a post about the mental aspect to coming back off an injury. That doesn't just apply to Big Ben. It applies to anyone coming back off of a major injury. Bush is going to be fine. To me the Bush pick was a winner.

Terrell Edmunds is an average player in this league. Sometimes that's all you get out of a selection. I will admit he was a bit of a reach when he was selected. But I certainly wouldn't call him a bust. Edmunds is average, but starting caliber. Its not like the guy has been worthless. I will also call the pick a winner based off him being a steady, contributing starter.

TJ Watt is the best defensive player in football. Enough said. Winner.

Artie Burns was a bust.

Bud Dupree was a winner. He was playing better than people gave him credit for even before 2020.

Ryan Shaizer was a winner. The guy was the best ILB in football before he got hurt.

Jarvis Jones was a bust

Cam Heyward was a winner

Ziggy Hood was a bust

Lawrence Timmons was a winner. The guy was an excellent starter for an extended period of time.

Lamar Woodley was a winner. Honestly he should not be on this list as he was a second rounder. The Steelers should get some credit for getting a player like Lamar outside of the first round.

So for me, I will give the Steelers 8 out of 11. That is pretty damn good if you ask me. The Steelers have a lot of deficiencies right now. But drafting first round defensive talent is not one of them.

 

This is a valid point. It would be interesting to do a comparison of how often all 32 teams hit or miss in the first round. I am guessing the Steelers would be ranked pretty high on the list.

 

Curious, how does his opinions on football make him a bad teacher?

 

Dick

 

I just had a flashback to the old board where you would have had to call him A Richard

 

Way back, Trib Total Media used to have a board. It would automatically convert the word dick to flower. I can't tell you how many threads Flower Lebeau would show up in.

 

Do you understand the idea behind mean, median, and average? In this case specifically average. How it’s used in his post and how he attempts to defend its use in a subsequent post. An educator needs to know better.

 

I'd throw Chase in there even though he wasn't a 1st rounder but he was our 1st pick or that draft. But that is just, me so relax.
Edit: Sorry, but he's not a defensive pick. Missed that.

 

meh I’ve been called worse. However, his/her argument and the attempt to defend it are seriously off base.

 

What if he did it on purpose just to piss you off? JK

 

that would be the bust of all busts

 

Solid analysis. That's just about the way I see it.

 

The athletic did a breakdown of all 32 teams drafts over a ten year period a while back, ranked them by how long players stayed in the league, pro bowls, all pros etc. Steelers were in the top 5 in terms of overall drafting with the methodology they used. Packers and Saints were 1-2 but I can’t remember in what order

The Steelers draft well for the most part. Some of the busts were big reaches, yea it is frustrating but it happens to every team now and again.

 

there have been several studies on this subject. They all use basically the same methodology and all come to pretty much the same conclusion. Over 50% would be considered a bust. If you want to get really doom and gloom whittle it down by position groups. From what I’ve read TE, WR, and CB are particularly bad.

 

Can you really label a guy that played in the NFL for 10 years a bust? We tried converting him to 3-4DE with mixed results, but he did play for 5 more years after his tenure here. Obviously we want all picks to pan out as we envisioned, but sometimes you can’t fit a square peg in a round hole.

 

If he’s not teaching math, your comment is irrelevant

In any case, your insult was way off base and made you look foolish