Defensive back priorities

Every draft website I look at has CB as our second greates need, and Safety as anywhere from 3rd greatest to not a need at all (edge rusher is always first).
I just have trouble seeing CB as much of a need at all (above wide receiver and kickers, but that's about it). Burns, Cockrell, and Gay (I know he's getting older, but it seems that the move to slot corner has been a huge plus for him) as starters, Gomez, Gilbert, and Al-shabazz off the bench. I know you can't have enough good cbs, but is it a need, or a want? I'm of the camp that believes a year out of Cleveland and in a real system will be huge for Gilbert, although he's done next to nothing this year.
I could see using a top three pick on safety, depending on who falls. I could even see using the third and maybe a third or fourth next year to trade up if one of the big three safeties in the first round falls.
Am I looking at our cbs through black and gold color glasses?

 

I don't think you are. if one of the top 3 or 4 fall to us for some reason, then I think we take one. for me safety has to be the biggest need. I want Mitchell gone.lol

 

I wouldn't go CB in the first two rounds. And although I want to upgrade the Safety position i do not want to trade up to get one. I want to do the exact opposite and trade down at some point and get more picks for 2018 to make a run at a top QB.

 

For me, safety will have to come first of the two.


Shamarko Thomas has been great in special teams (something I am sure some fans may forget) but he is not as readily available.


As for Mike Mitchell, turning 30 is not going to do him any favors. 30 years is usually where players see a decline in their abilities and Mike Mitchell may likely be no different. Besides, Sean Davis seems to be ready to take over Mikes spot as he is more natural as a free safety to me given his range.



As such, a strong safety in round one is needed. Jamal Adams would be nice but, and dare I say it, Jabrill Peppers is the dream scenario. Having lined up everywhere and did everything for Jim Harbaugh, to say his versatility does not resemble Troy's would be ignorant. In addition, I do think Jabrill has more range than Troy did even though the lack of range some thought Troy did not have was blown out of proportion to me.



Question still remains.



Will Jabrill be there by the time Pittsburgh is on the board? In spite of his flaws, teams like Tampa Bay, Arizona, Seattle or even New England can or have shown to take Uber athletes and turn them into rock solid football players.

 

I could see corner being a need. We have Burns coming up, Cockrell has been unspectacular but solid, Gay is getting older so you think about his replacement maybe, Golson still is a huge question mark, Gilbert and Shabazz are whatever. I don't know if we go CB early, but I'd be shocked if we didn't take one by round 4 or 5.

Safety is definitely a need tho. We gotta think about Mitchell's replacement soon. Dangerfield turned out to be a decent enough depth player, Golden is still good depth but we don't have a "starter in waiting" at the FS position. I'd think S is addressed in the top 3 rounds

 

We do, however, have a starter in the waiting; on the team no less. His name? Sean Davis. Kid has more range and ball skills than others are giving him credit for.



I do concur about the safety spot however; strong safety preferably. Hopefully Jabrill falls to us for this to be a classic case of the "rich get richer" moniker but given the circumstances of where the Steelers are now, who knows what is going to happen.



I still would want Sidney Jones if all other options are gone. If he is gone, BPA then.

 

I'm not questioning Davis' range and ball skills, I just don't think the Steelers have any plans of making him a FS. If Davis was the "starter in waiting" at FS I bet they would be teaching him that position. They had him play slot corner a bit because it is similar to the SS spot, then made him back up SS to have him focus on the position he was drafted for until he became ready to start and took the job from Golden.

I'd be a bit wary of Peppers though. He's one of the best athletes in the draft, but he really seems to project as an in the box safety (or I think even a LB in a 4-3). One career int over three years is worrisome. Does he not have instincts for the position? Or is it because he had less opportunities because of the way Michigan used him? I'm not saying I wouldn't take him, just I feel like we're going to be looking at FS more instead of SS. JMO

 

The best comment I've read so far from a draft with us taking a safety in the first was because Sean Davis hasn't panned out.

 

I understand and feel the same way.


If you ask me, I initially had Peppers in my top five on my draft board. Now, I have absolutely no idea where to put him. He literally is this year's pinnacle example of a "boom or bust" prospect. However, similar statements were said about Troy and look how he ended up. In addition, Keith Butler has done addition phenomenal job of quickly coaching up rookies. Should Jabrill Peppers get picked by us, if there is one coordinator in the league not named Matt Patricia that can do wonders with Jabrill, Butler is it.




Now if he is not there, I would then suggest nabbing Obi Melifonwu considering he matches up with what Tomlin likes; height-weight-speed players.

 

?


Was this from Walterfootball?

 

I believe it was.

 

I saw that too and remember thinking, "huh?!?" When I read it.

 

Jabrill Peppers jack of all trades, master of none.

 

I agree with SGSteeler I don't think FS is in the plans for Davis....Obi has the height and weight but there are questions on his speed that will be answered at the combine....either way I see him more in the Davis mold ....what we desperately need is a ball hawking ...not gawking FS. Anyone in the draft that is a reasonable pick for us?

 

They need a CB capable of playing some press man coverage, and a safety with some range to help in coverage. They should draft both within the first 5 rounds.

 

many safeties out there. we need one and maybe two. we also need a cb. golson and gilbert are possibilities but golson has been out of football for two years. not even practices. never played a snap in the nfl. gilbert hasn't not only not lived up to draft status but has been here a year and not seen much of the field. if that good they would have at least tried him by now. gay is going the other way in his play. it happens. he's doing well enough now only from experience. shabaz has some game i believe but the speed factor could hinder him. so all we really have is potential and we can get that from guys that are younger and faster too.

 

I like your thinking Mac.

 

If a cornerback is the contingency plan come round one, Sidney Jones is as good as it gets from a coverage standpoint.



He can play just about every single type of coverage thrown his way. Him and Burns would be quite the corner duo for years to come.

 

Don't see him available at 30. If Tenn. doesn't pick Lattimore with their pick at 5, I can see them going CB with their pick at 18. Or Philly at 15.

 

There are a ton of cornerback possibilities in the first round. Could see a serious run on them, especially in the latter part of the round. But there really are only 3 first round safety candidates, and two will be gone by #12. Course, didn't think there were any more first round corners last year before we made our pick, and even though I saw a bunch of "second round" safeties when we selected, Shawn Davis wasn't one of them.
Guess I was wrong.

 

Nor do I.



I never stated it would happen. I did state that said player would beneift the team.

 

adoree jackson or fabian moreau are a couple of guys that could be around in the 2nd.

 

Looking at safety replacements for Mitchell do you want a high football IQ guy or the big hitter like Mitchell? My major issue with Mitchell has always been that he simply can not read an offensive formation and know where he should be. Early on many blamed it on Troy and his freelancing but to my mind it was all Mitchell he was more a reaction player than a cerebral one. Never sure who was a more dangerous receiver, looking in the back field too much and being caught flat footed in no mans land. I would sacrifice a big hitter for a guy that has the instinct and smarts to know the plays that are coming and can jump a route.

 

i'd have to go with football iq. speed, sure tackler. the hits can come but getting a guy on the ground and playing the pass is essential. i want a guy with range and speed kills on defense.

 

CBs are definitely top heavy in this draft. I could see this position being picked the most in rnd 1.

Anyone else getting the feeling this draft class if kinda weak?

OL, QB, WR, DL, ILB, S all seem weak to slightly below average.
RBs seem slightly above average compared with other years.
TE, CB and Edge(DE/OLB) seem fairly deep. The Safety group could get a boost from CB switches though.

Those weak areas definitely have some top players but after the 2nd, they seem to drop pretty quickly imo. I don't know, maybe because it's still very early in the process.