My draft evaluation w/ roster projection

1. TJ Watt - Great pick IMO. I think we are going to love this kid. He is going to eat up everything his brother and James tell him. Can't wait.

2. JuJu - While I think we could have waited later to get a WR, I get why we went WR here in this case. I think if Jones had waited one more pick it would have been him, but we took an impact player.

3A. Sutton - I actually really liked him and picked him multiple times in my mocks. I think he helps us out a bunch this year.

3B. Conner - What is there not to like about the player? I like him there, I just think we could have gone TE here and taken Conner in 4, but otherwise I like the pick.

4. Dobbs - I have nothing against Dobbs as a player, but he should have been picked in the 5th. I don't think there was such a difference between Peterman, Dobbs and Kaaya that you couldn't wait till 5 and rist getting him.

5. Allen - Good project. Probably would have been there in the 6th, but unlike Watt he is inexperienced AND raw. If he develops after a year on the PS, he could really help. I would love to see him decide that him matching up with TEs would be something he could own, but who knows.

6. A Long Snapper? - Look nothing against the kid, but this pick should have been Allen and he should have been either the 7th or a priority UDFA.

7. Adams - A project who won't make the team, but will be on the PS...maybe. We might find another guy who we would have drafted become available and sign him instead. We'll see.

I would have preferred this:

1. Watt
2. JuJu (truly I wanted Safety Jones, but that didn't work out)
3. Sutton
3. A Tight End
4. Conner
5. Dobbs
6. Allen
7. Adams
LS signed as UFA

I think if that draft happened, it would be much harder to complain about.

Roster Projection

QB (3) Ben, Dobbs, Jones - Dobbs is going to make the roster, but is he the #2 or the #3 I'm not sure.

RB (4) Bell, Conner, Davis, Nix - Conner is going to be a parallel move from DWill and Davis upgrades Toussaint.

TE (3) Green, James, Johnson - I don't think Grimble makes the roster.

WR (6) Brown, Bryant, JuJu, Rogers, Hunter, DHB - I think maybe Hunter and DHB are fighting for one spot, but honestly, I think we keep 6. Coates isn't on here and that is sad, but I think Hunter, Coates and Rogers may be fighting for 2 spots among the 3 of them. If we only keep 5, add DHB into the chase as well for 2 spots. The top 3 are set unless Bryant is an idiot.

OL (9) Villanueva, Foster, Pouncey, DeCastro, Gilbert, Hawkins, Hubbard, Finney, Mihalik - Honestly, I could see them keeping only 8 at this position to get a 4th TE or that 6th WR on to the roster.

DLine (6) Tuitt, Hargrave, Heyward, Alualu, McCullers, Walton - I would have loved to have seen another Dlineman drafted, but you can't get every hole filled in the draft. We may look on the waiver wire for a NT who can upgrade McCullers.

OLB (5) Harrison, Watt, Dupree, Chickillo, Moats - Probably the most set group of the bunch.

ILB (5) Williams, Shazier, Matakevick, Fort, Johnson - Weird to think we are keeping 5 probably, but I don't trust any of them really at this point for depth

CB (5) Burns, Cockrell, Gay, Sutton, Sensabaugh - This group doesn't look nearly as bad when you see it on paper. It would be nice to see Golson push Gay off the roster. Not to say I don't like him, but it would be nice for that #2 pick to work out.

S (4) Mitchell, Davis, Golden, Dangerfield - 2 players and 2 special team players. Okay. I think we would have gone S in 2, but all the good one just slipped right off the board. Depth is a concern here.

This is my projection as it stands right now.

 

I don't think Dobbs unseats Jones next year, and maybe not ever...

I can't see how Coates doesn't make the team, I guess he would need to really struggle in the preseason??

 

DHB, Hunter, Coates, Rogers, Ayers, and Hamilton are all fighting for 1 spot maybe 2 if we keep 6 WR.

Sadly, if you take out Hunter and add in Brown this was our receiver group against NE. Adding in Bryant and JuJu should make us a lot better no matter who the other 3 are.

 

Brown, Bryant, JuJu... is 3
So, those guys are competing for 2 roster spots (3 if we keep 6 WRs)

 

We don't need both Johnson and Rosie...Johnson should go ..keep Grimble because when Green goes down we will only have JJ

 

We need to keep 6 too much talent to be throwing away. Ayers to practice squad and I really hope Coates can get back to the way he was early last year..he was a difference maker. We should have enough in the draft to take DHBs place on STs As long as Coates hand is ok he has more upside than DHB..we should find out early in preseason...

 

I'm more appreciative of veteran contributors like DHB and Johnson.
DHB's value extends beyond special teams... he's a true #4/5 WR, a guy who can play X, Y, or Z. If a guy gets injured, the offensive play calling doesn't miss a beat.

Coates is on the bubble for sure, outside of Martavis Insurance he doesn't check many boxes.

I thought Coates was on the bubble before we drafted JuJu. The Hunter signing wasn't just insurance for Bryant's substance abuse risk, but also Coates mangled fingers.

 

I know I hear ya but a part of me is hoping and wishing for the Coates who was tearing it up for us. I do appreciate DHBs professionalism and versatility....I also feel Nix can do everything Johnson can and better I really see no reason to keep both over a more valuable roster spot...

 

Nix can't do everything Johnson can do.

By "more valuable roster spot", you mean unproven talent.

 

The point I'm trying to make is if it comes down to 5 or 6 WRs I'd rather keep 6 at the expense of Johnson. I'd rather keep 3 TEs and one being Grimble he is the closest thing to Green we have when he inevitably goes down..I feel if asked Nix could play the H-back role as good as Johnson at least. Nix is very versatile and if we cut Johnson I don't see him going anywhere in case we need him back(injuries).

 

Dont count this TE out, he just might do well in camp They signed UDFA Scott Orndoff TE Pitt 6-5 255 this week, he played 4 years at Pitt, one article I read said he was the steelers ace in the hole and thats why they didnt draft a TE....

 

i do believe our TE room gets better this year. nix also should be a bigger help to this group. he and grimble were injured for a big part of last year. we have some talent at these spots without johnson. we also use hubbard as the extra blocker as we did with adams. DJ is a head scratcher to me. not sure why MT loves him so. he did let him go at one point so there is that.

 

The depth of the roster is always a balance between good special team players and unproven young guys with "potential". You can't have too many of either.

 

I think Nix's position on the team is even more set now than it was before the draft. If we had gotten a ILB who could have started V. Williams could still be on special teams, but I bet at this point he isn't. That is a big hole to fill because he excelled at them. Johnson and Dirty are going to have to pick up the slack.

 

Coates had his finger problems last season that's well documented, but he cant have the amount of dropped passes he had last year and expect to remain on the roster, in two years he has 22 catches for only two TDs, and if that lack of production continues through this years preseason they have to cut him IMO....

 

I can't help but think something else we don't know about has soured the coaching staff on Coates besides his injured hands.

I'm not sure what it is?

 

Great point. If VW98 stays the starter at ILB, STs will definitely be looking to fill a hole.

 

They basically red shirted him his rookie year because he was so raw. He looked fine against Denver in the playoffs, so everyone got excited. He actually had a decent start to the year in his second year, but then broke his fingers and then pretty much was done the rest of the year. Even when he was out there he wasn't 100 percent right and it affected his performance.

We're not just gonna cut him for nothing. He will have the opportunity to get back out there and prove his worth. It might come down to ST imo. If he can prove himself to be a decent ST option he could get a spot over DHB.

 

I agree about Nix. I wouldn't cut him... he's our top ST guy and top FB. He definitely has a use on the roster