With the 28th pick in the 2018 draft

The Pittsburgh Steelers select Alabama ILB Rashaan Evans 6'3 235 lbs, he's a 3 down LB with 15 career sacks.

 

We have not selected an Alabama player in quite some time; round one no less.


Be that as it may, my vote goes to either him or Ronnie Harrison (pending Free Agency). Malik Jefferson and Treumaine Edwards (both pending Combine performance) are other possible contingency options.

 

Assuming Roquan Smith won't be there, I think that Evans or Harrison have a good shot. My outside shot, if he's still there, is Lamar Jackson. I think once all of the QB drama has played out through free agency, the demand for QBs may not be as huge as we're projecting now, and a few of the teams that we see as having a need may opt to wait for the second or third round. Rosen, Darnold, Allen and Mayfield will all go before him (depending on the Combine), and possibly Mason Rudolph. I see Rudolph and Falk as second rounders.

 

No QBs will be drafted early since Ben committed to returning, they need too much help on defense.

 

FWIW Mel Kiper had Evans going to the Steelers in his mock draft.

 

I think this could be a possibility, FS position is another strong position with the #1

 

we have vince williams and matakevich as the thumper sort of backers. we need one with the coverage ability more like shazier had.

 

ILB will be a major focus here is another mock and they have is taking an ILB but not Evans cause he went bore our pick. I have now seen this name mocked to us in a few drafts:

28) Pittsburgh Steelers: Trumaine Edmunds (ILB – Virginia Tech)

You just don’t find 6’5″ inside linebackers with the range, football IQ, and tackling ability of Edmunds. Edmunds has football genes as his father was a tight end, and he will immediately fit the mold of what a Pittsburgh linebacker looks like. What could be a rare talent also helps fill a major hole of the linebacking unit with the sad uncertainty Ryan Shazier may never play again.

https://www.fantasypros.com/2018/01/2018-nfl-mock-draft-v-1-0/

 

It won't effect him negatively at all IMO. They were after Hightower last year to pair with Shazier. He'll always have a place on this team if he were to somehow make a 100% full recovery. If not able to play again but is able to walk, I wouldn't be surprised if he's on the coaching staff in a few years.

 

Matakevich is a nonfactor as being a major contributor on defense, his role is special teams.

 

They had plans for him until the injury. I think he will be as good as Vince soon. I like Vince but I don't think he is anything special as an all around LB.

 

Yeah that's the problem with these mocks this early.......

 

Coming into this season I was a big Dirty Red fan and didn't think much of VW. VW really stepped up this year to my surprise and I am so confused why Dirty Red wasn't use the last few games especially vs the Jagoffs when stopping the run is his thing......

 

They never had plans for Red besides special Teams. Also Vince is light years better than him

 

They made red the next man off the bench to backup both LB spots. I also said he i think he WILL be as good as Vince. Red was injured pretty bad. We even had to call up Spence and red had surgery already on that shoulder.
Again, I don't think Vince is all that great. He's no timmons or potsy that's for sure, which is a downgrade from where we were.

 

Matakevich is never going to get the playing time like Vince does, he struggled before his injury. Vince had 8 sacks, so no Matakevich won't be as good as him.

 

we don't need him to be the sack leader, we need him to stop the run. zero forced fumbles. 6 of those sacks came with shazier on the field. he wasn't accounted for near as much then. tied with shazier in tackles and shazier missed 5 games. davis had more tackles than vince. he needs to do a better job stopping the run. thats what he's there for.

 

Well guess what Red isn’t going to help stop the run. He’d be a huge downgrade in place of Vince. He also doesn’t have close to the same power. When Shazier went down and Red stepped in he was getting manhandled every play and then got hurt. And who cares when his sacks came? He made the plays? Mainly blowing up rbs in his way as well. Get another guy to put next to Vince.

 

I am not getting into the who is better and when the sacks came, but to say TM isn't going to stop the run is wrong. The one thing TM can do is stop the run, he was a tackling machine in college and that is why he is here. You can't base what you saw on TM on the handful of snaps he got when RS went down, that is not fair. I wish TM would have been given a chance to show us what he had cause I would put my money on him over the other 3 guys we tried there vs the run. As far as the pass goes maybe he wouldn't of been a good as SS, Moats and Fort but we will never know cause he wasn't given a chance. The only thing I can think of was TM wasn't healthy enough to play D.

 

“In college” this isn’t college. He was mauled that entire game until he got hurt. He’s here for special teams and to be a backup. He will never start unless injuries happen and I guarantee we have more depth next year. He’s a pro bowl special teamer and that’s fine. I would never want to go into a season with him starting that’s for sure

 

Thanks for clearing that up but I did say college, we have nothing to base his play on as a pro. Yeah he was getting man handled, I think a lot of people were. You can't base what you think on that limited play. Also I am not the one saying he should be a starter he has to earn that but he has to be given a chance.....which he wasn't. I think TM could be a very good back up, I do not think he should be a full time starter next season next to VW. I want to get a FA and draft a guy, Zack Brown and Cameron Smith are 2 guys I am liking so far.

 

well yes we need a guy next to vince. thats not the point. matakevich and vince play the same spot and neither is as good as timmons was. yes vince played OK but he's still not playing as good as what we need him to play. there was a reason they were hesitant in giving vince big money and the job next to shazier. vince played OK and we put him in position to make some sacks but it's still not his main reason for being on the field. when our safety is leading in tackles there is a problem with the LB'ers. it needs addressed. nobody ever said red should be starting.