NFL.com has published a list of their “All Under 25” team. The list is made up of the top 26 rising stars who are under 25. Essentially, it’s a fantasy team who’s members are all under 25. It’s nice to see DeCastro get recognition for his performance this year.
Here’s what the NFL writer had to say about the addition of DeCastro:
“DeCastro, who beat out Cincy’s Kevin Zeitler for this spot, allowed a grand total of 1.25 sacks in 15 starts and was flagged just twice. Pittsburgh ran the ball to his side more effectively, too.”
DeCastro, despite having a bad start to the season, really was a shining star on the line for the Steelers in 2013. ProFootballFocus had the right guard graded as the 5th best starting right guard. (Ramon Foster ranked 6th on the list of starting left guards).
The Steelers selected the Stanford standout with the 24th pick of the 2012 draft. That August, he suffered injuries to his ACL and MCL in a preseason game against the Bills. He returned to the active roster at the end of November, starting in 2 of the last 3 games.
While he did have a very good season, there were some lows, and there is room for improvement. Mike Munchak will no doubt be able to get the most out of his talents.