This Year's Draft Class

Not the one we are about to take, the one we have already taken.

What have we gotten out of it?

Decastro - OUT

Adams - started a few games. I can totally see him as a starter at some point on the left side.

Spence - OUT

Ta'amu - On Roster, yet to dress

Rainey - Role player, a good one, but still a role player

Clemons - Practice Squad

Paulson - #2 Tight End.

Frederick - Gone

Beachum - Here, but IMO he is still in over his head. Ideally we would be able to put him on the PS, but the experience up to this point will probably be good for him.

We have gotten very little to nothing out of our group, yet here we are with the same "old" team getting it together and making a run. Some of these guys are going to come in next year and help this team. It will happen. Add to that another draft class to help out this defense and we are getting loaded to make another run. I love it. We are going to stock back up next year...I can just feel it. We will make a run this year, but next year we will be even better.

 

Rainey may be a role player, but he's was a steal of a 5th rounder in my opinion. It's not the GM or coach's fault that Decastro and Spence hurt their knees, it happens you can't control it. Taamu I think we screwed the pooch with this guy, I watched him pre getting into trouble in pre-season games and he looked lost to me. Paulson seems like a great pick for a 7th rounder. But with most 7th round picks they hardly ever work out.

 

I think Ta'Amu is going to crush people in this league, just give him time. I think it's natural for a rookie to feel lost in the NFL, let alone playing 3-4 NT from a 4-3 DT collegiate position. If the Steelers think a 2-game suspension was sufficient for his recent troubles then I'm willing to accept that and am looking fwd to seeing him develop.

 

We hardly ever have instant impact from the draft. The rookie season for our rookies are their redshirt years. As much as SS seems to be our number one need next season no matter who we draft Allen and Clark will start if Troy hangs them up

 

I'm with you. Unless of course, he goes to jail for a few years...

 

Except I truly believed that DeCastro was going to be our starter. Spence was going to be a role player and was being talked about as having the ability to contribute....not a bunch of plays....but play a role for this defense. I didn't expect a lot past the #3 pick, but it looks like the team understood who they needed and found niches for the guys.

I like where this team is heading. We have 33 guys who are 26 years of age or younger.

 

By your list, Tarheel, we have 3 players from the draft contributing regularly to first team action; with 2 players who you would expect to also be doing that if they weren't injured.

It's still a great draft, and will be all the more so come next season. I'm with you - really like where we're heading with the current talent.