Broncos
Diontae Johnson Pittsburgh Steelers Jersey , the Pittsburgh Steelers utilized the newly acquired 10th pick of the 2019 NFL Draft to select Michigan LB Devin
Bush."WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections Latest NewsSteelers Film Room2018 NFL
Draft AnalysisLatest NewsNFL DraftLatest News2019 NFL Draft Analysis2019 NFL
Draft Grades: Grading the Steelers first round selection of Devin
BushNew,181commentsAfter working out a trade with the Denver Broncos, the
Pittsburgh Steelers utilized the newly acquired 10th pick of the 2019 NFL Draft
to select Michigan LB Devin Bush.EDTShareTweetShareShare2019 NFL Draft Grades:
Grading the Steelers first round selection of Devin BushKirby Lee-USA TODAY
SportsThe Pittsburgh Steelers weren't just whistling Dixie. Kevin Colbert had
implied earlier in the week that the Steelers would explore every avenue at
their disposal to build the roster and strengthen their weaknesses. He discussed
a willingness to trade up in the draft to acquire a impact player, a aggressive
maneuver that goes against the Steelers normal modus operandi. It's not like the
Steelers never trade up in the first round, they have been very successful in
the past when they have done so, it's something that just doesn't happen very
often. It has to be a confluence of cost and demand, of immediate need and
limited availability, slim pickings if you will. This draft proved to be the
perfect storm.With the Cincinnati Bengals sitting with the 11th pick of the
opening round and waiting with bated breath for the Denver Broncos to make their
selection, it looked to all the world that the Bengals were preparing to add the
top rated inside linebacker left on the board to their roster. That was the most
highly anticipated move being prophesied for the Bengals through the mock draft
silly season, but some prophecies never come to fruition. The Steelers worked
out a trade with the Broncos to move ahead of the Bengals and they used the 10th
pick of the 2019 NFL Draft to select Michigan ILB Devin Bush, universally
recognized as the second best inside linebacker prospect in this draft class.
With LSU LB Devin White off the board, Bush had to be one of the highest rated
players left on the Steelers wish list at a tremendous area of need. Kevin
Colbert and the Steelers did what they had to do to get their desired target,
something they were seemingly unable to accomplish during the 2018 NFL Draft.
Mission accomplished.Now to accurately evaluate the pick, we must consider a
trio of variables. We must examine Devin Bush's athleticism and intangibles, how
his abilities will strengthen the Steelers defense, and his overall fit with the
Steelers organization. At first glance, Bush grades out quite well.Devin Bush
the player is a sideline to sideline tackling machine
Diontae Johnson Jersey 2019 , a true pursuit linebacker. He is slightly undersized at 5'11" and 234 lbs., but plays larger than his measurements. He is
ultra aggressive and arrives at the ballcarrier with bad intentions. His
impressive speed and COD (change of direction) skills helps him excel in
coverage, an ability that I am sure the Steelers found very attractive. I don't
want to put undue pressure on the young man; because nobody can replace Ryan
Shazier's otherworldly speed and the leadership impact of his competitive
spirit, but Bush's selection will go a long way toward filling the huge hole
left in the middle of the Steelers defense with Shazier's departure.Bush's
turnover numbers were pretty underwhelming during his time at Michigan and it is
an area he will need to focus on improving moving forward in his professional
career. The Steelers were evidently not too concerned, which is understandable
when you consider the level of his abilities.Bush also appears to be a great fit
for the Steelers and their team culture. He reportedly has a love for the game,
the desire to compete, and a strong respect for those who came before him. He
understands his place in the Steelers legacy of great linebackers. The son of a
former NFL player, he should have no shortage of strong council as he weaves his
way through the potential minefield facing any rookie and newly minted
millionaire.So what did the Steelers give up to get Devin Bush? To swap first
round selections with Denver the Steelers gave the Broncos the 20th pick in the
first round, their second round selection (52 overall pick) this year, and a
third round selection in next year's draft. In my opinion, that is an acceptable
price to pay to move up and select the inside linebacker prospect you feel will
solidify your defense and fill a glaring need.Therefore I give the Steelers
selection of Devin Bush a overall grade of B.Bush fills a definite area of need
and appears to be a great fit with the Steelers. However, the Steelers did have
to move up to get him, and I truly feel he may have been their second
choice.What grade do you give this Steelers selection? Please vote in the
attached poll and share your explanations in the comments below.Welcome to the
Pittsburgh Steelers, Devin Bush! From all of us at Steelers Nation! It’s easy to
forget that the Steelers receivers are mostly young and inexperienced.
Therefore, the sudden loss of their position coach, Darryl Drake, is likely a
life-altering moment and something they may not be able to process for quite a
while." Latest NewsCommentaryThe passing of Darryl Drake is probably the first
major tragedy for many of the Steelers young WRsNew
Diontae Johnson Jersey Youth ,3commentsIt’s easy to forget that the Steelers receivers are mostly young and inexperienced. Therefore, the sudden loss of
their position coach, Darryl Drake, is likely a life-altering moment and
something they may not be able to process for quite a while. EDT“Coach Drake
always called us his sons. He didn’t have any boys. He always called us his
sons. We took that at the beginning of camp. He just called us his sons.” Those
words, courtesy of the team’s official website, were spoken by Steelers receiver
Ryan Switzer, as he addressed the media on Thursday in the days after the tragic
and sudden death of receivers coach Darryl Drake, who passed away Sunday morning
at the age of 62. Switzer, in his second season in Pittsburgh, had a hard time
holding back tears as he spoke to reporters, which was also the case on Tuesday,
following a team prayer right before the start of the first training camp
session since Drake’s death.As Switzer wiped away the tears on Tuesday, he was
consoled by second-year receiver James Washington.JuJu Smith-Schuster, the
third-year man and presumptive leader of the receiving corps, hasn’t been his
usual jovial self, and he is taking the loss of his position coach as hard as
anyone else. Drake’s passing was obviously a huge blow, both professionally and
personally
Justin Layne Pittsburgh Steelers Jersey , as head coach Mike Tomlin described it on Tuesday. Drake was a well-respected coach, not only in the NFL, but in the
college ranks, where Tomlin first befriended him over two decades ago. But Drake
wasn’t just respected for his work with receivers, he was respected for how he
treated them.And that’s why it has to be especially hard for these guys.
Something resonated with me as Switzer spoke with the media on Thursday. He
mentioned that this was the first death of anyone he’s ever been close to.
Switzer is 24 years old and married. Smith-Schuster entered the NFL two years
ago as a 20-year old who didn’t know how to drive. Washington just turned 23 in
the spring. Diontae Johnson, a third-round pick out of Toledo in the 2019 NFL
Draft, is also 23 and has yet to play a single down of professional
football—preseason or otherwise. It’s easy to forget that, in many aspects of
life, a lot of these guys are just babies and likely haven’t been touched by
something so tragic as the sudden loss of a relative/friend/coach/mentor.I was
just days shy of my 22nd birthday when I experienced it for the first time—and I
was expecting it. I can’t even comprehend enduring what those guys did over the
weekend. Imagine an entire team living on a campus—coaches, players, trainers,
doctors, etc. You’re in your early-20s, you go to sleep thinking about nothing
but work and play, and you wake up the next morning to the news that a family
member, a coach, a mentor
Justin Layne Pittsburgh Steelers Jersey , has died without warning.How do you process all that goes along with a sudden death?As Switzer’s emotions told us on
Thursday, maybe you can’t process it, not at that age, not when it’s likely your
first time. As fans, it’s easy for us to go on social media and say things like,
“They need to dedicate this season to Coach Drake and bring home a seventh
Lombardi!” But that’s how we view just about everything Steelers-related. It’s
always our goal.For a player, especially a young one, he may look at things a
bit differently.Smith-Schuster is expected to be a leader, but now he has to do
it without his leader.Washington is expected to make a big leap this year, but
now he has to jump without the only receiver coach he’s ever known at the
professional level there with a safety net just in case. Switzer said on
Thursday that he trusted Drake, that trust is something other teams and coaches
have betrayed a few times so far in his young football career. Switzer may or
may not be in another fight to stay on an NFL roster. Where does he stand? What
are his chances? He’ll have to figure all of that out without his football
father to guide and reassure him. In many ways, what the Steelers young
receivers are going through right now is a learning experience that they can
lean on for the rest of their lives. The sad irony for these young receivers as
they mourn their tragic loss, is the man they’re mourning was probably the first
person they would have turned to to help them process such a life-altering
event.
