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Steelers select Dri Archer in Round 3

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We all remember Rainey.... How did that work out for us, like let's get real, Granted Robertson is faster but not by a tone. I'm smelling a bust coming to Pittsburgh. Hope I'm wrong though.
 
On the 1:1000 chance he beats the odds and turns into a star, as much as I don't like the pick, eh, why not give it a shot. IMHO, it's better than the Landry Jones pick last year. No matter, I am rooting for him to make it.
 
I just watched his jr high lights someone posted and thought this guy may become our slot receiver. He does catch the ball a few times and seems to have great burst. There are many plays he seems sure to be tackled and he just blasts by the defense and they are grabbing air. On some plays he was hit turned or someone did make some contact and he kept his balance which looked pretty good. On passing downs this kid could easily take the top off the coverage helping brown get open. Not covering the kid would not be an option. The kid made some nice cuts as well. I know it is a high light tape and should be taken with a grain of salt but the kid may surprise us when he gets on the field. I remember a quote from Barry Sanders about flag football and the NFL "if they can't grab your flag they will never tackle you". I do not think he is anything like Barry Sanders but he does seem to have great acceleration, speed and shiftiness from the little bit I have seen of his play. Imagine a seam from decent line blocking like freed fast Willie Parker in the super bowl this kid would be gone as well.
So the more I see the kid I see both a high bust potential and a high ceiling due to his speed. I just hope the little guy does not get broken in two while playing.
 
I think i read he played a ton of slot wr too, not a bad weapon when we go empty backfield.
 
If i recall correctly Rainey was dismissed not because of durability issues, but because he was a dick (off the field issues)....am i correct ?
 
I'll buy his jersey just for this reason...

Archer_Ask.jpg
 
Which is what i took from his highlight video. He has soft hands. Looks relaxed catching the football.
 
Much of the debate in this thread is predicated on Archer playing RB. He is not a RB. He is a slot recevier, kick returner, and will play in the backfield infrequently, if at all.

That said - a 3rd round pick for this Steelers team, with its needs, is just too high for him. If the Steelers took him in the 6th, then ehhh, what the @#$%. I think the comparable to Archer is Tavon Austin. Both weigh 175 lbs. Both have elite speed. Both project as slot receivers/kick returners.

Austin ran a 4.34 40, Archer a 4.26.

Austin ran a 4.01 shuttle, Archer a 4.06.

Austin did 14 reps, Archer 20.

Austin posted a 32" vertical, Archer 38".

They are very similar. Last year, Austin 40 receptions, 4 TD receptions, a punt return for a TD, rushed for a TD, average 17 yards per carry on reverses, etc. and put up a combined 1,170 yards and 6 TD's.

That is not irrelevant. A slot guy who winds up being covered by a LB'er who runs a 4.7 40 is going to threaten deep, and likely force safety attention. That means one less DB to look after Brown, Heyward-Bey, and Bryant.

Just don't like a 3rd, where the draft is so deep and the team had so many needs.
 
Tavon Austin played WR in college, he wasn't a maybe when the Rams drafted him. The measurables are nice, can he run a route, and can he catch with the speed difference of the NFL? IF he can catch the ball and get into space he can create problems for defenses. To just take workout numbers and say he can be what Austin was as a rookie is foolish though.
 
He's the kind of guy Haley has been after since he came and I'd suggest he made a hell of a case for him to get him drafted this high. Since Haley knows a lot better than me how he plans to use him I'll just wait and see.
 
That's fair enough. Overall I thought we had a pretty damn good draft.
 
So let's this straight the only player archers size in the last 12 years to make it in the nfl was dexter mccluster correct?
Who coached him? I think that has to increase his chances since Hayley knows how to us him.
Since his vert in 38 about 3 higher than most does that make him more like 5'10"?
The reason he played RB at Kent was cause the QB sucked and they wanted to get him the ball in his hands.

How many players caught him from behind?
How many are Faster than him in the nfl?
Name just one?
 
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I guess I'm ok with Archer, but Bashaud Breeland from Clemson (cb) at that spot would make this draft even better.
 
FAB802 said:
That's fair enough. Overall I thought we had a pretty damn good draft.
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The draft guys agree with you, Fab.

Kiper graded the draft as an A-.

SB Nation graded the draft as a B+.

http://www.sbnation.com/nfl-mock-dr...raft-team-needs-johnny-manziel-browns-packers

Bleacher Report graded the draft as an A-.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2048464-2014-nfl-draft-grades-report-cards-for-all-32-gms/page/26

WalterFootball graded the draft as an A- as well.

http://walterfootball.com/nfldraftgradesteam.php
 
So nobody thinks the coaches have asked him to run routes leading up to the draft to see if he can????
 
FAB802 said:
Tavon Austin played WR in college, he wasn't a maybe when the Rams drafted him. The measurables are nice, can he run a route, and can he catch with the speed difference of the NFL? IF he can catch the ball and get into space he can create problems for defenses. To just take workout numbers and say he can be what Austin was as a rookie is foolish though.
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Hmm, I re-read what I posted, and somehow could not find a comment suggesting, in any fashion, "just take workout numbers and say he can be what Austin was as a rookie."

I posited that Austin was his closest comparable - not RB's. I used the specific data that I posted to support my point.

Further, I have no clue why Steelers fans project Austin at RB. The team has Bell and Blount at the position. Austin is NOT going to put into the backfield on 3rd down and expected to provide pass protection.

Jesus Christ, if we think that the Steelers coaches are really that stupid, then an 8-8 record would be a shining achievement.
 
Steeltime said:
Hmm, I re-read what I posted, and somehow could not find a comment suggesting, in any fashion, "just take workout numbers and say he can be what Austin was as a rookie."

I posited that Austin was his closest comparable - not RB's. I used the specific data that I posted to support my point.

Further, I have no clue why Steelers fans project Austin at RB. The team has Bell and Blount at the position. Austin is NOT going to put into the backfield on 3rd down and expected to provide pass protection.

Jesus Christ, if we think that the Steelers coaches are really that stupid, then an 8-8 record would be a shining achievement.
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I understood what you were trying to do. I don't know exactly what the coaches saw, or what they asked him to do in any work out. My only point is that he played RB in college, assuming he can just jump into WR on the professional level and even be an average one is a stretch. If he can catch the ball on some quick routes and get into space he can be dangerous. I never disputed that. I just won't take the nearest player size/speed wise and compare them when they are two completely different players, who have had completely different roles coming into the NFL.

I hope the kid does great, when they picked him I hated it because of the bigger needs we had. Now that the draft is over it doesn't sting as much for me because overall I thought they did a pretty good job addressing a lot of those needs. We will all know for sure by the middle of October. I can assure you I'm not wishing he fails so I can be right. 8-8 has been the standard recently, I'm hoping that's the floor for this team.
 
I'll go on record as saying I wanted Jaylen Watkins at that point in the draft. Or even Bruce Ellington. Either would have made my day.

That said, his game reminds me of Darren Sproles - not his physical attributes. Sproles did/does it all except run with the power of a tractor. He also, unfortunately, reminds me of Chris Rainey. Hopefully he's not the uncoachable ******* that Rainey is/was but more of the put-in-the work kind of guy that Sproles is.

If the guy comes in and plays lights-out on special teams ...and face it, that's where he's going to make his money (returning kicks) instead of getting his lights put out, he'll make us all forget where he was drafted and who was taken behind him. He's got his work cut out for him.
 
If he can return punts maybe, the NFL is phasing kick returns out of the game. I hope we get 1,000 or so all purpose yards out of him and that he makes some game breaking plays.
 
Steeltime said:
Further, I have no clue why Steelers fans project Austin at RB. The team has Bell and Blount at the position. Austin is NOT going to put into the backfield on 3rd down and expected to provide pass protection.
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Probably because the Steelers say he is a RB. The post draft interview was with James Saxon, the RB coach. In fact, James Saxon said; "He is going to add to the running back room very well."

For the love of everything, I hope they have enough of a plan to get the kid in the right room.

Oh wait, if they view him as a RB, would you consider them to be "really that stupid"? Just curious.
 
I will say that I liked Archer as a possible late-round prospect. My issue, as others have said, was that they took him in the third when there was quality at cornerback and other positions on the board. That is a premium draft position and they selected a guy who may touch the ball five times per game.
 
If this kid is our version of Darren Sproles I am sold. KR/PR and a 3rd down back on shotgun sets. Oh and we can line him up in the slot? Lets see what he can do. Another weapon for Ben.
 
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