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The Steelers Draft Grade After 2 Days; How Would You Grade Them?

Pickett scares the hell out of me. I just don't see the path where he is ever more than just pretty good. Tomlin said they drafted him because he had the highest floor. Sounds like living in your fears when you are going for the safe pick rather than the most talented. Pickett will probably look great early when judged as a new starter. The problem will be that 3 years later he'll look about the same and the steelers will waste 5 years hoping he's Tom Brady when he'll only ever be Andy Dalton.

I don't see taking Pickett over the more talented prospects on the board. There was a report the steelers tried to trade up with the Texans to 15 to draft Pickett. This is VERY concerning, IE stupid. First, they misjudged the value and second, they gave up on it. I mean if you are that sure that Pickett is your guy and you just had to have him so you want to trade up then trade up. It's like they made 1 call and then were OK to wait and see if Pickett made it past the Saints. This is horrible draft management.



George Pickens - good pick. WR was a desperate need because DJ may be too expensive to keep and Claypool hasn't proven reliable. With Brisker off the board, WR was the pick. The only choice was big man Pickens or the shifty Skyy Moore. I think either pick would have worked. Both were needs.

Demarvin Leal - is Tuitt playing? If Tuitt is coming back then this pick sucks. Leal is a project as a 3-4 DE. Most are for that position but you usually start with a guy who already has the size. Leal will have to bulk up. If Tuitt is not coming back then this pick is a bit better because it makes DE a much bigger need. Still a bit of a project.

Calvin Austin - I like the pick. I like that they drafted 2 WRs. So many teams stocked up at WR as a reaction to the crazy WR salaries. You saw the Titans choose to trade AJ Brown and go with a rookie just to save money. Steelers may have to do the same with Dionte next year. Austin is small but that's OK so long as you have other big WRs to pair with him. Ray Ray McCloud got plenty of use despite not being very good. Austin should be able to play immediately and contribute.

Connor Heyward - this pick makes no sense at all. Is he a RB, FB, or TE? He's small for TE. Is he an upgrade to Snell as a RB? Is he a better FB than Watt? Do they even use a FB? There were still good players on the board at higher need positions.

Mark Robinson - WTF? I guess this means that Buddy Johnson sucks. Didn't they trade up to draft Buddy last year? Robinson is a converted RB. They drafted a practice squad player.

Chris Oladakun - Are you kidding? Rasheed Walker was still on the board. Should we take a potential starting LT with prototype size or a 4th QB? Hmmm tough choice.

What does this say about Pickett? If you are sold on him, why do you need to draft another developmental QB, especially when you have vets like Turbisky and Rudolph? Trubisky and Pickett need all the reps they can get. When is Oladakun going to play? Maybe they cut or trade Rudolph, but still, why did you have to draft this guy at all?


I like the WR picks and nothing else. Aside from the WRs, i feel like the steelers drafted a backup QB in rd 1, a project DE in Rd 3 and then practice squad guys.







AND here gentleen is a great post to help see why we are average, non-losing seasons and squeak into the playoffs only to lose by 40+.



Salute the nation
 
Pickett scares the hell out of me. I just don't see the path where he is ever more than just pretty good. Tomlin said they drafted him because he had the highest floor. Sounds like living in your fears when you are going for the safe pick rather than the most talented. Pickett will probably look great early when judged as a new starter. The problem will be that 3 years later he'll look about the same and the steelers will waste 5 years hoping he's Tom Brady when he'll only ever be Andy Dalton.

I don't see taking Pickett over the more talented prospects on the board. There was a report the steelers tried to trade up with the Texans to 15 to draft Pickett. This is VERY concerning, IE stupid. First, they misjudged the value and second, they gave up on it. I mean if you are that sure that Pickett is your guy and you just had to have him so you want to trade up then trade up. It's like they made 1 call and then were OK to wait and see if Pickett made it past the Saints. This is horrible draft management.



George Pickens - good pick. WR was a desperate need because DJ may be too expensive to keep and Claypool hasn't proven reliable. With Brisker off the board, WR was the pick. The only choice was big man Pickens or the shifty Skyy Moore. I think either pick would have worked. Both were needs.

Demarvin Leal - is Tuitt playing? If Tuitt is coming back then this pick sucks. Leal is a project as a 3-4 DE. Most are for that position but you usually start with a guy who already has the size. Leal will have to bulk up. If Tuitt is not coming back then this pick is a bit better because it makes DE a much bigger need. Still a bit of a project.

Calvin Austin - I like the pick. I like that they drafted 2 WRs. So many teams stocked up at WR as a reaction to the crazy WR salaries. You saw the Titans choose to trade AJ Brown and go with a rookie just to save money. Steelers may have to do the same with Dionte next year. Austin is small but that's OK so long as you have other big WRs to pair with him. Ray Ray McCloud got plenty of use despite not being very good. Austin should be able to play immediately and contribute.

Connor Heyward - this pick makes no sense at all. Is he a RB, FB, or TE? He's small for TE. Is he an upgrade to Snell as a RB? Is he a better FB than Watt? Do they even use a FB? There were still good players on the board at higher need positions.

Mark Robinson - WTF? I guess this means that Buddy Johnson sucks. Didn't they trade up to draft Buddy last year? Robinson is a converted RB. They drafted a practice squad player.

Chris Oladakun - Are you kidding? Rasheed Walker was still on the board. Should we take a potential starting LT with prototype size or a 4th QB? Hmmm tough choice.

What does this say about Pickett? If you are sold on him, why do you need to draft another developmental QB, especially when you have vets like Turbisky and Rudolph? Trubisky and Pickett need all the reps they can get. When is Oladakun going to play? Maybe they cut or trade Rudolph, but still, why did you have to draft this guy at all?


I like the WR picks and nothing else. Aside from the WRs, i feel like the steelers drafted a backup QB in rd 1, a project DE in Rd 3 and then practice squad guys.
Good honest analysis.

Appears between a C and D grade, yet you have people like this guy giving the Steelers an A-.
Draft grades are as meaningless as the power rankings and the Wonderlic. Just something to pique our interest in football during the off season.
 
Good honest analysis.

Appears between a C and D grade, yet you have people like this guy giving the Steelers an A-.
Draft grades are as meaningless as the power rankings and the Wonderlic. Just something to pique our interest in football during the off season.
A- Chad Reuter of NFL.com https://www.nfl.com/news/2022-nfl-draft-final-quick-snap-grades-for-all-32-teams

B+ Doug Farrar and Mark Schofield of Touchdown Wire (USA Today) https://touchdownwire.usatoday.com/lists/2022-nfl-draft-grades/

A- (7th best draft overall) Vinnie Iyer of Sporting News https://www.sportingnews.com/uk/nfl...2-best-worst-classes/ksxemy5srefixxchzvdkp0a1

A- Conor Orr of Sports Illustrated https://www.si.com/nfl/2022/04/30/2022-nfl-draft-team-grades

B+ PFF https://www.pff.com/news/draft-2022-nfl-draft-grades

B+ Ryan Gosling of Pro Football Network https://www.profootballnetwork.com/...-grades-for-all-7-rounds-in-2022-nfl-draft/2/

D Posters on Steeler Nation
 
I don’t see how Pickett benefited from a weak QB class. Had it been a stronger class, there would have been QB drafted earlier, but Pickett very well could have been drafted at the same spot.
 
One thing I like about Pickett is that he has the desire to succeed. Not saying the others didn't but we've had too many first round players who just play hard enough and often enough not to lose their jobs - Devin Bush, Artie Burns, Bud Dupree, and Jarvis Jones come to mind. One of the things I liked about Cowher was that a player that didn't have the motivation and desire were gone - Huey Richardson and Jamain Stephens, for example. I don't think Pickett is another Dan Marino or Ben Roethlisberger but we will see what he has soon enough.
 
I don’t see how Pickett benefited from a weak QB class. Had it been a stronger class, there would have been QB drafted earlier, but Pickett very well could have been drafted at the same spot.
You're right, he didn't. Realistically, his best value was at the top of the second round. The Steelers weren't drafting there and they get the benefit of the fifth-year option.

Just looking ahead to next year and early mocks and scouting reports, Young and Stroud are going early. The only other guys I saw in the first round were Tyler Van Dyke (very intriguing) and Anthony Richardson (pure speculation he'll explode based on his size and athleticism).
 
Overall a D-

Pickett F, could've had him in the second, if you absolutely had to have him, which we didn't
Pickens B+, the only bright spot so far, but Skyy going with the following pick turned down the brightness a bit
Leal C, a reach in the 3rd
How do you know the Steelers could have had Pickett in the second round or That Leal was a reach? Had the Steelers drafted Cole Strange at 1.20, you might be arguing they could have had him in the third, but we know that isn’t true as the Patriots drafted him at 1.29.
 
The link I posted had the guy saying Pickett was the worst pick.
I wonder how many thought Ben was the worst pick or perhaps just a bad one.
I bet quite a few!
 
You're right, he didn't. Realistically, his best value was at the top of the second round. The Steelers weren't drafting there and they get the benefit of the fifth-year option.

Just looking ahead to next year and early mocks and scouting reports, Young and Stroud are going early. The only other guys I saw in the first round were Tyler Van Dyke (very intriguing) and Anthony Richardson (pure speculation he'll explode based on his size and athleticism).
How much did Howell drop from 1 year to the next? I think next year at this time our perspective will shuffle. **** mine often does from point A to B just evaluating the same draft. So I think you are on point but think there will be even more talked about.

As a year ago I doubt anyone is talking about Pickett round 1.
 
One thing I like about Pickett is that he has the desire to succeed. Not saying the others didn't but we've had too many first round players who just play hard enough and often enough not to lose their jobs - Devin Bush, Artie Burns, Bud Dupree, and Jarvis Jones come to mind. One of the things I liked about Cowher was that a player that didn't have the motivation and desire were gone - Huey Richardson and Jamain Stephens, for example. I don't think Pickett is another Dan Marino or Ben Roethlisberger but we will see what he has soon enough.
I did get that he wanted to succeed and watching his interviews the maturity level they talk about is there too. Doesn't take away my concerns for him, but it does solidify his pluses. I also like he was in a pro style offense.

Hopefully he is coming to one as well.
 
How do you know the Steelers could have had Pickett in the second round or That Leal was a reach? Had the Steelers drafted Cole Strange at 1.20, you might be arguing they could have had him in the third, but we know that isn’t true as the Patriots drafted him at 1.29.
Leal was drafted right where slotted if not a bit of a steal based on draft analyst rankings. Some felt he was a first-round talent before last season...and then he had an underwhelming year. Looking at the draft board, there weren't many exciting prospects at positions of need at this point of the draft either.
 
How much did Howell drop from 1 year to the next? I think next year at this time our perspective will shuffle. **** mine often does from point A to B just evaluating the same draft. So I think you are on point but think there will be even more talked about.

As a year ago I doubt anyone is talking about Pickett round 1.
Howell, as well as some others, who were highly touted early in their careers fell off the map over the next two to three seasons. Other than Pickett, there weren't any risers. Hard to say what next year will bring about, but as of now it's not some great, deep class like some believe it is already.
 
Draft analysts liked the Steelers draft this year:

 
For those of you who hate the Pickett selection, I’m curious how you felt about Joe Burrow? He had a similar college career to Pickett putting up ridiculous stats in his final year.
 
For those of you who hate the Pickett selection, I’m curious how you felt about Joe Burrow? He had a similar college career to Pickett putting up ridiculous stats in his final year.
Watching Burrow, you knew he'd be special. I like Pickett, but he is not at the same caliber.
 
I’m amused by the evaluators whose overall GPA is over 3.0. Like pretty much every team did a good job drafting.
I noticed that too. Nobody gets an F although some of these drafts could be total busts with all picks out of the NFL in the next 5 years.
 
Watching Burrow, you knew he'd be special. I like Pickett, but he is not at the same caliber.
I am hoping he has the Allen course. You knew he would be ok, but how much was unknown. Then he developed into something special. (In my spirit world I can reach for the stars)
 
Leal was drafted right where slotted if not a bit of a steal based on draft analyst rankings. Some felt he was a first-round talent before last season...and then he had an underwhelming year. Looking at the draft board, there weren't many exciting prospects at positions of need at this point of the draft either.
WTH? Underwhelming year? Man we can have opinions, but gheez, know the subject. Leal had his best year in 2021. A dozen TFL and 8.5 sacks in 10-11 games. He also was the #16 prospect in the nation, (amongst ALL players) while being recruited.
 
The link I posted had the guy saying Pickett was the worst pick.
I wonder how many thought Ben was the worst pick or perhaps just a bad one.
I bet quite a few!


NO, I think the consensus was they didn't see how he could slide all the way to 11.



Salute the nation
 
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WTH? Underwhelming year? Man we can have opinions, but gheez, know the subject. Leal had his best year in 2021. A dozen TFL and 8.5 sacks in 10-11 games. He also was the #16 prospect in the nation, (amongst ALL players) while being recruited.
Yeap he was an early 2nd/borderline 1st until the combine
 
WTH? Underwhelming year? Man we can have opinions, but gheez, know the subject. Leal had his best year in 2021. A dozen TFL and 8.5 sacks in 10-11 games. He also was the #16 prospect in the nation, (amongst ALL players) while being recruited.
From what I gathered, he was one of the top prospects entering the season and wasn't consistent enough to be in the upper echelon of defensive prospects in this draft. He seemed to have sky high expectations and didn't quite reach them. Again, just from what I've read about him.
 
From what I gathered, he was one of the top prospects entering the season and wasn't consistent enough to be in the upper echelon of defensive prospects in this draft. He seemed to have sky high expectations and didn't quite reach them. Again, just from what I've read about him.
I had read some similar stuff in multiple reports. But didn't mesh with his stats. I think they expected him to explode statistically. Thought he had a solid year...
 
I had read some similar stuff in multiple reports. But didn't mesh with his stats. I think they expected him to explode statistically. Thought he had a solid year...
Absolutely solid and was widely slotted as a second rounder. The Steelers got excellent value in the third and gets to get coached by Dunbar. Will be much better to have him in the rotation over Mondeaux.
 
Last year at this time Pickett had a 6th round grade. His college career to that point was not great. Then Addison broke out at WR and Pickett had a great season.

USC just purchased Addison so maybe USC's QB will be the 1st pick next year.
 
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