It’s NFL draft week Steeler fans. Let’s take a few more questions from the mailbag before the draft begins Thursday night.
If Randy Gregory, Landon Collins and Bud Dupree all are available at 22, who do you pick?–Buddy Snyder, Pittsburgh, Pa.
Love the question Buddy. All three players would fit a potential need for the Steelers. Gregory, who projects as a pass rushing specialist at outside linebacker in the 3-4 scheme, did himself no favors with his positive test for marijuana at the combine. That has some believing he’s gone from a top-10 pick to slipping to the latter part of the first round. There seems to be some interest on the Steelers end, but beyond the failed drug test, my worry is Gregory is not going to be a difference maker at the next level.
Does Gregory has the desire to work hard at his craft? Will he improve at the next level? I don’t love Gregory, and there are scouts who question how much he cares about the game along with concerns in regards to his work ethic. Major red flags in my eyes. I pass if I am the Steelers.
Similar theme with Dupree and something I touched on in the last mailbag. Watched quite a bit of game film on Dupree, and it left me skeptical. Sure, he’s an athlete, and his combine numbers are impressive. However, I see a player that too often looked disinterested and took plays off. If he’s doing it now, what is to say he won’t once he’s getting paid? Not a big Bud Dupree fan, better value can be found at this point of the draft.
Which leads me to Collins. My first Steeler mock has the Steelers picking Collins, and he’s a player that might be too good to pass up if he’s still on the board. Sure, the Steelers are hopeful that Shamarko Thomas can be an impact starter next season, and maybe he will, but one would have to imagine Mike Mitchell is on a very short leash, and if last season is indicative of what he will provide at safety, Collins could be a solution both in the short and long term.
Of the three players, there is no doubt in my mind Collins is the guy who will be the most productive player in five years. Anytime you can select a player you feel pretty confident will be a difference maker and reliable starter, you do it. Collins is the pick.
What position do you believe the steelers should focus most on in the draft?–Jauni Bigcov Covington, Pittsburgh, Pa.
There is no question that adding talent on defense must be a priority. This is especially the case in the secondary, where I would love to see the Steelers use as many as three of their eight total picks to improve the corner and safety depth. Thanks for the question, Jauni.
Is this the most important draft in the Tomlin era?–Danny Lewis, Pittsburgh, Pa.
The case could be made that it is. The transition away from the “LeBeau era” defensively speaking, is pretty much complete with the exit of the Hall of Fame coordinator himself, along with mainstays such as Brett Keisel, Ike Taylor and Troy Polamalu. Only James Harrison remains from that group, so it’s time to restock the coffers on the defensive side of the ball.
Players such as Jarvis Jones, Shamarko Thomas, Ryan Shazier, Stephon Tuitt, and Daniel McCullers have been drafted the past couple of seasons and need to step it up, but adding more help in this year’s draft will be critical.
Is there a chance the Steelers trade Jarvis Jones for 10th overall pick?–Kevin Hesser
For a number of reasons, I would have to say absolutely not. For one, the Rams own the 10th pick and though they could use some help at outside linebacker, Jones is not a great fit in the 4-3 base scheme they employ. Also, Jones has largely been a disappointment to this point in his career, and though he has time to turn things around, it seems highly unlikely that the Rams would consider moving a top 10 pick to acquire a player with so many question marks. Interesting thought Kevin, but I would not hold your breath on that one.
If the Steelers had the first pick in the draft, would they take (Jameis) Winston?–Isaac Cardenas, Houston, TX.
Interesting hypothetical, Isaac. From a practical/financial standpoint, I would have to say it would not happen. The Steelers just signed Ben Roethlisberger to a four-year contract extension in March, and this included a guaranteed $31 million signing bonus. In other words, the Steelers are almost certain to be married to Roethlisberger and his contract for the duration, meaning don’t expect a quarterback to be selected in the first round anytime soon.
Additionally, Roethlisberger is coming off a career year and looks like he’s got more great ones ahead. The need for a replacement is just not there right now. An upgrade at backup? Different story for sure.
Lastly, Winston has a lot of question marks to be picked first overall. It’s likely going to happen, and Winston has many qualities that could make him a star. However, he also has some flaws, including some off the field/decision making issues that make him a big time risk to pick so high in the draft.
Thanks for the questions and enjoy the draft!
