Armsteeld February 1st Mock

[armsteeld]

Rd1. DT Jordan Davis 6'6 350

Just watch. Nothing I need to say.

Rd2. OG/OT Zion Johnson 6'3 315

Big nasty. Can switch from OT to OG mid game with ease. Has experience playing every OL position. Mf' stud!

Rd3. OT/OG Jamaree Salyer 6'4 325

Big nasty. Can switch from OT to OG mid game with ease. Has experience playing every OL position. Mf' stud!

Rd3. CB Josh Jobe 6'1 195

Aggressive tackler. Big hitter. Technical player. Good enough speed (maybe 4.5). Alpha mentality.

Rd5. LB Clarence Hicks 6'2 225

He's number 9.

Rd6. RB Trestan Ebner 5'11 215

Elijah Mitchell clone. Supposedly runs 4.3 in the 40.

Rd7. WR Bo Melton 5'11 195

Runs a 4.3 and is an A+ plus athlete. Speed to take the top off coverage. Has a quick release and gets in and out of breaks well 

Rd7. LB Kadofi Wright 6'3 230

Fast. Gets great depth in coverage. Breaks on the football like a CB. Playmaker. Smooth mover in space to cover Slots, Yes, & RBs. Excellent blitzer. Gets downhill in a hurry. 

What are your thoughts? 

[jebrick]

Hope you got several OTs in FA.  Salyer, who I have a draft-crush on, is a All-Pro OG in the NFL and a disaster as a OT.

[armsteeld]

2 minutes ago, jebrick said:

Hope you got several OTs in FA.  Salyer, who I have a draft-crush on, is a All-Pro OG in the NFL and a disaster as a OT.

Interesting. Which game was he looking bad? Johnson and Salyer are both Tackles but on the shorter side ala Kelvin Beachum but both weigh more than Beachum.

[jebrick]

Watch the difference in the NCG when Georgia moves him to OG about 1/2 through the game.  Then Georgia can run the ball and that opened everything up.  I would draft him as a OG 1st and possible backup RT

[armsteeld]

16 minutes ago, jebrick said:

Watch the difference in the NCG when Georgia moves him to OG about 1/2 through the game.  Then Georgia can run the ball and that opened everything up.  I would draft him as a OG 1st and possible backup RT

Yeah he's a better Guard but he was moved inside due to the other G being injured. The other OL was Tackle only. Salyer and Shaeffer were some damn good Gs.

[43M]

I wouldnt hate it, I guess.   Mostly depends what we do in FA.   If we get a starting CB and LT in free agency, I could live with this.

[mwalker]

I think the first four picks are very solid.
The rest seems (to me) like un-drafted FAs.
 

[43M]

43 minutes ago, mwalker said:

I think the first four picks are very solid.
The rest seems (to me) like un-drafted FAs.
 

In fairness, there isnt usually a huge disparity in talent between late round picks and many UDFA's.      Its usually just a matter of who you see the most potential in and who has the best opportunity of contributing in some form...in many cases, special teams.     Teams arent typically looking for starting caliber players in the late rounds.    Its awesome if it turns out that way, but typically, they are just looking for role players.   You could swap many late round picks with UDFA's and it wouldnt make a huge difference in most cases.   You'd likely get similar results in regards to the success rate.    UDFA's are merely the players that werent necessarily prioritized by any team or players that had notable red flags....but so do many late rounders.

I dont know anything about these late rounders specifically, but Im okay with the positions.

[warfelg]

Not a fan. I think Davis is a two down NT in the NFL. I don’t see either of those guys playing OT on the NFL. 

[jebrick]

26 minutes ago, warfelg said:

Not a fan. I think Davis is a two down NT in the NFL. I don’t see either of those guys playing OT on the NFL. 

My comment was the same.  2 OGs so he had better gotten at least one OT in FA

 

[warfelg]

Just now, jebrick said:

My comment was the same.  2 OGs so he had better gotten at least one OT in FA

 

And I wouldn’t so much mind it if I felt one was capable of being an OT. But both of those guys being more OGs with Dodson and the possibility of Green at OG makes it far less appealing. 

[MOSteelers56]

I'm a big fan of OG's so I like that aspect. Zion is a freak and Salyer is a devastator. We'd immediately be able to run the ball. I'll echo the sentiment, but neither are going to be OT's in the league. I don't want to give up on Dotson just yet, so I'd only take one of them. I don't love Davis in the first. I'd rather take Travis Jones in the 2nd or 3rd. Davis isn't as athletic as VIta Vea, and I think Vea is the outlier of the giant sized NTs in today's game. Give me somebody that can rush the passer a little. I like that DT from Bama, Phidarion Mathis,  too. 

[Steeler Hitman]

@armsteeld 

I am still in the early stages of evaluation with some of these players. I am doing some film watching and research on prospects/players in my spare time. 

Jordan Davis - - I love the pick. Almost willing to say great pick depending on the value of the players around him.  He is a player who could have a Vita Vea type impact on our defense. What he would bring on inside run defense, keeping our smaller, quicker type ILB's clean, goal line and short yardage plays alone would be worth it. We saw the effect of no Tuitt and Tyson. You still have to be able to stop the run and force negative down in distance to better favor your defense. 

I have made it no secret that I have no problem with a "two down NG" in the first round. I will continue to argue that in goal line and short yardage situations those guys become three and four down players. When was the last time the Steelers stopped anyone running on third or fourth and one consistently? 🤐  That is often the difference between wins and losses (or ties in the Lions game). I still see the Titans back-up RB slashing the Steelers on every short yardage attempt in the game.

 

I think you go Johnson or Sayler not both. Both look to be built for more OG than OT.   I personally prefer Sayler, but Johnson seems to more of the type that the Steelers would go after.  I would raid the Ravens and try to steal their C Bradley Boseman. We then have Dotson and Kendrick as the projected OG's.  One of these guys would be good insurance.  I would go after an OT with one of these picks. I want to see Banner given a shot, but you also have to have a very good back-up plan as he has never played a full season of football.  

 

CB is definitely a need.  I would look at FS as well as I still think we need the player to be what Ryan Clark was to Troy for Minkah. I would rather have a coverage FS than an in the box type. 

As far as WR, I am trying to sign Ju Ju (at a reasonable rate for both, but don't want to exceed $16 mill) (Yes, I think he is worth that much). or another veteran FA.  We probably lose Washington as well. Drafting an up and coming WR is still on the board. How about Jameson crowder as a F/A?

I would prefer a veteran upgrade at RB to back-up Najee. Someone mentioned Sony Michael. I personally like Phillip Lindsey (someone along those lines). Different style and speed. I have lost confidence McFarland being able to get and stay on the field.

If a Schobert deal is not renegotiated and he is cut, then I would spend that on a bigger name Free agent who can come in and make an impact Vander Esch or Evans. Drafting a guy unless he is more marquee will probably not give us more than wat is already in the cupboard (safeties playing ILB Killebrew and Allen or smaller, quicker actual LB's who don't have the impact Ulysses Grant. 

Late I would like a solid PR/KOR man.  Ray Ray is okay, but I think that is an area that the team could also upgrade. I will add I was impressed with Ray Ray down the stretch as a receiver. His hands were actually more reliable than Dionte's and Chase's the final four or five games. 

 

Thank you for the research and overall a solid draft from making this team tougher and stronger in the trenches.  I think they need some OT's with size and length. The Steelers have a thoroughbred stud at RB in Najee. He is who I would base the offense around. Get him some people movers, hole openers, movers of men, big McNasty's, Maulers whatever you want to call them. 

 

Lastly, we have to keep an eye on the Tuitt situation. If he leaves, you almost have to get an upgradeable free agent over Wormley and Loudermilk.  Someone mentioned Solomon Thomas as a solid target. I would consider Perrion Winfrey, Travon Walker, Michael Clemmons, or  Ben Stille (A-a-ron Smith's love child from the initial eye test).  I am still researching, but Clemmons could be a player to invest in. He has the size and frame to add a few pounds. The Steelers like their A&M players of late.  Stille is not quite the athlete of Smith, but a smart kid from reports and I like his frame and girth. He won't get a lot of sacks, but can be disruptive collapsing the pocket and seems to have the body/frame for what the Steelers like in their 5-tech guys. 

 

[armsteeld]

3 hours ago, warfelg said:

And I wouldn’t so much mind it if I felt one was capable of being an OT. But both of those guys being more OGs with Dodson and the possibility of Green at OG makes it far less appealing. 

Johnson is coming off a 2020 season in which he was named to the All-ACC third-team at offensive tackle and was voted a team captain. The Maryland native graded out as BC’s top offensive lineman in 2020 after moving from left guard to left tackle in the preseason. Named a mid-season All American, Johnson has been dominant all season not allowing a sack, and just just two quarterback pressures in 751 snaps according to Pro Football Focus. https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.si.com/college/bostoncollege/.amp/football/zion-johnson-accepts-invite-2022-senior-bowl

Zion Johnson is an excellent OT but I feel his coaches felt he lacked the length to stay on the outside plus he's a dominant interior player.

[Steeler Hitman]

1 hour ago, MOSteelers56 said:

 

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I'd rather take Travis Jones in the 2nd or 3rd. Davis isn't as athletic as VIta Vea, and I think Vea is the outlier of the giant sized NTs in today's game.

There is no one who is on Vea's level, but he isn't that far off.  The two questions (to me) that has to be asked are:

1.  Can he immediately upgrade the DL?

2. Does he have potential upside? (Will he and can he get better)

Not all studs are created equal, but this guy is a stud nonetheless. 

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Give me somebody that can rush the passer a little.

The Steelers have already lead the league in sacks the past several years. We need some DB's and someone who can shore up the 31 ranked run defense!

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I like that DT from Bama, Phidarion Mathis,  too. 

Me too. He would not be a bad consolation prize in the second round. He is a bit taller and heavier, but reminds me in terms of style of the DT that use to play on the Eagles a while back that they called The Thing!