2022 NFL Draftstravaganza Day 1 Discussion

[Chieferific]

TJ Watt for me tho I was a little concerned about the injury.  

[August4th]

1 minute ago, Chieferific said:

TJ Watt for me tho I was a little concerned about the injury.  

I wanted David Njoku in that draft. I was annoyed when cle traded in front of us to take him. 😬

[Chieferific]

1 minute ago, August4th said:

I wanted David Njoku in that draft. I was annoyed when cle traded in front of us to take him. 😬

There have been many times a player I coveted when right before our pick and it outraged me.  However it seems more times than not, it turned out to be a wash if not for the better. 

[DR43]

22 minutes ago, MOSteelers56 said:

The last 1st rounder I was immediately happy about was David Decastro. 

I was perfectly happy with Najee Harris.

[CKSteeler]

26 minutes ago, MOSteelers56 said:

Me 

I do it every year with the first round pick. 

QB's are a crapshoot, so I'm not going to pretend to know what Pickett can become. But I am fairly certain of a few things.

One, there is no comparison between Pickett and a young Ben physically. Ben was as mobile as Pickett was while carrying 30+ extra pounds and having 2 or so inches of height on him. Ben was one of if not the most physically imposing players ever to play the QB position. And as stated, he could move as well as Pickett does. Combine with that, Ben had significantly more arm talent.

So, yea, in college Pickett would break the pocket and throw down field, at least as a senior. A lot of QB's do that nowadays where as Ben was kind of alone doing it back in 2004. What allowed Ben to have success was his massive frame combined with underrated athleticism and a great arm. He could shrug off LB's and DL and make a throw down field with the flick of a wrist. When looking at it all time, Ben's arm wasn't quite as good as a guy like Mahomes or Elway, but it was pretty impressive.

Pickett can break the pocket in the pros, but he'll have significantly better athletes chasing him down and he won't be able to make them miss or just shrug them off like Ben could. He doesn't have the arm to make the tight window throws down field against better athletes. And while Ben was a raw passer, let's be clear - he was a very natural football player. He saw the field well, even if he wasn't reading and breaking down defenses at a high level.

If Pickett succeeds at this level, it's going to be because of his football IQ. How well does he see the field? His arm and accuracy are good enough - about average for a NFL QB. He has some athleticism, but nothing that is going to wow people in the modern NFL. It's about his above the neck game.

And for all the talk about being pro-ready, that's always nonsense. The rookie phenoms over the last two decades haven't usually been the ones deemed pro ready on draft day. Maybe you could say it's more like an even split. The raw QB's who succeed out of the gate are about equal in number if not greater than the number of the "pro ready" guys who had success. 

So, to summarize, Pickett's career is going to about his above the neck game more than anything. He has a baseline set of athletic tools to succeed, but it's not going to carry him. I'm not going to say he can't be a top ten QB because he doesn't have a cannon for an arm. But at the same time, just because he was an advanced college player doesn't mean he's going to come out of the gate and play at a respectable level. He's going to be a rookie adjusting to the NFL game without elite traits to fall back on.

This is why QB's are the biggest crapshoot in the NFL draft. There's so many factors. Tom Brady does not elite skills by any measure outside what's going on inside his head.

[43M]

1 hour ago, MOSteelers56 said:

Me 

I do it every year with the first round pick. 

Im still not happy...but at a certain point you have to just accept it and hope for the best.

[DR43]

1 minute ago, 43M said:

Im still not happy...but at a certain point you have to just accept it and hope for the best.

Should Pickett start day 1?

[warfelg]

23 minutes ago, DR43 said:

Should Pickett start day 1?

I’m fine with a two way open comp. But Masons gonna get curb stomped to keep it from a 3 way comp. 

[Big Snack]

Love the pick

[43M]

Ive talked myself into at the very least, understanding the Pickett selection.

First off, even if I dont agree....if THEY really felt he was the QBotF, then I cant bash the pick too much.     I still feel like they couldve gotten him in round 2 or at least traded down, but again, if they was really the guy they wanted, then so be it.   I just have to hope they are right and I am wrong.     Not that I believe Pickett is untalented...I just dont see our long term franchise QB.   I see a fringe starter thats pretty on par with Trubisky.   But again, I hope I am wrong.

Secondly, even if there were true blue chip QBs available, we wouldnt have had a shot at them anyway.    They wouldve went top 5, and the teams with way more draft capitol wouldve traded up to grab them.    And even though Im not excited about our 2022 chances of doing anything notable...I have a feeling we will be picking outside the top 10, even if only barely.    Meaning, there is a very good chance we could/would miss out on the blue chip QB prospects next year, too.    And, if we do happen to end up with a top 5 pick, I dont think the Pickett selection would absolutely prevent them from taking a QB next year if they felt they had a chance at a special talent.  

Third, I am not really too worried about his hand size.     Burrow and Tannehill are only 9, and Mahomes 9 1/4.   I get that half inch can make a difference (right ladies?), but I dont think its a make or break kinda thing that will mean the difference between success and failure.    Im more worried about his durability behind our sus OLine, and the fact that he is kinda a one year wonder....but so were guys like Burrow and Kyler Murray.

Bottom line....I initially kinda hated the pick (although not as much as some), to now Im just kinda meh about it.    I felt this was a pretty strong class in general outside of QB, which is part of the reason I was so opposed to taking QB early.   And I still wish we wouldve gotten Willis in the 3rd instead.....but I get it.

Kenny Pickett is a Pittsburgh Steeler now, and after the dust settles, despite my disdain towards some of the selections, I always support them and wish the best for every player we draft, regardless of my feelings about their chances of success.  

Good luck Kenny.   Please prove me wrong!  

[Dcash4]

18 hours ago, 43M said:

now Im just kinda meh about it.

Meh is a really good way to describe how I feel about Kenny. The things I like most about the selection, honestly have very little to do with his talent.

One of the things that made me feel better about the pick was looking back between our first and second pick, There are guys I would have liked to have taken, but none that I think we can't live without. I am sure someone will prove me wrong, but I don't think we missed out on a TJ Watt. Kozora did a think on twitter for an immediate "redraft" and I looked at the list and went -- eh. Some of the guys I really wanted were Olave or Dotson, both of whom were gone at our pick. And then we took Pickens which really made it all better, IMO. 

But the biggest part is that they now have a rookie deal Qb who I think will be NFL fine. If he can range somewhere from Garoppolo to Tannahill to Carr, they can build up a winner with that. I worry about everything after that when you have to make a decision to pay a guy what will then be near the $40-50M mark, but hey -- let's cross that bridge when we get to it. 

There is no part of me that believes that Kenny has developmental upside, outside of mental growth. But if he can be NFL average on a rookie deal -- there is a lot to like about the roster, specifically the skill position players. 

Buy whatever holes you need to fill after this season's play of the young OL, lock in DJ and have your skill group set, and then put every other resource you have into the defense and see what happens. 

[August4th]

 

[MOSteelers56]

The new WR coach said that Austin plays like he's 6'2. The diminutive height is really making people think he's a gadget guy only. Dude is a legit WR. He runs routes outside and he doesn't carry the ball that much. He's just a really short WR. I didn't realize how long his wingspan and how big his hands are, though. That's interesting. I think he's going to be a really good one for us. 

[Dcash4]

The more I watch the more I like with Austin. 

Something I kept thinking about all weekend was how quickly Claypool booked a flight home after he read George Pickens name. 

[warfelg]

8 minutes ago, Dcash4 said:

The more I watch the more I like with Austin. 

Something I kept thinking about all weekend was how quickly Claypool booked a flight home after he read George Pickens name. 

I think DJ was the one telling his agent to find him a new home.