I like where they’re sitting, Pickens is a good pick at 52. Very physical and likely would’ve been a first round pick if it weren’t for his injury.
Yeah, FWIW, here is the ESPN draft evaluation of WR Pickens from UGa
That’s a good weapon for Pickett’s skillset. He doesn’t have the strongest arm so they’ll need to build the offense around attacking the boundaries (like Carr in Vegas) and receivers creating separation. Love to hear that he can get open and make a play. Will make a nice duo with Johnson’s route running.
I like Trubisky but I have to think Pickett. You don’t draft the most NFL-ready QB to have him sit the bench his rookie year. I trust Tomlin to put him in a good position either way.
I like Leal at #84. Needed to get younger on the defensive line. Would like to see the best available at OT or DB at 138.
He had 5. He is still only 23
I don’t know much about him but I saw he was an All-American. Hopefully he can give them some depth right away, especially if Tuitt doesn’t come back.
Nose tackle Gabe Rivera did not exactly flame out, he crashed his car while drunk and ended up paralyzed from waist down.......
LOL Baker won't be anywhere near the Steelers next year. They didn't sign Trubisky and draft Pickett to bring in a bust like Mayfield. Stop.
We drafted Jarvis Jones, Artie Burns, Huey Richardson, Jamain Stephens, etc. Pickett, as worst, will likely have a 10+ year career and be Case Keenum or Ryan Fitzmagic. That alone prevents him from being one of our biggest blunders
l have to stop reading comments in this tread. He's 23. He'll be 24 when the season starts. That's fine. He'll likely start in 2023 at the latest at 25 and won't be a free agent until he's 29. This is perfect. Notice Ridder went before Willis. Everyone needs to stop pretending Willis is Peyton Manning, John Elway, Dan Marino or even Russell Wilson. He's a huge risk and fell as far as he did because he's nothing special. Pickett's not a great pick but it was safe and made sense. Pickens, Leal and now Austin even with reaching for Pickett looks very good on paper. I didn't want a QB but we took the one that made the most sense. I think people are just angry he played at Pitt.
Tomlin/Colbert have not made many right calls. This franchise has turned into a disaster.
Was initially lukewarm on the pick but on paper looks more and more like a good move. Worst case scenario you probably have a Kirk Cousins, Andy Dalton, Neil ODonnell, Garrapolo type starter with a good skill position nucleus around him. Adding Pickens and Austin and dare I say Boykin to the core group of Harris, Johnson Claypool and Freiermuth looks really good. Need to add a OT and a DT run stuffer next year.
I like where the offensive line is headed. James Daniels was a great signing and I think Dotson and Moore Jr. can take big steps. The Okorafor contract surprised me but they must like him. They should definitely look to acquire their next franchise center in 2023.
Has there been one since Collins? Hard to believe there has not, but I can't think of anyone off the top of my head.
Such hyperbole. The franchise is hardly a disaster -- no losing seasons during Tomlin's time, made a number of playoff appearances. They haven't had high 1st round draft choices in a long time, but continue to have tough, competitive teams.
Only Richardson, Hackenberg and McSorley have even been draft since 1994 and Hack was the only one that wasn't just a late pick as a project.
Sorry to be late to reply but IMO if the team decides Pickett is the long term answer he starts the entire season if he is healthy.
I think you’re onto something. The team’s makeup will be very much like the 04 Steelers with Big Ben. The defense will be good enough to win games; it will be up to the offense to score enough points and put them over the hump.Sorry to be late to reply but IMO if the team decides Pickett is the long term answer he starts the entire season if he is healthy.
Ben was successful right away because he didn’t have to win games - the 2004 team was championship ready and damn near got one.
The present team has a great defense but the offense was very poor leading to a .500 finish. Pickett will be like Ben was his first season - no one has tape on him yet and the defense can make up for some shortcomings.
At least, that’s how I feel being optimistic.
Rivera didn't flame out in a year - he was paralyzed in a car crash during that season while drinking and driving. Kind of sad when the supposedly Steelers passed on Marino due to his alleged cocaine use.
Yeah, I think Chuck Noll later said that in re-building the Steelers, he wanted to have a key piece be a D-lineman like Mean Joe Greene had been for the original dynasty, and then pick up a QB later. On the ESPN 30 for 30 Elway to Marino, they showed that the Steelers (from the direction of Mr. Rooney, Sr. and with some key contacts in the Pittsburgh police) had checked into Marino's background and determined that he "liked to have a good time" but was not a drug problem.
It would be nice if he was even half as good as Ben as a rookie. The 2004 team was hardly expected to be a champ - they were 6-10 in 2003. Vegas had them at 7.5 wins. There's never been anything like 2004 with a rookie QB before or since. Ben wasn't the starter going into the year, btw. He wasn't successful because he didn't have to win games. He was successful because there wasn't really anything like him before, and he played with confidence that most rookies don't have. He wasn't the only reason the Steelers went 15-1, but a big part of it.Sorry to be late to reply but IMO if the team decides Pickett is the long term answer he starts the entire season if he is healthy.
Ben was successful right away because he didn’t have to win games - the 2004 team was championship ready and damn near got one.
The present team has a great defense but the offense was very poor leading to a .500 finish. Pickett will be like Ben was his first season - no one has tape on him yet and the defense can make up for some shortcomings.
At least, that’s how I feel being optimistic.
I agree with most of what you write. My post was mostly TIC as far as Pickett being a Pitt guy. He was probably the lowest risk of the QBs available. I don't agree with number 4. Willis was at Auburn and transferred. Flaming out is certainly in the realm of possibility for him, but I could see him being high-level starter. He's got the talent. The question will be whether he can read defenses.
Another reason was they had drafted Mark Malone from Arizona State late in the first round a few years earlier. Malone was a very athletic 6’ 4” and even lined up some as receiver but unfortunately never really developed as the heir to Bradshaw.
and try as mightily as they did Malone was not a franchise QB, nor was Cliff Stout!!! There was a real dip in the quality of the personnel there for a bit after the steel curtain days.
I watched as much as I could find on Willis. He reminds me of a mobile Hackenberg. I've been wrong before (I liked Kyle Boller for example) but I wasn't shocked at all Willis fell. And us not knowing if Willis can read defenses is why I said what I did on 4. He could boom but bust is far more likely IMO. The ability to read defenses is something I want to see in college. Which is why I liked Burrow more than Lawrence for example.
You’re not wrong. Tomlin and Colbert said they wanted four QBs going into camp, though that didn’t mean they had to draft two to satisfy that.
