Team-by-Team Draft Review: Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh needed an infusion of youth on defense, and that is exactly what they did in this draft. While a few picks may have been debatable, there was no question that the Steelers had a game plan for this draft. Justin Higdon (@afc2nfc) recently said he thought the Steelers had one of the best drafts of any team – this is high praise from a Browns fan and a writer for DraftBrowns.com. From a fantasy perspective it was not an exciting draft unless you play IDP. As a certified IDP nut, I will cover the defensive along with the offensive players.
Round 1: Bud Dupree, OLB
Many draftniks were surprised to see Dupree fall to the Steelers at 22nd overall. The landing spot could not be better for such a raw athlete. Dupree was one of the most intriguing defensive players in this draft with his 4.56 forty, 42 inch vertical, and 138 inch broad at nearly 270 pounds. There is not a better athlete in this draft for his size. Patience must be exercised because Dupree is massively lacking in the technique department. Producing pro bowl and hall of fame linebackers is what the Steelers do. Thus Pittsburgh has the best chance of any team of turning this raw athlete into an elite NFL linebacker.
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Round 2: Senquez Golson, CB
Although the Steelers desperately needed a cornerback, the Golson selection in the second round confused me. I ranked him as the best slot corner in this draft, although he is only 5’8” tall and may struggle to cover big receivers on the outside. At this point in the draft, the big athletic corners such as Byron Jones and Eric Rowe were already taken. Teams are now playing nickel over 45% of the time, and maybe this selection makes sense since they are getting a player that will make an impact on those passing downs. For IDP leagues, I would stay away from Golson unless your league must start at least three corner backs.
Round 3: Sammie Coates, WR
This is also interesting pick since the Steelers are finally looking solid at wide receiver with Antonio Brown, Martavis Bryant, and Markus Wheaton. This selection could be seen as a lack of faith in Wheaton. Coates could be made into a return man with the failed Dri Archer experiment last season. Most likely this is a best player available selection by the Steelers. Coates is one of the best wide receiver athletes in this draft. On the other hand, he has shown suspect route running with an abysmal 19.1% drop rate. This landing spot my ultimately be a good thing since it will give him time to be coached and work on his craft. He will most likely have little impact this season but he may a good stash target once the draft glimmer wears off.
Round 4: Doran Grant, CB
Grant, at only 5’10”, immediately becomes the second tallest cornerback on this team and can be considered a poor man’s Eric Rowe. Grant has good athleticism, highlighted by 4.44 forty. He also has played corner and safety illustrating his zone and press man skills. While he may not climb the depth chart immediately, this is good name to remember if your league starts cornerbacks. I would not be surprised to see Grant become one of the starting outside corners by the end of the season.
Round 5: Jesse James, TE
Ben Roethlisberger gets even more large targets with this selection. The 6’7” James, 6’7” Matt Spaeth, 6’4” Martavis Bryant, and Antonio Brown running wild, should making for some fun red zone packages. The hope is that James becomes the eventual replacement for 34-year old Heath Miller. Our own Kyle Pollock gives five good reasons you should consider Jesse James on your roster. James’s strong route running may allow him to see the field early, but I doubt we will see much of a fantasy impact in year one.
Round 6: Leterrius Walton, DT/DE
Walton is an average athlete at best for his size. He has a large frame that could hold more weight even at 6’5”, 319 lbs. This is a depth pick by the Steelers hoping maybe he can grow into something. There really is not anything to see here, even in deep IDP leagues.
Round 6: Anthony Chickillo, OLB
This is a fascinating pick for IDP leagues. Chickillo is an undervalued DE who will be turned into a rush linebacker at Pittsburgh. Chickillo demonstrated he played the wrong role in Miami, by being an absolute menace edge rusher during the East West shrine game. He honestly is only a stash in the deepest of leagues, but I bet there is strong possibility he is a starting OLB this time next year.
Round 7: Gerod Holliman
Holliman is another intriguing IDP asset. I have been driving the Holliman hate wagon for some time, but I like the value this late in the draft. He has good NFL safety size at six feet and 218 pounds. I was mostly a naysayer of Holliman because of his poor tackles and his interceptions felt fluky. This is a nice value for a team that really needs a strong coverage safety since Shamarko Thomas and Mike Mitchell are both more of run stoppers. Holliman is a name to file away in case he can wrestle the starting free safety job away from the overpaid Mitchell.
Undrafted Free Agency Signing
Pittsburgh signed a number of undrafted players. If you have not checked out Nathan Powell’s undrafted free agency tracker, it is well worth your time. The most intriguing player may be Tyler Murphy. He projects as gadget player in the mold of Antwaan Randle El. Murphy transferred to Boston College, where he threw for over 1500 yards and rushed for over 1000. He is intriguing player with a diverse skill set, 6’2” frame, and 38 inch vert. While he may never be a fantasy factor, I think he has good odds of making this roster due to his versatility.
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- IDP Dynasty Debate: Linebackers - March 1, 2017
- IDP Dynasty Debate: Defensive Line - February 18, 2017
- IDP 20/20: Raekwon McMillan - February 17, 2017
