Steelers/NFL
Round 3 Analysis
Never buy that the Pittsburgh Steelers don’t draft for need.
Just like on Thursday in addressing a major need at inside linebacker, Day 2 was about checking some other boxes.
With the 66th overall pick the Steelers selected Toledo wide receiver Diontae Johnson (5-11, 180) and 17 picks later, the Steelers select cornerback Justin Layne (6-2, 192).
The value of getting a cornerback was always going to be in Round 2 or Round 3 not Round 1. Despite a run on cornerbacks prior to the Steelers picking, Layne is a high value pick at No. 83.
At 6-2, Layne brings length and athleticism to the table, running a 4.5.
“You can’t have enough corners on your team,” DB coach Teryl Austin said of Lane. “With the amount of running they do, they help you on special teams, you get nicked, you have to have people to get in there because they play four, five receiver packages these days. Those guys are important, and I don’t think you can ever have enough corners on your roster.”
With Artie Burns a bust and starters Joe Haden, Steven Nelson both under 6-foot, the Steelers went into the draft putting a high priority on bigger corners who can play the outside.
“Right now, I see him more as an outside guy to start with, Austin said. “In terms of learning and getting him ready, that’s what I’ll do.”
Austin also praised Layne’s ability to be physical at the line of scrimmage.
“He’s very elusive at the line of scrimmage,” Drake said. “You need a guy who gets off bump. He gets off bump.”
Pittsburgh’s track record is not strong with cornerbacks drafted in rounds 1-3, but there’s a feeling among draft experts Layne has the ability to help this season.
“Very, very good pick in the third round,” ESPN NFL analyst Louis Riddick said of Layne.
Johnson a reach at #66?
You knew the Steelers would come out of Day 2 adding a skilled player.
WR Diontae Johnson out of Toledo is one of those players who went much higher than expected but Pittsburgh wasn’t the only team targeting him that early, as Bruce Arians and the Tampa Bay Bucs had their sights set on Johnson early in Round 3.
“I got cussed out by the Tampa Bay head coach who called me some names for taking him,” WR Darryl Drake said of the Steelers drafting Johnson. “That was his guy four picks later. We all talk. That was the one guy that everybody talked about. He was the one guy, there was not one guy and there were a lot that I talked to, who did not like this guy.”
What the Steelers love about Johnson is the route running ability, how he’s a playmaker in the open field with the ball in his hands and many rave about his character, an area the Steelers are starting to take serious.
“Once I put on the pads and get the ball in my hands, I’m way faster than I ran in the 40-yard dash. I can play football. I’ve got football speed,” Johnson said.
Why some draft pundits see Johnson as a major reach:
He’s not a great athlete when you breakdown the measurables, doesn’t have top-end speed (4.53, forty), is smallish, and comes from a MAC school where he didn’t put up great numbers.
“Don’t even think because he’s from a small school this [hide] cat can’t play, because he can play,” Drake said.
Johnson had 49 catches for 761 yards and eight touchdowns for the Rockets in 2018 and is also a return specialist where he averaged 18.5 yards per punt return and 25.8 yards last season as a redshirt junior.
Every team is giddy about their draft picks and throughout his press conference, Drake couldn’t stop raving about Johnson as a player and person.
“I basically fell in love with him after spending time with him, dining with him, talking to him and seeing his passion for the game, his passion for wanting to be great,” said Drake. He’s a tremendously gifted young man, the most naturally gifted catcher I’ve seen in a long while.”
Beyond JuJu Smith-Schuster, there is a ton of competition among the Steelers receiving corps and lots of question marks.
Donte Moncrief will enter camp as the No. 2. Moncrief is an outside presence to stretch the field and he’s going to have a shot to surprise a lot of people.
Theres hope in the organization that James Washington takes a big step into year 2 and eventually becomes that No. 2 option in 2019, but with everyone outside of Smith-Schuster, it’s a wait and see.
The Steelers now have three similar receivers in Diontae Johnson, Eli Rogers and Ryan Switzer who will be battling for playing time.
If you looked at the Steelers biggest needs on day 2 in how the board was breaking by pick 66, the options were OLB, WR and CB.
Time will tell if the Steelers passing on Chase Winovich ends up being a mistake.
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I’d rather Pens lose in a 4-0 1st round sweep with their roster vs do what Carolina is doing. How embarrassing for the NHL. A scrub no name team going to walk into the ecf.
This team needs a good upcoming quarterback
Stick to what you know, hockey.
So we are okay with banged up Ben
Yes, for another 3 years. He’s still a top tier qb in the league.
Brady, Brees, Rodgers are the top.
Then you have a 2nd tier that includes Ben, Luck, Wilson, Rivers and Ryan.
I’d like to see Mahomes do it more than 1 year before putting him next to Brady, Brees and Rodgers. Definately has the skillset to get there.
https://twitter.com/cover_1_/status/1102928754135969793?s=21
Steelers 7th round pick easily taking care of Winovich here
Winovich will be a depth guy that tries hard. If he wasn’t from the area, no one would care about him.
So because he’s from TJ he got a scholarship at a powerhouse like Michigan, then earned high pre-draft grades and then eventually drafted by the Patriots in the 3rd round? Interesting. The Nix and DeCicco brothers missed out on that privilage.
No, because he’s from tj everyone in Pittsburgh wants him. If he went to hs in Michigan, no one here would care. Johnson looks electric anyway.
“The Steelers are nailing this draft.” -Louis Riddick
Based upon?
They got Bush, he’s a home run and will start day 1.
They have not improved their pash rush, safeties or te at all. 3 glaring weaknesses in the draft will still be glaring weaknesses walking out of the draft.
It’s crazy to expect to fill all those holes with guys in late rounds. The TE they got is supposed to be a good blocker and we have a pass catching TE. You act like they should be taking Sean Taylor in round 3 or 4. Even late first rounders are far from a sure thing.
Judging by your hockey posts, if you hate these guys, they will probably work out.
He was mad a couple years ago when they reached on Watt and grabbed a WR named JuJu when the team had bigger needs.
#jarrywatch2023
Really? Watt’s my high motor white guy, why would I be mad? Loved JuJu after watching him vs PSU in the Rose Bowl. So try again please.
Steelers should be drafting a wr in the top 3 rounds every year, but ones that are real wr’s not kick returners.
Should have drafted: 1.) Bush 3a.) Polite or Winovich. Immediate backup help and should develop into Dupree’s replacement 3b.) i’m good with Layne 4.) Riley Ridley. More polished wr who could replace Washington as a #2 if he fails instead of drafting Johnson who is going to battle Switzer for slot/kick returning duties. 5.) Mike Weber – good big back from OSU who should battle for 2/3 job with Samuels. 6a.) Kaden Smith. Much better TE prospect. Gentry is listed as not even draftable because his hands are so bad. 6b.) Sutton Smith goes here to replace Chickillo in 2020… Read more »
With his size and background at Michigan, teams might be tempted to play him as a combination tight end with run-blocking duties, but he’s much better-suited in space than in the trenches. Gentry runs pretty well and moves fluidly as a route-runner, but his hands and focus can be maddening. He showed flashes of what he could do with a more capable quarterback last year, but his disappointing workouts and testing might have pushed back and out of the draft. Gentry has a rare combination of height, weight and arm length, but he has marginal top-end speed. His size creates… Read more »
Granderson or Jelks ?
Harmon?
Sutton Smith is a very good value pick.
Got the high motor white guy you covet
He’s the chickillo replacement idiot. They don’t have a olb to replace dupree yet. Not next year they can spend a #1 on that guy. Colbert is a terrible drafter, but you don’t know what you’re watching or what the team is made of or how their future looks.
Replacing a guy they just signed for $4M per year. Makes sense.
It does, kid plays special teams for a year and then steps into the backup role letting you cut chickillo next year. You really can’t be this dumb can you?
But you just said Colbert cant draft, yet you have this guy as a valuable contributor. Lol
You should hit on a higher % than colbert does. He’s terrible.
“Steelers are having the best draft so far.” -Louis Riddick
3 of 5 picks on offense.
TE with no hands or speed and can’t run after the catch. But he’s 6’8″. Great pick.
Im OK with not taking a OLB that cant pass rush simply because hes a high motor white guy from Pittsburgh.
Ya, double BB up in new england is an idiot. What does he know about drafting.
We’re much better off with a wr who is better known as a kick returner in a league that is phasing out the kicking game. Brilliant.
Winovich was a good value there for them but the Pats needed an OLB with minimal pass rush ability more than the Steelers, who has Bud Dupree.
Johnson over Winovich is the new Jason Worilds over Sean Lee. We’ll be talking about this stupid decision for 10 years while Winovich is killing it in NE.
Draft Mack Wilson and cut Vince Williams would be a ballsy move, but they won’t.
Too many good safeties not to go there in round 4 and it’s a position of need.
OLB is where i’d go in 5.
TE, Punter, Guard, RB all round 6 and 7 guys.
I would not have passed him up.