Steelreign : Steelers Draft Is A Thing Of Beauty

As the 2014 NFL Draft got underway, I kept envisioning the name Kyle Fuller, being read by off by Roger Goodell, as the first pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round. Of course, being one of millions of GM's in SteelerNation, I know what the needs are and where they needed to start filling those needs even though I have never stepped one foot in the team offices or taken part in the day to day operations. So imagine my shock when Goodell announced the first pick as being Ryan Shazier, a Linebacker from Ohio State as our first pick. As I was picking up my phone to call the war room to find out why Darquez Dennard was not on his way to Pittsburgh, I realized that I'm not privy to that phone number and that I'm actually just a fan with nothing more than a personal wish list and no stake in the teams future because of an organizational position. That's a good thing as it turns out.
In Ryan Shazier, who the Steelers will move inside, they have an ILB who can stuff the run, get after the quarterback and has the speed to cover wide receivers. Teaming him up with Lawrence Timmons could give the Steelers the best ILB tandem in the NFL. The days of the Steelers giving up 6.5 yards per carry on the outside should be coming to and ends with the addition of Ryan Shazier.
With the second pick, the Steelers chose Stephon Truitt, a Defensive Lineman and from Notre Dame. This guy is a monster with an attitude. Truitt will add size and strength to a defensive front that had issues stopping the run last year. I imagine he'll start working on the inside this year, but should make his way outside to give the Steelers a pair of solid ends in him and Heyward.
Dri Archer came to the Steelers in the third round by way of Kent State, and to put it simply about the diminutive RB/WR/KR, you can't tackle what you can't catch. In this year's combine, the 5'73/4" 168 lb Archer ran the second fastest 40 yard dash ever, after averaging 9 YPC while at Kent State. Comparable to Darren Sproles, Archer should be a third down nightmare for defenses league wide, in spread formations, with the multiple roles he can play.
The Steelers got the big wide receiver they were looking for in the fourth round when they picked up Clemson wide out, Martavis Bryant. At 6'4" 200 lbs, he has a solid catch radius and blew the top off coverages in his first real chance at significant playing time. I'm sure it helped having Sammy Watkins lining up on the opposite side of the offense, but the fact is, Bryant has crazy potential, especially if Antonio Brown's work ethic rubs off on him. There is no doubt in my mind if he would have had another season with the production he put on film this year, he would have been a top five receiver this season. This is a low risk, HUGE reward type of pick.
Perhaps the steal of the draft for the Steelers came when they snagged Jordan Zumwalt, a Linebacker from UCLA, in the sixth round. Some had him rated as going in the late third, early fourth round. While there isn't anything about him that particularly stands out, he has a continuous motor that he combines with an excess of heart to get the job done, think Mike Vrable. Also in the sixth round, the Steelers drafted another monster along to man the defensive line in Daniel McCullers, Tennessee, who Kevin Colbert has already labeled an "Obstruction". At 6'7" 345lbs, he should be **** near impossible to move when he learns to play with leverage.
The Steelers did a fantastic job of filling needs with players who possess speed, explosiveness and power, and while it's impossible to apply a true grade to a draft class for two to three years down the road, my initial paper grade for this draft is a solid A-. Unlike previous draft classes in years when the Steelers were competing for Lombardi's, the guys from this class have a chance to compete for serious playing time and the opportunity to have an immediate impact, and I look for the top four picks to do just that. I also have high hopes for fifth round pick, CB Shaquille Richardson out of Arizona and undrafted DE Josh Mauro out of Stanford, who has been compared to Brett Keisel. If he is even half as good as "The Beard", the Steelers have a winner.
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