The Steelers had clear needs on defense, and they hit all of them in the draft. Five of their seven picks were on the defensive side of the ball and all five play different positions. As general manager Kevin Colbert put it “If these guys help us win a championship, it worked out.”
1st Round, 25th overall: corner back Artie Burns (Miami)
2nd Round, 58th overall: safety Sean Davis (Maryland)
3rd Round, 89th overall: defensive tackle Javon Hargrave (South Carolina State)
4th Round, 123rd overall: offensive tackle Jerald Hawkins (LSU)
6th Round: 220th overall: outside linebacker Travis Feeney (Washington)
7th Round: 229th overall: wide receiver DeMarcus Ayers (Houston)
7th Round: 246th overall: linebacker Tyler Matakevich (Temple)
Steelers 2016 Draft Grade: 7.5/10
Pittsburgh Steelers 2016 NFL Draft Review
The Best Player: While Artie Burns is the first round pick, the most likely day one starter is Javon Hargrave. Hargrave has all of the potential to be the gem of this draft as well. A former basketball player and small school phenom, the 6’1″ 309 pound nose tackle created 29.5 sacks in the past two years in becoming a two-time FCS Defensive Player of the Year award. Hargrave is 23 and is the most NFL ready of any of the players drafted by the Steelers, and the Steelers having a hole at the nose tackle position after losing Steve MClendon will look to fill it with Hargrave. It will be interesting to see if the rookie can jump in and make a difference in between emerging young talents Cameron Heyward and Stephon Tuitt and give them the dominate front they once had.
Head-Scratcher: When looking back on it, none of the picks really come out as much of a surprise. However, the selection of Jerald Hawkins was a bit questionable. Many rated him later than a fourth round pick as he is a bit of a project and the Steelers reached up and grabbed him in the fourth round. While they did not have a fifth round pick, it was reported that they had intentions on trading up into the fifth if a player of their choice was there. You have to wonder if they could have taken that player in the fourth, traded up and got Hawkins, or if they could have even waited until pick 220 to take Hawkins.
The Surprise: Again, not much of a surprise in the grand scheme of things, but about ten minutes before the Steelers first round selection, the majority of Pittsburgh fans saw William Jackson III going to their team. Their division rival Bengals ended that thought by taking him one pick before the Steelers were on the clock, and the Steelers quickly went to their next corner back available in Artie Burns. Burns has third round ability, with first round potential. He is tall, athletic, long arms, all the parts you want in your corner back, he is just raw in his abilities. It would be a stretch to expect an impact as a rookie and for a team with immediate needs on defense you could have thought they would have went to find a more game ready option, but they stuck to their board and you cannot knock them for that.
The Steal: Javon Hargrave selected in third round should be looked at as a steal. On tape, this kid was as good as any of the premier defensive line prosepcts in this draft. The fact that he went to a small school can sway the opinions and it will be a major step up for him, but he has the footwork and size and those are two major pieces when looking at a third round pick. If they are looking long term in the first round, it should be looked at as a big plus to potentially get a day one starter in the third.
Most Likely to turn heads in training camp: Sean Davis was not mentioned yet but he could end up as the best player and the steal if he is coached up. Davis played essentially every position in the secondary in his college career. Last year, as a corner back he had rough tape but you can see his abilities as a guy who can run down hill and make tackles, particularly in the run defense. Davis is a very physical player, and the Steelers must have seen the abilities that he had while miscast. He will be competing with Robert Golden for a starting job this year, and with his time dedicated to one position and one role now, he could come out of training camp as the Steelers starting safety.
The Rest: Travis Feeney is an undersized outside linebacker with a lot of speed. He makes out to be a special teams player and a player that linebackers coach Joey Porter can get in the weight room and see if something can come out in a few years. DeMarcus Ayers is another player to watch in training camp as he will be competing for a roster spot as the starting punt returner. Antonio Brown has been the punt returner for too long, and they have tried to replace him in many ways. The Steelers failed to do this in 2014 when drafting Dri Archer in the third round, but this time it would just cost them a seventh which makes it a much better investment. Tyler Matakevich was the 2015 Bronco Nagurski award winner and is a house hold name for college football enthuisists. In the NFL he is a bit slower and undersized, but he has insticts and that you cannot teach. In the immediate future he will be looking to earn a helmet as a special teamer, but more than likely will end up on practice squad.
Bottom Line: At the end of the day you cannot hate what the Steelers did. They hit every need that they needed to, and went with young, high upside players. The biggest question that will come from this draft is how long it will take the first three picks to see the field. They do not need much other than special teams help from the late round players, but they should be looking for some type of production from these players. Burns will compete with 2015 second round pick Senquez Golson and Ross Cockrell for time, Hargrave will compete with Dan McCullers, and Davis with Golden. None of those jobs are hard to take, so you should hope that there can be some help in year one from this class.
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