Steelers Draft Picks: Results, Analysis and Grades
Happy draft day, everyone, and welcome to the Pittsburgh Steelers portion of Bleacher Report’s NFL draft coverage.
It feels like it has been a lifetime since the Steelers played a meaningful snap, but as we all understand when it comes to the NFL, the season runs for a full 12 months. Ever since the unceremonious loss to the Baltimore Ravens in the first round of the playoffs, the focus for the Steelers has been to get better and get back.
Great teams are built in the draft. If you want to point to the best teams in recent history, they aren’t the franchises that throw money at free agents and hope it sticks. Instead, great franchises are built through a combination of shrewd free-agent transactions and solid draft choices.
General manager Kevin Colbert has built a strong relationship with head coach Mike Tomlin as it relates to coordinating draft picks that fit well with what Tomlin and his coaches want to do. Unfortunately, in recent drafts, it appears as if there has been something of a disconnect in terms of which players fit the best and which of their skills translated.
It has almost felt as if the Steelers staff has panicked a bit early, and you just cannot do that. The Steelers currently hold eight picks in the draft, including a sixth-round compensatory selection. Their first pick, No. 22, is the key to how this will all play out.
What are the Steelers planning to do with those picks? It's hard to ever say for certain. But the Steelers have some fairly pronounced needs. Whether it is outside linebacker, cornerback or safety, the focus of this draft must be to begin the process of getting the Steelers defense back to levels commensurate with what fans have come to expect.
The outside linebacker position is bare after the loss of Jason Worilds. Pair that with the stalled development of Jarvis Jones, and it is clear Pittsburgh cannot afford to go into 2015 without a better plan of attack. Similarly, the safety position took a hit once Troy Polamalu retired. Can Shamarko Thomas step up? The Pittsburgh front office may need to hedge its bets on that one.
At cornerback, it is less about available bodies and more about available talent. Yes, longtime veteran Ike Taylor is gone, but the real problem is the questionable level of skill among those that remain. If Cortez Allen can’t turn his career around, the unit will take a significant hit. Look for size and athleticism among the prospects Pittsburgh will consider.
In addition, look for Pittsburgh to address tertiary needs, like depth at wide receiver, running back and tight end. These are all about planning for the future. They are positions with starters entrenched, but looking ahead at what can be made stronger down the road. Along those same lines, the Steelers may look to add a versatile defensive lineman who can play inside or outside in the 3-4 front.
Don't forget to check back here all weekend long as we provide updates, analysis and insight into every Steelers pick as the draft unfolds.
Round 1, Pick 22: Bud Dupree, LB, Kentucky
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It had to be unnerving for the Pittsburgh Steelers to be sitting at No. 22 and watching all those cornerbacks dropping like flies. First the Minnesota Vikings take Michigan State cornerback Trae Waynes at No. 11. That’s fine, but then the Houston Texans take Wake Forest’s Kevin Johnson at No. 16 and the Kansas City Chiefs take Washington’s Marcus Peters at No. 18.
This was disconcerting with cornerback as a need, but there is a silver lining. The upside to all these cornerbacks coming off the board early was that Kentucky linebacker Alvin “Bud” Dupree fell to Pittsburgh at No. 22. This was a huge get for the Steelers in the first round. With its 3-4 defense as it is schemed, the need for an elite pass-rushing outside linebacker with size was of top priority.
Dupree really is the ideal prospect for Pittsburgh and what it wants to do. At 269 pounds, he is powerful at the point of attack and can really command the edge against the run. However, at the same time, it is his ability to turn power into speed as a rusher that makes him ideal.
It will be interesting to see how much the Steelers use Dupree standing up in space. However, if his initial impact is only as a situational rusher, he is more than worth this pick. Steelers fans haven’t seen a player with this combo of size, speed and power since linebacker James Harrison was in his absolute prime.
Grade: A+
Round 2 Pick 56: Senquez Golson, CB, Mississippi
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When the second day of the 2015 NFL draft started, the Pittsburgh Steelers were still riding the high of getting Kentucky linebacker Bud Dupree in the first round. Feeling good, the Steelers could do no wrong with their second-round selection, right?
As the immortal Lee Corso would say, “No so fast, my friend.” With a group of cornerbacks already considered undersized, Pittsburgh needed to consider one of the defensive backs left on the board that would provide them with some length and athleticism.
So, with this information and the plethora of players to pick from, the Pittsburgh Steelers select diminutive Mississippi cornerback Senquez Golson. Checking in at a towering 5’9”, Golson just adds more of what this team already has. Small, hard-working and physical cornerbacks
It is hard to picture a player like Golson lining up outside and covering taller wide receivers. And with his aggressive style, look for him to miss some plays, which would again match with what the current crop of cornerbacks already do well.
Grade: B-
Round 3, Pick 87: Sammie Coates, WR, Auburn
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After spending the first two picks on adding help for the defense, the Pittsburgh Steelers looked to offense in the third round with Auburn wide receiver Sammie Coates. This is one of those picks that might not look very efficient on its surface based on the position, but when you look at it from a position of value, Coates makes perfect sense.
There are few wide receivers in this draft who can peel the top off a secondary like Coates can. His acceleration is deceiving, and oftentimes he is just on top of the defensive backs and past them before they realize what happened. The same applies to his short and intermediate routes. Coates is able to get into the defensive back so quickly their balance is disrupted, and he’s out of his break and in the clear.
The downside of Coates’ game is his pass-catching is sometimes forced and a bit clunky. He often lets the football get too far into his body, and that causes some untimely drops. Nevertheless, Coates’ physical gifts and surprising polish to his game makes him a great value here. The Steelers shouldn’t need him much in 2015 while he gets those soft skills up to par.
Grade: B+
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Round 4, Pick 121: Doran Grant, CB, Ohio State
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There was really no telling which direction the Pittsburgh Steelers were going to go with their fourth-round pick, but it was safe to assume it would be on defense. You could just about guarantee it was going to be a value pick and a player with excellent overall talent.
That’s exactly what the Steelers got with pick No. 122, as they selected Ohio State cornerback Doran Grant. This pick goes along with the second-round selection of Mississippi cornerback Senquez Golson. Pittsburgh recognizes that the talent at cornerback is substandard and is taking a quantity approach to adding prospects.
Grant is a solid-looking athlete with a strong frame and nice musculature. One element of his game that the Steelers will like is his willingness to come up and stick his nose into the run game and lay a hit on a running back.
In coverage, Grant struggles with press-man coverage, primarily because his lack of height (5’10”), which makes him a better candidate to line up in the slot. The Steelers need to keep him in schemes that allow him to keep his shoulders square to the line of scrimmage so his lateral quickness and agility can be utilized.
Pittsburgh should have a nice problem in figuring out where to play Grant and Golson, as both bring solid skill sets and the ability to flip the field with a quick turnover.
Grade: B
Round 5, Pick 160: Jesse James, TE, Penn State
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With pick No. 160 in the 2015 NFL draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers looked close to home for help on offense with Penn State tight end Jesse James. If there was ever a match made in football heaven, it is James headed to the Steelers.
James is a massive target (6’7”, 261 pounds), with lots of room to grow. His style of play, if that’s what you want to call it, is good but not great, with lots of tools to work with. He flashed some impressive hands and a knack for using his body to create separation in the passing game. He also shows himself to be a downright dominant in-line blocker in the run game.
Unfortunately, he didn’t show any of those things on a consistent basis, hence he finds himself in the fifth round. Effort with James was always a concern, along with a lack of focus on details due to his physical advantage. Having him in the mix with Heath Miller could be exactly what he needs to push his game to a point where he can be a legitimate player in the NFL.
Grade: C+
Round 6, PIck 199: Leterrius Walton, DT, Central Michigan
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The Pittsburgh Steelers found themselves a real diamond in the rough in the sixth round of the 2015 NFL draft. Pittsburgh was able to scoop up Central Michigan defensive tackle Leterrius Walton, and he is a pick to keep an eye on.
Walton is a player who has been steadily improving during his college career. A penetrating interior defensive lineman with excellent lower-body strength and great vision to identify the football. In the Steelers' 3-4 scheme, Walton is a nice hybrid 5-technique defensive end and 0-technique nose. However, his real strength for this team could be in sub-packages as a one-gap penetrating tackle.
At this point in the draft, it is hard to think of any prospect as anything of a good pick. The Steelers took a player in Walton who is all upside. There’s no rush to get him on the field, but think about the 320-pound Walton lined up inside next to 352-pound defensive tackle Daniel McCullers. There might not be enough hands on the interior to block all that beef.
Grade: B
Round 6, Pick 212: Anthony Chickillo, DE, Miami
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If I didn't know better, I might think the Pittsburgh Steelers drafted Miami defensive end Anthony Chickillo so that they could switch to a 4-3 defense in 2015. Nevertheless, the choice of Chickillo with pick No. 212 marks a change in philosophy for Pittsburgh, and he fits right in.
Some might have viewed the Steelers using a first-round pick on Kentucky linebacker Bud Dupree as a tremendous value and a player to move to outside linebacker. But when they turn around five rounds later and draft another player with a similar skill set, you have to wonder if the Steelers are seriously considering a move to the 4-3.
Like Dupree, Chickillo is a big, thick athlete with an explosive first step who plays with tremendous effort. The question is will the Steelers want to get him bigger than his 267 pounds in hopes of making him a 5-technique defensive end? Or maybe they will trim him back a bit to play a standing outside linebacker. Or maybe they will just leave him right where he is and pair him up Dupree as a powerful and dynamic defensive end tandem.
Grade: B+
Round 7, Pick 239: Gerod Holliman, S, Louisville
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You had to know that the Pittsburgh Steelers weren’t going to do anything subtle with their final pick of the 2015 NFL draft. After spending three days snatching up players who combined talent and need in the most delightful ways, drafting Louisville safety Gerod Holliman in the seventh round made perfect sense.
There was a time when Holliman was heralded as one of the top safeties in this draft, reason being the film shows a player with excellent size and tremendous instincts and ball skills. It is easy to become enamored with a player who seems to be able to find the football in such an effortless manner.
Unfortunately, a more critical look at his game shows a safety who is one of the worst tacklers of any defensive back in the draft. This deficiency poses a unique challenge for the Steelers and their coaches. Nevertheless, this staff has some coaches who can work wonders, so there is a worse canvas to work on than Holliman.
Grade: B-
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