5 more selections til...Martavis Bryant!!!

[DukieBoy]

A bust before he has the chance to prove it ?

4th round and later picks who make the team and contribute are bonuses, to my way of thinking. Hope with pro coaching he can be somebody on this team.

[NJ-STEELER]

I don't understand why? He was chased into the draft because under-class-man were starting to get the balls that were being thrown his way, to them instead. He has top-end speed....and, that's it. He double clutches a lot of balls, that should have been caught cleanly. He runs sloppy routes. He is unfocused. He will not find himself open on the NFL level. .

if he did all that well, he'd be a 1st round pick

[steelblood]

Eh cut Sb a break, he actually has a point with this one. The reason I'm not upset is because we spent a 4th, and I believe he was a good value in the 4th. He isn't a natural pass catcher...I made note of that in an earlier post. He isn't a polished route runner. But, he does have good top end speed once he gets going...and that is going to provide the running game some breathing room. I believe he has the ability to keep safeties honest. He is also a legit redzone guy...which this team desperately needs.

Shawn, Mike Wallace was not a polished route runner and had shaky hands too. It worked out pretty well. This guy can instantly be a deep threat and red zone target. Some of the catches he DOES make are unbelievable. I LOVE the pick. Antonio Brown should take him under his wing, because if his hands develop Brown will face single coverage and B corners for the rest of his career.

[RobinCole]

Most of the good college receivers are deficient in route-running. They can succeed in college on physical ability. Those that arrive in NFL camps either need a complete makeover or a lot of refinement.

[hawaiiansteel]

Ben gets his big WR

Ray Fittipaldo



It turns out Ben Roethlisberger wasn't the only person at the Steelers offices that wanted a big receiver. The coaches had been coveting one as well and they too got their wish Saturday afternoon when they selected Clemson receiver Martavis Bryant in the fourth round of the draft.

The Steelers promised Roethlisberger a tall receiver and Bryant fits the bill. He is 6 feet 4 and weighs 211 pounds. The top three receivers on the roster – Antonio Brown, Markus Wheaton and Lance Moore – are all 6 feet or under.

“We felt like we needed a guy different from what we had,” Steelers receivers coach Richard Mann said. “He’ll be a great weapon for us in the red zone. What he does really well is track the football. I’m surprised he lasted long.”

Bryant, one of the 98 underclassmen in the draft, started 13 games for the Tigers and caught 61 passes for 1,354 yards.

“If he had stayed another year he’d be a first-rounder for sure,” Mann said. “He didn’t play that much. We’re delighted to have him.”

[URL]http://sportsblogs.post-gazette.com/sports/steelers-steelers-blog/2014/05/10/Reaching-for-Needs/stories/201405100003[/URL]

[MicroBioSteel]

Looks like PLEX! I only know that because someone also compared him to Benjamin combine stats and they look the same also. Also thank you guys for me not feeling crazy that sickbeats is nuts! I felt all along there for awhile and like I was attacking him. THAT is not me. It is just SO strange for me that on draft day you would not give your team the benefit of the doubt on these picks till they at least suck it up on the field? Then feel free to bitch. NO ONE is great at drafting so I am lost with this guy.

Yes it is Plex. We spent the 8th overall pick on Plex and we get Martavias with very comparable measurables at 118. That's great value!

[Flasteel]

Yes it is Plex. We spent the 8th overall pick on Plex and we get Martavias with very comparable measurables at 118. That's great value!

More like Plax light. Bryant is an inch shorter and at least 20 lbs lighter. If I remember correctly, Plax was dogged a little by the same kind of immaturity/effort issues as Bryant, but I can't think of too many other similarities. This guy is quite a bit faster and has a 39 inch vertical, which might allow him to be an even bigger mismatch against corners. Let's hope his hands turn out to be a good comparison with Plax's. If so (and he can stay healthy), I agree that he will be a great value.

[SteelerOfDeVille]

curious how different this thread would have looked had they NOT taken bryant with that selection...

[feltdizz]

curious how different this thread would have looked had they NOT taken bryant with that selection...

Bryant would be a HOFer if we passed on him.

[ikestops85]

Bryant would be a HOFer if we passed on him.

He still will be