Artie Burns...

[papillon]

Okay, so he let up two touchdowns in two seasons...how many passes have actually gone his direction then?

They threw two passes in his direction in two years, they just happened to go for touchdowns. Is that a bad thing?

Pappy

[Rara]

They threw two passes in his direction in two years, they just happened to go for touchdowns. Is that a bad thing?

Pappy

I understand the two passes he gave up for touchdowns...I want to know the percentage of passes were thrown right into Burns' direction is what I'm asking for.

[Rara]

Don't get me wrong...I feel for the kid with his life right now (mother dying this year, rest her soul..and his dad not being able to be there for him), but just isn't that great of a pick for me right now.

[papillon]

I understand the two passes he gave up for touchdowns...I want to know the percentage of passes were thrown right into Burns' direction is what I'm asking for.

I'm just having a little fun, personally, I don't get hung up in the specific player the Steelers draft, I'm concerned with the position. I let the evaluating to the scouts, front office and coaching staff, I just assume they have a clue. So for me right now the Steelers did good, we need cornerbacks.

I hope they draft an OLB, DE and a player that can play both guard and tackle for depth.

Pappy

[Shoe]

There's no doubt that Burns has potential to be great. It is all semantic: let's say we take a guy that we all love in the 2nd. That means that guy will pan out to be a steal (i.e. a 1st round pick), and Burns would be our 2nd. As a 2nd, I doubt anyone could quibble with the guy.

Again, the guy is has the tools to be an excellent player in his own right. I would've liked to hear other names, but this guy isn't like drafting an absolute bum like (e.g.) Mike Adams.

[RuthlessBurgher]

I want my first pick to be as close to a sure thing as possible, and this guy is the opposite of that...the definition of a boom-or-bust prospect. He has the raw athleticism to be potentially dominant, but he's extremely raw. I'd be more confident if we had a Mike Munchak level DB coach to mold him...this is where we find out what we have in Carnell Lake as a coach.

If we got William Jackson III, he might have been able to start opposite Gay from day one with Golson in the slot, but with Burns, we'll have to use Gay and Cockrell outside and Golson inside while Burns gets coached up...contribute on special teams until you are ready for prime time.

When I thought we'd have a shot at WJIII, I didn't want to trade down, but when Cincy nabbed him in front of us, I'm surprised we didn't trade down with Denver at that point to get an extra 3rd rounder. But the fact that we turned in our card so fast with the opportunity to field calls from other teams could mean that Burns may have been the guy we were targeting all along and wasn't necessarily the panic reach pick that many are making it out to be.

From what I've read about him so far, he seems like a really good kid, and he will certainly be motivated to succeed since he has to take care of his two teenage brothers now as well as his own young son. It's too bad that when the NFL Network coverage was about to tell Burns' story, that Denver traded up to get Lynch, and then all of the sudden the Burns pick was an afterthought.

If there is one silver lining to this whole thing, the last time we drafted a record setting hurdler at CB in the first round, we got Hall of Famer Rod Woodson. So we've got that going for us, which is nice.

I don't understand the folks comparing this pick to the Jarvis Jones pick, since they couldn't be more different...on one hand, you got a guy with elite college stats put tested poorly, and on the other hand you have an athletic marvel who is very raw as a football player. Two diametrically opposed animals right there.

And squidkid can't call us all mindless sheep who proclaim every pick the "steal of the draft" no matter what, since I don't see anyone doing that now. But now that he's a Steeler, I will support him wholeheartedly.

[RuthlessBurgher]

There's no doubt that Burns has potential to be great. It is all semantic: let's say we take a guy that we all love in the 2nd. That means that guy will pan out to be a steal (i.e. a 1st round pick), and Burns would be our 2nd. As a 2nd, I doubt anyone could quibble with the guy.

Again, the guy is has the tools to be an excellent player in his own right. I would've liked to hear other names, but this guy isn't like drafting an absolute bum like (e.g.) Mike Adams.

Yeah, but that happened when we took the best overall player in the draft in Le'Veon Bell in round 2, but folks still spew venom at our first pick that year, Jarvis Jones.

[Captain Lemming]

Okay, so he let up two touchdowns in two seasons...how many passes have actually gone his direction then?

Enough passes that he allows a STINKIN FORTY QB RATING.
So when QBs do throw his way they look horrible.

[SteelYinzer]

Total panic move and am very disappointed more than Jackson III going one spot before Pittsburgh. You had Billings, Reed and Robinson there for defensive tackle and you push the panic button. Someone please talk me into this pick, as of right now...disgusted.

It was a panic move. Sad thing is the secondary almost deserves to be panicked over at this point. I love the size speed combo and upside. However he rates poorly and is a project. No problem with that either except I have no faith in our coaches to get the most out of him because nothing this last decade shows me they're capable. Of course, they haven't exactly been given much to work with so this will be a nice change for them. They needed a corner, all the better ones were taken. So instead of taking a late round project they took a 1st round project. I'm sure some are ecstatic because we're starved for people in the secondary and just about anyone is better than last year so that's fine. Don't hate the choice. I'd rather have WJ3 but that ship sailed to the Bungles who got a great player who probably plays and helps day one. I'm actually worried Burns might not even see the field in 2016. At least we have the raw talent. Now all they need is coaching. At least we'll know for certain once and for all if we have good coaches after he either succeeds or fails. He shows glimpses of Ike with hands. I'll fricken take that if he reaches that upside.

[Captain Lemming]

It was a panic move. Sad thing is the secondary almost deserves to be panicked over at this point. I love the size speed combo and upside. However he rates poorly and is a project. No problem with that either except I have no faith in our coaches to get the most out of him because nothing this last decade shows me they're capable. Of course, they haven't exactly been given much to work with so this will be a nice change for them. They needed a corner, all the better ones were taken. So instead of taking a late round project they took a 1st round project. I'm sure some are ecstatic because we're starved for people in the secondary and just about anyone is better than last year so that's fine. Don't hate the choice. I'd rather have WJ3 but that ship sailed to the Bungles who got a great player who probably plays and helps day one. I'm actually worried Burns might not even see the field in 2016. At least we have the raw talent. Now all they need is coaching. At least we'll know for certain once and for all if we have good coaches after he either succeeds or fails. He shows glimpses of Ike with hands. I'll fricken take that if he reaches that upside.

Ike was EXACTLY who came to mind for me.
They had the same "raw athlete" label on him too.

Ike with hands?

I would take that in the first every day of the week.

[Captain Lemming]

"He's a former track star" "Colbert likes his character"

...REALLY? THAT'S WHY YOU DRAFT SOMEONE? NOT TALENT, SKILL..? Wow, I can't even go to sleep now that I'm so upset.

"Talent"?
Track speed.....that's talent
Skill? Six picks, 40 QB rating, THAT seems like "skill" to me.
Tecnique seems to need polish, but to allow a 40 QB rating DESPITE BAD TECNIQUE?
Thats pretty impressive.

[SteelYinzer]

Ike was EXACTLY who came to mind for me.
They had the same "raw athlete" label on him too.

Ike with hands?

I would take that in the first every day of the week.

Yeah, close. Except Ike is 6'2" and ran a 4.2 and a 4th rounder lol!! But yeah, both are raw, more upright, and faced much lower levels of competition. Burns might be further along. It took Ike 3 years to crack the starting lineup but once he did he was excellent. Burns is going to look real good wearing the Steelers jersey and if he pans out we will be singing Colbert and Tomlin's praises.

[SteelCrazy]

The kid is very good. Jackson is very similar. I'm confused as to why people would be thrilled with Jackson and not this kid. In my mock, I had Jackson as our pick as did a few others and MOST hated that idea, but now are upset it didn't happen.

I think some are more upset over the fact that Cincy took Jackson then they are that we took Burns and now he's the scapegoat.

[Oviedo]

But now that he's a Steeler, I will support him wholeheartedly.

Yep. Not the pick I wanted but after this weekend I'm pulling for the kid 100% because he's a Steeler now and until he proves he can't do the job he deserves the benefit of the doubt

Bigger concern now should be--can Carnell Lake get him to be the player he can be. Track record recently hasn't been good.

[RuthlessBurgher]

Ike was EXACTLY who came to mind for me.
They had the same "raw athlete" label on him too.

Ike with hands?

I would take that in the first every day of the week.

I think it was Artie Burns who made an impressive one handed catch during Combine field drills in Indy.