Why we picked JuJu

[Captain Lemming]

I,like most here ( I think ) Wanted an OLB, or CB...After the JuJu pick I got to thinking.The plan has is/is/will be ( until Marsha is gone )Is to beat the Cheatriots.Will 1 edge rusher and a CB enough to beat NE...I think with Ben, Bell, AB, Bryant, JuJu, Green...That We would have a better chance of OUTSCORING them, than 1 or 2 defensive guys (drafting at 30 ) jmo...
BTW..I'm a newbie, Been following this board for years, But just started posting, so take it easy on me...lol
GO STEELERS!

Most well stated and likely true justification of the pick in this thread.

Nevertheless, we drafted a corner and safety early last season and went from 30th to 16th in pass defense in one season.
So yeah, an edge rusher and a couple of DBs early IN A DEEPER SECONDARY draft can make a HUGE difference.

Still and "average" secondary is easy for Brady to carve up.

We can go from average to "good" in one season.
Hopefully the later corners are "steals" that surpass expectations

[Cinnjerm3000]

I,like most here ( I think ) Wanted an OLB, or CB...After the JuJu pick I got to thinking.The plan has is/is/will be ( until Marsha is gone )Is to beat the Cheatriots.Will 1 edge rusher and a CB enough to beat NE...I think with Ben, Bell, AB, Bryant, JuJu, Green...That We would have a better chance of OUTSCORING them, than 1 or 2 defensive guys (drafting at 30 ) jmo...
BTW..I'm a newbie, Been following this board for years, But just started posting, so take it easy on me...lol
GO STEELERS!

Exactly what I've been preaching here lately and I think people still don't get it. It's gonna be fun watching defenses (including the Patriots) try and fail to stop this offense.

[Real Deal Steel]

Most well stated and likely true justification of the pick in this thread.

Nevertheless, we drafted a corner and safety early last season and went from 30th to 16th in pass defense in one season.
So yeah, an edge rusher and a couple of DBs early IN A DEEPER SECONDARY draft can make a HUGE difference.

Still and "average" secondary is easy for Brady to carve up.

We can go from average to "good" in one season.
Hopefully the later corners are "steals" that surpass expectations

Very decent summation captain. I'm standing on the same street corner as you on this one.

[feltdizz]

And you contested my post that said our receivers are deeper than our secondary. If that is so why did you want not just 1 but 2 secondary players before a receiver INCLUDING a corner as the first pick?

Its OK if you think Mr "chain mover" was BPA over available secondary players. But please dont try to make a case that you really saw receiver as a bigger need when your own words say otherwise..

I think our FO thought this was the case. I preferred CB in the first but obviously they still believe OLB pressure is more important than coverage.

I also believe they were we're going DB second round until their was a run on DB's.

After looking at JuJu's tape I'm not mad at all. Obviously they had Watt rated higher that the DB's.

[feltdizz]

Most well stated and likely true justification of the pick in this thread.

Nevertheless, we drafted a corner and safety early last season and went from 30th to 16th in pass defense in one season.
So yeah, an edge rusher and a couple of DBs early IN A DEEPER SECONDARY draft can make a HUGE difference.

Still and "average" secondary is easy for Brady to carve up.

We can go from average to "good" in one season.
Hopefully the later corners are "steals" that surpass expectations

maybe this is why they didn't draft a safety and corner this year in the first and second rounds?

[phillyesq]

Ben is able to lead this team up and down the field between the 20's seemingly at will.

In the red zone, though, it's another story.

JJSS is an immediate upgrade on Rogers, Ayers, Coates, DHB, etc. in terms of being a legit red zone target for Ben (or contributing as a blocker for Bell or Conner), and should develop into much more than that in time.

That is a legit point. If they were going to address the red zone offense though, I would have preferred a TE.

[Slapstick]

That is a legit point. If they were going to address the red zone offense though, I would have preferred a TE.

But, that's the problem with the draft...you don't draft a position, you draft a player...

We all post about "BPA at a position of need"...so then, do you leave a better player on the board at one need and select a player you have rated lower because the "need" is perceived to be greater?

I don't think the Steelers do that and Smith-Schuster kind of proves it...

[phillyesq]

But, that's the problem with the draft...you don't draft a position, you draft a player...

We all post about "BPA at a position of need"...so then, do you leave a better player on the board at one need and select a player you have rated lower because the "need" is perceived to be greater?

I don't think the Steelers do that and Smith-Schuster kind of proves it...

The board broke terribly for the Steelers in the second, and I get that. But I'm not sure that I see Smith-Shuster as the BPA. I think a Fabian Moreau - another big, fast corner - or Chris Wormley - another prototype DE for the Steelers system to rotate in as a pass rusher are just two examples of guys that could have helped the D.

I like that JuJu will help as a blocker, and now that he's a Steeler, I'm obviously rooting for him to succeed. I just don't love the pick for a variety of reasons, and don't have a good feeling about this draft overall.

[Ghost]

This was from Ed Bouchette:

"The next time someone in charge of the Steelers’ draft tries to peddle the idea they select the highest-rated player on the board, ask them if they also have the Liberty Bridge to sell.

This is not the first draft in which the Steelers have stuck primarily to filling needs rather than picking their most highly rated and it will not be the last. It just is one perfect example of how it is done, at least through Friday. After that, all bets were off."

[Oviedo]

This was from Ed Bouchette:

"The next time someone in charge of the Steelers’ draft tries to peddle the idea they select the highest-rated player on the board, ask them if they also have the Liberty Bridge to sell.

This is not the first draft in which the Steelers have stuck primarily to filling needs rather than picking their most highly rated and it will not be the last. It just is one perfect example of how it is done, at least through Friday. After that, all bets were off."

"Douchette" is a wind bag who has no clue what he is talking about. How does he know who the Steelers had rated where? Was he in the draft room?

[NorthCoast]

Exactly what I've been preaching here lately and I think people still don't get it. It's gonna be fun watching defenses (including the Patriots) try and fail to stop this offense.

Umm... heard those exact words last season before Bryant was suspended, Bell got hurt, and Green was a no-show for much of the season. Funny how things didn't work out...

[NJ-STEELER]

perhaps JuJu was the BPA.

I find it a little ironic in pre draft talk posters had no issues if mahomes or mixon were the picks....because they were BPA.
barring injury, those guys probably don't get as many snaps this year as JuJu will get in the offense. and ditto for the folks that wanted to double up on edge rusher in the first 2-3 rounds while having a #1 pick 2 years ago on the other side.

PS. I wanted secondary help early on as well, but i think its pretty clear how it didnt work out for us in the 2nd round

[NJ-STEELER]

"Douchette" is a wind bag who has no clue what he is talking about. How does he know who the Steelers had rated where? Was he in the draft room?

he is a windbag, but i think he's 100% correct on this

[RuthlessBurgher]

perhaps JuJu was the BPA.

I find it a little ironic in pre draft talk posters had no issues if mahomes or mixon were the picks....because they were BPA.
barring injury, those guys probably don't get as many snaps this year as JuJu will get in the offense. and ditto for the folks that wanted to double up on edge rusher in the first 2-3 rounds while having a #1 pick 2 years ago on the other side.

PS. I wanted secondary help early on as well, but i think its pretty clear how it didnt work out for us in the 2nd round

.
Yeah, I suppose that was the case.

If Zach Cunningham or Obi Melifonwu or Chidobe Awuzie or Josh Jones were still on the board at 62, and we picked Juju over them, I would likely be complaining about the pick myself (unfortunately, they all came off the board within the 6 pick preceding ours...personally I would have been trying to trade up into the mid-50's to guarantee myself Zach or Obi, but that's just me).

Looking at who was taken in the dozen or so picks after we took JJSS, the only name I was targeting would have been Jordan Willis, but we just addressed OLB at #30 with T.J. Watt.

Seems to me that Smith-Schuster was just flat out the best player available at that time, so he was the pick.

[phillyesq]

.
Yeah, I suppose that was the case.

If Zach Cunningham or Obi Melifonwu or Chidobe Awuzie or Josh Jones were still on the board at 62, and we picked Juju over them, I would likely be complaining about the pick myself (unfortunately, they all came off the board within the 6 pick preceding ours...personally I would have been trying to trade up into the mid-50's to guarantee myself Zach or Obi, but that's just me).

Looking at who was taken in the dozen or so picks after we took JJSS, the only name I was targeting would have been Jordan Willis, but we just addressed OLB at #30 with T.J. Watt.

Seems to me that Smith-Schuster was just flat out the best player available at that time, so he was the pick.

I would have liked to see the Steelers try to move up in the second as well. Even if they just jumped GB and Dallas, both of whom needed DBs, to grab Awuzie or Jones, I think they'd be in better shape. If they went a little higher and grabbed McMillan, Obi or Cunningham, again, I'd feel a lot better about the draft.

The Steelers rarely move, but this might have been a year to do it.