Now, with the 2019 NFL draft in the books, we have a chance to sit back and take a long look at what this draft means to the Steelers this season and down the road. Pittsburgh made a big move in the first round to land inside linebacker Devin Bush. Pittsburgh drafted eight other players but the reality is this draft will be defined by how Bush performs.
Here are our three big takeaways from the Steelers draft.
Character mattered more than ever
What did we hear over and over with this draft class? What good people they are, high character, leaders and love playing football. The Steelers have divested themselves of the drama that has hung over the team’s head for the last two years and is moving forward with a focus on getting guys who are more than just good football players.
Steelers threw their own philosophy out the window
In their pre-draft press conference, the Steelers noted they do not draft for need and honor the philosophy of drafting the best player available even when it’s close. But judging by the massive trade to go up and get Bush as well as their choice in the third round of wide receiver Diontae Johnson, they went counter to their beliefs. I’m not saying I disagree with the moves but neither of those picks felt like they fell in line with what general manager Kevin Colbert said just days before.
The team is better than they were on Wednesday
For many teams, it takes some time to evaluate the picks to determine just how much, if any the team is made better immediately by their draft choices. This isn’t the case with the Steelers. Guys like Bush, Justin Layne, Benny Snell Jr. and Isaiah Suggs are easy improvements over the guys on the roster they are soon to replace.
