1, 2, 2, 2
1, 1, 1, 1
1, 3, 2
What is that you ask? That is the breakdown of the possible starters at midseason on defense and what round they were drafted. Hargraves at NT, as a 3rd rounder is the lowest drafted player. That does not necessarily mean success, having a bunch of high draft picks, but it certainly can't hurt.
Defense falling into place...
Mike Mitchell was a 2nd round pick of Oakland
Way I see it, we've given our defensive coaches some serious physical tools to work with.
Up to them to mold what they want and not take forever to do so.
Up to them to mold what they want and not take forever to do so.
The Steelers are among the NFL’s worst teams in total offense (30th) and total defense (28th). Highest paid defense in the league by far. We are lucky to have Mike Tomlin.
-
Legacy User
- Posts: 288947
- Joined: Mon Dec 02, 2019 1:19 am
I wasn't a very big fan of the Burns pick, but after watching more tape on him I'm coming around. But when you put him together with Davis and Hargrave! The draft as a whole is starting to look really good!
The Steelers are building a Nickel Starting Defense. Look at it 3-3-5.
It's the Nickel Curtain.
If that many snaps are in Nick, why not build a Nickel starting defense? Look at the asset acquisition.
It's the Nickel Curtain.
If that many snaps are in Nick, why not build a Nickel starting defense? Look at the asset acquisition.
Nothing left to do but smile, smile, smile...
Yeah, I agree Ice.
If after the bye, the starting defense has Burns, Golson, Davis and Mitchell in the secondary, has Jones, Shazier, Timmons and Dupree at LB and has Heyward, Hargraves and Tuitt at defensive line, they can do a lot of interesting things just by substituting one player out of that base.
I think that McCullers will give Hargraves "rest" on obvious running plays at NT.
They can take Jarvis Jones off the field and bring on Robert Golden for their big nickel. You would have Heyward, Hargraves and Tuitt be the D-line, with Dupree and his 270 pound body lining up to join them in a 4 man line, or lined up wide in some elephant type role. That leaves 2 LBers in Timmons and Shazier and 3 safeties in Golden, Davis and Mitchell to go along with Burns and Golson at CB. Or they bring on Gay for Golden if they need an extra CB to match up on.
It just seems like all of a sudden there is this deceptive shift to minimizing the OLBers in this defense. Whereas once we pinned all of our hopes on them getting the pressure and sacks, now I can see them being more content to have them evolve into more like a Tampa 2 type role, better in coverage. Dupree fills that need for the pass rushing OLB who can play on the D-line, rush wide, as an elephant, etc. but I don't know if they are as concerned about having a matching player on the other side of him.
The drafting of an interior pass rushing DT like Hargraves to me shows that they are not just flirting with the idea of incorporating more 4-3 elements, they are serious about it.
If after the bye, the starting defense has Burns, Golson, Davis and Mitchell in the secondary, has Jones, Shazier, Timmons and Dupree at LB and has Heyward, Hargraves and Tuitt at defensive line, they can do a lot of interesting things just by substituting one player out of that base.
I think that McCullers will give Hargraves "rest" on obvious running plays at NT.
They can take Jarvis Jones off the field and bring on Robert Golden for their big nickel. You would have Heyward, Hargraves and Tuitt be the D-line, with Dupree and his 270 pound body lining up to join them in a 4 man line, or lined up wide in some elephant type role. That leaves 2 LBers in Timmons and Shazier and 3 safeties in Golden, Davis and Mitchell to go along with Burns and Golson at CB. Or they bring on Gay for Golden if they need an extra CB to match up on.
It just seems like all of a sudden there is this deceptive shift to minimizing the OLBers in this defense. Whereas once we pinned all of our hopes on them getting the pressure and sacks, now I can see them being more content to have them evolve into more like a Tampa 2 type role, better in coverage. Dupree fills that need for the pass rushing OLB who can play on the D-line, rush wide, as an elephant, etc. but I don't know if they are as concerned about having a matching player on the other side of him.
The drafting of an interior pass rushing DT like Hargraves to me shows that they are not just flirting with the idea of incorporating more 4-3 elements, they are serious about it.
-
bradshaw2ben
- Site Admin
- Posts: 29584
- Joined: Sat Sep 21, 2019 2:51 am
- Location: Los Angeles
- Contact:
I think you're pretty much onto it, with two exceptions. Old 6th Rd Willie Gay will be one of the three CBs and Duoree is the wrong guy for elephant type. Now, if we draft Charles Tapper or Roy Robertson-Harris or somebody like that, then on nickel, that guy can roam, Duoree can edge rush or put his hand down-- you got the rest.
