Breaking down the Pittsburgh Steelers' class in the 2019 NFL draft. Round 1, No. 10 overall: Devin Bush, ILB, Michigan 2019 NFL DRAFT COVERAGE What you need to know from Rounds 1-7: • Pick-by-pick analysis » • Kiper's grades » | McShay's best picks » • Team-by-team analysis » | Takeaways » • Best undrafted » | Fantasy reax » • More NFL draft coverage » My take: The Steelers went bold to solve an obvious need at inside linebacker by trading up 10 spots for one of the best overall players in the draft. At 234 pounds, Bush is versatile, instinctive, has 4.4 speed and loves to hit. Replacing Ryan Shazier in the middle of the defense required a normally conservative franchise to get aggressive, and the move should pay off. Within limits: General manager Kevin Colbert felt comfortable making the Bush deal because of the caliber of the player and what he had to give up to get him. Parting with a second-round pick was reasonable enough. But Colbert had a clear criterion: He wanted two Day 2 picks in 2019 for roster improvement. So, the Steelers threw in a third-rounder for next year and keep their two third-round picks for Friday. "Giving up the two, that's what you pay for," Colbert said. The Steelers hope Michigan's Devin Bush can be the playmaker at linebacker that they have been lacking. Christopher Hanewinckel/USA TODAY Sports Doing it all: The Steelers coveted Bush for all the boxes he checked, and the ones he refused to leave blank. Steelers coach Mike Tomlin called Bush an "all-situations player" who doesn't have to leave the field. The coach added the staff is "equally fired up" about Bush's intangibles. Bush's father, Devin Bush Sr., was an NFL safety for eight seasons. Bush believes his speed from sideline to sideline is suited for today's NFL. "I can cover. I can blitz. I can play the run, play the pass," Bush said. Diontae Johnson is a polished route-runner and a dangerous returner. Scott W. Grau/Icon Sportswire Round 3, No. 66 overall: Diontae Johnson, WR, Toledo My take: The Steelers use the pick from the Antonio Brown trade to select a player with shades of Brown. Johnson is 5-10, played in the MAC, can line up anywhere on the field and is a "naturally gifted" pass-catcher, Pittsburgh receivers coach Darryl Drake said. Sound familiar? "He can make people miss in open space," Drake said. On paper, this might be a reach -- Johnson said he expected to go in the late third or early fourth rounds -- but Johnson and Drake both insist he's quicker on the field than his 4.53 40 time suggests. "Once I put the pads on and get the ball in my hands, I'm faster," said Johnson, who visited the Steelers in the pre-draft process. Justin Layne's length and physicality could allow him to contribute early for the Steelers. Adam Ruff/Icon Sportswire Round 3, No. 83 overall: Justin Layne, CB, Michigan State My take: The Steelers get a big, physical outside corner to develop alongside veteran starters Joe Haden and Steven Nelson. Many projected Layne to go in the second round because of his frame (6-foot-2, 192 pounds) and willingness to compete at the line of scrimmage. "I didn't think he'd be around this long," Pittsburgh assistant Teryl Austin said. With Layne and inside linebacker Devin Bush, the Steelers fill two defensive needs with proven Big Ten talent. And Layne, who can begin on special teams, is eager to prove himself after a Day 2 slide. "They are gonna feel me," he said. Benny Snell Jr. had three 1,000-yard rushing seasons at Kentucky. Andy Lyons/Getty Images Round 4, No. 122 overall: Benny Snell Jr., RB, Kentucky My take: This is a prototypical Steelers pick -- a hard-nosed, between-the-tackles runner to complement James Conner. You have to love his pedigree. His great uncle, Matt Snell, rushed for 121 yards and a touchdown in the Jets' Super Bowl III upset of the Colts. His father, Benny Sr., spent time with the Ravens and played in the XFL. Snell Jr. left Kentucky as the school's all-time rushing leader despite pedestrian speed (4.7 in the 40). -- Rob Demovsky Zach Gentry, left, caught 32 passes for 514 yards and two scores during his final season at Michigan. Scott W. Grau/Icon Sportswire Round 5, No. 141 overall: Zach Gentry, TE, Michigan My take: A former quarterback prospect, Gentry is a monster target at 6-foot-8, but many felt he struggled to get off blocks at the collegiate level. Still, Gentry has the potential and natural athleticism to possibly develop into an offensive weapon, but it could take time. Selecting a tight end -- even a developmental one -- makes sense for Pittsburgh. The Steelers are searching for additional tight end help behind Vance McDonald and Xavier Grimble. -- Jeff Dickerson Round 6, No. 175 overall: Sutton Smith, OLB, Northern Illinois My take:Smith was one of the most productive pass-rushers in college football. He was one of two players to finish with at least 10 sacks in each of the past two seasons (first-round pick Montez Sweat was the other). There are questions whether he has the size to be a rush linebacker in the NFL. His immediate impact probably will come on special teams. -- Jamison Hensley Isaiah Buggs, out of Alabama, helps fill a need at defensive tackle for the Steelers. Robin Alam/Icon Sportswire Round 6, No. 192 overall: Isaiah Buggs, DT, Alabama My take: Nicknamed "Big Pooh," he played some defensive end in college but is likely to become a defensive tackle in the NFL at 6-foot-3, 306 pounds. He has a good base and is strong on the lower half of his body that should help him in the middle of the Steelers' defensive line. This, though, will be a project for Pittsburgh. -- Michael Rothstein Round 6, No. 207 overall: Ulysees Gilbert III, ILB, Akron My take: Gilbert was a tackling machine at Akron, amassing 359 in 51 career games.<doc-sep>Diontae Johnson and Justin Layne are the newest members of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Johnson, a prolific receiver out of the University of Toledo, was the 66th overall picking the draft. Layne, a shutdown cornerback out of Michigan State, was Pittsburgh's second third round pick and the 83rd overall pick in the draft. Johnson and Layne will look to add depth to two positions the Steelers hope to add more competition to as the 2019 season inches closer. Below were the immediate reactions to both selections on Friday night. The Steelers have six more picks in Day 3 of the draft.<doc-sep>With the 207th pick in the 2019 #NFLDraft, we select LB Ulysees Gilbert III. pic.twitter.com/b92DjE6WYc — Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) April 27, 2019 The Pittsburgh Steelers landed a second defensive sleeper in the sixth round with Akron linebacker Ulysees Gilbert III. Gilbert is an active, athletic linebacker who was incredibly productive at Akron. Gilbert is somewhat undersized at only 6 feet and 228 pounds, but as a linebacker/safety tweener his speed and explosion is a plus. He is an exceptional off-ball player and looks very comfortable dropping into coverage. The Steelers drafted Devin Bush, another fast, athletic inside linebacker, in the first round but obviously viewed Gilbert as just too good of a value to pass on late in the sixth round.<doc-sep>Thanks to the trade which brought the Pittsburgh Steelers inside linebacker Devin Bush, the Steelers didn’t have a second-round pick. This made the team’s two third-round picks even more important. The Steelers selected wide receiver Diontae Johnson with the first pick and cornerback Justin Layne with their second. Let’s hand out some grades. Diontae Johnson This pick felt a little forced after the trade of Antonio Brown. Johnson has some similar traits to Brown but make no mistake he doesn’t play with the precision and attention to detail Brown did. Johnson is small and he’s quick and once the football is in his hands, he can create very big plays. But considering the guys who were also available, this one just doesn’t sit well in terms of the impact he can have with the team. Grade: C- Justin Layne This cornerback class as a whole was overvalued by draft pundits compared to the league but this doesn’t mean this group is bad. You knew the Steelers were going to address cornerback but considering their history you have to take their choices with a grain of salt. But Layne at the end of the third round is a tremendous value. He’s got elite NFL length, plays physically with a ton of confidence and is a converted wide receiver. This really shows in his ability to track the football. Grade: B+<doc-sep>
The third day of the NFL draft brought even more Pittsburgh Steelers for Steeler Nation to cheer for. The list includes a punishing rusher, a couple of sack masters and a 6’8” TE. But with that, it serves up more players to serve as instant rivals to boo. Here’s who each team welcomed to oppose Pittsburgh as new members of the AFC North. GM Eric DeCosta continued to upgrade the offense in a big way. The Ravens got even speedier with Justice Hill and added, not just a backup QB, but a possible offensive weapon in Penn State’s Trace McSorley. All in all, it was a pretty solid first draft for DeCosta. Ravens have the potential to be epic on offense, but their defense was pretty close to being ignored. Round 4 Pick 113 RB Justice Hill - Oklahoma State Round 4 Pick 123 OL Ben Powers - Oklahoma Round 4 Pick 127 CB Iman Marshall - USC Round 5 Pick 160 DL Daylon Mack - Texas A&M Round 6 Pick 197 QB Trace McSorley - Penn State After so many years of appropriately being labeled so, the Browns are working hard to no longer be mistakes by the lake. After no First Round selections, GM Phillip Dorsey looked to follow up a solid Day 2 by bolstering their defense. The Browns picked up Mack Wilson, who could be a find in Round 5 and added to an already strong secondary. Round 4 Pick 119 S Sheldrick Redwine - Miami, Fla Round 5 Pick 155 ILB Mack Wilson - Alabama Round 5 Pick 170 K Austin Seibert - Oklahoma Round 6 Pick 189 OL Drew Forbes - Southeast Missouri State Round 7 Pick 221 CB Donnie Lewis Jr. - Tulane Most notably, the Bengals picked up depth at QB and OL with Michael Jordan. It was kind of an underwhelming draft up top for Cincy, but they added decent depth on Day Three.o Round 4 Pick 104 QB Ryan Finley - North Carolina State Round 4 Pick 125 DL Renell Wren - Arizona State Round 4 Pick 136 OL Michael Jordan - Ohio State Round 6 Pick 182 RB Trayveon Williams - Texas A&M Round 6 Pick 210 LB Deshaun Davis - Auburn Round 6 Pick 211 RB Rodney Anderson- Oklahoma Round 7 Pick 223 CB Jordan Brown - San Diego State How many of the above will haunt the dreams of Steeler Nation and who? That question will take a bit to be answered. But to quote Timbuk3 from 1986, “The Future’s So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades”.