Pittsburgh Steelers Draft Profile: Michigan ILB Devin Bush

The Pittsburgh Steelers have their eyes on defense in the 2019 NFL Draft, and the first-round could bring plenty of options at a number of positions.

All stats and measurements come from mgoblue.com.

School: Michigan

Position: Inside Linebacker

Age: 20

Height: 5′-11’’

Weight: 233 Ibs

Career Stats: 194 Total Tackles, 19.5 TFL, 10.5 Sacks, 1 Interception, and 15 Passes Defensed

Career Highlights: Consensus All American (2018), Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year (2018)

Draft Projection: 1st Round, Pick: 10 – 20

Strengths

Bush is a great athlete with the speed to fly sideline to sideline. He has the instincts you look for in a linebacker and flies to the ball with a vengeance. He has the skills all teams are looking for in a modern linebacker with outstanding coverage skills that will allow him to stay on the field all three downs against modern, pass happy offenses.

Weaknesses

The biggest knock on White is his size. He is even smaller than Ryan Shazier was entering the draft a few years ago. There is concern about a player of his stature holding up to the rigors of the NFL game. Another concern I have with Bush is the lack of production in terms of forcing turnovers. He only had one interception and didn’t force any fumbles over three seasons.

Analysis of Potential Selection

If Devin Bush is not the selection for the Steelers on draft day it is likely because he is chosen before they get a chance to select him. I can see him going to a number of different teams higher in the draft order than Pittsburgh. If he does make it to the twentieth pick this is a selection that makes a lot of sense for the Steelers in the first round. The defense hasn’t been the same since Ryan Shazier’s injury and Bush is a great prospect to fill his shoes. He is another slightly undersized linebacker prospect with outstanding athleticism, sideline to sideline playmaking ability, and the coverage skills to fit perfectly next to Vince Williams.

Grade for Potential Selection

A: If the Steelers select Bush with the twentieth pick it would be hard to find fault with the selection. His size is concerning, but he is stronger and thicker than the measurements would suggest. He is an ideal fit in the Steelers defense and would fill arguably the biggest need on the team.

The Steelers could find Bush in the first-round with the 20th pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. Follow the Still Curtain for all draft updates and player analysis.