3 Steelers with the potential to be the best in the NFL at their positions

The Steelers have made some exciting draft selections over the past several years. While some picks prove to be nothing more than disappointments, underachievers, or just plain bad, others show great potential to be among the best in the NFL at their positions.

There’s no doubt the Steelers have missed on their share of draft selections in recent years. Jarvis Jones was a bust, Artie Burns isn’t panning out, and Senquez Golson never suited up for a game before being cut by the Steelers.

But along with some of these draft misses comes great success. Here are 3 Steelers players who will one day have a chance to be among the best players in the league at their positions:

T.J. Watt, EDGE

This shouldn’t be overly surprising to anyone who watched him in the second half of the Steelers’ 2018 season. T.J. Watt was playing like a man on fire from week 10 on last year, and Pro Football Focus praised him for his efforts.

Here’s what they had to say:

"No edge defender won at a higher rate as a pass-rusher than Watt in Weeks 13-16, as he led his peers in pass-rush win rate (26.9) after recording just a 12.4 pass-rush win rate in his first 11 games of the year. Even though he’s logged just two sacks in the span, Watt has earned the fifth-highest pass-rush grade (85.8) among the 47 edge defenders with 100-plus pass-rush snaps in the last four weeks."

Watt was dominant toward the end of the year, and quickly developed into one of the most efficient edge rushers in the league. Entering into his 3rd NFL season and coming off a year with 68 tackles, 13.0 sacks, and 6 forced fumbles, Watt could hear his name called with the best pass rushers in the NFL as early as this year.

JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR

JuJu isn’t the quickest or fastest receiver in the league. He can struggle with concentration drops at times and he doesn’t create a ton of separation on his breaks. However, the young Steelers receiver is quickly emerging as a star receiver in the NFL.

While JuJu possesses the statistics to backup these claims (111 catches, 1,426 yards, 7 touchdown in 2018), his play goes far beyond measurable numbers.

Smith-Schuster is dangerous in space and a violent receiver after the catch. His clutch factor always seems to kick in at the end of games, and he was the sole reason the Steelers were able to come back and win against Jacksonville this past season.

JuJu has the potential to be a number one receiver, and he will be just 22 years old for a majority of the 2019 season. Imagine what he will be able to do with a few more years under his belt.

Devin Bush, LB

Call me crazy, but I really believe that Devin Bush has the potential to be among the very best in the league at his position. It seems like an outrageous claim for a player who has yet to play a snap in a Steelers uniform, but let me explain why this will be the case.

Bush was one of the youngest players in the draft at 20 years old. He was a two time team captain at 19 and 20 years old, and was the recipient of the Big Ten Player of the Year award in 2018.

Devin Bush is a phenomenal athlete who tested in the 97th percentile, but his film indicates that he is so much more than an athlete.

Bush has devoted his whole life to football with his father, Devin Bush Sr., as his mentor and coach. With Bush’s rare combination of football IQ, instincts, and athleticism, he will have a chance to be one of the best linebackers in the NFL.