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Why it’s difficult for the Steelers to draft defensive players to fit their scheme

By Eric Hassel

TAMPA, FL - FEBRUARY 01: Quarterback Kurt Warner #13 of the Arizona Cardinals fumbles the ball with :15 seconds to play as he is sacked by LaMarr Woodley #56 of the Pittsburgh Steelers during Super Bowl XLIII on February 1, 2009 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. Steelers won 27-23. (Photo by Doug Benc/Getty Images)
TAMPA, FL - FEBRUARY 01: Quarterback Kurt Warner #13 of the Arizona Cardinals fumbles the ball with :15 seconds to play as he is sacked by LaMarr Woodley #56 of the Pittsburgh Steelers during Super Bowl XLIII on February 1, 2009 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. Steelers won 27-23. (Photo by Doug Benc/Getty Images) /
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Linebackers go back to back and make an impact for the Steelers

Pictured above is Lawrence Timmons, a first-round pick in 2007; the first draft under Coach Tomlin.  The previous slide featured Lamarr Woodley, a second-round pick in 2007. Keep this in mind as we progress through our discussion:  Dick LeBeau was the defensive coordinator from 2004-2014, so 8 seasons under Coach Tomlin.  LeBeau’s Linebacker coach was none other than Keith Butler, who coached the Steelers LB’s from 2003-2014.

Lawrence Timmons, who played linebacker at Florida State, lined up at both Inside Linebacker (ILB) and Outside Linebacker (OLB) for the Steelers and was, in my opinion, solid at both positions.  LaMarr Woodley, who according to Pro-Football-Reference was a defensive end at Michigan, played OLB for the Steelers and racked up 57 sacks in his seven-year Steelers career.

I would offer that both Timmons and Woodley played well for the Steelers, so no issue with making the transition for Woodley from a DE to an OLB.  Also, no issue for Timmons as I would argue that an ILB in college, regardless of scheme, can make the transition to the NFL if the player is athletic enough to do so, which Timmons was.

In 2008, the Steelers drafted Bruce Davis out of UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles) in the third round.  According to Sports-Reference, a sub-section of Pro-Football-Reference, Davis was listed as a “DL” Defensive Lineman, a.k.a “DE”, Defensive End, in his Junior and Senior seasons.  He never made the transition from DE to OLB and was released the following season.

So why did he not make the transition as easily as Woodley did?  We will probably never be able to answer that question, but the bottom line is the Steelers used a third-round pick on a player who played one season in college at LB (his sophomore season)  and had (2) sacks as an LB, but had (24.5) sacks at “DL”, a.k.a “DE”.  What made the Steelers think he could transition from DE to LB, having played only one season at LB?  At 6′ 3″, 241 LBS, Davis was too light to play DE.  Could he have played ILB (Inside Linebacker)?  Maybe, but we’ll never know. Again, he was a third-round pick. Let that sink in for a moment.

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