Did the Steelers trade up in the first round of the draft a year too late?
By Eric Hassel
The Pittsburgh Steelers landed linebacker, Devin Bush, in the 2019 NFL Draft. However, did they trade up a year too late?
Pictured above is Leighton Vander Esch, who, according to Pro-Football-Reference, stands 6’4″ and weighs 256 LBS. He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the 2018 NFL draft at pick number 19. Vander Esch recorded 102 solo tackles, intercepted 2 passes and had 7 passes defended en route to being named to his first Pro Bowl. In the 2019 NFL draft, the Steelers traded up in the first round to select Devin Bush, LB out of Michigan, who stands 5’11” and weighs 234 LBS. So did the Steelers trade up in the first round of the draft a year too late? Let’s explore that, shall we?
You may be asking yourself this question: “How could you compare a player drafted a year ago to a player drafted this year who hasn’t even played a game yet”? I would retort with this: That is a valid question; however, the purpose of the article is to explore the possible scenarios if the Steelers had traded up in the 2018 draft to select Vander Esch.
First, let’s offer some context. It serves very little purpose to do the ‘woulda, shoulda, coulda’ experiment, but this is one of those ‘woulda, shoulda, coulda’ scenarios that may have gotten the Steelers that elusive one-more win that would have punched our ticket to the post-season dance. As it unfolded, that one win proved to be out of reach; therefore, we found ourselves out of the playoffs.
Full disclosure: I have absolutely no idea how Bush will play or what type of player he will become. Hopefully, he will exceed expectations and become the ILB the Steelers have sorely missed since Ryan Shazier’s injury. Bush is 5’11”. Vander Esch is 6’4″. I can not emphasize this enough.
Does anyone think a 5’11” LB can cover a 6’5″ TE who is streaking up the seam? Personally, I do not think that will be his strong suit. I could be wrong and I really hope I am. Bush is fast enough to keep up with the TE, having clocked a 4.43-second 40-yard dash at the NFL combine. Will he be able to actually disrupt the pass so that 6’5″ TE does not make the catch? Will he be able to cover a running back in the flat? How about a slot WR? I guess the fans and the Steelers will find out soon enough.
Let’s see what the team would have looked like had they traded up in 2018.