The Pittsburgh Steelers drafted Devin Bush with the 10th overall pick in 2019. Here are three reasons why Bush is guaranteed to be good.
Recently, some Steelers fans were up in arms about my decision to include rookie linebacker, Devin Bush in a list of the top 30 Steelers drafted or signed since 2000. While I understand their right to be angry at the thought of including a player who has yet to see an NFL snap, please allow me to explain my reasoning.
I am a thorough follower of the NFL Draft. My draft buddies and I spent hours a night, several days a week reviewing well over 100 draft prospects in the months leading up to the draft. Without meaning to sound arrogant, I know my stuff.
Devin Bush was not the typical Steelers pick. Unlike Bud Dupree, Artie Burns, and Jarvis Jones, Bush doesn’t have question marks about his game.
Dupree was fast and explosive, but had bad tape, no pass rush moves, and very little bend. Burns was a 3rd round talent at cornerback. He took the ball away, but had major issues in coverage. Jarvis Jones had outstanding SEC production, but his stats were misleading, and he possessed horrible athleticism.
As my 7th overall player in the 2019 NFL Draft, Devin Bush is a far better prospect than these guys coming out. In fact, Bush is the best prospect the Steelers have drafted since taking David DeCastro back in 2012.
Why am I so confident in a young linebacker’s playing ability when he hasn’t even dressed for an NFL game?
It’s actually pretty simple. There are three traits that make Devin Bush a can’t miss NFL player:
1. Athleticism
Think about all of the best linebackers in today’s NFL. Players like Bobby Wagner, Luke Kuechly, and Jaylon Smith all have one thing in common – they are all fantastic athletes.
It was much of the same reason that made a player like Ryan Shazier so impressive. Shazier was a world class athlete, and one of the best we have ever seen at the linebacker position. Though he was a great all-around player, he often guessed wrong on plays, and he certainly didn’t have great play strength compared to other NFL linebackers.
However possessing elite athleticism can make up for a lot of flaws in a players’ game. A lot of fans are confused about Bud Dupree. Contrary to popular belief, Dupree was not a well-rounded athlete. He had some great traits (speed and explosion), but his agility and change of direction were very poor.
To be a great athlete means to be a balanced athlete as well. When it comes to Devin Bush, there is nothing he can’t do, from an athletic standpoint. He can run sideline-to-sideline, flip his hips in coverage, or change directions on a dime. His testing numbers back this up.
One trait that will make Devin Bush a can’t miss player in the NFL is his elite athleticism.
3. High effort
The term ‘hustle player’ has a very negative connotation to it when it comes to the NFL. Your mind probably went to a player that rides the bench and doesn’t possess good athleticism, but tries overly hard every chance he gets (i.e. Tyler Matakevich).
However, a player’s effort (or lack thereof) can determine how high or low their ceiling is.
A player who has poor athleticism but great effort (like Matakevich) can stick around in the league and make contributions for a surprisingly long time (albeit, usually not at a high level). A player with great athleticism but poor effort (like Martavis Bryant) never end up living up to expectations, and turn out to be disappointments as a result. A player with both great athleticism and effort could be something special.
A perfect example of this is T.J. Watt. Though Watt was a one-year wonder in college, it was easy to tell from his film that he possessed both elite athleticism and an elite motor. When a player has all of the tools you could ask for, and the relentless effort of a player fighting desperately to make the roster, you typically get a great football player.
This is Devin Bush. Anyone who has watched game film on Devin Bush can see that, not only is he the best athlete on the field, he also has an elite engine that is running full throttle on every play.
This is a trait that absolutely translates to the NFL, and Devin Bush has it.
3. Instincts
The first two traits by themselves have the makings of a virtually can’t miss player, but this third trait is icing on the cake.
There are bad linebackers who are great athletes. In the same way, there are bad linebackers who have great motors. However, when you combine the two traits together and throw in great instincts with it, you become a can’t miss player.
Despite what you may have heard on some scouting reports, Devin Bush possesses excellent instincts. He is the best linebacker in this draft class at reading and reacting, and he can begin to move in the direction of the play before the ball is even snapped.
I beg you to think of an NFL linebacker (or really any player for that matter) who has a combination of great instincts, athleticism, and effort, but is not a great football player. You probably can’t do it.
These three traits are essential to evaluating talent, and Devin Bush has all three.
So before you get upset and start ridiculing me for including Devin Bush in a list of the top 30 Steelers of the 2000’s, remember these three traits it takes to make a quality football player. Bud Dupree, Artie Burns, and Jarvis Jones didn’t have them. Devin Bush does, and I think he will be a very good NFL player.