The Pittsburgh Steelers landed one of the better linebacker prospects in recent years. Here are the best and worst case comparisons for the rookie linebacker.
There weren’t many fans who were disappointed when the Steelers were able to land Devin Bush in the 2019 NFL Draft. Though Pittsburgh gave up a lot to get him, Bush was one of the top two linebackers in the draft, and one of the better linebackers to enter the league in recent years.
Devin Bush has been excellent throughout his rookie training camp, and was dominant in his first NFL preseason. Though there is still a chance that he doesn’t reach his potential, the sky is the limit for Bush.
Here are Devin Bush’s best case and worst case NFL player comparisons:
Best case
Bobby Wagner
I recently wrote about the similarities between Devin Bush and Bobby Wagner. They share a lot of things in common, including their size, athleticism, and play style.
Though it is unrealistic to expect so much from Bush, he has shown a tremendous amount of promise, and has the instincts and athleticism required to be a future star at the position.
Bush turned just 21 years old this offsesaon, and was the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year in 2018. He was my 7th overall player coming into the draft this year, and he has potential to be one of the very best linebackers in the league.
It’s extremely unlikely that Bush will become a 4-time All-Pro like Wagner, but he has the traits and film to become a very similar player in the NFL.
Worst case
Mychal Kendricks
Mychal Kendricks tested as a phenomenal athlete coming out of California in 2012. He was drafted by the Eagles with the 46th overall pick. Though Kendricks flashed on the field, he wasn’t always consistent.
Kendricks is a sideline-to-sideline linebacker, but his impact never reached an elite level. He is often injured, and never played a 16-game season in his first 7 years as a result.
Bush and Kendricks are very similar from a size and athleticism standpoint. Both linebackers stand at 5’11” and had testing numbers that were off the charts at the NFL Combine.
Kendricks never made a Pro Bowl in the NFL, but was a solid linebacker for a number of years.
Mychal Kendricks isn’t a bad player by any means, but it’s hard to envision a scenario where Devin Bush has a worse pro career (barring injuries, of course). Bobby Wagner is perhaps the best linebacker in the league, and this is likely too steep of an expectation. Devin Bush is most likely to fall somewhere in the middle of these two linebackers. Let’s hope the Steelers standout reaches his full potential.