Why looking for red flags will help Steelers avoid mistakes of the past
By Tommy Jaggi
![PITTSBURGH, PA - SEPTEMBER 18: Jarvis Jones #95 of the Pittsburgh Steelers in action against the Cincinnati Bengals at Heinz Field on September 18, 2016 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images) PITTSBURGH, PA - SEPTEMBER 18: Jarvis Jones #95 of the Pittsburgh Steelers in action against the Cincinnati Bengals at Heinz Field on September 18, 2016 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/https-3A-2F-2Fstillcurtain-com-2Fwp-content-2Fuploads-2Fgetty-images-2F2016-2F04-2F609459164-850x560-f46c03c5b658e73d07f6949a915989e9c45fce0a2ade55b5aaeb10babb4eaf4a.jpg)
RB/WR Dri Archer
3rd round, 2014
Red flags:
- Undersized prospect with no mass to his frame
- No real position – even in college
- Small school production
- Averaged 1.3 yards per punt return in college
Anytime you are selecting a player in the third round, it’s obviously less of a risk than if you were taking them at the top of the draft. I get the intrigue over Dri Archer. He was an extremely fast player, and 4.26 speed is hard to come by. However, there were numerous red flags.
Archer was bite-sized with no real position. Though we’ve seen players like that work before in the NFL, he was not a dominant college player and he played at a very small program (Kent State). Archer had just 527 rushing yards and 327 receiving yards as a senior. While he was a good kick returner in college, his 1.3 yards per punt return and limited usage in that area should have raised some eyebrows.