LB Devin Bush named Steelers best building block entering the 2020 season

The Steelers have a number of young players to build a team around. Here’s why Bleacher Report deemed linebacker Devin Bush the best.

When you think of young ‘building block’ pieces on the Steelers, there is no doubt that two players quickly come to mind. T.J. Watt and Minkah Fitzpatrick have already earned All-Pro honors at or before the age of 25 and stand to be pivotal pieces of a talented defense for years to come.

Recently, Gary Davenport of Bleacher Report took the liberty of naming every NFL team’s most promising building block entering the 2020 season. For the Steelers, he chose second-year linebacker, Devin Bush.

When comprising this list, Davenport admitted that he leaned towards players who have not yet earned a big second contract or have not made a Pro Bowl (which disqualifies Watt and Fitzpatrick). Here is some of what he had to say on naming Bush the Steelers most promising building block:

"Prior to last season, it had been a long time since the Pittsburgh Steelers traded up in Round 1 of the draft to select a defensive player. The trade that brought Devin Bush to the Steel City also put quite a bit of pressure on the former Michigan standout to make a big impact as a rookie. Bush delivered. In 889 snaps, Bush paced the Steelers with 109 tackles, including 72 solos. He also made quite the dent in the big-play column. In addition to a sack, Bush intercepted a pair of passes and recovered four fumbles—returning one for a touchdown."

Davenport looked primarily at Bush’s statistical production as a rookie to justify his selection. However, there are many more reasons to believe the young linebacker could be the best (non-Pro Bowl) building block on the team.

At just 21 years old, Devin Bush has already started to take charge of one of the league’s best defenses. Though he had his share of mental lapses in zone coverage as a rookie, he seemed to improve each game down the stretch.

From an athletic standpoint, the sky is the limit for Bush. He tested in the 97th percentile of all linebackers entering the NFL, according to Three Sigma Athlete. – showcasing a 4.43-second 40-yard dash, a 40.5” vertical jump, and 124” broad jump at the NFL Combine in 2019.

Bush showed a tremendous amount of promise in his rookie season, and he could prove to be the presence the Steelers have been missing in the middle of their defense since Ryan Shazier went down with a career-ending spinal injury in 2017.

Bush already has an impressive college pedigree that includes being the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year award winner in 2018, a two-time team captain, and second-team All-American honors. Combine that with a promising and productive rookie season, and we’ve got a player you can start to build a team around.

Devin Bush isn’t guaranteed to be one of the best linebackers in the league, but with his high football IQ, elite athleticism, and impressive family lineage, perhaps he could end up being one of the best young building blocks on the Steelers roster.