4 biggest reaches in the Pittsburgh Steelers 2021 NFL Draft

3. LB Buddy Johnson

I’m really surprised the Steelers choose to go this route. For a team that seemed deadset on filling big positions of need early, that strategy didn’t hold true with their second 4th-round pick. Despite getting Devin Bush back from an ACL injury and being able to re-sign Vince Williams for a minimum contract, the team elected to go with linebacker over a cornerback here.

If you recall, Pittsburgh had already lost both Steven Nelson and Mike Hilton this offseason and did nothing in the way of replacing them. While I am all in favor of taking the best player available, most draft analysts had Buddy Johnson slated as a 6th round draft choice.

Johnson tested as a terrific athlete with a 4.58 40-yard dash, 38.5” vertical jump, 10’8” broad jump, and a blazing 4.07 20-yard shuttle. Unfortunately, this explosion rarely shows up on tape and it often looks like Johnson is just jogging to the ball. Clearly, the athletic upside is all here, and perhaps the Steelers think Johnson could develop into a starter down the road. After all, Pittsburgh still could use an upgrade over Williams and Robert Spillane. I like Johnson as a developmental linebacker, but this pick seemed a little bit rich for me.