The Steelers spent a lot of draft capital to secure Devin Bush, but the young linebacker still has a lot to prove.
Early in the 2019 NFL Draft process, Michigan linebacker Devin Bush really caught my eye. Despite his sub-six-foot stature, his freakish athletic traits and effortless exposition towards the ball could routinely be seen on the football field.
As we neared the draft, it seemed like the only hope of landing the former Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year would be in a trade-up – which is exactly what the Steelers did. Pittsburgh took Denver’s 10th overall pick and gave up their original first-rounder and a second-round pick to move up. Sadly, Bush has hardly lived up to his draft status so far.
Much of this is not his fault. After a promising rookie season in 2019 that included 2 interceptions, 4 fumble recoveries, 1 forced fumble, and 1 defensive touchdown, according to Pro Football Reference, fans had really high hopes for the young linebacker in year two. Unfortunately, Bush went down with a season-ending knee injury in the second half of his 5th game of the season against the Cleveland Browns.
Now, Bush is set to enter his third NFL season and see the field for the first time since last October. Following the 2021 season, the Steelers will need to make a choice about whether or not to give him the fifth-year option.
Devin Bush has a lot to prove to Steelers
By no means am I giving up on Devin Bush; that would be widely unfair of us after watching him play just 21 games in the NFL. Obviously, we hope that the young linebacker can stay on the field for all 16 games and have a Devin White-like improvement in year three.
However, Bush really didn’t play a huge factor for the Steelers prior to his injury. While his sideline to sideline speed is clearly an asset, there are some who believe that Robert Spillane outplayed the young linebacker upon his entry into the starting lineup.
Whether this is true or not, we know that Bush is the starting linebacker moving forward and that his upside is off the charts. At the 2019 NFL Combine, Devin Bush confirmed the athletic traits I thought he possessed by running an official 4.43 40-yard dash and jumping through the rough with a 40.5” vertical, according to Mockdraftable.com. In addition, Bush tested well above average in the broad jump, 3-cone, and 20-yard shuttle.
Still, elite athletic traits will only get you so far. Now it’s time for Bush to put everything together. Despite being just 20 years old entering the NFL Draft, Bush was a former team captain and leader who took charge of the Wolverines’ defense. He will wear the ‘green dot’ for the Steelers in 2021 and have the responsibility of making all the defensive calls.
Devin Bush has not yet earned a high Pro Football Focus grade in his first two seasons but had he stayed healthy last year, we could have been looking at a whole different story. I trust that the talented young linebacker can become the player I thought he was going to be coming out of Michigan in 2019, but he still has a lot to prove