Steelers roster: Ranking the best options at linebacker next to Devin Bush
By Tommy Jaggi
The Steelers have mostly unproven players at the linebacker position. Here are their best options of players who could line up next to Devin Bush.
It’s typically not a good sign to be making headlines when there is no football going on. The Steelers have been done with minicamp for some time now as we wait for training camp to kick off later this month. However, Devin Bush has been at the center of attention for the Steelers.
This probably has something to do with fans scraping the bottom of the barrel for content in this dry spout. Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell have left fans timid, but I don’t think we need to worry about Devin Bush the same way.
Though he missed most of the 2020 season with an ACL injury, the former 10th overall pick showed lots of promise early in his NFL career. The plan is for him to man the “Mack” linebacker position for the foreseeable future. But what about the linebacker spot opposite of him? I recently ranked the best options to line up next to Bush as the “Buck” linebacker in 2021:
4. Buddy Johnson
It’s not ideal to have a fourth-round rookie linebacker come in and be thrust into a big role from the gate. However, outside of Vince Williams, Buddy Johnson might have the best frame and skill set to play opposite of Devin Bush. Johnson has similar size to Williams and can hold up at the point of attack without sacrificing sideline-to-sideline speed.
Unfortunately, I’m concerned about Johnson’s ability to quickly recognize and diagnose plays – something he seemed to struggle with in college. Physically, he could be well-suited for this role. However, he should primarily be a special teams player to begin his NFL career unless he proves otherwise in training camp.