Why Steelers were wrong by trading up for Devin Bush in 2019 NFL Draft

Devin Bush wasn’t the perfect prospect

I know that some fans want to paint Devin Bush out to be one of the best linebackers to come out in a very long time, but the fact of the matter is that this simply isn’t true. In fact, just a few months before the draft, many experts pegged bush as a second-round talent.

There are several reasons for this. Despite testing as an elite athlete, Bush still had some limitations to his game. For starters, he measured at just 5’11” at the NFL Combine with well-below average arm length, wingspan, and weight for the linebackers position compared to NFL players.

In addition to his concerning lack of size, Bush was never great at taking on blocks in college. Even back then we could tell that this was something he was going to struggle with. Because of his size, offensive linemen getting to the second level were going to be able to wash him out of the run game. This is exactly what we are seeing now.

Bush also lacked the ability to make a lot of big plays at Michigan — specifically in the passing game. In three seasons, he recorded just 1 interception and 11 pass defenses and never forced or recovered a single fumble, via Sports Reference. Bush was a good, but not great prospect coming out.

If we really analyze the decision to spend elite draft capital to move up for Devin Bush, we can see why this decision is backfiring. All we can do now is hope that he shows ample improvement in the coming weeks as the Steelers try to make a push for the playoffs.