Steelers fans need to pump the breaks on expectations for draft picks

Mississippi Rebels linebacker Mark Robinson (35) Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
Mississippi Rebels linebacker Mark Robinson (35) Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

I’m a big fan of what the Pittsburgh Steelers did in the 2022 NFL Draft, but here’s why some expectations are already getting unrealistic. 

It didn’t take long for fans to completely fly off the handle following the Pittsburgh Steelers 2022 draft. Regardless of where there are picking or the selection they make, somehow, there are a group of fans who always seem to have completely unrealistic expectations for the new rookie class.

I’m guilty of this as well at times. In 2019, I thought that Devin Bush would be able to come in immediately and prove to be one of the better linebackers in the league. Though he made a lot of splash plays as a rookie, he was wildly inconsistent — particularly in pass coverage.

This year, fans are raving about most of Pittsburgh’s top picks. Many are already setting the bar really high for players like QB Kenny Pickett and George Pickens.

In fact, out of curiosity, I ran a Twitter poll to see if fans thought that Pickett was going to be better than some recent high first-round picks like Tua Tagovailoa, Mac Jones, and Zach Wilson. With a vast majority of my followers being Steelers fans, you probably could have predicted the results.

It wasn’t just with the top picks that fans seem to have some unreasonable expectations for. Several times this past week, I once again saw Steelers fans comparing new WR Calvin Austin III to Tyreek Hill. This is a bit unreasonable if you ask me.

Most recently, Pittsburgh fans and bloggers have puffed up new seventh-round draft choice, Mark Robinson — claiming that he could be a ‘huge steal.’ This is despite the fact that he’s a 5’11” linebacker with 4.7 speed who was considered to be an undrafted free agent prospect by most prominent draft analysts.

Why Steelers fans should temper expectations

I’m certainly not attempting to tear down anyone who wants to be optimistic about the Steelers draft class. I am as well! For the most part, I think that Pittsburgh did an excellent job this year. However, I think it’s important not to let our expectations run rampant.

Specifically, comparing recent draft picks to legendary NFL players. I asked fans to give me an NFL comparison for George Pickens. In the responses, I got Andre Johnson, A.J.Green, Dez Bryant, and Julio Jones. While it’s not impossible that Pickens could develop into a star receiver, it’s important to find a middle ground here.

For Robinson, many who have commented on my tweets are already comparing him to Vince Williams — a former sixth-round draft pick who happened to have a remarkably successful career. This is what you call an ‘outlier,’ and not every late-round draft pick is going to turn out (or even make the roster for that matter).

I’m not saying all of this to be a ‘Debbie Downer.’ Fans should be able to enjoy the team however they please. And who knows, this could turn out to be a great draft class full of wonderful selections. However, I would just caution against setting expectations too high for this group unless you are prepared to be disappointed.

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