Once the Super Bowl is over, the media hype around football tends to die down a bit. Speculations on free agents, retirements, trades, and of course, mock drafts, fill our yearning for football until we finally get to mini camps. Since the first mock draft rolled out, one name has been pretty synonymous with the Steelers, even more so now post-free agency, Devin Bush. The prototypical linebacker out of Michigan, the heir apparent to Ryan Shazier while he still makes his recovery. If you type Devin Bush's name into Google, the first suggestion you get, over "Devin Bush Michigan" is "Devin Bush Steelers".
Normally when a player is almost guaranteed to be drafted to a team, its a top 5 pick, a la Kyler Murray to the Cardinals. Its not very common to see a team with 20th pick come out and say, hey, this is our guy. But that is basically what the team has done after sending essentially the entire front office to Michigan's Pro Day. This raises some complications with rivals potentially picking a player before he falls to the Steelers.
We saw this happen in 2016 when the Bengals selected William Jackson III one pick before the Steelers, who showed a ton of interest in William Jackson. This left the Steelers to make a hasty selection and take Artie Burns, and we all know how that has turned out thus far. Looking at this years board, the Bengals find themselves with 11th pick, and in a prime spot to try and steal another potential pick from the Steelers.
Devin Bush: The Man
Enough draft history, lets take a deep dive into Devin Bush, not only the player, but the person. After the Antonio Brown and LeVeon Bell departure, the Steelers need to ensure they don't replace their toxicity with more toxicity, so character in this draft is vital. Just look at the free-agent signings the Steelers made, yes all players that can fill holes, but all character guys as well. Hopefully we see this trend continue with the drafting of Devin Bush.
There is a story that recently came out last year on Devin Bush that I really think highlights the kind of guy Bush is, and why he is the perfect player for the Steelers in the locker room. During this time period Bush was contemplating take a leave from the teams football program for a family issue. Details on that issue never came out and frankly, aren't important. Despite the issue going on back home, Bush chose to stay with the team, to be there for his guys, and to be there for the younger players on the team. That is a big display of maturity for a young man, and a great sign of leadership. He didnt have to stay. He could have left but he chose not too, because of how much his team meant to him. Bush's defensive coordinator at Michigan, Dan Brown had this to say about Bush after he chose to stay; "He’s just a different cut of guy. It impresses me. Sometimes, everybody’s got an opinion on certain things when it comes to wins and losses, I get all that. But this is a guy that gives you everything he’s got and gives it to his teammates, and I think, above and beyond. I think it was important to mention.”
I think its pretty safe to say Devin Bush is the kind of guy the Steelers would love to have in their locker room, and could very well replace Shazier as a leader on that defense. But character, as important as it is, doesnt win football games. So what can Devin Bush do on the football field?
Devin Bush: The Player
Before you read on, watch this video here just to get an idea of who Devin Bush is on the field. The biggest thing that stuck out to me, and his defensive coordinator even said himself, he plays with a chip on his shoulder. A lot of analysts will point to his size as one of his biggest weaknesses. The same thing was said about Ryan Shazier. Bush comes in at 5'11" 240 pounds while Shazier comes in at 6'1" 230 pounds. His length is pointed to as a disadvantage to getting off and around blocks, but his vision and high motor almost all but cancel that out.
Looking at the tape Devin Bush just screams Pittsburgh Steeler. He's always visible on the field, quick to the ball, and makes his presence known with every hit. His lateral range is one thing that really impressed me. Nothing against any of our current inside linebackers, but they do not have the speed to get to the sidelines like Bush can, something this defense has been missing since Shazier went down. This range translates pretty well into his coverage ability, where he thrives in zone coverage, and does pretty well in man coverage, though can be beat with quick cuts from running backs and tight ends.
The thing that really impresses me over everything else is his play along the line of scrimmage, and behind it. Most linebackers his size tend to find themselves lost in that area, getting swallowed up by blocks and rendered ineffective. Bush uses his explosive first step to blast through gaps on blitzes and run defenses. Remember when Vince Williams had 8 sacks just a year ago? In the Steelers defensive scheme where they love to send late blitzers, especially on 3rd down, Devin Bush should thrive.
Conclusion:
Will Devin Bush be available at pick 20 for the Steelers? Its hard to tell at this point. Devin Bush has definitely seen his value skyrocket over the past couple of weeks, which could very well mean he isnt available when the Steelers are on the clock. With the draft capital the Steelers possess this year (10 picks), a trade up is very possible, but has been uncommon in the Colbert era. That being said, the amount of interest shown in Devin Bush by the Steelers could very well be the writing on the walls for Colbert to make his 3rd Day One draft trade. All we can do is wait and see.
