Top 3 Rookie Draft Picks
Last year, I compared the statistics of the Pittsburgh Steelers top three draft picks with their contemporaries selected by other teams in the 2018 NFL draft. This season, we’ll track Devin Bush, Diontae Johnson, and Justin Layne to see how they stack up against their draft class.
Here is a quick look after one regular season game. I will update this around midseason and then again at the end of the season. Let me know if there are other players you want tracked against these Steelers rookies in the comments section.
LINEBACKER
| Name | G | Snaps | Snap% | INTs | PDs | FF | FR | Sacks | Tackles | TFL/QBH |
| Devin Bush | 1 | 53 | 75.71 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 |
| Devin White | 1 | 68 | 100.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Josh Allen | 1 | 51 | 75.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Rashan Gary | 1 | 6 | 8.22 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jahlani Tavai | 1 | 63 | 70.79 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| Ben Banogu | 1 | 28 | 43.75 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .5 | 1 | 0 |
Combine statistics via Pro Football Reference:
| Name | HT | WT | 40 yd | Bench | Broad Jump | Shuttle | 3 Cone | Vertical |
| Devin Bush | 71 | 234 | 4.43 | 21 | 124 | 4.23 | 6.93 | 40.5 |
| Devin White | 72 | 237 | 4.42 | 22 | 118 | 4.17 | 7.07 | 39.5 |
| Josh Allen | 77 | 262 | 4.63 | 28 | 118 | 4.23 | 7.15 | NA |
| Rashan Gary | 76 | 277 | 4.58 | 26 | 120 | 4.29 | 7.26 | 38.0 |
| Jahlani Tavai | 74 | 250 | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Ben Banogu | 75 | 250 | 4.62 | 23 | 134 | 4.27 | 7.02 | 40.0 |
Synopsis of each player through preseason:
Devin Bush (1st/10th overall): Bush had a solid night recording 11 tackles. He also prevented a catch, but statisticians did not credit him with a pass defense. He showed the lateral speed that shows potential to be a dominant linebacker.
Devin White (1st/5th overall): The first linebacker picked in the 2019 draft played 100% of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive snaps in a losing effort to the San Francisco 49ers. He recorded 6 tackles while he and other teammates were fighting a flu bug. He now has tonsillitis but will play in the against the Carolina on a short week caused by the NFL scheduling Thursday night games.
Josh Allen (1st/7th overall): The Jacksonville Jaguars started Allen at defensive end in their loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. He had two tackles but did not have much impact on the game. It will be interesting to see if the Jaguars move him around this season.
Rashan Gary (1st/12th overall): The Green Bay Packer only played six defensive snaps, but they were encouraging. Gary pressured the quarterback at least twice. He will surely see more playing time in the games to come.
Jahlani Tavai (2nd/43rd overall): Tavai recorded his first career sack in the Detroit Lions tie with the Arizona Cardinals. He also had three total tackles while lining up in different spots. The Lions are optimistic that he will continue to improve.
Ben Banogu (2nd/49th overall): The Indianapolis Colts linebacker did not start but played 28 of 63 defensive snaps. He is penetrating the line and was credited with .5 sack and two quarterback hits (the QB hits don’t show in my stat line since the Pro Football Reference has not recorded them yet. They’ll show up in the next update).
Linebacker Summary
Few linebackers were selected in the first two rounds, so Devin Bush may be compared to some rookies playing on the edge. Right now, his 11 tackles are well ahead of any of his contemporaries but Banogu and Tavai got to the quarterback. Very anxious to see if Bush continues to develop into the linebacker the Steelers traded up for in the draft.
WIDE RECEIVER
| Name | G | Snaps | Snap% | RECs | Yds | Y/C | Y/G | Catch % | TDs |
| Diontae Johnson | 1 | 25 | 36.23 | 3 | 25 | 8.3 | 25.0 | 60.0 | 0 |
| Deebo Samuel | 1 | 60 | 88.24 | 3 | 17 | 5.7 | 17.0 | 100.0 | 0 |
| A.J. Brown | 1 | 26 | 42.62 | 3 | 100 | 33.3 | 100.0 | 75.0 | 0 |
| Mecole Hardman | 1 | 53 | 77.94 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| JJ Arcega-Whiteside | 1 | 5 | 6.67 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Parris Campbell | 1 | 18 | 28.57 | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 100.0 | 0 |
| Andy Isabella | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| D.K. Metcalf | 1 | 41 | 77.36 | 4 | 89 | 22.3 | 89.0 | 66.7 | 0 |
| Jalen Hurd | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Terry McLaurin | 1 | 62 | 92.54 | 5 | 125 | 25.0 | 125.0 | 71.4 | 1 |
Combine statistics via Pro Football Reference:
| Name | HT | WT | 40 yd | Bench | Broad Jump | Shuttle | 3 Cone | Vertical |
| Diontae Johnson | 70 | 183 | 4.53 | 15 | 123 | 4.45 | 7.09 | 33.5 |
| Deebo Samuel | 71 | 214 | 4.48 | 15 | 122 | 4.14 | 7.03 | 39.0 |
| A.J. Brown | 72 | 226 | 4.49 | 19 | 120 | NA | NA | 36.5 |
| Mecole Hardman | 70 | 187 | 4.33 | 17 | 119 | NA | NA | 36.5 |
| JJ Arcega-Whiteside | 74 | 225 | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Parris Campbell | 72 | 205 | 4.31 | 11 | 135 | 4.03 | NA | 40.0 |
| Andy Isabella | 69 | 188 | 4.31 | 15 | 121 | 4.15 | 6.95 | 36.5 |
| D.K. Metcalf | 75 | 228 | 4.33 | 27 | 134 | 4.50 | 7.38 | 40.5 |
| Jalen Hurd | 77 | 206 | NA | 23 | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Terry McLaurin | 72 | 208 | 4.35 | 18 | 125 | 4.15 | 7.01 | 37.5 |
Synopsis of each player through preseason:
Diontae Johnson (3rd/66th overall): Johnson caught three balls for 25 yards in the debacle in New England. His longest catch was a pedestrian 9 yards.
Deebo Samuel (2nd/36th overall): The 49ers started Deebo Samuel in his NFL debut. He played 60 snaps catching three passes for 17 yards. He did lose a fumble but also caught a two-point conversion pass.
A.J. Brown (2nd/51st overall): The rookie Tennessee Titan caught three passes for an even 100 yards. His long gain was for 51-yards. For now, he has a gaudy 33.3 yards per reception.
Mecole Hardman (2nd/56th overall): Hardman only saw one target in Kansas City’s win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. However, he may get a bigger role in the offense with Tyreek Hill’s injury. He did return two kickoffs for a 22.5 yard per return average.
JJ Arcega-Whiteside (2nd/57 overall): The Philadelphia Eagle saw just five offensive and five special teams snaps in the win over Washington.
Parris Campbell (2nd/59th overall): The Indianapolis Colts 2nd rounder was limited to one catch for just one yard. He should get more opportunities moving forward.
Andy Isabella (2nd/62nd overall): Did not play an offensive play for the Cardinals but he did return 4 kicks for 86 yards.
DK Metcalf (2nd/64th overall): Metcalf missed a sizable portion of the Seattle Seahawks preseason but teammate Chris Carson says he is a “freak” who is going to make “freakish plays.” In his debut, Metcalf had two receptions for 89 yards. Including a 42-yard reception followed by a 25 yarder.
Jalen Hurd (3rd/67th overall): The San Francisco 49ers Jalen Hurd did not play in Week 1 due to a back injury.
Terry McLaurin (3rd/76th overall): The Washington Redskins may have lost to the Philadelphia Eagles, but they may have found a wide receiver. McLaurin caught 5 passes for 125 yards including a 69-yard touchdown catch.
Wide Receiver Summary
I am comparing Diontae Johnson to wide receivers selected in the 2nd and 3rd rounds. After just one game, three have emerged to lead the pack. McLaurin who was at the bottom of the group in terms of draft position has emerged on top after a 5 catch, 125 yard and a long touchdown. AJ Brown gained 100 receiving yards on just 3 receptions. While DK Metcalf had 4 catches for 89 yards. The Steelers are looking for a wide receiver to emerge to support JuJu Smith-Schuster. We will see how Diontae stacks up by midseason.
CORNERBACK
| Name | G | Snaps | Snap% | INTs | PDs | FF | FR | Sacks | Tackles | TFL/QBH |
| Justin Layne | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Deandre Baker | 1 | 31 | 45.59 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Byron Murphy | 1 | 88 | 100.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Rock Ya-Sin | 1 | 43 | 67.19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Sean Bunting | 1 | 1 | 1.47 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Trayvon Mullen | 1 | 19 | 29.69 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Joejuan Williams | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Greedy Williams | 1 | 40 | 65.57 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Lonnie Johnson Jr. | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| David Long | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jamel Dean | 1 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Combine statistics via Pro Football Reference:
| Name | HT | WT | 40 yd | Bench | Broad Jump | Shuttle | 3 Cone | Vertical |
| Justin Layne | 74 | 192 | 4.50 | NA | 134 | 4.09 | 6.90 | 37.5 |
| Deandre Baker | 71 | 193 | 4.52 | 14 | 118 | NA | NA | NA |
| Byron Murphy | 71 | 190 | 4.55 | 14 | 120 | NA | NA | 36.5 |
| Rock Ya-Sin | 72 | 195 | 4.51 | 18 | 120 | 4.31 | 7.31 | 39.5 |
| Sean Bunting | 72 | 195 | 4.42 | 14 | 126 | NA | NA | 41.5 |
| Trayvon Mullen | 73 | 199 | 4.46 | NA | 123 | NA | NA | 34.5 |
| Joejuan Williams | 76 | 211 | 4.64 | 17 | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Greedy Williams | 74 | 185 | 4.37 | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Lonnie Johnson Jr. | 74 | 213 | 4.52 | 15 | 129 | 4.10 | 7.01 | 38.0 |
| David Long | 71 | 196 | 4.45 | 15 | 120 | NA | NA | 39.5 |
| Jamel Dean | 73 | 206 | 4.30 | 16 | 130 | 4.19 | 7.02 | 41.0 |
Synopsis of each player through preseason:
Justin Layne (3rd/83rd overall): Layne was inactive for the Steelers first game against the New England Patriots. Just as well, it will be interesting to see if Mike Tomlin works him into the line-up during the first half of the season.
Deandre Baker (1st/30th overall): A knee injury has cut into Baker’s practice time, but he is still slated as a New York Giants co-starter. He did not give up a touchdown in his last two seasons at Georgia. In his NFL debut, it took the 2nd quarter when Amari Cooper beat him with a move to score a touchdown. Welcome to the big leagues rook.
Byron Murphy (2nd/33rd overall): Injuries may have Murphy playing a lot and the Arizona Cardinals already consider him their best cover man. Matt Stafford targeted Murphy and he gave up at least one touchdown in their tie with the Detroit Lions.
Rock Ya-Sin (2nd/34th overall): Ya-Sin played 42 of the Indianapolis Colts 63 defensive snaps. He had two tackles but three passes that were targeted to him were caught by Los Angeles Chargers receivers.
Sean Bunting (2nd/39th overall): One of a bevy of young Tampa Bay Buccaneers only played one defensive snap but was also on the field for 21 special teams snaps in their loss to the San Francisco 49ers.
Trayvon Mullen (2nd/40th overall): He debuted along with ten other Oakland Raider rookies Monday night.
Joejuan Williams (2nd/45th overall): Demonstrated his versatility by playing safety for the New England Patriots in the last preseason game. He was inactive for Sunday night’s game versus the Steelers.
Greedy Williams (2nd/46th overall): The Cleveland Browns may have drafted a bargain. Many believe Greedy is a 1st round talent. The Browns are starting him ahead of veteran Terrance Mitchell.
Lonnie Johnson Jr. (3rd/54 overall): The Houston Texan rookie cornerback only played 13 special teams snaps without recording any statistics in his debut.
David Long (3rd/79 overall): The Los Angeles Rams rookie will wear number 25. He was inactive Week 1.
Jamel Dean (3rd/94 overall): Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ third rounder did not play defense but got on the field for 21 special teams snaps without recording a tackle.
Cornerback Summary
None of the cornerbacks shined in week 1 of the season. In fact, three including Justin Layne did not wear a helmet. Byron Murphy played 100% of his team’s defensive snaps while Rock Ya-Sin & Greedy Williams played 67 & 66% of their team’s defensive snaps. By midseason, we should have straightforward evidence of who is the cream of this crop of cornerbacks.
Your Music Selection
I always like to include a bit of music. Here is Little Green Bag by George Baker.
