Just before the Pittsburgh Steelers were on the clock, the Cincinnati Bengals ruined the party. With the 24th pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, the Cincinnati Bengals select, William Jackson III, cornerback, University of Houston.
While this was quite a surprise and many Steeler fans were upset, nobody worried since Andrew Billings, Kevin Dodd, A’Shawn Robinson, and even Mackensie Alexander were all still in play.
With the 25th pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers select, Artie Burns, cornerback, University of Miami. Well… some fans instantly questioned the pick and had no idea who he even was.
Today I am going to give you a breakdown of Burns and why the selection wasn’t all that bad.
Artie Burns/ CB Miami
General manager Kevin Colbert talked about the cornerback yesterday and said, “yes, calling the pick was a “real easy” decision. He considers Burns the draft’s best bump-and-run cornerback.
When you are a Pittsburgh Steelers fan you have to trust general manager Kevin Colbert. Over the years he has brought success to the Steelers and will continue to help build a foundation for the organization.
When you get a cornerback like Burns don’t expect him to become a starter right away. He could end up being a project but in the end will work out just fine.
Burns has great athletic ability and excellent speed. He led the ACC in interceptions last season with six and is an extremely young athlete, who is ready to contribute to a very weak secondary.
Stats:
Height: 6’0″
Weight: 193
Arm Length: 33 1/4″
Hand Size: 9 1/2″
10 Yard Dash: 1.56
40 Yard Dash: 4.46
Vertical Jump: 31 1/2″
If you are looking for an NFL comparison think of Darius Slay from the Detroit Lions. They both are young athletes who were raw coming into the league. It only took a few months to really get Slay to start producing at an NFL level.
While this pick might seem unorthodox, the Steelers finally drafted a cornerback in the first round. It addresses the necessary need in the secondary and could end up being a solid selection.
Time will tell, but I like a player that is 6 feet tall, athletic, led the ACC in interceptions, and has a 4.46 40-yard dash time. Just give this kid some time to develop and he could be a true star.
3 Comments
Leave a Reply
Show Your Team Spirit
Get Your Steelers Tickets
Steelers Gab Newsletter
Sign up to receive our Steelers Gab newsletter, and keep up to date with all the latest Pittsburgh Steelers news.
Robert Henderson
April 29, 2016 at 1:26 pm
Some asked if he reminded them of Bmac they said no. However, if he can be like Bmac during his first stint with the Steelers I will love it.
Don’t hate the pick but as you’ve pointed out there were plenty of people on the board so they could/should of traded back with Denver.
DrGeorge
April 30, 2016 at 8:50 am
I don’t pretend to know more than Colbert about the talents of Burns. But he is raw and will not contribute immediately (few CBs can), and he is not the big strong CB we needed to cover tight ends like Gronkowski. Immediately after the Steelers’ pick, the Packers, Cardinals, and Panthers took (in order) Defensive Tackles Kenny Clark, Robert Nkemdiche, and Veron Butler. I think we will come to regret we didn’t take one of them instead in Round 1 and picked up Burns in Round 3. Unless Hargreaves turns out to be better than these three (which no one apparently expects), we would have been better off picking a quality DT in Round 1 to improve our pass rush and our defense against the run.
Robert Henderson
April 30, 2016 at 9:33 am
They drafted Sean Davis and he’ll cover Gronk and other tight ends. Hargraves is going to be special.
The only thing I thought was trade down with Denver get the extra 3rd then draft Artie Burns.
Having that extra 3rd they could of double dipped with Hargraves and Billings or grabbed a Wr,ol,etc.
Overall very solid draft by hitting all their needs and coming away with Davis and Hargraves.