ere’s a look at last year’s event now that we have the benefit o

Hf rookie performances."With the SB Nation writers’ mock draft recently completed let’s take a look at how last year’s selections panned out after their rookie seasons. Having participated in the writers’ mock for many years I know how hard it is to make a good selection. The SBN draft never unfolds like the real draft even at the very top as we will see. But before we look at the initial selections let’s look at the selection made for the Panthers. 24. Carolina Panthers: James Washington Youth Taylor Moton Jersey , WR, Oklahoma StateIn his defense, Bradley got several things correct. Defensive backs Josh Jackson and Justin Reid would have been good picks. Both players had good rookie seasons and would be welcome additions to the current Panthers roster. What he didn’t get right is the assessment Washington would fit the Panthers offense better than actual Panthers selection D.J. Moore. Honestly I think most people would have thought Washington’s game would be a better fit. Moore’s after the catch ability is as good as advertised. Kudos for getting the position correct though.Based on rookie season performance it would appear the Panthers made the better selection. Moore outperformed Washington by a significant amount.James Washington, WR, PittsburghOne season doesn’t make a career, a lot could change, especially for Washington now that Antonio Brown has left Pittsburgh. Moore likewise should get more targets with Devin Funchess now playing for the Colts. Looking back at the comments from the mock draft post we did have a couple CSR members who accurately predicted James Washington’s draft position. Well done! Looking at the top ten of the 2018 SBN writers’ mock it would appear many other writers didn’t do as well as the team they were picking for. At the top Baker Mayfield was the better selection for the Browns. Now he has Odell Beckham to throw the ball too. I’m very positive Giants fans are happy they didn’t pass on Saquon Barkley like the Giants blogger did. I’m not saying anything against Chubb because twelve sacks as a rookie is impressive. Yet in spite of Chubb’s double digit sacks how can you not say Barkley was the better pick? The rookie was amazing racking up 2 Stitched Taylor Moton Jersey ,000 all purpose yards and fifteen touchdowns. He is the whole package. So while agree picking a quarterback was also not the way to go, the writer missed on Barkley. The Browns writer at number four didn’t make the same mistake. Imagine if the Browns has somehow landed Baker Mayfield and Saquan Barkley in last year’s draft? The Coltsblogger was the only one to correctly predict their team’s actual pick. Offensive guard Quentin Nelson has proven to be everything expected. Kudos to the Buccaneers blogger as well for not passing on safety Derwin James like so many NFL teams did. Beyond that there’s not much else to be said about this mock given it went off the rails early. I will end the flashback with a look at who everyone passed on, the top five remaining players after the first round. You see anyone here that was worthy a first round pick? This week I spoke with Jeff Hartman of Behind the Steel Curtain. He gave us the fan’s perspective of James Conner’s ascendance, the Steelers rebuilt defense, and how embarrassing it was to watch their team tie the Cleveland Browns. The last one is the bit that worries me. I can’t imagine a better way to motivate a team than to tell them early in a season that they are exactly as good as Cleveland. We have Hartman’s opinions on those subjects and more to get you ready for tonight’s game.Cat Scratch Reader: James Conner has kept y’all from missing Le’Veon Bell too much. Is the kid that skilled or is the Steelers’ offensive line having an all-time run blocking season?Behind the Steel Curtain: I would say it is definitely a combination of both. Conner has a burst, and other skill sets, Bell doesn’t have Youth Curtis Samuel Jersey , but he has also shown he can do everything the Steelers asked Bell to do from a running and receiving perspective. On top of that, the Steelers’ offensive line has been playing out of their minds this season paving the way for Conner and keeping Ben Roethlisberger clean. CSR: Speaking of offensive lines, Bud Dupree is finally showing his potential to beat them and become a nightmare for opposing quarterbacks. What changed?BTSC: The hope is Dupree is a late bloomer in regards to his technique. When drafted out of Kentucky he was extremely rough around the edges, and actually never had an outside linebacker coach until he came to the Steelers. It has taken time, but Dupree is starting to look more competent each week, and less like a first round bust.CSR: The Steelers’ new look secondary seems to be pulling it all together. What weaknesses still exist for the Panthers to take advantage of?BTSC: Opposite Joe Haden is a black hole which has yet to be filled. Former first round pick Artie Burns was supposed to be the guy opposite Haden, but hasn’t played a defensive snap since being benched for tardiness to a walkthrough prior to the team’s Week 8 game vs. the Browns. In his stead has been Coty Sensabaugh. Sensabaugh has played well Stitched Curtis Samuel Jersey , but is the weak link on the back end of the secondary. Other than Sensabaugh, I would suggest targeting rookie safety Terrell Edmunds. He takes bad angles and is certainly a liability in coverage.CSR: How embarrassing was it for Steelers Nation to tie with the Browns?BTSC: It was more than embarrassing. Some would say humiliating. While the Browns, and their fans, rejoiced over not losing a game, the Steelers viewed it as a loss. A big, fat L.CSR: What’s your prediction for tonight?BTSC: The Steelers are tough at home, despite their early season woes Youth Christian McCaffrey Jersey , and it is always difficult for the visiting team on Thursday Night Football. When looking up some stats on these two teams, it is uncanny how similar they are... in all aspects. Nonetheless, I like the Steelers at home vs. the Panthers. It should be a close game, and a high scoring contest. Steelers - 34Panthers - 26