/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/12705881/20130503_jla_al8_048.0.jpg)
Creativity should could for something in the draft, according to Yahoo! contributor Dan Snyder.
He says the Steelers "really lack creativity" in their front office. The basis of this claim stems from the first two days of the 2013 NFL Draft, when the Steelers selected outside linebacker Jarvis Jones, running back Le'Veon Bell and wide receiver Markus Wheaton.
Apparently, this lack of creativity led to the selection of these players only because they resemble former Steelers players - specifically, OLB James Harrison, RB Jerome Bettis and WR Mike Wallace.
I've read this column three times, and I still think I'm missing something, because it seems Snyder feels this is a bad thing.
Writes Snyder about Jones:
But when watching Jones on film, he comes off as the exact same player Pittsburgh had in Harrison, just 11 years younger. For example, standing at 6'2", 245 lbs., Jones is just over one inch taller and three pounds heavier than Harrison, making them almost exactly the same size. Both guys are considered to be a little too slow for the position and scouts will always question their size.
First off, Harrison is not 6-foot-1, he's closer to 5-foot-11, second, I'm not sure there are two players at the same position over the last two years more dissimilar than Jones and Harrison.
How he couldn't see that on film is beyond me, but it begs the question of whether he didn't actually watch film, didn't know which school Jones went to or thought Harrison was on the Bengals in 2012.
As for Bell, Snyder writes:
In the second round, the Steelers hit on maybe their biggest need this offseason by scooping up former Michigan State running back Le'Veon Bell. Bell is a big, strong, power running back who is at his best when he makes one cut and gets downhill between the tackles. His biggest struggles have come when he dances at the line of scrimmage and becomes more of an east-west runner.
Sound like anyone you know Steelers fans?
Now that he mentions it, yes, he does physically resemble the Steelers all-time leader in rushing, Jerome Bettis.
If the Steelers were more creative, they would have drafted a sleek, fast runner like Rashard Mendenhall, who no doubt would have had an outstanding 12-year career in Pittsburgh.
It's not a guarantee it will pan out this way, but if it does, there are certainly greater curses to have than to have the second coming of Bettis on your roster.
You can figure for yourself to whom he compares Wheaton.
Snyder left out fourth round pick Shamarko Thomas, who clearly was only drafted because he resembles an NFL safety. And when you watch the film on the Steelers' other fourth round pick, Landry Jones, he clearly shows characteristics found in quarterbacks.
Apparently, Snyder comes to Yahoo! as a contributor from Bleacher Report. It's unfortunate they leave that at the bottom of his column, or people might have been able to skip this all together.