/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/34213917/491349499.0.jpg)
How fast is Steelers' first round draft pick, Ryan Shazier?
Everyone knows about his 4.38 40-yard dash time at the NFL combine, but combine speed doesn't always equate to game speed. Alan Robinson gives a glimpse of how fast Shazier is on the football field.
At one point, Dick LeBeau used ILB Ryan Shazier to cover WR Antonio Brown. Those are the options a fast LB like Shazier give you. #Steelers
— Alan Robinson (@arobinson_Trib) June 11, 2014
It is one thing for a linebacker to cover a tight end in pass coverage, but it is another for a rookie linebacker to cover the team's most elusive and top wide receiver.
As Robinson mentioned, when a player has that kind of unbridled speed and athleticism, it gives a great defensive mind like LeBeau unbelievable options in terms of where he could put the player in specific situations. Shazier has the look of an every down linebacker and not just a player who plays sub package football.
Shazier has been with the starters since he arrived in Pittsburgh, and it doesn't look like that will change anytime soon, barring injury or a major setback. Whether he can actually put together a rookie season that would rival Kendrell Bell, who won the defensive rookie of the year award in 2001, has yet to be seen, but his potential is certainly intriguing.
Loading comments...