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The Pittsburgh Steelers' global fan base has had several discussions and debates on the 2015 NFL Draft class and their overall grade for the 8 new players who have been selected to the team via draft selection. Some have gone from the pessimistic D's and F's to the overly optimistic A+'s and A's. For people who declare themselves experts in the NFL Draft, they also grade the team's output in the latest draft.
Despite the fact the Steelers draft class won't be officially judged for years down the road, CBSSports.com took to their grade report and analyzed the Steelers' draft class. See what they had to say about Kevin Colbert and Mike Tomlin's most recent group:
Pittsburgh Steelers: With age creeping up on the Steelers, adding youth and athleticism was priority No. 1 for general manager Kevin Colbert, and Bud Dupree adds both. A dynamic athlete with speed, agility and flexibility, he checks off a lot of boxes athletically-speaking and has the work ethic and selflessness Pittsburgh values. Athleticism was the focus for Pittsburgh in this draft with the Steelers gambling on undersized (but playmaking) cornerback Senquez Golson, "tool-sy" wideout Sammie Coates and cornerback Doran Grant. Thorpe Award-winning safety Gerold Holliman will get the buzz despite his shoddy tackling landing him in the seventh round, but versatile tough guy Anthony Chickillo is the Day Three pick to watch for the Steelers.
Grade: B
The Pittsburgh Steelers have shown a growing trend of drafting athletes in the past several draft classes. Picks like Cameron Heyward, Ryan Shazier and even Jarvis Jones were supposed to give the Steelers the advantage in the athleticism category. Bud Dupree's selection only solidifies those thoughts and emphasizes the team's overall emphasis on intangibles, sometimes to the detriment of technique and experience.
CBSSports' grade of a B is not at all a cut on the team's draft class. Giving a B signifies a better than average draft class, and before fans complain about them giving the Baltimore Ravens an A, they should remember what was stated earlier, people can give knee-jerk reaction grades, but the true grades for a draft class won't be known for years to come.