MORE: Way too early NFL Draft grades for each team
“I believe it’s realistic,” Tomlin said, via the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “That’s why we chose them where we chose them. But they have to earn it, and we’ll give them the opportunity to do that.” Defense has always been the calling card of the Steelers, and it’s usually been a veteran-laden operation. But the Steelers have invested heavily in their defense in the past two drafts, devoting 11 of their 15 picks to that side of the ball.
Burns was selected in the first round, 25th overall, and Davis and Hargrave went in the second and third rounds, respectively. The Steelers finished third in the league in sacks with 48 last year. They are hoping that the young blood they have pumped into the defense will pay dividends sooner rather than later. “We were happy where we finished last year, but it wasn’t enough,” linebacker coach Joey Porter said. “If we get our defense back to where it used to be, I think we’ll have the pieces to do something special.”
