The Pittsburgh Steelers have four draft picks within the first two days of this year's draft. With that, they are looking to fill the holes to the final touches of making Pittsburgh a Super Bowl contender. However, one thing that they do not want to do is bring in another Artie Burns or Jarvis Jones that ends up being a bust. But a former Steelers legend who is now in the scouting department at Pittsburgh could be the answer to make sure that does not happen.
Steelers Need To Make Sure They Don't Make A Blunder
Former ESPN Analyst and Steelers running back Merril Hoge could be just what the Steelers need to make sure that they don't make a blunder like this again.
Why is having Hoge on the team in Pittsburgh such an advantage? Looking back at 2014 when Johnny Manziel was supposed to be a potentially great NFL quarterback and many thought that he would be the next best thing, Hoge did not. On an episode of ESPN's First Take, Hoge was criticized for his comments about Manziel and how he said he almost had no business being a first-round player let alone the number one overall pick. For more context, here is a little bit more from Hoge in reference to Manziel:
"If he is a first-round, even like a top three rounds, he is a fifth or sixth-round grade. If you have a compensatory pick grab him there, but not in the first round."
After stating this about Manziel, Skip Bayless would go and almost fly into Hoge and attack his words. Bayless had this to say to Hoge at the time:
"With all due respect, you have never ever been more wrong in your assessment of a football player than you just were about Johnny Manziel," Bayless said. "He (Manziel) won't be a bust he's going to be a franchise player, he's going to be a star."
As most people know, Manziel was not only a bust when he was drafted by the Cleveland Browns, but will go down as one of the biggest busts and flops in NFL history. So, at the time when Hoge looked to have possibly one of the worst takes of all time, he actually couldn't have been more right.
If Hoge's statements about Manziel aren't enough to convince you, a past interview about former number one overall pick Jadeveon Clowney may convince you. The same year that Manziel went number 22 overall to the Browns, Clowney was another athlete that was projected to go top five. It was almost certain that in the 2014 Draft that these two players were locks to go high in the draft, especially Clowney as he showed off freakish athleticism.
But Hoge thought otherwise of Clowney where he would once again hit his take perfectly. Although Clowney was the number one pick, Hoge said he would be an average NFL player. At the time Hoge would be criticized for his comments on Clowney and how most people thought they were just stupid. For more information, this is what he said about Clowney in 2014:
"He's (Clowney) a very average football player. His fundamentals and techniques really struggling. He's a great athlete, but he's not a very good football player."
Once again, Hoge would end up being correct in his assessment as Clowney would go on to have a slightly above-average NFL career and would not be considered to be a legendary career in the slightest.
All in all, having Hoge in Pittsburgh for the draft can be one of the best things about the Steelers scouts. This is because he is not afraid to criticize the potential "top" players in the draft.
So, what do you think Steeler Nation? Is Hoge a valuable asset for the Steelers? What moves does he have up his sleeve for the 2023 Draft?
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