The Pittsburgh Steelers traded up to acquire the 10th overall pick from the Denver Broncos in Thursday night's NFL Draft, and with the pick, the Steelers selected University of Michigan linebacker Devin Bush.
Pittsburgh's normally stout defense has slipped a bit in recent years, so the Steelers are hoping that Bush can bring some of that toughness back to the defensive side of the ball.
Head coach Mike Tomlin raved about Bush after Pittsburgh made the pick:
“The position he plays is like a defensive quarterback,” said Tomlin, according to Chris Adamski of The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. “He's a very cerebral, football guy. He's a football guy, through and through.”
Tomlin added that he likes Bush's pass-rushing ability.
Bush is coming off of a junior campaign in which he registered 66 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks and four passes defended.
The 20-year-old arrived at Michigan back in 2016, but received only scarce playing time during his first season with the school, as he finished with just 11 tackles and a forced fumble.
During his sophomore year, Bush began to display his talent, totaling 95 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, an interception and seven passes defended.
The Steelers went 9-6-1 this past season, ultimately missing the playoffs for the first time since 2013. Pittsburgh actually got off to a 7-2-1 start on the year, but locker room issues derailed the team over the second half of the 2018 campaign.
Tomlin's club has lost a couple of key members during the offseason, as the Steelers traded star wide receiver Antonio Brown and lost star running back Le'Veon Bell to free agency.
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