Monday, September 29, 2014

Ryan Shazier Living Up To The Billing Early On



"In the NFL, many people like to analyze things earlier then they probably should. After all, people need something to talk about in between games. It is still very early in the year, but it looks like Ryan Shazier is living up to the billing. The first-round draft pick for the Pittsburgh Steelers is one of the best linebackers in the rookie class so far, and he does not seem to be slowing down anytime soon.

The biggest take away from Shazier’s play so far has been his activity every single play. He has a total of 17 tackles on the year so far, and it is clear that he is one of the most athletic players at his position. If he can continue to show a lot of range, he’s going to finish with some pretty solid numbers in his very 1st year.

Pittsburgh admittedly has a pretty old defense for the most part. They are trying to slowly change that, especially when you consider that it might be holding them back a little bit. Shazier could turn into one of the new faces of the franchise as the team gets back to its roots.

While he has been able to mostly have success early on in his career, there are some people who are a little bit critical of his inability to hold his own against bigger blockers so far. That is something that might just take some getting used to since he is still new to the NFL. He is also going to put on some additional muscle as he continues to age, so that is not really a long-term concern.

Overall, the only other inside linebacker in the rookie class who is coming close to his production is CJ Mosley for the Ravens. There are a few outside linebackers, most notably Anthony Barr and Khalil Mack, who are making some strong contributions in fantasy football to their defenses as well. This is a pretty good class at this position, but there might not be a better overall linebacker new to the league this year than Ryan Shazier."

I did not write this, but I agree with it totally! Shazier is going to be a beast.

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