Pittsburgh Steelers: Best Draft Picks of the 2010’s
By Kris Rogers
9. Ryan Shazier
Draft Pick: 2014 Round 1, Pick 15
Ryan Shazier’s selection took Steeler Nation by surprise. With veteran Lawrence Timmons and rookie Vince Williams at inside linebacker, they appeared to be solid at the position, or at least have bigger needs to take care of early. However, at 15 overall, the Steelers drafted Ryan Shazier out of Ohio State, who was immediately inserted into the starting lineup.
When healthy, Shazier’s talent is apparent. He has the ability to fly around the football field and is a prototype for the hyper-athletic linebacker of the modern era. The linebacker out of Ohio State made that apparent in the Steelers’ week two match up against the 49ers, where Shazier recorded 15 tackles, a sack, and forced and recovered a fumble.
The knock against Shazier has been his ability to stay healthy. In his first two seasons, the inside linebacker missed 11 out of 32 games with knee and shoulder injuries. But when on the field, the Steelers feel his energy and his play making ability, including two forced fumbles in the Steelers playoff win against the Cincinnati Bengals in 2015.
In 2015, Shazier recorded 87 tackles, 3.5 sacks, 8 TFLs, 2 forced fumbles and an interception.
Next: 8. Marcus Gilbert