Pittsburgh Steelers sign first-round pick LB Ryan Shazier
By Jack Crosby
There were some that believed the Pittsburgh Steelers would look to get Ben Roethlisberger some wide receiver help in the first round of the NFL draft last month, but instead they chose to live up to their defensive reputation by selecting Ohio State Buckeyes linebacker Ryan Shazier.
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On Thursday, Shazier officially signed his rookie deal with the team, becoming the next Dick LeBeau project in the Steel City.
Of course the Steelers did go out and get some offensive help, but there weren’t too many that were disappointed with this selection in the first round, and rightfully so.
In three years on the field for the Ohio State defense, Shazier was one of the more productive at his position in the entire country, amassing 317 tackles including 45.5 for loss with 15 sacks.
Last season was unquestionably his best on the field as Shazier tallied 144 of those aforementioned career tackles with 23.5 for loss and seven sacks. He was a key member of a team that came literally within minutes of playing for a national championship.
The former All-American can now settle into his new home in Pittsburgh where he could very well have one of the more successful careers of the rookies in this draft class. Shazier’s unique athleticism fits well into what LeBeau does with this Steelers defense, and he could be seeing the field right off the bat when the 2014 season gets underway in a few months.