The Pittsburgh Steelers took the unorthodox approach in the NFL Draft by trading up 10 spots in the first round to select inside linebacker Devin Bush with the No. 10 overall pick.
Bush rewarded them by setting a franchise-rookie record with 97 tackles with one game remaining in the regular season.
Bush already has met other historical standards, and Friday he was named the recipient of the “Joe Greene Great Performance Award,” which is given annually by the Pittsburgh chapter of the Pro Football Writers’ Association of America to the team’s top rookie.
Bush also has one sack, nine tackles for loss, two quarterback hits, two interceptions, four passes defensed, one forced fumble and a fumble recovery that he took for a touchdown.
“All of the games were a different experience for me, a different learning experience,” Bush said. “All the games are special to me. It’s my first year in the NFL, and I took it all in as that. I’m just happy to be with this team and this organization.”
After the Steelers didn’t adequately replace injured inside linebacker Ryan Shazier in 2018, they made the uncharacteristic decision to move up in the first round to select Bush, who was considered the No. 2 inside linebacker in his draft class.
The Steelers immediately put Bush in the lineup, and he has started 14 of the first 15 games while playing more than 81% of the defensive snaps. He became the first NFL rookie since the merger in 1970 with at least 85 tackles, four fumble recoveries, two interceptions and a fumble return for a touchdown.
“You never know what to expect,” Bush said. “You hear all these stories about hitting the rookie wall or you may do this or feel this way, but you never know until you go through it. I have a good grasp, and I think it will help me next year.”
Bush has faced challenges as a rookie, notably in reading pass coverages in a zone defense.
“He’s still got a lot to learn,” defensive coordinator Keith Butler said. “He’s still missing some things he’ll learn to see the more and more he plays. I always think linebackers, inside or outside, learn from their mistakes and if they don’t repeat them, they’ll start to get better.
“When they get better, you usually reap the benefits from them when they are in their second, third or fourth year in the league.”
While Bush was the lone rookie to start on defense, the Steelers have gotten contributions from wide receiver Diontae Johnson, a third-round pick; running back Benny Snell Jr., a fourth-round selection; and quarterback Devlin Hodges, an undrafted free agent.
Johnson leads the team with 55 receptions, Snell is second in rushing with 335 yards, and Hodges will make his sixth start Sunday at Baltimore.
“We came in together, and we have grown in this process together,” Bush said. “We’ll always have a relationship.”
Hey, Steelers Nation, get the latest news about the Pittsburgh Steelers here.
