Finding linebackers always seemed so easy for the Steelers. They would wait until the middle rounds of the draft, pick off one or two and put them in storage on special teams for a while.
In a year or two, they would emerge as just another Pro Bowl candidate to fuel their ravaging 3-4 defense.
That changed over the past several years, as much of the NFL caught up with their tactics. No longer could they find those hidden gems in the middle or late rounds, they were forced to go get them right away. Thus begat Jarvis Jones, Ryan Shazier and Bud Dupree all in the first round since 2013.