First Call: Which Steeler has best chance at making his first Pro Bowl in 2020? Devin Bush? Or someone else?

Tim Benz | Wednesday, July 15, 2020 6:01 a.m.

Chaz Palla | Tribune-Review

Steelers linebacker Devin Bush takes the ball away from the Baltimore Ravens’ Nick Boyle in the third quarter Oct. 6, 2019, at Heinz Field.

NFL.com came up with a list of players — one per franchise — poised to make their first Pro Bowl.

The Steelers nominee was second-year linebacker Devin Bush.

Devin. Bush.

PLAYMAKER. @_Dbush11

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— NFL (@NFL) October 6, 2019

Good call. I can see that. For a rookie playing a difficult position, Bush boosted the overall athleticism of the Steelers on defense and made some splash plays.

DEVIN BUSH IS A PLAYMAKER.

An interception for his second takeaway of the game! #HereWeGo @_dbush11

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— NFL (@NFL) October 14, 2019

Marc Sessler posted the piece for NFL.com. Here is his assessment of the second-year inside linebacker.

“The former Michigan star screams on tape with blazing quickness, a nose for the ball and the requisite skill set to make a big jump come September. Bush looms as the special sauce in a rowdy, Super Bowl-level Steelers defense.”

Sure, the rookie got lost in coverage occasionally. Maybe a bit outsized at times, too. And there is still some nuance to the position Bush needs to grasp. But he’s off to a good start.

That said, it took Ryan Shazier three years at that spot before he made his first Pro Bowl. So if Bush eventually needs another season before he gets that kind of recognition, let’s take a look at a few other options in Wednesday’s “First Call.”

1. Bud Dupree (OLB): During a career year with 11.5 sacks in 2019, Dupree was snubbed for last year’s Pro Bowl.

Bud Dupree always finds a way to get to the QB @Bud_Dupree pic.twitter.com/VHBMp33Fzz

— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) March 7, 2020

The only outside linebacker in the AFC with more sacks than Dupree was Pittsburgh Steelers teammate T.J. Watt. Dupree also forced four fumbles and got two fumble recoveries. Some of them in very timely fashion.

POWERING THROUGH @Bud_Dupree pic.twitter.com/DA2wEnUiqQ

— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) November 24, 2019

The technique and finish that had been missing in Dupree’s game started to manifest last year. And he should be plenty motivated in 2020 to replicate those numbers since he is operating on a franchise tag.

Plus with Watt on the other side, he’s got a great partner in crime to help him get to Las Vegas in January. So I think Dupree is the smartest bet.

2. Steven Nelson (CB): Based on how good Nelson was in 2019, he could be the top choice.

Pro Football Focus gave the free-agent signee a grade of 80.5 overall. That was sixth best among all cornerbacks in 2019. They tracked him as allowing just 33 receptions on over 500 coverage snaps all year.

But Nelson has a few things working against him. Joe Haden gets more hype on the other side. I doubt most people outside of Pittsburgh understand how much Nelson upgraded that position.

Nelson is not flashy. He’s really soft spoken with the media. Not exactly cornerback traits, right?

And because he was so good in coverage last year, he wasn’t targeted enough to make a lot of highlight plays.

Sometimes a guy needs a year where he deserves a nod before he actually goes. Dupree may be that guy in Pittsburgh this year.

In the case of Nelson, he may need two such years.

3. Stephon Tuitt (DL): I feel like I’ve been saying this about Tuitt for a few seasons in a row now. So maybe I should rate Tuitt higher.

Unfortunately, I can’t.

Injuries keep getting in the way of Tuitt achieving his Pro Bowl status.

In 2017, it was his back and a biceps tear. He hyperextended an elbow in 2018. And he missed the last 10 games of the 2019 campaign with a torn pectoral muscle.

Tuitt has plenty of talent and desire. What he seems to lack is durability and any semblance of good luck.

Tuitt is paid like a Pro Bowler. His cap hit of $14.9 million is third highest on the team, behind only quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and Dupree’s $15.2 million franchise tag.

If health allows, maybe he’ll finally be a Pro Bowler.

4. Diontae Johnson (WR): I had to throw one offensive guy in the mix.

Based on what we saw from him last year, Johnson has the best shot of any offensive player to go to Vegas as a first timer.

Diontae Johnson with the unreal grab! @juiceup__3

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— NFL (@NFL) September 15, 2019

Keep in mind, Roethlisberger, JuJu Smith-Schuster, James Conner, Maurkice Pouncey and David DeCastro have already gone.

Matt Feiler could be a dark horse candidate if he proves even more comfortable at guard than tackle with his position switch. But my guess is, even if that happens, he’s not a big enough name.

Johnson is healthier this year. Plus we should expect his targets, yards, and touchdowns to increase with Roethlisberger at quarterback. And that’s saying something since he led the Steelers in all those categories as a rookie with Mason Rudolph and Devlin Hodges at the helm.

Diontae Johnson over the top for the 29-yard TD! @juiceup__3 #HereWeGo

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— NFL (@NFL) December 22, 2019

Don’t forget his ability to splash on special teams, too. He made second-team All Pro as a punt return specialist as a rookie.

That helps.