By Jared Villani
SteelerNation.com
Pittsburgh Steelers former first-round draft pick Artie Burns has had a tough time acclimating to life in the NFL. Unfortunately, his spot on the team may be in jeopardy ahead of the 2019 season. Although Burns has shown promising glimpses in the past, most notably his rookie season, he was very underwhelming in 2018.
It's unlikely the team doesn't want to give Burns more time to prove his case, but he'll have to get back to his rookie form and gain his confidence back. Burns accounted for 22 total tackles and one pass defended last season, but did have 65 total tackles, three interceptions, and 13 passes defended in 2016.
For those forgetting why Pittsburgh has given Burns the chance to fight for a roster spot, here are a couple of examples in the past where he has been mentioned amongst the best in the game.
Don't throw at Artie Burns!
????✈️ pic.twitter.com/rSgsq3Ngu4— Pro Football Focus (@PFF) December 5, 2017
#Steelers PFF Credits Artie Burns For Limiting Receivers Through 4 Weeks https://t.co/JlW2Vm70CH #HereWeGo pic.twitter.com/KVeeXapuYe
— Steelers Depot (@Steelersdepot) October 3, 2017
While this may be in the past, Burns' potential and fire to compete are likely not lost amongst his poor play as of late. If Burns wants to stick around with the Steelers, he'll need to remind the team why they used a first-round pick on him just three years ago.
What would you like the Steelers to do with Burns? Comment below!
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