The Pittsburgh Steelers are very likely to address the inside linebacker during the first few rounds of this year’s draft and on Saturday it was reported that they have a formal interview set up with at least two of the top-rated players in this year’s class that play that position.
According to Joe Rutter of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, former Alabama linebacker Rashaan Evans said during his Saturday media session in Indianapolis that he has a formal interview with the Steelers set up for later in the evening.
By now, most of you should be fully aware of Evans as he’s been mocked to the Steelers quite a few times by major media draft analysts over the course of the last several weeks.
In his four season at Alabama, Evans played in 53 games and recorded 150 total tackles with 23.5 of them resulting in lost yardage. He also had 15 total sacks and was credited with 5 pass breakups and 2 forced fumbles. He was voted a team captain this past season as well.
Evans measured in at 6017, 232-pounds at the combine with 32 1/4-inch arms and 10-inch hands. He will presumably work out Sunday with his position group.
New Steelers defensive line coach Karl Dunbar should already know quite a bit about Evans as he was on the Alabama coaching staff last season.
Not surprisingly, former Boise State linebacker Leighton Vander Esch also said Saturday that he has met with the Steelers at the combine. He reportedly raved about the interview and the treatment he got from Steelers coaches, per Rutter.
Vander Esch, who measured in at 6042, 256-pounds, registered 188 total tackles, of which 62 of them resulted in lost yardage, in the 32 games that he played in at Boise State. He also had 4 interceptions to go along with 5 sacks and 5 pass breakups. He declared for the 2018 NFL Draft as an underclassmen several weeks ago and at that time said he was told by multiple scouts, agents, etc. that he’d likely be no worse than a second round pick. He would certainly fit with the Steelers as an inside linebacker.
Rutter also reports that former Ohio State linebacker Jerome Baker has formal meeting with Steelers set up.
Baker measured in at 6011, 229-pounds. He registered 158 total tackles in 33 games played in at Ohio State. 17.5 of those tackls resulted in losses and he also had 7 sacks.
