For the fourth year, we’re looking at the Pittsburgh Steelers draft history to determine who the best fits are for the current draft class. Using the measurables of the players they’ve drafted, we can attempt to predict who they’ll be most interested in for 2019. And also who they might not be interested in selecting.
An imperfect, inexact science of course but another piece of the puzzle we can add. Each year, we update it based on the selections made in the previous draft.
Before we start, some of the caveats I like to mention up front. For any timed event, 40 yard dash or shuttle time, I go only off Combine data. Pro Day numbers can be all over the place; the time announced often is different than what an individual organization clocks and we know these numbers are notoriously favorable to the players. For events with more clear-cut measurables, the bench, broad, and vertical, we’ll use the best number of the Combine or Pro Day.
2017: Cam Sutton
Height: 5’11
Weight: 188
Arm Length: 30
Hand Size: 8 1/4
40 Time: 4.52
Vertical: 34
Broad Jump: 10’0″
Short Shuttle: N/A
Three Cone: 6.81
Brian Allen
Height: 6’2/7
Weight: 215
Arm Length: 34
Hand Size: 10
40 Time: 4.43
Vertical: 38
Broad Jump: 10’7″
Short Shuttle: 4.34
Three Cone: 6.64
2016: Artie Burns
Height: 5’11/7
Weight: 193
Arm Length: 33 1/4
Hand Size: 9 1/2
40 Time: 4.46
Vertical: 33
Broad Jump: 10’4″
Short Shuttle: N/A
Three Cone: N/A
2015: Senquez Golson
Height: 5’8/5
Weight: 176
Arm Length: 29 3/4
Hand Size: 9 3/8
40 Time: 4.46
Vertical: 33.5
Broad Jump: 10’0″
Short Shuttle: 4.20
Three Cone: 6.81
Doran Grant
Height: 5’10/2
Weight: 200
Arm Length: 30 1/4
Hand Size: 9 3/8
40 Time: 4.44
Vertical: 35.5
Broad Jump: 10’5″
Short Shuttle: 4.33
Three Cone: N/A
2014: Shaq Richardson
Height: 6’0/1
Weight: 194
Arm Length: 32
Hand Size: N/A
40 Time: N/A
Vertical: 38.5
Broad Jump: 10’7″
Short Shuttle: N/A
Three Cone: N/A
2013: Terry Hawthorne
Height: 5’11/6
Weight: 195
Arm Length: 31 1/4
Hand Size: 8 7/8
40 Time: 4.44
Vertical: 35.5
Broad Jump: 9’8″
Short Shuttle: N/A
Three Cone: N/A
2012: Terence Frederick
Height: 5’10
Weight: 187
Arm Length: 31 1/8
Hand Size: 9 1/8
40 Time: 4.54
Vertical: 35
Broad Jump: 10’1″
Short Shuttle: 4.03
Three Cone: 6.59
2011: Curtis Brown
Height: 5’11/5
Weight: 185
Arm Length: 32 1/4
Hand Size: 9 1/2
40 Time: 4.54
Vertical: 39.5
Broad Jump: 10’6″
Short Shuttle: 4.00
Three Cone: 6.59
Cortez Allen
Height: 6’1/2
Weight: 197
Arm Length: 32 1/4
Hand Size: 8 5/8
40 Time: 4.53
Vertical: 37.5
Broad Jump: 10’9″
Short Shuttle: 4.01
Three Cone: 6.76
2010: Crezdon Butler
Height: 5’11/6
Weight: 191
Arm Length: 32
Hand Size: 8 3/4
40 Time: 4.49
Vertical: 39.5
Broad Jump: 10’1″
Short Shuttle: 4.23
Three Cone: 7.08
2009: Keenan Lewis
Height: 6’0/7
Weight: 208
Arm Length: 32 3/4
Hand Size: 9 3/4
40 Time: 4.55
Vertical: 38.5
Broad Jump: 10’10”
Short Shuttle: N/A
Three Cone: N/A
Joe Burnett
Height: 5’9/3
Weight: 192
Arm Length: N/A
Hand Size: N/A
40 Time: 4.62
Vertical: 35.5
Broad Jump: 9’10”
Short Shuttle: 4.25
Three Cone: 6.68
2007: William Gay
Height: 5’10/1
Weight: 187
Arm Length: 31
Hand Size: 9 1/2
40 Time: N/A
Vertical: 38.5
Broad Jump: 9’10”
Short Shuttle: N/A
Three Cone: N/A
The Steelers didn’t draft a corner last year so the criteria remains the same.
Height: 5’10+ (12 of 14)
185+ pounds (13 of 14)
Arm length of at least 31 inches (10 of 13)
4.55 40 or lower (11 of 12)
33+ inch vertical (14 of 14)
10’0″+ inch broad (11 of 14)
Sub 4.35 short shuttle (6 of 7)
Sub 6.85 three cone (6 of 7)
Here are the players who check every one of those boxes.
| Name/School | Height | Weight | Arm Length | 40 Time | Vert | Broad | SS | 3 Cone |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Corey Ballentine/WB | 5’11 | 196 | 31 5/8 | 4.47 | 39.5 | 11’3″ | 4.14 | 6.82 |
| Isaiah Johnson/UH | 6’2/1 | 208 | 33 | 4.40 | 36.5 | 11’1″ | 4.06 | 6.81 |
| Julian Love/ND | 5’10/6 | 195 | 31 3/4 | 4.54 | 36 | 10’1″ | 4.1 | 6.72 |
| Amani Oruwariye/PSU | 6’1/5 | 205 | 31 3/8 | 4.47 | 36.5 | 10’0″ | 4.16 | 6.82 |
| Ken Webster/MISS | 5’10/7 | 203 | 32 | 4.43 | 43 | 11’1″ | 4.14 | 6.85 |
Kevin Colbert attended Houston and Notre Dame’s Pro Days while Tom Bradley was spotted at Penn State. Love and Johnson seem like the best bets to become Steelers of this list.
Here are the names who missed in just one category. There were several.
Davante Davis/Texas: 40 Time
Jamel Dean/Auburn: Three Cone
Alijah Holder/Stanford: 40 Time
Michael Jackson/Miami (FL): Three Cone
Lonnie Johnson/Kentucky: Three Cone
Justin Layne/Michigan State: Three Cone
David Long/Michigan: Arm Length
Rock Ya-Sin/Temple: Three Cone
Layne and Ya-Sin have been brought in for pre-draft visits while Colbert was at Texas, Michigan State, and Michigan’s Pro Days. Jackson is a player we’ve talked about on the podcast; Bradley was at his Pro Day, too. Teryl Austin was at Kentucky to watch the several DBs working out.
Unfortunately, I attempted to do this same study for safety but there still isn’t enough data to provide its own list. You want to look for “freak” workout warriors, guys who tested of the charts the way Terrell Edmunds, Sean Davis, and Shamarko Thomas did. So for another year, I’ll use the CB criteria as a loose guide for the safeties. No one checked every single box though Iowa’s Amani Hooker came very close. Here are the names who missed in just one category:
Amani Hooker/Iowa: Arm Length
Will Harris/Boston College: Three Cone
Sheldrick Redwine/Miami (FL): Three Cone
Darnell Savage/Maryland: Three Cone
Marvell Tell/USC: 40
Zedrick Woods/Ole Miss: Three Cone
Redwine, Savage, and Tell feel like the “freak” guys the team looks for. Savage was brought in for a pre-draft visit.
