Our third installment of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 2020 “what they look for” study for this year’s draft class. We’ve already looked at the wide receivers and running backs so let’s flip over to the defense. Good odds the team drafts an EDGE rusher so let’s see who fits best.
As always, we’ll list all the OLBs drafted in the Mike Tomlin era and revisit our thresholds/criteria for the position. There are changes from last season.
2019: Sutton Smith
Height: 6’0/3
Weight: 233
Arm Length: 30 3/4
Hand Size: 9
40 Time: 4.69
10 Split: 1.72
Vert: 31.5
Broad: 9’10”
Short Shuttle: 4.32
Three Cone: 6.75
Bench: 25
2017: T.J. Watt
Height: 6’4/2
Weight: 252
Arm Length: 33 1/8
Hand Size: 11
40 Time: 4.69
Ten Split: 1.59
Vert: 37
Broad: 10’7″
Short Shuttle: 4.78
Three Cone: 6.79
Bench: 21
Keion Adams
Height: 6’2
Weight: 247
Arm Length: 33 1/4
Hand Size: 9 1/2
40 Time: N/A
Ten Split: N/A
Vert: 36
Broad: 10’4″
Short Shuttle: N/A
Three Cone: N/A
Bench: 27
2016: Travis Feeney
Height: 6’3/5
Weight: 230
Arm Length: 33 3/8
Hand Size: 9 1/2
40 Time: 4.50
Ten Split: 1.58
Vertical: 40
Broad: 10’1’0″
Short Shuttle: 4.42
Three Cone: 7.20
Bench: N/A
2015: Bud Dupree
Height: 6’4
Weight: 260
Arm Length: 32 5/8
Hand Size:9 3/4
40 Time: 4.56
Ten Split: 1.60
Vertical: 42
Broad: 11’6″
Short Shuttle: N/A
Three Cone: N/A
2013: Jarvis Jones
Height: 6’2/3
Weight: 245
Arm Length: 33
Hand Size: 9 1/8
40 Time: N/A
Ten Split: N/A
Vertical: 30.5
Broad: 9’3″
Short Shuttle: N/A
Three Cone: N/A
Bench: 20
2011: Chris Carter
Height: 6’1
Weight: 248
Arm Length: 33
Hand Size: 9 3/8
40 Time: 4.67
Ten Split: 1.64
Vertical: 36
Broad: 9’6″
Short Shuttle: 4.34
Three Cone: 6.98
Bench: 27
2010: Jason Worilds
Height: 6’1/2
Weight: 254
Arm Length: 32 7/8
Hand Size: 9 1/4
40 Time: 4.72
Ten Split: 1.62
Vertical: 38
Broad: 9’6″
Short Shuttle: 4.29
Three Cone: 6.95
Bench: 24
Thaddeus Gibson
Height: 6’2
Weight: 243
Arm Length: 33
Hand Size: 8 3/4
40 Time: 4.79
Ten Split: 1.69
Vertical: 32
Broad: 9’7″
Short Shuttle: 4.27
Three Cone: 6.84
Bench: 32
2008: Bruce Davis
Height: 6’3
Weight: 245
Arm Length: 34 1/4
Hand Size: 10 1/8
40 Time: 4.50
Ten Split: 1.50
Vertical: 33.5
Broad: 10’3″
Short Shuttle: 4.03
Three Cone: 6.70
Bench: 19
2007: LaMarr Woodley
Height: 6’1/4
Weight: 266
Arm Length: 32 7/8
Hand Size: 9 7/8
40 Time: N/A
Ten Split: N/A
Vertical: 38.5
Broad: 9’9″
Short Shuttle: N/A
Three Cone: N/A
Bench: 29
6’1+ (10 of 11 drafted)
240+ (9 of 11)
Arm Length: 32 1/2 (10 of 11)
4.70 better (6 of 8) — old 4.75
1.65 ten split (6 of 8)
32+ inch vert (9 of 11) — old 33
9’5″+ broad (11 of 12)
Sub 4.5 short shuttle (6 of 7)
Sub 7 three cone (6 of 7)
Bench: 20+ (7 of 8)
Two changes from last year. The 40 time has improved from 4.75 to 4.70 while the vert dropped by an inch from 33 inches to 32.
So let’s see who checks every single box. The results…
No one. Not one pass rusher, listed as an OLB or DE, fit perfectly. I think this is a first.
There were two who missed in one category by slim margins.
Zach Baun/Wisconsin: Weight (238)
Will Gay Jr/Mississippi St: Three Cone (7.08)
And there are problems here too. Baun is probably off the board before #49 while Gay Jr. has off the field concerns that probably take him off the team’s board, especially with the added uncertainty of this draft process.
For some additional context, here were some of the top EDGE players missed in our study.
Bradlee Anae/Utah: 40 Time/Ten Split, Length, Vertical, Three Cone
Alex Highsmith/Charlotte: Ten Split, Three Cone
Jonathan Greenard/Florida: 40 Time/Ten Split, Vertical, Three Cone
Alton Robinson/Syracuse: Length, Three Cone
Curtis Weaver/Boise State: 40 Time/Ten Split
It’ll be interesting to see who they ultimately draft. Because whoever that is, they clearly won’t fit the mold 100% .
