Finishing up our 2022 NFL Draft “what the Pittsburgh Steelers look for” studies. This may be our last one of the year, though I’m considering doing one position I haven’t done before. Today, we are looking at defensive ends the team has drafted to see who in this current class fits based on historical trends and thresholds.
For the historical data in the Mike Tomlin era, I am only including defensive ends. For this 2022 class, I will include everyone, including players viewed as more interior linemen, in order to cast as wide net as possible, especially in this age of defenders being able to play up and down the line and having less defined positions. Still, the athletic testing does knock out most of the true interior run pluggers.
Here’s all the DEs drafted under Tomlin.
2021: Isaiahh Loudermilk
Height: 6063
Weight: 274
Arm Length: 32 5/8″
40: 5.08
Ten Split: 1.71
Bench: 21
Vert: 28.5″
Broad: 9’4″
SS: 4.55
3C: 7.52
2019: Isaiah Buggs
Height: 6031
Weight: 306
Arm Length: 30 5/8″
40: 5.15
Ten Split: 1.81
Bench: 20
Vert: 24.5″
Broad: 8’0″
SS: 4.83
3C: 8.01
2015: L.T. Walton
Height: 6050
Weight: 319
Arm Length: 32 1/4″
40: 5.25
Ten Split: 1.78
Bench: 25
Vert: 27″
Broad: 8’7”
SS: 4.78
3C: 7.91
2014: Stephon Tuitt
Height: 6054
Weight: 304
Arm Length: 34 3/4″
2013: Nick Williams
Height: 6040
Weight: 309
Arm Length: 34 1/8″
40: 4.94
Ten Split: 1.70
Bench: 28
Vert: 33″
Broad: 9’3″
SS: 4.65
3C: 7.55
2011: Cam Heyward
Height: 6050
Weight: 294
Arm Length: 34 1/4″
Vert: 30″
2010: Doug Worthington
Height: 6051
Weight: 292
Bench: 19
Vert 35.5″
Broad: 10’1”
2009: Ziggy Hood
Height: 6027
Weight: 300
40: 4.97
Ten Split: 1.73
Bench: 36
Vert: 34.5″
Broad: 9’8”
SS; 4.55
3C: 7.5
Sonny Harris
Height: 6043
Weight: 298
40: 4.99 40
Ten Split: 1.82
Bench: 28
Vert: 25.5″
Broad: 8’10”
SS: 4.87
3C: 8.18
2007: Ryan McBean
Height: 6040
Weight: 286
Arm Length: 33 1/2″
40: 5.05
Ten Split: 1.76
Bench: 27
Vert: 28″
Broad; 9’0”
SS: 4.46
3C: 7.79
Our criteria last examined in 2020 remains unchanged, even with the selection of Isaiahh Loudermilk. Loudermilk’s pre-draft process was a weird one, slimming down to 274 for reasons that never made sense, but it still didn’t change the weight requirement. The one thing we are adding is a ten split, which wasn’t there before, though it’s an easy bar to clear.
DL criteria:
Height: 6’4+ (8 of 10)
Weight: 290+ (8 of 10)
40 Time: 5.15 (6 of 7)
Ten Split: 1.85 (7 of 7)
Arm Length: 32+ inches (6 of 7)
Bench: 20+ (7 of 8)
Vert: 27+ (8 of 9)
Broad: 8’5” (7 of 8)
3C: 8.10 (6 of 7)
SS: 4.85 (6 of 7)
Here are the players who checked every single box:
woosh
No one. No defensive lineman checked every single box. Only one did so back in 2020. It’s been a tough nut to crack. Height and bench seem to be the most consistent hurdles but there isn’t a common theme between the misses like there are at other positions. Overall, the Steelers have a “type” at DE that’s hard to find. It’s one reason why they traded up for Isaiahh Loudermilk last year, who checked every box minus weight and the team knew he could and would add once drafted.
Here are the players who missed in just one category. There were five of them.
One Box Away
Matthew Butler/Tennessee: Height (6037)
Logan Hall/Houston: Weight (283)
Jordan Jackson/Air Force: Bench (18)
Travis Jones/UConn: Bench (DNP)
John Ridgeway/Arkansas: 40 (5.30)
Butler and Jackson were the closest to checking all the boxes. Butler barely missed in height and Jackson missed the bench by two reps. Butler caught the Depot staff’s attention at the Shrine Game and could be a seventh-round pick/UDFA type.
Hall is an awkward body type but could be considered if the team is aggressive with the position on Day 2. On paper, Jones seems to fit the best of this group and almost certainly would’ve hit the bench had he participated. But the Steelers weren’t at his Huskies Pro Day, making him hard to imagine being on the team’s radar.
