Moving on with our 2022 version of “what the Pittsburgh Steelers look for’ studies, examining minimum thresholds position-by-position to see which players of this year’s draft best fit what the team looks for. Today, we’ll check out the interior offensive line, guards and centers.
There’s a new name added to the list following 2021’s selection of Kendrick Green. There was no Combine so we strictly used his Pro Day data but his selection along with a review of my previous data has changed the criteria from last year. But first, here are the interior guys selected in the Mike Tomlin era with our updated criteria to follow.
2021: Kendrick Green
Height: 6017
Weight: 305
Arm Length: 32 1/4″
Hand Size: 10 1/8″
40 Time: 4.89
Ten Split: 1.69
Bench: 25
Vert: 35.5″
Broad: 9’11”
Short Shuttle: 4.67
Three-Cone: 7.79
2020: KEVIN DOTSON
Height: 6040
Weight: 310
Arm Length: 33″
Hand Size: N/A
40 Time: 4.80
Ten Split: 1.78
Bench: 33
Vert: N/A
Broad: N/A
Short Shuttle: N/A
Three-Cone: N/A
2019: DERWIN GRAY
Height: 6044
Weight: 320
Arm Length: 34 3/8″
Hand Size: 9 5/8″
40 Time: 5.26
Ten Split: 1.89
Bench: 26
Vert: N/A
Broad: 7’6″
Short Shuttle: N/A
Three-Cone: N/A
2014: WESLEY JOHNSON
Height: 6053
Weight: 298
Arm Length: 32 1/2″
Hand Size: 10 1/8″
40 Time: 5.11
Ten Split: 1.73
Bench: 26
Vert: 29″
Broad: 9’3″
Short Shuttle: 4.64
Three-Cone: 7.40
2012: DAVID DECASTRO
Height: 6047
Weight: 316
Arm Length: 32 3/4″
Hand Size: 10″
40 Time: 5.43
Ten Split: 1.84
Bench: 34
Vert: 29.5″
Broad: 8’2″
Short Shuttle: 4.56
Three-Cone: 7.30
2011: KEITH WILLIAMS
Height: 6042
Weight: 318
Arm Length: 32 3/8″
Hand Size: 10″
40 Time: 5.36
Ten Split: 1.89
Bench: 23
Vert: 24.5″
Broad: 7’9″
Short Shuttle: 5.03
Three-Cone: 8.42
2010: MAURKICE POUNCEY
Height: 6044
Weight: 304
Arm Length: 32 1/2″
Hand Size: 10″
40 Time: 5.29
Ten Split: 1.83
Bench: 25
Vert: 27″
Broad: 7’11”
Short Shuttle: 4.92
Three-Cone: 7.74
2010: CHRIS SCOTT
Height: 6045
Weight: 319
Arm Length: 34 1/8″
Hand Size: 10 3/8″
40 Time: 5.55
Ten Split: 1.93
Bench: 19
Vert: 22.5″
Broad: 7’6″
Short Shuttle: 5.03
Three-Cone: 8.24
2009: A.Q. SHIPLEY
Height: 6011
Weight: 304
Arm Length: 29 3/4″
Hand Size: 8 1/2″
40 Time: 5.26
Ten Split: 1.85
Bench: 33
Vert: 31″
Broad: 8’4″
Short Shuttle: 4.40
Three-Cone: 7.46
2007: CAMERON STEPHENSON
Height: 6032
Weight: 306
Arm Length: N/A
Hand Size: N/A
40 Time: 5.45
Ten Split: 1.88
Bench: 34
Vert: 28.5″
Broad: 8’5″
Short Shuttle: 4.81
Three-Cone: 7.72
With Green’s selection and inclusion to this data set, out criteria has changed. It is now:
Height: 6’3″+ (8 of 10)
Weight: 300+ (9 of 10)
Arm Length: 32″+ (8 of 9)
Hand Size: 9 1/2″ (7 of 8)
40 Time: 5.45 (9 of 10)
Ten Split: 1.90 (9 of 10)
Bench: 25 (8 of 10)
Vert: 24″ (7 of 8)
Broad: 7’5” (9 of 9)
SS: 4.95 (6 of 8)
3C: 7.8 (6 of 8)
The height requirement has dropped an inch from 6’4 to 6’3. The shuttle drills have gotten faster too. The short shuttle dropped from 5.05 to 4.95 while the three cone has seen a drastic improvement from 8.25 to 7.8.
Including undersized tackles and those who project to guard, three players checked every single box. They are:
| Name/School | Height | Weight | Arm Length | Hand Size | 40 Time | 10 Split | Bench | Vert | Broad | SS | 3 Cone |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Luke Fortner/Kentucky | 6041 | 307 | 33 1/8 | 10 | 5.21 | 1.77 | 31 | 24 | 8’6” | 4.95 | 7.75 |
| Cole Strange/UT-Chattanooga | 6047 | 307 | 33 | 10 1/8 | 5.03 | 1.71 | 31 | 28 | 10’0″ | 4.50 | 7.44 |
| Tyler Smith/Tulsa | 6045 | 324 | 34 | 10 3/4 | 5.02 | 1.70 | 25 | 27.5 | 8’9″ | 4.65 | 7.78 |
Fortner and Strange are “true” interior linemen, centers, while Smith is a mauling tackler who could kick inside at guard or with his good length, stay at tackle as well. Fortner and Strange are probably going to be late Day 2 picks, and Fortner particularly impressed me at the Senior Bowl. With Pittsburgh addressing the interior line in free agency, neither guy is probably too likely to become a Steeler.
A host of players came one box away, a whopping 13 of them. They are:
One Box Away
Spencer Burford/UTSA: Three-Cone (DNP)
Ja’Tyre Carter/Southern: Three-Cone (7.84)
Deaton Dawson/Texas Tech: Bench (24)
Bill Dunkle/San Diego State: Three-Cone (7.97)
Joshua Ezeudu/North Carolina: Three-Cone (7.83)
Zion Johnson/Boston College: Height (6025)
Cam Jurgens/Nebraska: Height (6027)
Alec Lindstrom/Boston College: Weight (299)
Dylan Parham/Memphis: Height (6025)
Chris Paul/Tulsa: Hand (9 3/8″)
Cordell Volson/North Dakota State: Three-Cone (8.31)
Cade Mays/Tennessee: Bench (21)
Zac Thomas/San Diego State: Vertical (22.5″)
Rare to see so many players come this close and in many instances, just barely miss. Three-cone and height were the biggest reasons why players missed. Carter and Ezeudu missed by less than .05 seconds in the three-cone. Johnson, Jurgens, and Parham missed by less than a half-inch in the height. But Chris Paul and Alec Lindstrom were the closest to make it. Paul missed the hand size by an 1/8 inch and Lindstrom missed the weight by a cheeseburger, just one pound.
It’s a solid list of names who run the table from Day 1 potential (Johnson) to late Day 3/UDFAs. Mays fits well as an uber-versatile player with good play strength.
One last thing about the study. I’ve lumped guards and centers together because of sample sizes, but there are some clear differences between size and center versus guard. Guys like A.Q. Shipley and Kendrick Green were shorter, squatter centers while the guards are typically bigger and longer. So personally, that sub 6-3 guard misses more than the 6’3″ threshold indicates. Guards in Pittsburgh are generally 6’4″+.
