The NFL Combine doesn’t kick off for another week and Pro Days don’t start until March. But new Pittsburgh Steelers’ GM Omar Khan is already on the scouting trail. Khan is down at this year’s HBCU Bowl and Combine, getting his photo tweeted out earlier today.
The second year of this NFL Draft All-Star game, the Legacy Bowl highlights the top players from HBCUs to offer a chance to give those players more exposure to pro scouts and teams.
Pittsburgh has a long and rich history of finding gems from HBCUs. Names include Donnie Shell, L.C. Greenwood, John Stallworth, and many others, a credit to legendary scout Bill Nunn and the work he did when so many other scouts and teams ignored black colleges.
This year’s HBCU Legacy Bowl will take place on February 25th. You can check out the complete rosters here but notable players include Bethune-Cookman tight end Kemari Averett. Listed at 6’6, 250 pounds, he’s a two-time First Team All-SWAC selection with 17 career touchdown catches. North Carolina Central OL Robert Mitchell has been lauded for his quickness and was named the MEAC’s Offensive Lineman of the Year. Defensively, there’s Texas Southern safety Derrick Tucker, a big-body at a listed 6’3, 220 pounds. A former Texas A&M transfer, he will have to answer off-field questions after being arrested in 2019 in an alleged fight over tacos. Southern DE Camron Peterson has good size and picked up 3.5 sacks this past season.
Last year, Jackson State’s James Houston emerged as a draft sleeper and came on strong for the Detroit Lions in the second half of his rookie year, finishing with eight sacks in just seven games. This year’s draft class features several interesting HBCU prospects. Jackson State’s Aubrey Miller impressed during the Senior Bowl while Florida A&M DE Isaiah Land also shined and was a dominant force in school.
There will also be a HBCU Combine held later today at the New Orleans Saints’ practice facility. You can find a list of participating players at the link here.
Here’s a photo former NFL GM Scott Pioli grabbed of Khan speaking to the group and the importance of remaining focused throughout the week.
