In what could be the Pittsburgh Steelers’ final day of pre-draft visitors, the team has a pair of prospects in town. According to Steelers.com’s Dale Lolley, the team has brought in West Virginia WR Bryce Ford-Wheaton and Bowling Green DT Karl Brooks Thursday.
Pittsburgh has shown interest in Brooks throughout the pre-draft cycle. A great athlete, he dominated the MAC with high-end production (46 career TFL, 27.5 sacks), a former linebacker who bulked up to play interior defensive line, though he still spent plenty of time rushing off the edge. Defensive line coach Karl Dunbar attended Brooks’ Pro Day and put him through his workout. Brooks was considered one of the draft’s biggest Combine snubs. He’s projected to be a later Day Two selection, potentially the Steelers’ third-round pick at #80 overall.
Ford-Wheaton crushed his Combine workout. At 6’4, 221 pounds, he ran a 4.38 40, jumped 41 inches in the vertical, and posted a 10’9″ in the broad along with solid agility scores. His RAS score was one of the best of any receiver since 1987.
In four years at West Virginia, he caught 143 passes for over 1,800 yards and 15 touchdowns. Last year, his average dipped to just 10.9 yards per catch but he found the end zone seven times. His draft stock is a bit difficult to predict but he could go early on Day Three. According to Mock Draft Database, he’s viewed as a sixth-round pick but his physical traits could get him drafted higher.
I believe Ford-Wheaton should count as a local visit since West Virginia is in Pittsburgh’s area, meaning he doesn’t count against the team’s allotted 30.
You can check out our reports on both below. And you can check out our up-to-date visit tracker at the link here.
