I want to start this look at ILB and SAF prospects with a cartoon-level summary before descending into the weeds. This article is going to focus less on position names than it will on defensive roles, so I think it will help to lay those out. An NFL defense has three basic jobs: stop the run, rush the passer, and cover the pass. In the modern game:
1. DLs and EDGE rushers focus mostly on run stuffing and pass rushing. [Outside the scope of this article]
2. Outside CBs focus mostly on pass coverage with a little attention left for run support. [Outside the scope of this article]
3. The midfield players – Buck ILB, Mack ILB, and Strong SAF – have multiple duties. This is why “football IQ,” “instincts,” and “study habits” come into the analyses so often. Those above-the-neck factors make a player half a step quicker or slower, which in turn makes all the difference between splash plays and whiffs. “Instincts” matter across the roster, of course, but they are absolutely pivotal to anyone playing LB or SAF.
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- Buck ILBs tilt toward run support and blitzing but have enough coverage duties to cause major problems if they can’t at least cover their zones, outlet routes, and the like.
- Mack ILBs have to be very balanced between run stuffing and coverage duties, with occasional blitzing mixed in. They also need to be special athletes with explosive burst and speed to make sideline to sideline plays. Many can also man the Buck ILB position, but most would get beat up if asked to do it against heavy formations. It’s the same in reverse for the Macks, who can do box safety jobs against TEs and RBs but struggle hugely if asked to deal with WRs.
- Strong SAFs are like Mack ILBs when it comes to skill sets but are often lighter due to the emphasis leaning toward coverage talents. Many excel in zone coverage but end up as box safeties because they have 4.6-something speed instead of the fleetness required to play free safety.
- The term “Nickelback” refers to a strong safety big enough to play in the Mack ILB spot duties in passing situations with extra DBs on the field. The actual Mack typically slides over to play the Buck position in this case.
- “Slot DB” refers to the former Mike Hilton role. Think “half CB with excellent COD, and half SAF with a size deficit he makes up for with attitude.”
- Free safeties are lighter and faster. Many have almost-CB coverage skills, but their primary duty is disaster prevention and QB-terrifier. Play deep, see the long pass about to happen, and then race over in time to prevent it. Great ones get there in time to make an interception. Solid ones shrink the windows enough to force bad throws. Journeymen become “Cover 2 Safeties,” who are protected by only having to range over half the field. Range, a/k/a “being rangy,” is a major compliment for free safety prospects.
The modern clash between offense and defense often comes down to whether the offense can attack one of these players in his areas of weakness using a pass catcher who has that as an area of strength. A fast guy on someone relatively slow, a quickster on someone with limited COD, a big TE/WR on a smaller defender, etc. Versatility is highly prized for all of these players because that is the way to cut down on mismatches.
NOTE: That is a cartoonish summary, folks. Please cut me some slack about all the ifs, ands, buts, subtleties, sometimeses, and exceptions those generalizations gloss over. I get it. The point is simply this: the positions we’re looking at today overlap each other in a steady continuum from heavier and more physical to quicker and faster, with good players having a bit more of both than limited players.
Now let’s look at the Steelers roster from last year:
- Buck ILB Elandon Roberts. A thumper who can slide over to play Mack ILB in a limited way because his advanced football IQ and instincts compensate for athletic shortcomings.
- Buck ILB Mark Robinson. A developmental player with much less experience than Elandon Roberts, which has made him a mess in coverage. Young and still improving, but limited.
- Mack/Buck ILB Cole Holcomb. [KNEE INJURY] Until his injury in Week 9, the soon-to-be-28-year-old Holcomb was growing into a true, multipurpose Mack ILB who could thump and cover with equal effectiveness.
- Mack ILB Kwon Alexander [UFA]. [ACHILLES TEAR] Until his injury in Week 10, the soon-to-be-30-year-old Alexander also looked like a true, multipurpose Mack ILB who can thump on the inside if he needs to. Alexander also has an extensive history of bad injuries: torn ACL in 2018, torn pec in 2019, torn bicep and torn Achilles in 2020, and then torn Achilles #2 in 2023.
- Emergency Mack ILB’s Myles Jack [Retired / UFA], Mykal Walker [Journeyman / UFA], and Blake Martinez [Journeyman / UFA].
Summing up: the Steelers have three players who can man the Buck ILB, downhill thumper role. Things look okay on paper for the Mack ILB role, too, if Holcomb recovers from his knee injury and the team can find a journeyman backup in free agency. There is no developmental Mack in the pipeline that I know of.
- Free SAF Minkah Fitzpatrick. [KNEE] Da Man, but had an injury-plagued year that held him back.
- Free/Strong SAF Damontae Kazee [SUSPENSION] Played pretty well in 2022 and then cratered in 2023. Some impressively bad looks, including a questionable suspension that was based in part on his extended history of over-the-line hits.
- Strong SAF/Mack ILB Keanu Neal. [BROKEN RIBS] Played poorly until Week 10, when he went on IR with a rib injury.
- Free SAF/Slot CB Elijah Riley. [ANKLE] A special teams player who can sometimes help as a hybrid slot defender.
- Free/Strong SAF Trenton Thompson. A 2023 Giants UDFA who joined Pittsburgh after the Giants let him go. Looked pretty good and may have matured into a depth role in addition to special teams. The rap on him is limited athleticism.
- Emergency Strong SAF’s Eric Rowe [AGE / UFA] and Miles Killebrew [Nominal SAF only / UFA]
- Free SAF Patrick Peterson [Contract in flux]. He’s lost the step needed to continue playing corner, but actually looked pretty good when asked to play as a centerfield safety. He would add nice depth if the team can find a way to reduce his bloated salary cap hit.
Summing up: (i) Free safeties are harder to find, but the Steelers have that covered and are well-stocked with players who can handle those duties. (ii) The cupboard is thin at strong safety because both Kazee and Neal looked poor in 2023, even before accounting for their missed games. (iii) The cupboard is even thinner for the Slot DB position, but this will be addressed in a future article focused on the CB class.
My Analysis.
Yes, yes. Free agency can change everything. That’s a given.
There’s a hole that straddles the line between coverage-oriented Mack ILB and run-support Box SAF. It may be addressed in free agency, but the team could use an infusion of talented youth even if they do bring a solid veteran in to be the starter. Eric Rowe did a great job filling in, but he is on the wrong side of 30 and had been forced out of the league after a 2022 season where he injured his quad, hamstring, him, and pectoral muscles.
Free SAF and Buck ILB prospects need not apply.
The Prospects
I’m going to add a table here to combine all the ILB and SAF prospects and describe which roles they would tend to fit. Yes, I know: it’s another cartoon version of real people. For illustrative purposes only.
| Est. All-Teams Round |
Name | Buck ILB | Mack ILB | Strong SAF | Cover-2 | Free SAF | Slot DB |
| 1-2 | FS Kamren Kinchens | X | X | X | |||
| 2 | SAF Javon Bullard | X | X | X | |||
| 2 | FS Calen Bullock | X | X | X | |||
| 2 | ILB Edgerrin Cooper | X | X | ||||
| 2 | ILB Jeremiah Trotter Jr. | X | X | ||||
| 2-3 | SS Tyler Nubin | X | X | ||||
| 2-3 | ILB Payton Wilson | X | X | X | |||
| 2-3 | ILB Cedric Gray | X | X | ||||
| 2-3 | ILB Ty’Ron Hopper | X | X | ||||
| 3 | SAF Cole Bishop | X | X | ||||
| 3 | ILB Junior Colson | X | X | ||||
| 3 | SAF Jaden Hicks | X | X | X | X | ||
| 3 | SAF Kitan Oladapo | X | X | X | |||
| 3 | ILB Omar Speights | X | X | ||||
| 3 | SAF/ILB James Williams | X | X | ||||
| 3-4 | ILB Jaylan Ford | X | X | ||||
| 3-4 | ILB Tyrice Knight | X | X | ||||
| 3-4 | ILB Tommy Eichenberg | X | |||||
| 3-4 | SAF Tykee Smith | X | X | X | |||
| 4 | ILB Aaron Casey | X | ??? | ||||
| 4 | SAF/CB Jarius Monroe | ??? | X | X | |||
| 4-5 | ILB Aaron Casey | X | |||||
| 4-5 | ILB Trevin Wallace | X | X | ||||
| 4-5 | SAF Malik Mustapha | X | X | X | |||
| 5 | ILB JD Bertrand | X | X | ||||
| 5 | ILB Jontrey Hunter | X | X | ||||
| 5 | SAF Josh Proctor | X | X | X | |||
| 5 | ILB Jackson Sirmon | X | X | ||||
| 5 | SAF Evan Williams | X | X | X | |||
| 5-6 | SAF/RB Sione Vaki | ?? | ?? | ?? | ?? | ||
| 5-7 | SAF Beau Brade | X |
| INSIDE (A/K/A “OFF BALL”) LINEBACKERS (grades give more weight to coverage skill than thumping) | |
| 2:12 | ILB Edgerrin Cooper, Texas (Junior). 6-2, 227 lbs. with 33½” arms and 9⅝” hands. Turns 23 in November. Various small meetings. Could be the best rounded ILB in the draft, he can reportedly play equally well in run support and coverage. Seems to be a quick processor, which adds to his impressive natural speed. Needs to add strength and work on being a reliable tackler in addition to a hitter. Came in at #20 on Daniel Jeremiah’s initial Top 50: “Cooper is a long, rangy linebacker with excellent speed and coverage ability…. [who is] quick to fill in the hole and displays stopping power as a tackler.” Josh Carney’s gif-supported Depot scouting report emphasizes Cooper’s movement and recognition skills, worrying only about the lighter frame, the related lack of downhill thump, and some technical aspects of his coverage skill, like a clunky backpedal. |
| 2:12 | ILB Jeremiah Trotter Jr., Clemson (Junior). 5-11, 230 lbs. with ___” arms and ___” hands. Turns 22 in December. Son of ILB Jeremiah Sr., a regular pro bowler in the early 2000s and a member of the Eagles team HOF. The son is going to understand the position and the NFL lifestyle requirements. Trotter Jr. has all the physical assets you want except size, including the coveted suddenness and pop. A high energy player who understands the game and “gets it,” but the stock comes down because the limited number of starts (26 in all) shows in occasional whiffs on tackling, pursuit angles, and other experience-related factors. Good blitzer but not a pass rusher. Lost nine games to a broken arm in 2023. Can get swallowed by O-linemen. Jonathan Heitritter’s gif-supported Depot scouting report (Round 2 grade) ends with reassurance. Trotter may have Devin Bush’s size, but “[he] is a much more physical player who has shown he can win against blockers and could be that young, impactful player Pittsburgh [could use].” |
| 2:24 | ILB Payton Wilson, NC State (RS Senior). 6-4⅛, 234 lbs. with 30⅛” arms and 9” hands. Turns 24 in April. Won the awards for best LB in 2023. Big, fast, ferocious, and nimble enough to cover in space. He might even have a Round 1 grade if not for his age (the Steelers love youth) and some serious red flags arising out of a 2018 ACL (in H.S.), a second knee injury in 2019, and a 2021 shoulder. All of those required major surgery, which means the first expert to consult will be your team doctor. OTOH, Wilson played all through 2022 and 2023, so there’s a good chance his injuries were bad luck rather than some physiological problem. Excellent football IQ and communication skills, but prone to over-pursuit. Payton Wilson has the athletic profile and skill set to handle all ILB duties: run support, pass rushing, zone, and moving with TEs down the seam, though all of them could improve with pro coaching. Jonathan Heitritter’s gif-supported Depot scouting report calls him “all gas and no brakes” with an almost legendary motor. There’s film of him making plays 30 yards downfield after being knocked down as a pass rusher. An ideal Round 2 pick if we ignore the injury concerns, but of course, we can’t. This goes to a nice Senior Bowl interview with Ross McCorkle. Came in at #47 on Daniel Jeremiah’s initial Top 50: “Wilson is a height/weight/speed LB with excellent instincts and playmaking ability.” |
| 3:01 | ILB Cedric Gray, N. Car. (Senior). 6-1¾, 232 lbs. with 32½” arms and 9¼” hands. Turns 22 in October. Team captain and 3-year starter. A good but not great athlete who thrives in the box. He loves run support, is a good blitzer, is a good tackler, has sideline-to-sideline range, and is good enough in space to cover anyone who moves through his zone. Has room to get stronger and to develop in all the little ways. Tom Mead’s gif-supported Depot scouting report identifies processing speed as the main issue, and difficulty disengaging from blocks. “His role was more of a Buck ILB, but I feel he would be better as a Mack… He has the potential to be a 3-down ILB, but right now, the mental processing was not at the level you really need.” |
| 3:01 | ILB Ty’Ron Hopper, Missouri, by way of Florida (RS Senior). 6-2, 232 lbs. with ___” arms and ___” hands. Turns __ in ___. A rangy sideline-to-sideline Mack ILB with good coverage chops. Got your attention yet? A nonstop motor, too. Hopper needs to add some play strength because the big drawbacks all seem to involve the same scenario: he flies across the field, throws his entire being into the play, and then sometimes fails to get it finished because he was trying too hard. Should be a fine special teams player if all else fails. |
| 3:12 | ILB Junior Colson, Michigan (Senior). 6-3, 247 lbs. with ___” arms and ___” hands. Turns 22 in December. A big thumper who can stay close when asked to cover, though it isn’t his primary strength. Very much the glue guy in the middle. The film is full of him organizing and directing Michigan’s championship 2023 defense. Makes a lot of tackles, often with very good technique, but can be guilty of sins like arm tackling and going high. Played WR before shifting to ILB. As the TDN scouting profile puts it, “Junior Colson is a smooth-moving linebacker who operates with intelligent violence.” He could do better in lots of little ways, but is fundamentally sound and has a high floor. Came in at #45 on Daniel Jeremiah’s initial Top 50: “a big, physical linebacker with excellent instincts… a knack for diagnosing routes and… speed/agility to mirror tight ends underneath and down the seam.” The gif-supported Depot scouting report by Stephen Pavelka (Round 3 grade) says, “[Colson’s] best trait is his athleticism which is above average but not game-changing,” and concludes he is a “high-floor, low-ceiling prospect that can instantly improve any defense’s run defending if his tackling becomes more consistent… [H]e is better suited as a backup who has to prove himself.” |
| 3:12 | ILB Tyrice Knight, UTEP (RS Senior). 6-0⅜, 235 lbs. with 32½” arms and 9⅜” hands. Turns __ in ___. The gif-supported Depot scouting report by Ryan Roberts (Round 3-4) describes Knight as a solid, all-around ILB who is equally comfortable in both run support and coverage duties. “He puts out a lot of Dre Greenlaw vibes, having the requisite athleticism, instincts, and physicality.” He just needs to get better across the board at all the little things and prove he can be equally effective against NFL-caliber talent. |
| 3:12 | ILB Omar Speights, LSU (Junior). 6-1, 233 lbs. with ___” arms and ___” hands. Turns 23 in March. A good, solid middle linebacker who loves run support, has good agility, and can both cover and blitz. Great motor. But does he have the football IQ? |
| 3:12 | ILB/SAF James Williams, Miami (RS Soph). 6-4⅜, 230 lbs. with 33⅛” arms and 9¼” hands. Turns 21 in February. 50% strong safety, 50% cover-ILB. Could be a great one if he can build his football IQ and instincts, which is a reasonable expectation in light of his constant, steady improvement in college. Considered an elite athlete whose only limitation is long speed, which he makes up for with all that size. |
| 3:24 | ILB Jaylan Ford, Texas (Senior). 6-3, 242 lbs. with ___” arms and ___” hands. Turns 23 in November. Ross McCorkle’s gif supported Depot scouting report ends in a Round 3 grade, saying that Ford “[p] projects to be a solid NFL starter after a year or two of development.” He has a 3-down ILB build with very good length, explosive acceleration, and range to make sideline-to-sideline plays, and enough native athleticism to excel in coverage. The issues come down to “play recognition and inconsistent hand usage,” which need to be solved, or he will perpetually start a half-beat late and have trouble beating the blockers who catch up to him because of that. A good tackler who wraps up well. |
| 4:01 | ILB Tommy Eichenberg, Ohio St. (RS Senior). 6-2, 240 lbs. with ___” arms and ___” hands. Turns 23 in November. Brother Liam is a backup T/G for the Dolphins. Tommy Eichenberg is a well-tested, very smart, multiyear starter whose game might be compared to Elandon Roberts in the sense that he excels as a downhill thumper and holds up in coverage duties because his football IQ helps him to read the play earlier than many others. He isn’t a bad athlete by any means, just someone who is clearly better suited for run support. Discounted a bit because the Steelers could use a Mack ILB more than another Buck. |
| 4:16 | ILB Curtis Jacobs, Penn St. (RS Junior). 6-1, 236 lbs. with 31½” arms and big 10⅜” hands. Turned 22 in February. A wonderful athlete with a nonstop motor and a good ability to handle coverage duties. Not so much in run support due to problems getting off blocks and questionable instincts, though he is solid enough as a sideline to sideline, run-and-chase tackler when he’s clean. Adding play strength would help. Projects as a solid Day 3 bet on a special teams demon with the youth and talent to someday become a 3-down ILB. Had a good week at the Shrine Bowl. |
| 4:16 | ILB Marist Liufau, Notre Dame (RS Senior). 6-2, 239 lbs. with exceptionally long 34” arms and 9⅝” hands. Turned 23 in February. A smart, experienced player with NFL-average athleticism. He handles coverage duties well inside the box and has enough straight-line speed to keep up with most TEs down the seam. Liufau lacks play strength for fighting off blockers even though his frame is about as rocked up as it will get, but he does tackle well when he arrives. Liufau also has an excellent motor, and should excel on special teams. |
| 4:16 | ILB Trevin Wallace, Kentucky (Junior). 6-1, 244 lbs. with 33” arms and 9¼” hands. Turned 21 in February. Team captain. Wallace can be a sideline-to-sideline menace against opposing running games when he’s kept clean, despite his youth and lack of starts. The problem seems to be play strength. He has a rocked-up body but plays with NFL-average physicality that shows up when he has to avoid stuff or battle with blockers that match or exceed his size. A high-energy team leader with surprising movement skills for a bigger ILB. He literally played all over the field in H.S., WR, RB, QB, every conceivable LB spot, and as a return man. Excels on special teams, which he played in college. |
| 5:01 | Mack ILB Michael Barrett, Michigan (RS Senior). 6-0, 239 lbs. with 32⅜” arms and 8⅜” hands. Turns 25 in December. A three-year starter and five-year contributor to a perpetual CFB playoff team and the 2023 championship squad that won with a suffocating defense. Barrett was a H.S. QB who only dedicated himself to the defensive side in college. He has good range when kept free but is only average when getting off blocks. Enough overall athleticism to hold up in coverage duties, with acceptable coverage skills. It would be nice to see some added physicality to his game and better instincts. Barrett reads his keys well but has trouble seeing through misdirection, which is a little troubling for someone with his age and experience. The grade could be two rounds higher if he were three years younger. Excellent motor. Should make someone’s team and at least be an asset on special teams. |
| 5:01 | ILB JD Bertrand, Notre Dame (RS Senior). 6-1, 235 lbs. with 30¼” arms and 9⅜” hands. Turns 24 in May. Team captain. A good, instinctive athlete with excellent see-do, play recognition, decisiveness, and the explosiveness to make that significant. He also has a good bend for blitzing & etc., though he is too small and lacks the strength to really succeed as a regular edge rusher. A good communicator in the middle. Has enough speed to play the Tampa-2 LB who drops deep, but his success in coverage comes mostly from understanding where he needs to be and why. The issue is pure athleticism. Can he grow to be better than what he was in college? |
| 5:01 | Mack ILB/SS Jontrey Hunter, Georgia St. (RS Senior). 6-2, 229 lbs. with 31⅝” arms and 8⅞” hands. Turns __ in ___. A good athlete who projects as a complete but somewhat limited ILB with particularly good coverage ability that shone a bit during Senior Bowl week. He has no hesitation about coming downhill in run support, but he could use some added play strength and a much better tackling technique. Did a good job acting as a spy to keep LSU’s Jayden Daniels (a Lamarr Jackson lookalike) in check. |
| 5:01 | ILB Jackson Sirmon, Cal. by way of Washington (RS Senior). 6-2¼, 235 lbs. with 30⅜” arms and 9” hands. Turns 24 in April. Team captain. Season ending bicep injury in week 6 prevented his stock from rising, which it may well have done. Sirmon impressed at the Senior Bowl as a 3-down ILB who can be stout against the run, reliable when tackling in the open field, and quite solid in coverage. The limits seem to come from being an NFL-average athlete. |
| ??? | ILB Aaron Casey, Indiana (RS Senior). 6-0⅝, 233 lbs. with 32½” arms and 9¼” hands. Turns 24 in June. A big, athletic ILB with good tackling technique and who is supposed to be even better in coverage. |
| ??? | ILB Jackson Mitchell, U. Conn. (RS Senior). 6-1¼, 230 lbs. with 30½” arms and 9⅜” hands. Turned 23 in January. |
| ??? | ILB Edefuan Ulofoshio, Washington (RS Senior). 6-0⅝, 239 lbs. with 32½” arms and 9¼” hands. Turned 24 in January. |
|
SAFETIES |
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| 2:24 | SAF Javon Bullard, Georgia (Junior). 5-10½, 197 lbs. with 30⅝” arms and 8¾” hands. Turns 22 in September. A little undersized (he reportedly played at 180), Bullard is a player who ‘gets it,’ and he plays a position where that asset matters more than anything else. Excels in coverage. He’ll deliver the lumber when everything lines up, but the size can be an issue, and his tackling technique can be spotty. Defensive MVP of the 2022 CFB championship game. |
| 2:24 | FS Kamren Kinchens, Miami (Junior). 5-11⅛, 206 lbs. with 31¼” arms and 9⅝” hands. A fringe-1st free safety on an all-teams board, Kinchens has all the range you could want and solid coverage skills in both the slot and when playing deep. Excellent ball skills, good enough in run support for someone who doesn’t play in the box, etc. There’s only one thing to keep Pittsburgh fans from howling at the moon with desire: an even better young man named Minkah Fitzpatrick. Great as he is, should the team double up on that skill set? The gif-supported Depot scouting report by Ryan Roberts (fringe-1st) lauds the range, ball skills, and big-play gene. “If he is able to improve his ability as an open-field tackler, you are looking at a perennial Pro Bowl performer.” |
| 2:24 | SS Tyler Nubin, Minnesota (RS Senior). 6-2, 210 lbs. with ___” arms and ___” hands. Turns 23 in June. A Safety who succeeded at a high level due to an extremely high football IQ, disciplined play, excellent burst, and good tackling skills. He understands team defense and tied Minnesota’s together with excellent communication skills. Nubin is a big-hitting enforcer in coverage but doesn’t bring that same pop in run support. No one seems to know why. The best selling points are his very high interception numbers every year he played and very low QB ratings on throws in his direction, both of which reflect his football IQ and hands. The biggest issue is speed. Nubin succeeds by reading the play and then firing toward where he needs to be. But he isn’t “rangy” or “super explosive,” and WRs can beat him with COD and/or leave him behind in straight lines. TE coverage is fine because they can’t overwhelm him with quickness and foot speed. |
| 3:01 | SAF Cole Bishop, Utah (Senior). 6-1¾, 209 lbs. with short 29⅝” arms and 9¼” hands. Turns __ in _________. He is an all-purpose DB with a long list of assets: high football IQ, disciplined understanding of his role in team defense, good overall athleticism, a quick and decisive trigger, good tackling, explosive acceleration, and the ball skills to punish overly ambitious QBs. Definitely an energy bringer and bound to be great on special teams. The missed plays almost always come from being so eager that he overruns the target. He also has advanced coverage skills, which allow him to stick with TEs, RBs, and even those WRs who can’t take advantage of his limited top-end speed. That last will be the Achilles heel that limits his role in the NFL. |
| 3:01 | FS Calen Bullock, USC (Junior). 6-3, 190 lbs. with ___” arms and ___” hands. Turns 21 on April 30. Fringe-1st on an all-teams board. Bullock is a classic free safety who roams deep, reads the play, and then pounces. Great length, range, and ball skills make him a terror on passing plays, but his lack of oomph can show up on run-downs. He would grade much higher on this board if not for the presence of Minkah Fitzpatrick, who does the same things but better. |
| 3:01 | SAF Kitan Oladapo, Oregon St. (RS Senior). 6-2⅛, 219 lbs. with 31⅝” arms and 8¾” hands. Turns 24 in October. He’s a three-year starter who gets extra points from me for playing in his bowl game even though he was heading into the draft. Oladapo is a hard-hitting, fluid box safety who loves to be physical but also has very good coverage skills for a man with his height. Really shifty scatbacks can beat him on pure COD, but that’s not surprising for any Safety if you think about it. The TDN scouting profile calls him “a Swiss Army knife” who is effective regardless of whether he’s blitzing, covering WRs from the slot, or coming downfield in run support. |
| 3:12 | SAF Jaden Hicks, Wash. St. (Junior). 6-3, 212 lbs. with ___” arms and ___” hands. Turns __ in ___. An all-purpose SAF who is better in the box due to limited long speed, which he compensates for with solid coverage skills and a high football IQ. Hicks was a tackling machine in college and solid across the board in all other roles. He’s occasionally guilty of going for the kill shot but reliably wraps up when things don’t line up too temptingly. Guaranteed to be a good special teams player. The gif-supported Depot scouting report by Ryan Roberts (Round 3) likes Hicks’ versatility as much as anything else, seeing patience as the main thing he needs to learn. “Too often he is fooled by play-action and tries to get downhill and active too quickly.” But as Coach T says, ”I’d rather say ‘whoa’ than sic ‘em.” This goes to a late January TDN scouting profile. |
| 3:12 | ILB/SAF James Williams, Miami (RS Soph). 6-4⅜, 230 lbs. with 33⅛” arms and 9¼” hands. Turns 21 in February. 50% strong safety, 50% cover-ILB. |
| 3:24 | SAF Tykee Smith, Georgia, by way of W. Va. (RS Senior). 5-9¾, 206 lbs. with 31⅜” arms and 9¼” hands. Turned 23 in February. Philadelphia-born and bred, Tykee Smith is as good an athlete as you’d expect from a Georgia DB, with the football IQ, quickness, skill, and physicality to be a valuable nickelback, coverage guy in the slot, and box safety in general. The main critiques go to his lack of both the height and the long speed to be a major asset if asked to play in center field. |
| 4:01 | SAF/CB Jarius Monroe, Tulane (RS Senior). 6-0⅝, 204 lbs. with 32¼” arms and 8⅞” hands. Turns 24 in October. He played CB in college, learned he was moving to SAF the day he arrived at his all-star game, and proceeded to win the Shrine Bowl Defensive MVP. A vocal team leader, on the field and off, who is a nonstop bundle of energy across the field. |
| 4:16 | SAF Malik Mustapha, Wake Forest (RS Junior). 5-9⅞, 210 lbs. with 30⅛” arms and 8⅞” hands. Turns __ in ___. Team captain. Tore an ACL in the 2022 bowl game and played through the rehab period for all of 2023. Short but solid, Mustapha is a Feldman Freak athlete who has played everywhere from slot corner to free safety but projects best for the NFL as an explosive nickelback and box safety with good coverage skills. A good tackler who loves the hitting part of the game. His greatest asset may be the infectious energy he brings to the game. A true hair-on-fire type that will require much more whoa than sic ‘em. Certain to be a fine special teams player. |
| 5:01 | SAF Josh Proctor, Ohio St. (RS Senior). 6-1½, 198 lbs. with 31⅞” arms and 8½” hands. Turns 25 in ___. A strong safety with the ability to line up anywhere from Cover 2 in the back to box safety or nickelback, though he is most effective when he’s engaged in run support. Fast enough to carry TEs and many WRs up the seam. A smart player who should thrive especially well in zone coverage schemes that would let him use his athleticism in the box, with his eyes in the backfield to make use of his tackling ability. |
| 5:01 | SAF Evan Williams, Oregon by way of Fresno St. (RS Senior). 5-11⅜, 202 lbs. with 29⅝” arms and huge 10” hands. Turns 23 in July. 5-year starter. Extremely fluid in coverage for a safety, Williams joins this year’s heavy crop of nickelback defenders who can cover in the slot while also contributing in a material way toward run support duties. He looked good enough at the Senior Bowl to reassure teams about the floor, so all questions really go to the ceiling. The issues? He is a bit undersized, and testing may show he’s only NFL-average in terms of pure athleticism. He makes up for those with his tough and ferocious style of play, coupled with a very good football IQ that lets him get a jump on most plays, i.e., the exact areas where NFL coaching can boost young athletes who do not know the position as well as he already does. Excellent ball skills and is almost certain to be a core special teams player. |
| 5:16 | SAF/RB Sione Vaki, Utah (RS Soph). 5-11⅜, 211 lbs. with 29½” arms and 9¼” hands. Turns 23 in ___. A dual-threat weapon at both SAF and RB, he should probably have returned to school for another year in order to hone his skills as a defender. Starting for a single year just was not enough. That said, he is fast, tough, and obviously versatile enough to be a very intriguing ball of clay for a team that has the patience to see where he fits best and help him learn that spot. Guaranteed to be a special teams demon. |
| 6:16 | SAF Beau Brade, Maryland (Senior). 5-11¾, 208 lbs. with 31⅛” arms and big 10⅜” hands. Turns __ in ___. Team captain who reportedly made a significant difference in the team culture. He gets extra points in my book for playing in his bowl game, even though he was heading into the draft. Alex Kozora’s gif-supported Depot scouting report ends in what looks like a Round 5 all-team grade but a UDFA result for Pittsburgh due to significant tackling issues and poor COD. “He routinely was unable to adjust his path and overran plays, either slipping and not even touching the ballcarrier or falling off his tackle… Unless the runner is in a straight line, Brade has trouble making solid contact.” Ouch. |
CONCLUSION
Phew! The board keeps growing, which means these analysis pieces keep getting longer. I hope you all find it useful. The bottom line is that the Steelers:
1. Have a full cupboard at Buck ILB;
2. Will desperately need a Mack ILB if Cole Holcomb has a bad prognosis;
3. Could definitely use a developmental Mack ILB anyway;
4. Have an actual hole at strong safety, which means we can expect a free agency move in this area;
5. Have an actual hole for a Slot DB, but that is not discussed in this article;
6. The draft offers no super-talents at ILB, though both Edgerrin Cooper and Jeremiah Trotter Jr. look very tempting in Round 2 if you take a longer-term perspective;
7. There are a LOT of good Mack ILB, SS, and ILB/SS hybrid types in Rounds 2-4, who the team may particularly like as sub package players who would play several roles at once.
Please let me know your thoughts in the comments.
