NOTE: Round 1-3 Big Board targets appear in this post.
This is not an all-teams board. It is organized by Highest Value (“HV#”) to the Steelers. Explosive 3-tech DLs and EDGE who require a 4-3 defense are just two examples of players downgraded for lack of fit.
An HV of 1:25 means the player is a reach for the Steelers if they pick at any point before No. 25 overall but good value at any point from the end of the first on. Getting that player in the early second would be fine while getting him in the late second would start to look like a steal. Yes, this system results in a certain amount of rosy optimism for positions of need because we are talking about the “highest” grade, not the one where a player is expected to go; but grades are never pushed up just because of need. NOTE: This is why the 3:24 grades are included. That translates to, “probably Round 4, but could sneak into Round 3 without raising too many eyebrows.”
Players with the same HV# are more or less equivalent and organized alphabetically. Boards organized by HV are sorted within each grade by position: defense and then offense, inside to out.
Rounds are subdivided as follows:
- 1st Round grades: 1:01, 1:05, 1:10, 1:15, 1:20, or 1:25.
- 2nd and 3rd Round grades: Early (#:01), Mid (#:12), or Late (#:24).
- 4th to 7th Round grades: Early (#:01) or Late (#:16).
Meeting notes exclude informal interviews because there are just too many.
| HV | DESCRIPTION |
| 1:20 | STEELERS ROUND 1 PICK |
| 2:19 | STEELERS ROUND 2 PICK (# 51 OVERALL) |
| 3:20 | STEELERS ROUND 3.a PICK (# 84 OVERALL) |
| 3:24 | DT Justin Eboigbe (ee-BOYG-bee), Alabama (RS Senior). 6-4⅜, 297 lbs. with 33⅜” arms and 9¾” hands. Turns 23 in April. An experienced, athletic, well-trained run stuffer who comes close to Pittsburgh’s physical requirements but is a little short on the juice needed to be more than a rotational guy (RAS of only 5.69). The gif-supported Depot scouting profile by Jonathan Heitritter (Round 3-4) says Eboigbe can take on double-team blocks well enough, and is “a complete mismatch for opposing TEs, who struggle to handle his sheer size and strength,” but has a pass rush that is basically limited to going straight through a blocker with strength and length. There are the normal leverage issues as well, and “flashes” of extra ability with a solid floor justify a mid-round pick for any team seeking depth rather than a star. |
| 3:24 | EDGE Laiatu Latu, UCLA (RS Junior). 6-4¾, 259 lbs. with shorter 32⅝” arms and 10¼” hands. Turned 23 in January. Top 10-15 talent on an all-teams board. [Old neck injury] Started in Washington where he was medically retired due to a neck injury but came back to play in UCLA all through 2023 until opting out of his bowl game. Played well enough to win both the Hendricks Award and the Lombardi Award as the nation’s best defensive lineman. One of those players who catches every eye because he’s just different – so much so that many people use T.J. Watt as the player comp. Efram Geller’s gif-supported Depot scouting report (mid-1st) describes Latu as a “sack technician… with a full arsenal of moves” who has just about everything you’d want except eye-popping burst of the line of scrimmage. |
| 3:24 | EDGE Chop Robinson, Penn St. (Junior). 6-2⅞, 254 lbs. with 32½” arms and 9⅛” hands. Turned 21 in January. Round 1 talent on an all-teams board. Robinson has elite burst, bend, and overall athletic talent, which could even improve that profile even more as he adds more grown-man strength. No. 1 in the class when it comes to pure potential. He’s also got very little sophistication at the pass-rushing craft, which means he’s barely started to become what he could be: a profile that T.J. Watt shared when he was coming out. Robinson profiles as a true 3-4 OLB. Will get even better as he adds grown-man strength to his repertoire. |
| 3:24 | EDGE Dallas Turner, Alabama (Junior). 6-2¾, 240 lbs. with amazing 34⅜” arms and 9⅜” hands. Turned 21 in February. Top 10 talent on an all-teams board. A model 3-4 OLB with the burst, bend, hands, strength, length, and technique to be a pro. Notably good in coverage too. Just not a perfect model because it’s all A- instead of A+. |
| 3:24 | EDGE Jared Verse, Florida St. by way of Albany (Junior). 6-3⅞, 254 lbs. with 33½” arms and 9⅞” hands. 23, turns 24 in November. Top 10-15 talent on an all-teams board. Burst and bend; length and strength; quick and fast; and a self-made football player who clawed his way up. Everything starts with a totally dominant bull rush. You often read some variation, “when he plays it’s like watching a bomb go off.” Round 1 stuff for sure. The gif-supported Depot scouting report by Ryan Roberts sums it up like this: “He has all the tools to develop into a perennial Pro Bowler with outstanding impact in both the run and pass game.” |
| 3:24 | ILB Cedric Gray, N. Car. (Senior). 6-1½, 234 lbs. with 32½” arms and 9” hands. 21, turns 22 in October. Team captain and 3-year starter. A good but not great athlete (8.02 RAS) who thrives in the box. Loves run support, good blitzer, good tackler, sideline-to-sideline range, and 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.” |
| 3:24 | Slot SAF/CB Jaylin Simpson, Auburn (RS Senior). 6-0, 179 lbs. with 32⅜” arms and 9⅞” hands. Turned 23 in March. In the old days, Jaylin Simpson would have been called a tweener who lacked the size and strength to be a classic safety and the smooth COD to succeed as a cover corner but might have a chance nevertheless because he’s a football player to his core, with the ballhawk gene built in, and enough click-and-close savvy to succeed in a zone-based secondary. Dick LeBeau would have really liked him. The modern, sub-package game has given men like Simpson a more defined home: Slot DB where his combination of speed and explosiveness (top 15% RAS of 8.6) make up for his deficits in pure size, strength, and boundary-corner fluidity. The NFL.com scouting profile by Lance Zierlein identifies the tweener debate as Simpson’s main challenge in building a professional career: “He doesn’t support the run well enough to instill confidence as a last line of defense and he can be a little tardy to get his hips flipped in one-on-one transitions as a corner.” The gif-supported Depot scouting report by Jonathan Heitritter (Round 3 grade of 7.6) calls Simpson, “a long, angular defender who has a knack for locating the football in coverage and making plays in the secondary.” The young man has all the desire and aggressiveness to be a good tackler; just very little of the size. He will take down a Najee Harris or Jaylen Warren from the knees on down, or he won’t do it at all. |
| 3:24 | CB Caelen Carson, Wake Forest (RS Junior). 5-11⅞, 199 lbs. with 31⅜” arms and 8¼” hands. Turned 22 in March. The assets include great short-area reactions, quickness, burst, ball skills, and COD with click-and-close reactions as good as it gets, but his long speed is only good enough. Capable in both the slot and outside as a press-man or zone defender but gives away far too much room when playing in off man. The tackling shows good intensity, but his technique could improve. PFN gave a fringe-1st grade, though this scouting profile by Daniel Kelly raises doubts about his “wanna” – which is odd because everyone else says the opposite. The gif-supported Depot scouting report by Ryan Roberts (Round 3 grade of 7.6) admires the “nice blend of all-around athleticism and competitiveness,” particularly when it comes to toughness in both coverage and run support. The NFL.com scouting report by Lance Zierlein worries that his lost playing time in 2021 and 2022 (minor but niggling injuries) has set his development behind by a bit. “Overall, the physical traits are ahead of the positional skills, but there is enough in place to project him as an eventual CB3.” |
| 3:24 | CB Nehemiah Pritchett, Auburn (RS Senior). 6-0⅛, 190 lbs. with 30¾” arms and 8½” hands. Turned 23 in February. A wiry outside CB with four years of starting experience who has make-up speed to burn and the quick feet that tend to translate to the NFL. Put up a very impressive 9.41 RAS that’s probably even higher because of a weird outlier with poor jumps. Lance Zierlein’s NFL.com scouting profile says that Pritchett is a “long, slender outside corner who might have improved enough in off-man coverage for consideration in most coverage schemes.” Zone teams will like him most of because his click-and-close burst is so good, and that scheme tends to hide the occasional stickiness in Pritchett’s hips. He tries when it comes to tackling but isn’t built to be good at it against NFL athletes, seems to understand that, and has trouble getting off WR blocks in any event. Needs to add play strength, to the point where one worries that he will get big-boyed against grown NFL men until he does. Questions have been raised about his football IQ in various forms, such as “instincts,” “recognition,” etc. The fluidity and quickness suggest he would be particularly effective in the slot. |
| 3:24 | T/G Kiran Amegadjie, Yale (Senior). 6-5, 323 lbs. with shame-a-condor 36⅛” arms and 9⅝” hands. Injured quad cost him a lot of the 2023 season when he was expected to show off his abilities. Even so, it’s fair to say that Amegadjie dominated his vastly less athletic competition, so he looks the part and acts the part, but… Yale? He amounts to a true boom-or-bust projection. The gif-supported Depot scouting report by Ryan Roberts (Round 4 grade of 7.5) uses the utter lack of competition, and the injured quad, as grounds for an early Day 3 grade lower than many other reviewers. “If healthy, Amegadjie has the combination of core strength, length, and foot quickness to develop into a starting offensive tackle down the road.” Lance Zierlein’s NFL.com scouting profile sounds more like a Round 2-3 grade, writing that Amegadjie has “a rare blend of athletic traits and eye-popping length, [so] it might be a mistake to bet against the high number of boxes Amegadjie checks. His hand usage is a work in progress, and he hasn’t learned to consistently get into blocks with proper footwork and body control, but both issues are coachable and likely to be corrected.” |
| 3:24 | OT Javon Foster, Missouri (RS Senior). 6-5½, 313 lbs. with long 34⅝” arms and 9⅝” hands. Turns 24 in March. Team captain and three-year starter. Big, long, and strong with a lot of the assets you look for such as length, strength, and mobility skills both in the phone booth and out in space. Compiled an overall RAS of 7.67. The problem is that 2023 was the first year where he started to get it, and he still has major technical flaws to fix in his footwork, hand usage, and punch. Brandon Thorn’s late-January scouting profile sums him up as “an ideal developmental pick who can be groomed into a contributor over time.” The gif-supported Depot scouting report by Tom Mead (Round 4 grade of 7.4), says: “Foster has a lot of experience, many good traits, [and] enough athleticism to play left or right tackle… The size and potential are there to be a starter, but at worst he’ll be a quality swing tackle in either a zone or power scheme.” Tom’s issues come down to “smoothing out his footwork, his hand usage, maintaining half-man alignment, improving his timing to the second level, continuing to add play strength, and being consistent on run blocks.” Lance Zierlein’s NFL.com scouting profile (Round 3-ish grade) says that Foster, “[is] very capable as a zone blocker… [but] isn’t a natural knee-bender and that lack of leverage shows up as a drive blocker and when handling bull rushers… Foster lacks fluidity in his pass sets and proper footwork with certain run blocks, but he gets his job done.” |
| 3:24 | G/T Matt Goncalves, Pitt (RS Senior). 6-6¼, 327 lbs. with 33¼” arms and 9” hands. Turned 23 in January. Quick, strong, and at least average as an NFL athlete, but requires a year or three of solid coaching to fix fundamentals that would make him shaky against next-level competition. Jim Hester’s gif-supported Depot scouting report (Round 4) calls Goncalves, “a solid offensive lineman who is a technician in both the run and pass game…[and] has the upside to become a developmental starter, but he shouldn’t be counted upon to start right away unless in a pinch.” |
| 3:24 | C/G Beaux Limmer, Arkansas (Senior). 6-4½, 301 lbs. with short 31½” arms and 9⅜” hands. 22, turns 23 in June. A good but not great technician with nice footwork and overall athleticism. Played guard until 2023 when he moved inside and did just fine. RAS of 9.64 measured as a guard, and 9.71 as a center. His agility, explosion, and 10-yard split measurements were all elite, and the pure strength beyond elite. Thirty-nine bench press reps?! Very likely to have a long career, but the majority of it may well be as a backup. Tom Mead’s gif-supported Depot scouting report (Round 5) noted very little bad outside of a serious need for Limmer to clean up his punch. He made a point of saying that “Limmer was better than expected and played with an OL that had its struggles.” The quickness, mobility, attitude, and basic technique were all listed as solid or better, with “impressive hand strength [that lets him] lock on to defenders and [not] let go.” The flaw comes down to the lack of special size and length. The verdict was, “athletic and mobile but undersized.” The scouting profile by the always-reliable Brandon Thorn (Round 4) had the exact same analysis up and down the line. “In pass protection, Limmer [shows] very good athletic ability and reactionary quickness to get to his spots and recover out of compromising positions. However, his narrow, lean build makes it a chore to consistently anchor against the bull rush and maintain the integrity of the pocket on pick attempts. Overall, Limmer is a very athletic, lean, nimble blocker with wiry strength who can strain to finish blocks… but his narrow frame and minimal girth likely pigeonhole his path… as a center-only in a zone-heavy scheme.” The NFL.com scouting profile by Lance Zierlein offers a more lukewarm, average backup grade: “Limmer’s run blocking should create an NFL opportunity at center, but the pass protection must improve [due to]…below average posture and base width in his sets [and] feet that get heavy, impacting reactive quickness with his mirror.” |
| 3:24 | WR Ainias Smith, Texas A&M (RS Senior). 5-9⅜, 190 lbs. with 29¼” arms and 8½” hands. Turns 23 in May. Team captain. Plays like an unusually short but very solid punt returner who studied Hines Ward for inspiration when it comes to blocking, fiery demeanor, and doing all the little extras to help his team win. He ended his college career with a pass caught in 36 consecutive games. Already a good runner with the native ability to be better. The weaknesses amount to merely professional speed, limited size (which shows in play strength), and the fact that he isn’t an acrobat in the air who can increase his naturally average catch radius. Interesting that he wins a lot of contested catches despite that handicap. This late-January scouting profile has a good summary: “Ainias Smith is an electric playmaker [and return man] with the versatility to align all over the formation… A nightmare to cover in man… a mature and nuanced route runner but lacking the hips to snap off routes and explosion to threaten more experienced corners. Natural hands… and isn’t afraid to go over the middle.” This PFN scouting profile is the one that got me so excited: “A coach’s dream (does ALL the dirty work… Willing run blocker against LARGE humans… Experience at both WR and RB… [and even a] very willing pass protector.” Oh yes. Please, yes. Lance Zierlein’s NFL.com scouting profile (Round 4-5 grade) says Smith is “a possession slot… with a somewhat unusual blend of elusiveness and power… who can run more complicated routes underneath while also offering the courage to work successfully into the middle of the field.” In the weaknesses section, Zierlein notes that Smith “appeared to be missing his second gear in 2023 after recovering from a fractured leg suffered in 2022… but started looking more like himself later in the season.” |
| 3:24 | WR Xavier Worthy, Texas (Junior). 5-11, 165 lbs. with 31⅛” arms and 8¾” hands. Turns 21 in April. World. Class. Speed. A slender jet built of wire and carbon fiber who’s put up great numbers from both the slot and playing outside. Production has never gone down even with poor QB play, which supports his grade a lot. Also an expert punt and kick returner. A powerful NFL weapon if he doesn’t get shattered, but we already have Calvin Austin III on the team. Jonathan Heitritter’s gif-supported Depot scouting report (Round 2 grade of 8.3) ends in a comparison to Tank Dell, also noting that Worthy is a better route runner than Austin. |
| 3:35 | STEELERS ROUND 3.b PICK FROM PHI (# 98 OVERALL) |
| 4:01 | DT Gabe Hall, Baylor (RS Senior). 6-6, 291 lbs. with 34½” arms and 9½” hands. Has the rare body type that Pittsburgh covets, including long, very strong arms that he uses effectively to create space and disengage from blockers. No. 17 on the Feldman Freaks list, with feats such as a 650-pound squat and a 500-pound bench (with that arm length!). Amassed a 9.33 RAS that was held back noticeably by his lack of weight. The flexibility isn’t bad either and the motor is excellent. What’s missing is the desired burst off the ball and the knack for splitting double teams. The Steelers showed some interest at the Senior Bowl. The gif-supported Depot scouting report by Alex Kozora (Round 4 grade) worries about Hall’s lack of burst off the line, lack of wiggle in his pass rush, and especially his tendency to get his pads much higher than he ought to. A high-ceiling prospect at least two years away from ‘getting it.’ |
| 4:01 | DT Keith Randolph Jr., Illinois (Junior). 6-3⅜, 296 lbs. with 32½” arms and 9¾” hands. 22, turns 23 in September. Team captain. The measurements are almost there, and you could call him nice run stuffer with good strength. Many early profiles complained that he lacks the burst and quickness that Pittsburgh looks for, but the gif-supported Depot scouting report by Ryan Roberts (Round 4) makes a good argument that Randolph’s “slow get-off” on film actually comes from the Illinois system, which asked him to occupy blockers (two-gap) rather than to penetrate. Ryan includes some clips showing startling get-off and quickness that would certainly intrigue a team in need of developmental depth. Add an inch to his height and two inches to his arms and we would all be getting much more excited. Tested as an average NFL athlete across the board (5.62 RAS). |
| 4:01 | EDGE Austin Booker, Kansas (RS Soph.). 6-4½, 240 lbs. with 33⅞” arms and 9¼” hands. [Mtg. at Combine] Round 3 talent on an all-teams board. The gif-supported Depot scouting report by Ryan Roberts ends in a Round 3 grade, saying “The tools are there… His combination of length, twitch and flexibility should transfer well… By year 2-3 he should be a player who can be counted on as a full-time starter.” The assets are, in fact, special: length, burst, bend, motor, etc. The only things missing are experience (many say he should have returned to school and come out as a first rounder in 2025) and grown-man strength (which he has the frame to add). |
| 4:01 | EDGE Chris Braswell, Alabama (Senior). 6-3, 251 lbs. with 32⅜” arms and 10” hands. 22, turns 23 in October. Round 2-3 grade on an all-teams board. A good-looking OLB prospect, Braswell does a lot of winning because he is relentless in trying to get to the passer. It’s exhausting to even watch him sometimes. Very good speed-to-power with heavy hands, plus “a surprisingly large repertoire of pass-rush moves,” according to Ross McCorkle’s gif-supported Depot scouting report (Round 3 grade), “he has a chance to develop into an impact player out on the edge.” Ross would like to see more pursuit across the field, which is interesting since his motor in the pass-rush phase is so impressive. |
| 4:01 | EDGE Jonah Elliss, Utah (Junior). 6-2⅛, 248 lbs. with 33” arms and big 10½” hands. Turns 21 in April. Round 2 grade on an all-teams board. Football is in the genes, with one brother on the Falcons, another on the Patriots, and a third on the Eagles practice squad. This Elliss is a pass-rushing 3-4 OLB with a good first step, hot motor, moderate strength but good speed-to-power, and a nice starter’s collection of different pass-rush moves. Only moderate bend, however, and lacks some of the coverage ability you’d like to see. There’s also a history of injuries in both 2022 and 2023 with the latter ending his season. Both the Bleacher Report scouting profile and this mid-February scouting profile somehow compare him to Alex Highsmith, but that sounds like a serious case of wishful thinking given the lack of bend. Efram Geller’s gif-supported Depot scouting report (Round 2) sees a high-floor pass rusher with a moderate ceiling due to the lack of bend and pure, country strength. |
| 4:01 | EDGE Adisa Isaac, Penn St. (RS Senior). 6-4⅜, 247 lbs. with 33⅞” arms and 9⅝” hands. 22, turns 23 in October. Round 2-3 grade on an all-teams board. Fits the model of a 3-4 OLB who can rush from either a 2- or 3-point stance. Surprisingly good in coverage with the motor, burst, bend, and athleticism to become an expert pass rusher. The technique is already toward professional standards, especially when combined with being a relentless, high-quality athlete who understands team defense and schemes. Gets a down check on run support as he’s shown constant trouble getting off blocks, but the assets are there to get significantly better. A strong Round 3 bet who is likely to go in Round 2 because of a well-known work ethic, top-notch study habits, and an all but certain ability to excel on special teams. His stock would be even higher if not for the difference between unrealized potential and proven production. |
| 4:01 | EDGE Bralen Trice, Washington (Junior). 6-3½, 245 lbs. with 32½” arms and 9” hands. Turned 23 in February. Round 2-3 grade on an all-teams board. Has everything you want short of superpower bend and athleticism, but he is probably more of a 4-3 DE than someone who would fit in Pittsburgh’s defense. Fated to be a longtime starter, but can he be a star? Lost a lot of weight for the Combine in order to run better and then didn’t. Ryan Roberts’ gif-supported Depot scouting report (Round 2) sees a solid, power-oriented edge rusher with a lot of potential. |
| 4:01 | ILB Tommy Eichenberg, Ohio St. (RS Senior). 6-2, 233 lbs. with 31⅝” arms and 9¼” hands. 22, turns 23 in November. [Mtg. at Combine] Brother Liam is a backup T/G for the Dolphins. Tommy Eichenberg is a well-tested, extremely smart, multi-year 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 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. Josh Carney’s gif-supported Depot scouting report (Round 5) sees a very high floor as a “two-down linebacker [and] great leader” but agrees that “he will likely have to come off the field in sub-package football due to his struggles in coverage.” Ditto for Lance Zierlein’s NFL.com scouting profile. |
| 4:01 | ILB Jaylan Ford, Texas (Senior). 6-2, 240 lbs. with 31¾” arms and 9½” hands. 22, turns 23 in November. Ross McCorkle’s gif-supported Depot scouting report ends in a Round 3 grade, saying that Ford “projects to be a solid NFL starter after a year or two of development.” He has a three-down ILB build with very good length, the 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. The NFL scouting profile by Lance Zierlein sounds a more critical, Round 5-7 note, describing Ford as a “two-year starting linebacker with good size and athleticism but average speed and below-average instincts.” |
| 4:01 | ILB Ty’Ron Hopper, Missouri by way of Florida (RS Senior). 6-1¾, 231 lbs. with 31⅜” arms and 8¾” hands. Turns 23 on second day of the draft. 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. The NFL.com scouting profile by Lance Zierlein sees Hopper as a Round 4-6 prospect “with length, speed and agility, [but lacking in field vision and instincts… There are holes in his game that can be exploited, but he has traits and should get a chance as an NFL backup with special teams value.” |
| 4:01 | ILB Trevin Wallace, Kentucky (Junior). 6-1⅛, 237 lbs. (244 at the Senior Bowl) 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. Good straight-line speed and overall athletic talent (9.34 RAS with elite speed and explosion numbers, held back by moderate size). 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 high school: WR, RB, QB, every conceivable LB spot, and as a return man. Excels on special teams, which he played in college. |
| 4:01 | SAF Tykee Smith, Georgia by way of W. Va. (RS Senior). 5-10, 202 lbs. with 31⅝” 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. His 7.12 overall RAS was pulled back significantly by a 1.39 for height. The main critiques go to his lack of both the height and the long speed to excel in center field. Jim Hester’s gif-supported Depot scouting report (Round 4 grade of 7.5) says that “Smith is a versatile player with excellent football intelligence… [that is] most comfortable as a slot corner who can live as a nickel/safety hybrid player because of his versatility… Teams will love Smith for his instincts, toughness, experience, and elite football character.” Jim draws a physical player comp to C.J. Gardner-Johnson. |
| 4:01 | CB Jarvis Brownlee Jr., Louisville by way of FSU (RS Senior). 5-10⅜, 194 lbs. with 31¼” arms and 9” hands. Versatile (snaps from safety to slot to outside), physical, and experienced. An obvious contributor on special teams. The main issue people complain about is long speed. The NFL.com scouting profile by Lance Zierlein sums Brownlee up as follows: “Aggressive press cornerback with average size but above-average competitive fire… [He has] quick hip-flip transitions from press or off-man coverage, [but is] just average as the route expands in man and could be prone to penalties and allowing explosive plays down the field.” Plus this note, which I don’t remember seeing in quite this way: “Quick, hip-flip transitions from press or off-man coverage.” Ooooh. |
| 4:01 | Slot CB Myles Harden, South Dakota (Senior). 5-10⅝” 195 lbs. with 29¼” arms and 9½” hands. Lance Zierlein’s NFL.com scouting profile describes Harden as a big, ultra-physical CB who would be an ideal role player in particular sub-packages and zone-coverage schemes “Harden’s game is filled with competitiveness and aggression but missing any semblance of finesse. He stands out with his field awareness in zone… physicality at the catch point and against the run… capable as a man defender but [vulnerable to] above-average speed… He’s an A+ tackler whose blend of toughness and field vision could see teams push him into a role as a big nickel or safety.” |
| 4:01 | Slot CB D.J. James, Auburn by way of Oregon (RS Senior). 5-11⅝, 175 lbs. with 31” arms and small 8⅜” hands. Turns 23 in March. Experienced in both press man and off coverage but built like a willow wand and vulnerable to being big-boyed – though you can also point to the counterargument that he’s played without injury for several full seasons as a starter. Excellent speed, COD, and ball skills. The gif-supported Depot scouting report by Jonas Wedlich describes a cover corner whose “game is full of great coverage skills [who] likes to shadow opponents and stays with them for the whole play rather than aggressively playing the ball.” Jonas also admires James’ football IQ when it comes to play recognition but cautions that the size limitations are real, inhibit his ability in press coverage, and make him basically a nonfactor in run support. Lance Zierlein’s NFL.com scouting profile describes James as one of the rare prospects who can reliably mirror and match even the quickest WRs but acknowledges that he may be limited to shutting down that kind of receiver due to the size limitations. Dare I say it? “A Diontae Johnson eraser who’d be helpless against George Pickens.” Usually it goes in reverse. |
| 4:01 | CB Elijah Jones, Boston Coll. (RS Senior). 6-1¾, 182 lbs. with 31¼” arms and 9¼” hands. Turned 24 in January. A press-man corner with the versatility to play off and zone as well, Jones is known for excellent hands, advanced football IQ, and willingness to get his nose dirty in run support. Quick enough and fluid enough to compile a 9.74 RAS, which answered common questions regarding his top-end speed, agility, and play strength. He looked good enough at the Senior Bowl to generate some real buzz. Lance Zierlein’s NFL.com scouting profile characterizes Jones as, a “[slender,] scheme-dependent cornerback with excellent length and above-average ball skills to harass and overtake lesser receivers when it’s time to make the catch… a press-man corner with Cover 3 potential.” |
| 4:01 | CB Josh Newton, TCU by way of LA-Monroe (RS Senior). 5-10⅝, 190 lbs. with 31⅛” arms and 9¼” hands. 23, turns 24 in September. Team captain. An absurd amount of college experience (more than 4,000 snaps!), Newton should be an early contributor. He is scheme-versatile for press man, off man, and zone with the savvy and quickness to play any kind of coverage. The issue? All his physical assets are right on the edge of what the game requires, and he has little in the way of ball production. Long speed is solid, but he couldn’t keep up with speedsters; size and physicality are solid, but not special; etc. RAS of 7.07. He does excel at getting his head around for contestable catches. His stock also goes up, in an odd way, because he has a few bad but fixable habits, which suggests that he may be even better as a pro than he was in college. Up another half notch because HOF WR Cris Carter singled him out for approval during the Combine coverage: “Newton will be a real good player.” A willing and able tackler in run support. This good-looking Bleacher Report scouting profile ends in a Round 5 grade based on concerns that Newton’s lack of top-end speed may restrict him to zone-heavy defensive schemes and/or work in the slot. The NFL.com scouting profile by Lance Zierlein offers a similar grade, calling Newton “A well-built cornerback with inside/outside versatility, [who is] capable in press and is made for old-fashioned Cover 2 looks where he can redirect the release and sink into zone coverage.” Jonathan Heitritter’s gif-supported Depot scouting report (Round 4 grade of 7.2) calls Newton “a throwback, physical coverage defender” who plays a game one could compare to a larger version of Arthur Maulet. |
| 4:01 | CB Chau Smith-Wade, Wash. St. (RS Junior). 5-10, 187 lbs. with 29¾” arms and 9⅛” hands. Not the biggest player but sticky in coverage, extremely competitive, and very athletic. Slot and sub-packages only? Exceptionally quick feet give him very good COD (subject to lapses when he gets tangled up). Smith-Wade also has the football IQ to play various types of coverage. His hands are flat out awesome. He made some astounding interceptions during the Senior Bowl game and also in the practice sessions with film from other games to show these weren’t flukes. He’s also supposed to be reliably good in run support. So why would he fall this far? In a word: size. As Lance Zierlein’s NFL.com scouting profile puts it, “Smith-Wade is a capable defender in zone or man coverages [with] with plus athleticism and speed, [but] he’s below the desired NFL mark on height and weight for an outside cornerback.” |
| 4:01 | OT Andrew Coker, TCU (Junior). 6-7, 305 lbs. Arm and hand lengths t/b/d. Turned 24 in January. [Description in process at the time of publication]. |
| 4:01 | OT Christian Jones, Texas (RS Senior). 6-5¼, 305 lbs. with long 34½” arms and big 10⅝” hands. Turns 24 in May. A big, run-blocking, power-oriented OT who got excellent results in college but has some heavy feet that could make him vulnerable to NFL speed off the edge. They could be faster than thought, however, because he has some extra weight, was a soccer player as a boy, and looked positively light-footed during the Combine field drills, if a little stiff. OTOH, his agility testing was poor. Nice anchor. Brandon Thorn’s always-solid scouting report concludes that, “Jones is a big, physical, durable and strong college tackle with middling athletic ability who will struggle to consistently mirror and match up athletically on an island.” Jim Hester’s gif-supported Depot scouting report (Round 4-6 grade) describes Jones as a powerful blocker who will “definitely need time to develop and harness his skills and techniques but could be a solid starter down the line.” The NFL.com scouting profile by Lance Zierlein agrees: “Right tackle prospect with athletic limitations that are sometimes covered up by his strength and length… He can maul and brawl what is in front of him, but meeting movement with body control and foot quickness is much tougher for him.” |
| 4:01 | OG Cooper Beebe, Kansas St. (Senior). 6-3¼, 322 lbs. with short 31½” arms and 9¼” hands. Turns 23 in May. Round 2-3 talent on an all-teams board. Cooper Beebe is the best guard in the draft outside of a few young men who played as college tackles. He did a little of that too, and pretty well, but guard always was and always will be his home. “[A] highly decorated, massively built, sawed-off, smart and strong presence with proven versatility to project as a high-floor, solid starting guard in a downhill run scheme,” according to the New Year’s scouting profile by Brandon Thorn. The gif-supported Depot scouting report by Ryan Roberts (Round 2-3 grade) agrees, describing Beebe with adjectives like “overwhelming power…relentless…incredibly strong hands… [and] very consistent in pass protection.” |
| 4:01 | T/G Brandon Coleman, TCU by way of JUCO (Senior). 6-4½, 313 lbs. with long 34⅝” arms and enormous 10¾” hands. 21, turns 22 in June. Three-year starter and team captain. Born in the U.S. but grew up in Germany and live there until high school. Coleman is an athletic blocker with good tools (a bit short but very long limbed) and a 2023 “Feldman Freak” at #61. Coleman has the feet, footwork, burst, mobility, and balance to reach his landmarks before pass rushers and run defenders alike. Decent strength too. Generally plays with good leverage, except when he doesn’t. Good hand position, except when he loses it. Good pop on his punch, except when it misses. Nice, quick feet, except when he plants them. Seems to regularly get in position for pass protection, but after that he can lose the actual combat. Gets where he should in the running game but doesn’t display a nasty demeanor. Catching a theme here? There’s an awful lot of “yes, but…” that needs to be addressed. Could be but needs to be. Good coaching and hard work should make him a solid pro eventually, but it is hard to say if that will start in Year 2 or Year 5, nor if he’s going to be forced inside to guard. The NFL.com scouting profile by Lance Zierlein ends in something like a Round 4-5 grade and a conclusion that “Coleman will be scouted and drafted as a guard but might be able to handle a move to tackle in an emergency.” Tested as the most athletic guard prospect in the class, with a massive, top 2% RAS of 9.98. |
| 4:01 | G/T Delmar Glaze, Maryland (RS Junior). 6-4⅛, 315 lbs. with long 34⅞” arms and big 10¼” hands. A three-year college tackle who may need to move inside because he combines average athletic talents with limited size. Can those extra-long arms and extra-big wingspan make up for the lack of height? He’s on this board as a guard with the versatility to kick back out in the glass-needs-breaking emergencies but make no mistake: whoever drafts him will give the young man a good, long look on the edge as well. The call really is that close. Glaze offers very good phone booth power supported by a good understanding of the OL craft. The scouting profile by Brandon Thorn sums the prospect up as follows: “Overall, Glaze combines polished technique with good play strength and a patient, calculated approach to win the leverage battle more often than not despite below-average athletic ability… [He] should be able to carve out a role on an NFL roster at guard while offering the ability to play tackle in a pinch.” Showed nice, fluid movement skills at the Senior Bowl, where he, of course, practiced at both positions. Lance Zierlein’s NFL.com scouting profile ends in a Round 4-ish grade as an edge protector, calling Glaze a “swing tackle prospect with some promising NFL traits but tape that comes up lacking against some of the better competition he faced.” He also writes that Glaze has good handwork to supplement decent feet and quickness but gets “beaten frequently by inside moves due to chronic over-setting.” Put up a nice, solid RAS of 6.58 held back by the lack of height. |
| 4:01 | OG Dominick Puni, Kansas (RS Senior). 6-4⅜, 323 lbs. with 33¾” arms and 10” hands. Round 2-4 talent on an all-teams board. Turned 24 in February. A multi-year starter, almost exclusively at OT, who will move inside at the next level. Looks like a guard; run blocks like a good guard; has the play strength, physicality, and phone booth power to be a guard; and would have excellent mobility as a guard; but he lacks the extraordinary size and condor wingspan that’s normal for an NFL tackle. And he played center during the Senior Bowl, of course. Offers added value as a potential swing tackle because his sound fundamentals should protect him up to the point where he loses on purely athletic grounds. This goes to a January scouting profile by Brandon Thorn. The TDN scouting profile sees a desperate need to keep his pads down but suggests he could succeed even at tackle if he learns to do so. |
| 4:01 | OT Walter Rouse, Oklahoma by way of Stanford (RS Senior). 6-5⅞, 313 lbs. with long 35⅛” arms and 10⅛” hands. 23 years old. Two-time team captain, one year at each school. A fine basketball player in H.S. This marvelous September 2023 article digs deep into the background of a four-year Stanford starter moving over to Oklahoma for a final season in college. Bottom line: he’s an experienced college LT who needs to add some country strength, build up to an NFL technical level (particularly his footwork and movement skills), and prove he can play on either side of the line. Add that (and he appears to have the native stuff the job will require) and you’ll have a solid pro who would enjoy a long career. Leave him as is, and he won’t. The gif-supported Depot scouting report by Jim Hester (Round 4 grade of 7.5) sees Rouse as “an experienced leader at left tackle with the physical tools and skill set to compete for a swing tackle role right away.” Lance Zierlein’s NFL.com scouting profile puts it this way: “Rouse possesses the size and intelligence coaches like, and he might be able to continue improving if he can get stronger and prove he can play on the right side as well. He’s an average athlete with average bend… [but] he tends to anchor enough and maintain a level of stickiness as a run blocker, even when it looks a little disheveled. Rouse has [only] played as a left tackle but might be in consideration as a solid swing tackle prospect with some upside.” |
| 4:01 | OG Zak Zinter, Michigan (Senior). 6-6, 309 lbs. with 33½” arms and 9⅜” hands. Turns 23 in April. Broken leg ended his 2023 season. Just a good lineman, in both the run game and the passing game. The closer he stays to the phone booth, the better he does. Pittsburgh would be very interested if there was any need at all for a guard. |
| 4:01 | RB Trey Benson, Florida St. by way of Oregon (RS Junior). 6-0¼, 216 lbs. with 31½” arms and 9¼” hands. 21, turns 22 in October. [Awful knee injury in 2020] Round 2 talent on an all-teams board. A Steelers-type back with breakaway speed but who hasn’t made his bones as either a pass catcher or pass protector. Came back from a devastating 2020 knee injury in which he tore an ACL, MCL, and just about everything else that holds the joint together. Some might call that an injury red flag, but the words you’ll see around here are “guts” and “fortitude.” |
| 4:01 | RB Jonathon Brooks, Texas (Junior). 6-0⅜, 216 lbs. with 31½” arms and 9¼” hands. 20, turns 21 in July. [ACL tear in November] Round 2 talent on an all-teams board. See hole; cut through hole; make tackler pay; and then hit the jets if tackler didn’t pay the price well enough to get him down. Profiles as perfect for the outside zone attack that Arthur Smith prefers. I had dreams that he might fall all the way down to Round 6 due to the injury, but that appears to be a pipe dream because recent reports suggest that he’s going to be ready for the start of the 2024 season. |
| 4:01 | RB Isaac Guerendo, Louisville by way of Wisconsin (RS Senior). 6-0, 221 lbs. with 30¾, arms and 9¼” hands. 23, turns 24 in June. [Mtg. at Combine] Confession: this is the player I would target for the Steelers. He has the exact size and build that Pittsburgh looks for, plus breakaway 4.3 speed to hit the home runs that Harris and Warren do not. Not much tread off the tires because he was always sharing the backfield with guys like Jonathan Taylor. The issue? Lack of overall production. Was it because he always played with great talent that forced a platoon system? Or because of some gap in his game? Guerendo is a converted WR with good hands and route-running ability (which also kept him in school). He has good power, but excels as a one-cut, downhill runner who fits Arthur Smith’s preferred outside zone scheme. His 9.98 RAS clocks in as the #5 RB athlete since 1987! |
| 4:01 | WR Javon Baker, UCF by way of Alabama (Senior). 6-1⅜, 208 lbs. with 31⅝” arms and 9⅝” hands. Turned 22 in February. Projects as an excellent move-the-chains receiver with a very high floor and limited ceiling. A good but not great athlete who compiled a 7.70 RAS, Baker has good enough route-running skills that aren’t based on COD ability, like most players, but rather on his very stop-start brakes and sudden acceleration. Solid size and good physicality allow for tackle-breaking and extra YAC, though he isn’t agile enough to make tacklers whiff, and he could be a lot more physical than he’s been, particularly as a blocker in the run game. Excellent body control and very good hands. Tom Mead’s gif-supported Depot scouting report (Round 4 grade of 7.1) sees Baker as an inside/outside receiver who projects as a solid WR3/4 with WR2/3 potential he could reach by building a route tree, learning to block in addition to just being willing, and most of all by sharpening his route-running skills to create more separation. This late-January, Bears-oriented scouting profile ends with a much more ambitious comparison to Michael Crabtree. Commenter Max, a UCF fan, reports that Baker suffered from inadequate QB play, which makes the production he did have that much more impressive, but also had too many focus drops. Lance Zierlein’s NFL.com scouting profile ends in a Round 2 grade for a prospect who “has the traits and skill level of an NFL receiver and should fight for an eventual shot as a WR3/4.” |
| 4:01 | WR Jalen McMillan, Washington (RS Junior). 6-1, 197 lbs. with 32⅛” arms and big 10” hands. 22, turns 23 in December. [Mtg. at Combine] Speed to burn with the body control, size, agility, and hands to be a good down the field weapon. A versatile player who’s been used in multiple ways. Smooth and efficient as a route runner. Doesn’t play as big as he measures. Has more long speed than quick acceleration. Willing to play slot, block in the running game, and run those physically tough routes over the middle. 8.55 RAS that includes bad 10 yard splits in the dash. Lance Zierlein’s NFL.com scouting profile (Round 4-5 grade) says ”McMillan is a long-striding field-stretcher… slot target with good size and production.” The gif-supported Depot scouting report by Jonathan Heitritter (Round 3 grade of 7.8) likewise sees a big-slot prospect who “lacks high-end speed or quickness but tends to do everything right as a route runner and a YAC threat who can also make the tough grabs in coverage to move the chains.” |
| 4:01 | WR Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint, Georgia (Senior). 6-1⅛, 195 lbs. with 33” arms and 10” hands. Turned 22 in January. [Mtg. at Pro Day] A physical slot receiver with a very good release package, MRJ also wins a lot of jump balls but doesn’t have the next-level speed or shiftiness to make him different. In the end, he will need to win with craft, and his odds are pretty good. It helps that he’s a good blocker and a smooth mover who is hard for corners to read. I have seen comparisons to Green Bay’s Dontayvion Wicks. The gif-supported Depot scouting report by Ross McCorkle (Round 4 grade of 7.5) says that “MRJ is a high-effort player who does a lot of things well. He has sure hands, he blocks well, and he is physical while catching the ball. He doesn’t have top-end athleticism and his production in college was low overall… He projects as an impact special teamer.” Ross compares Rosemy-Jacksaint’s game to Allen Robinson II. Lance Zierlein is not a fan. His scouting profile ends with a UDFA grade, saying “MRJ doesn’t have the speed to separate, and his routes are way too labored and sloppy at this stage. While he has the ball skills to compete at the catch point, he will really need to add polish to his game in order to find himself in consideration as a productive pass catcher.” |
| 4:12 | QB Joe Milton III, Tennessee by way of Michigan (RS Senior). 6-5⅛, 235 lbs. with big 10¼” hands. Turns 24 in March. Elite physical tools, including size, strength, speed, and the ability to toss flatfooted 60-yard bombs (aka Josh Allen throws). Indeed, “elite” may not be a strong enough adjective. Maybe “jaw dropping?” He’s known for a lightning-quick release, and there’s a claim out there that he can throw a football 97 yards in the air and throw a fastball more than 109 mph (which is hard to believe because the world record is 106)! OTOH, he did throw some 80-85 yards at the Combine while trying to hit a moving WR. He’s also got a proven clutch gene and character sterling enough to be a semifinalist for the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year, which really does matter. The drawbacks? All the reasons why he lost his Michigan spot to Cade McNamara, who then lost it to J.J. McCarthy, who is three years younger than Milton. Which are the same reasons he lost the Tennessee job to Hendon Hooker. Milton has never shown the football IQ, vision, and reliable mechanics needed to make use of all that athletic potential. He could easily be the best QB of the class after spending two years living in Jordan Palmer’s garage in order to remake his ragged mechanics and cure his lack of touch, along with weekly film sessions with Peyton Manning to really learn the game. Without that? Who knows. You have to say he’s as boom or bust as it gets. But oh wow, what a boom that would be, and he did look much more reliable and controlled when throwing at the Combine after a mere 2-3 months of focused work on those mechanics… ********** ********** As the NFL Draft Buzz profile puts it, “His arm strength and velocity are such that they’ve been the subject of awe… [but] the transition to the NFL requires a holistic grasp of the quarterback position.” Daniel Kelly calls his scouting profile, “The hardest evaluation I have ever done…. [Milton has] the most aggressive and strongest personality on the football field… [and] the size and arm strength worthy of being the top pick in the draft. However, he has the accuracy of a 5th-round pick.” Want a great line? With regard to “how much Tennessee tried to get him to play ‘dink-and-dunk’ football,” Kelly says it “was like watching Babe Ruth bunt… Milton’s arm strength makes [2023 #4 overall pick Anthony] Richardson look like a Happy Meal toy.” The gif-supported Depot scouting report by Jonas Wedlich ends in a Round 5 grade. |
| 4:16 | DT Jaden Crumedy, Miss. St. (RS Senior). 6-3⅞, 301 lbs. with 33” arms and 10½” hands. 23, turns 24 in July. He looks the part even by Pittsburgh’s strict standards if you allow for slightly shorter than desired arm length. One has to imagine it is within the looser standards for a Day 3 pick, right? Crumedy is very athletic (RAS 9.10), with excellent foot speed, good explosion, and skill for the run defense part of his job. The issue? He doesn’t seem to “get it,” has shown very little pass rush, and has a reputation for disappearing, or (worse) somehow appearing in the wrong gap. Definitely on the radar as a Day 3 developmental prospect if the team can’t find someone better in Rounds 1-4. The gif-supported Depot scouting report by Jonathan Heitritter (Round 4 grade of 7.1) describes Crumedy as a reliably solid run defender from the physical POV, who already plays with low pads, but who’s shown little more than the occasionally impressive flash as a run defender. |
| 4:16 | NT McKinnley Jackson, Texas A&M (RS Senior). 6-1½, 326 lbs. with 33⅞” arms and 10” hands. Age t/b/d. [Mtg. at Combine] Round 2-3 talent on an all-teams board. A 4-year starter with some decent pass rush moves, but inadequate length. Jon Heitritter’s gif-supported Depot scouting report (Round 3) sees Jackson as a “twitched up” NT in the Steelers system. He does move better than you’d expect for a man with that physique, but he tested as a bottom third NFL athlete (3.28 RAS) whose poor scores in the explosion tests look especially problematic for his position. |
| 4:16 | DT/EDGE Leonard Taylor III, Miami (Junior). 6-3½, 303 lbs. with 33⅞” arms and 9” hands. 21, turns 22 in May. Round 2 talent on an all-teams board. Played hurt all through 2023 while recovering from shoulder surgery in the spring. An oversized 4-3 EDGE who could conceivably move inside for the Steelers, much like they tried with DeMarvin Leal. He has tremendous burst off the line (when he times things up), and he can sustain edge through quickness as he moves (except when his motor fades). Strong too. Could Larry Ogunjobi be the right comp? The gif-supported Depot scouting report by Steven Pavelka (Round 4 grade) admires a lot of Taylor’s measurable athletic talents (an RAS 7.70 athlete), such as solid enough straight-line speed, burst off the line (inconsistent with really good flashes), size, age, etc. The drawbacks are a lack of technique, occasional lapses of effort, poor team results in run support, and especially the whatever-it-was that made Taylor “almost useless in stunts.” Did no agility testing at the Combine. |
| 4:16 | EDGE Nelson Ceaser, Houston (RS Junior). 6-2¾, 254 lbs. with 33⅝” arms and 10¼” hands. 22, turns 23 in June. Team captain. A true 3-4 OLB who projects as a pass rush specialist based on a good but not great first step, good power on the attack, a very hot and relentless motor, decent but not special bend, several moves he can use to vary his attack, and a very good spin in both directions that he uses as a counter. The main flaw has to do with holding up in the run game. |
| 4:16 | EDGE/DT Myles Cole, Texas Tech (RS Senior). 6-6, 278 lbs. with staggering 36⅞” arms and 9⅞” hands. A taller, longer, but lighter player in the DeMarvin Leal mold who measured with the highest EDGE RAS of the year at 9.89 (still a 9.94 if run as a DT). Leal, FWIW, had an RAS of 7.43 that trailed behind Cole in basically every measure, though he was only 21 when drafted. Cole is probably a 4-3 EDGE, but there is plenty of room on that frame to add good weight, so who can say for sure? The TDN scouting profile describes him as a raw, developmental edge rusher despite the traits, which is not good for someone this mature. Lance Zierlein’s NFL.com scouting profile agrees: “Despite six seasons in college, Cole might still be moldable with untapped production lingering…With more mass and play strength, Cole might be targeted to rotate as an odd-front end with the athleticism and traits to become a more consistent pass rusher.” |
| 4:16 | EDGE/DT Brandon Dorlus, Oregon. (Senior). 6-3, 283 lbs. with 33¼” arms and 9⅜” hands. Turns 23 in March. DeMarvin Leal 2.0, leaning more toward being an oversized 4-3 DE than an extremely athletic but undersized DT. Discounted here for lack of fit and because Leal is still on the team. |
| 4:16 | EDGE/DT Darius Robinson, Missouri (RS Senior). 6-5⅛, 285 lbs. with 34½” arms and big 10⅝” hands. Two-year captain. Round 2-3 grade on an all-teams board. We all had the same reaction to Darius Robinson early in the draft process: Hurray! A player who fits the Steelers’ mold! Then we looked deeper, and sigh. Robinson played more Edge than DT in college, like DeMarvin Leal. And just like Leal he’s putting his chips into the “versatility” pile. Yes, he’s bigger than Leal (6-5 vs. 6-4, 286 vs. 283), longer than Leal (34¾” arms vs. 33¼”), and plays more of a power-oriented game, but the Steelers Depot contingent at the Senior Bowl reports that he’s completely rocked up already, with little to no room for adding more good muscle. And yes, he looked particularly good at the Senior Bowl – but as a 4-3 DE, not the sort of DE/DT hybrid that Pittsburgh insists on. On the specifics, Robinson uses all that length to stack and sheds with the best of them, has an excellent bull rush, and also some useful counters. He might be able to function as a better version of the hybrid DeMarvin Leal was supposed to become, but one has to wonder about the bang for the 2024 buck in revisiting that idea. Alex Kozora’s gif-supported Depot scouting report highlights the “almost there…” aspect of this prospect: “Robinson doesn’t have the high-end athleticism of a Stephon Tuitt or the burst and hips of him or Keeaun Benton and he’s not as built or quite as strong as Cam Heyward. But he is a solid player… [and] his scheme also makes him an easier projection.” Came in at #32 on Daniel Jeremiah’s initial Top 50. |
| 4:16 | EDGE Javon Solomon, Troy (RS Senior). 6-0⅞, 246 lbs. with 33⅞” arms and big 10¾” hands. Solomon is very quick off the ball with enough bend to turn the corner and enough length to develop a good long-arm stab. He also has a decent set of pass-rush moves, including a very effective spin. An extremely hot motor. Normally the sort of player we would highlight as a potential Round 3-4 target, he gets a lesser grade in 2024 due to the full cupboard and the lower LOC he faced in college. Some scouting profiles have also wondered about his ability to set the edge against NFL athletes. |
| 4:16 | EDGE Xavier Thomas, Clemson (RS Senior). 6-2¼, 244 lbs. with 32⅞” arms and 9⅛” hands. 24, turns 25 in December. There are definitely assets to work with, such as a good first step, and he is fundamentally sound. Needs to build more play strength, develop at least a few counters, and learn to vary his plan. Compiled a solid but not special 6.79 RAS that would have been an 8.74 if measured as a linebacker. Josh Carney’s gif-supported Depot scouting report (Round 4 grade) is particularly interesting to read, but the bottom line would be that Thomas is a good but older prospect with very high potential and established expertise in run support. |
| 4:16 | ILB Curtis Jacobs, Penn St. (RS Junior). 6-1⅜, 241 lbs. with 31½” arms and big 10¼” hands. Turned 22 in February. A wonderful athlete (9.09 RAS held back by moderate size) with a nonstop motor and 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 three-down ILB. Had a good week at the Shrine Bowl. |
| 4:16 | SAF/Mack ILB James Williams, Miami (RS Soph). 6-4¼, 231 lbs. with 33⅝” arms and 9½” hands. Turned 21 in February. In college he played at 220-225 as a 50% strong safety, 50% cover ILB, and was considered an elite athlete whose only limitation is long speed from the SAF point of view. A significant limitation to judge given his 4.65 dash at the Combine with poor explosion numbers too. By the Senior Bowl he was up to 230 and spent almost all his time as a cover-capable linebacker. That’s where he’s projected for this board. James Williams could also grow into being a really great ILB if he can build his football IQ and instincts. It’s even a reasonable thing to hope for in light of his constant, steady improvement in college. His stock falls to Round 3 because moving to ILB full time is going to add a year to that process. Whoever picks him needs to expect nothing from his rookie year except serious special teams ability and the occasional learning snaps to get his feet wet. Tom Mead’s gif-supported Depot scouting report (Round 5) sees Williams’ versatility as more of a drawback. “The Steelers have a need at safety and at linebacker. They don’t need a player who could be one of those. They need players who know their role, not a project.” Lance Zierlein’s NFL.com scouting profile starts with this telling summary: “While it’s fun watching him run and strike from high safety, it is much less fun watching his coverage confusion. He doesn’t see the game as clearly as teams might like right now, but he has the athleticism and cover skills to [improve]… Size and speed could make him an imposing cover man on tight ends.” |
| 4:16 | DB Malik Mustapha, Wake Forest (RS Junior). 5-10⅛, 209 lbs. with 30⅛” arms and 9” hands. Team captain. Tore an ACL in the 2022 bowl game and played through the rehab period for all of 2023, which means he could be better than his most recent film. Mustapha is an extremely fun player with only a single real problem: he is 3-5 inches too short. Which gives Pittsburgh fans two direct points of comparison: the glory that was Troy Polamalu (¼” taller and 3 lbs. lighter), and the entirely meh career of Shamarko Thomas (⅞” shorter and 3 lbs. heavier). Polamalu succeeded because he was an absolutely absurd, super-freak athlete with 4.33 long speed, more acceleration than a jackrabbit, and a legendary football IQ that people talk about even today. Just ask Pat McAfee, lol! Thomas failed because he was an exceptional but straight-line athlete. Mustapha made the list of Feldman Freaks, but he isn’t Polamalu. The agility and burst testing will be key, as will the interviews to determine if Mustapha’s football IQ is more than just “good.” He played everywhere from slot corner to free safety in college, but projects best for the NFL as an untitled “Defensive Back” with enough coverage skills to hold up in the slot, enough pop to hold up as a sub-package box player, and enough overall athleticism to also drop back in Cover 2 looks. I.e., the Polamalu role that Thomas couldn’t manage. A good tackler who loves the hitting part of the game, Mustapha’s greatest asset may be the infectious energy he brings to the game; a true hair-on-fire type who will require vastly more whoa than sic ‘em. There’s that similarity again. He’s also going to be an exceptional special teams player, just like… I’ve got to stop this. The gif-supported Depot scouting report by Ryan Roberts (Round 5) loves the run support but worries that Mustapha is “a tick late to diagnosing pass coverage too often.” |
| 4:16 | SAF Evan Williams, Oregon by way of Fresno St. (RS Senior). 5-11¼, 200 lbs. with 30⅛” arms and huge 10⅛” hands. 22, turns 23 in July. Five-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 only NFL-average in terms of pure athleticism (a 6.97 RAS with elite explosion numbers). He makes up for those issues with a tough and ferocious style of play, and a very good football IQ lets him get a jump on most plays. Excellent ball skills, and almost certain to be a core special teams player. |
| 4:16 | CB M.J. Devonshire, Pitt (Senior). 5-10¾, 186 lbs. with 32⅞” arms and 8¾” hands. 23, turns 24 in September. He isn’t tall and he certainly isn’t big, but Devonshire plays like he has arms like a condor with a knack for staying in a WR’s hip pocket long enough to simply reach up and bat the ball away – when he doesn’t make the INT, which is always possible. Smooth and fluid, but only has average speed for really long throws. Good football IQ and understanding of route combinations. He isn’t a good tackler, however, and his lack of measurable inches can show up on pure jump balls in the red zone. His RAS of 7.27 is a study of extremes with elite speed and explosion results, substandard height and weight, and 35th percentile agility tests. |
| 4:16 | CB Johnny Dixon, Penn St. by way of S. Car. (RS Senior). 5-10¾, 188 lbs. with short 29½” arms and 8⅝” hands. Turned 23 in January. His combination of limited size, speed, and fluidity are offset by very good skills, press-coverage savvy, and overall football IQ. It adds up to… what? The NFL.com scouting profile by Lance Zierlein questions his ability to move inside due to how much of his success came from using the boundary as an added defender, tackling limitations, and overall lack of juice. But skill beats talent a great deal of the time, right? There are some technical issues to clean up, particularly going to stop-start transitions. Dixon also has a surprising knack for getting home on blitzes. The gif-supported Depot scouting report by Steven Pavelka (Round 4 grade of 7.2) concludes that “Johnny Dixon is a guy who brings a very unique skill set to the table for any NFL franchise. He can more than likely play both corner and safety at the next level due to his great communication and zone ability. But regardless of where he plays, his ability to blitz off the edge is bound to show up… At a minimum, I think he is able to make a roster… but lacks that ceiling you want to see out of a 23-year-old prospect.” |
| 4:16 | CB Jarrian Jones, Florida St. (RS Senior). 5-11⅞, 190 lbs. with 30” arms and 8⅝” hands. Turns 23 in May. A multiyear starter who got abused as a true freshman, eaten like a bag of wasabi peas as a sophomore and junior, suddenly “got it” as a fourth-year player in 2022 and then looked tremendous in 2023. How many CBs get through an entire season without earning any penalty of any kind? Jones did just that in 2023. No holding; no interference; no nothing. The current version can be described as a top-level cover corner (in college) who wins (in college) on savvy in both man and zone coverage due to his quick reflexes, balance, reliability at getting his head around after the ball is in the air, and knack for contested-catch breakups. Good but improvable ball skills. The NFL.com scouting profile by Lance Zierlein ends with something like a Round 5 grade due to questions about Jones’ athletic ceiling. “[He is an] urgent cornerback with good size [who is] all gas from snap to whistle, [but] can be clunky matching a receiver’s release and has a hard time transitioning through sharp break points… [Jones is] unable to mirror and match release with consistency, [and] struggles to make up vertical separation when beaten.” Interestingly enough, Jones compiled the best RAS (9.86) of any 2024 corner, which suggests some untapped potential that didn’t show up on film. |
| 4:16 | CB Kalen King, Penn St. (Junior). 5-10, 189 lbs. with 30⅜” arms and 8⅝” hands. Turned 21 in late January. Joey Porter’s 2022 running mate may even be better when it comes to pure quickness, but he lacks the length and reliability that makes JPJ so special in man coverage. King had Round 1 buzz coming out of 2022, but 2023 was less impressive. Smart, savvy, and has good ball skills, but needs to work on his play strength. A willing tackler who sticks his nose in but isn’t more than acceptable getting it done. Jonathan Heitritter’s gif-supported Depot scouting report (Round 3 grade) emphasizes his inside/outside versatility but notes a variety of small technical flaws that lower his stock, such as feet that “stall” and lapses in his suddenness and transitions. Lack of balance in his backpedal is a significant concern. A fairly miserable Senior Bowl contributes to his grade being much lower than expected. Looked extremely meh at the Combine, ending up with a 5.12 RAS based on unacceptable 4.61 speed. Lance Zierlein’s NFL.com scouting profile ends in a Round 5-6 grade, based on poor everything in 2023 with glimmers of hope based on how much better he was in 2022. |
| 4:16 | T/G Julian Pearl, Illinois (RS Senior). 6-6, 312 lbs. with long 35⅛” arms and 10¼” hands. 24, turns 25 in October. Pearl converted from the defensive side of the line in college and has since played RT, LT, and OG. He is a good athlete overall with good movement skills and a solid punch but doesn’t have a superpower to fall back on. Led a solid offensive line in 2023. Alex Kozora’s gif-supported Depot scouting report (Round 5 grade) worries that “his game is too up and down to trust [especially given his age], [and] his best tape came against weaker competition [such as] Northwestern, [while] Penn State’s toolsy EDGE rushers gave him fits.” Lance Zierlein’s NFL.com scouting profile is a little kinder, but only a little. “Pearl is an athletic move blocker capable of creating creases in space, but the pass protection needs a big upgrade for him to develop into an NFL swing tackle [and while] the athletic pieces are in place, he’s lacking functional upper-body strength… and that must be corrected before he’s ready for any snaps.” A classic draft-and-stash for the practice squad with a reasonable hope that you might have found a steal. Or not. |
| 4:16 | G/T Isaiah Adams, Illinois (RS Senior). 6-4¼, 315 lbs. with 33⅞” arms and 9” hands. 23, turns 24 in July. Team captain. Round 3 talent on an all-teams board. A solid, athletic, good-looking OG who doesn’t ring the rare bells needed to qualify as special. Brandon Thorn’s typically solid New Year’s scouting profile sums him up as follows: “Overall, Adams has the size, quickness, play strength and enough finishing skills to be a high-end backup right away. He has solid-starter potential in a zone-based run scheme with the ability to get his team out of a game at tackle.” |
| 4:16 | OG Sataoa Laumea, Utah (Junior). 6-4¼, 319 lbs. with 32⅞” arms and 9⅞” hands. Round 3 talent on an all-teams board. A four-year starter who will be a guard in the NFL, Laumea has an extremely high floor with enough pop and mobility to fit almost any offense. If only we needed a guard… |
| 4:16 | G KT Leveston, Kansas St. (RS Senior). 6-3⅞, 326 lbs. with 34⅜” arms and 9⅞” hands. 24, turns 25 in October. Played tackle in college but almost certain to move inside because he has good power and aggression, but limited size and overall talent at the open space duties required of an edge protector. |
| 4:16 | OG Christian Mahogany, Boston Coll. (RS Senior). 6-3⅜, 314 lbs. with 33½” arms and 10½” hands. 23, turns 24 in October. Round 3-4 talent on an all-teams board. This New Year’s scouting profile from Brandon Thorn describes him as, “a big, powerful, tone-setting presence at guard who can impose his will in a downhill, vertical based run game centered around RPOs and play action. However, he will need to learn to add patience and polish to his footwork to become more of a steady presence rather than a pure bouncer.” Jim Hester’s gif-supported Depot scouting report ends in a Round 3 grade for this “smart…tone-setting presence you want on your team.” |
| 4:16 | C/G Matt Lee, Miami by way of Cent. Florida (Senior). 6-3⅝, 301 lbs. with 32⅛” arms and 9¼” hands. 22, turns 23 in June. [Mtg. at Shrine Bowl] The gif-supported Depot scouting report by Alex Kozora and the NFL.com scouting profile by Lance Zierlein run in lockstep on this analysis. Matt Lee is an exceptionally bright young man who declined multiple Ivy League and military academy offers to follow his family tradition at UCF. His football ability features a strong anchor despite his limited size and length, but he has trouble moving those same men because he plays with straight legs. Stalemate city. The mobility is just okay on film, but he compiled a very impressive 9.86 RAS based on elite speed and explosion numbers, offset by his lack of special size. |
| 4:16 | RB Jaylen Wright, Tennessee (Junior). 5-10½, 210 lbs. with 31½”arms and 9⅜” hands. Turns 21 in April. Round 2 talent on an all-teams board. A tough guy with home run speed and a history of explosive plays, Wright is more straight line-ish than you’d prefer, but he’s a killer if the OL can work open a crack for him to get through. Has a tendency to rely on his speed and bounce things wide, but that’s just a matter of good coaching and learning his role on any given play. Not a great fit for Pittsburgh even if the room wasn’t full. |
| 4:16 | WR Jacob Cowing, Arizona (Senior). 5-8½, 165 lbs. with 29¼” arms and 9” hands. Turned 23 in February. A sudden, shifty slot receiver with good long speed as well as quickness. Gets open and moves the chains. Lacking in size and strength. Has also suffered from the dropsies. Tom Mead’s gif-supported Depot scouting report (Round 3 grade of 8.0) uses Tank Dell as a comp for the just-right right team. In Pittsburgh he would need to replace Calvin Austin III. |
| 4:16 | WR Ryan Flournoy, S.E. Missouri St. (Senior). 6-0¾, 202 lbs. with 31⅝” arms and big 10⅛” hands. A small school height/weight/speed phenom (9.88 RAS) who looked good at the Senior Bowl practices. The routes looked smooth and clean, he got good separation, and proved to be extremely good at contested catches. Lance Zierlein’s NFL.com scouting profile sums the prospect up like this: “Flournoy offers size and football character that is pro-caliber but has areas where he must improve.” Those areas basically come down to all the technical facets of the WR craft. But there’s a good chance he will get there because Zierlein also notes that his “head coach raves about coachability and team-first mentality.” |
| 4:16 | WR Luke McCaffrey, Rice by way of Nebraska (RS Junior). 6-1¾, 202 lbs. with short 29⅞” arms and 9 ½” hands. Turns 23 in April. Team captain and one of my secret draft crushes, Luke McCaffrey is the son of Ed, the longtime Broncos WR, and the brother of some guy who supposedly plays for the 49ers. Christian’s little brother played quarterback from 2019-2021, then moved over to WR for 2022 and 2023 where he did pretty well. Fits the big-slot prototype with good burst, speed, RAC ability, reliable hands, and the ability to make “jaw-dropping one-handed catches with coverage draped over him.” That’s from Lance Zierlein’s NFL.com scouting profile, which adds some other nuggets like, “Fearless into the teeth of the defense,” and “Focus drops do not exist in his dojo.” Zierlein tamps down the enthusiasm by pointing to McCaffrey’s need for “additional time to learn the position and fine-tune his route running.” McCaffrey has the benefit of an extremely high football IQ, with a QB’s understanding of route concepts and the “why” behind the “what.” This 2022 article on McCaffrey’s transition from QB to WR deserves a long quote: “…But one trivialized element of playing wide receiver, especially in Rice’s ‘pound the rock, control the clock’-style offense, is the ability to work as a blocker on the majority of snaps. When asked about adding this skill to his repertoire, McCaffrey’s eyes lit up as if blocking was his calling card from birth. ‘It’s a lot of fun. You get to let out some of that anger that you have,’ he said. ‘At quarterback you probably just have to put your hands in a fist and get mad, whereas at receiver, you can get into that action a bit more. It’s fun.’” Preach! McCaffrey compiled an impressive 9.40 RAS based on good grades in every department and elite grades for the agility tests that most other WRs prefer to spurn. Make sure to go through the comments section too when you read Tom Mead’s gif-supported Depot scouting report (Round 7 grade of 6.1) because it identifies two camps who agree on the characteristics but differ on the conclusion. The first group, including your humble author, adds up the assets and issues in a way that equals a Round 4 grade from a Steelers POV while the second group does the same addition and sees a developmental practice squad prospect. Where do you come out? |
| 4:19 | STEELERS ROUND 4 PICK (# 119 OVERALL) |
| 5:01 | DT Jordan Jefferson, LSU by way of WVU (Senior). 6-2¾, 313 lbs. with 33⅛” arms and 9⅞” hands. An effective run stuffer with good experience, great power, and acceptable burst. Wrestled in H.S., and it shows in his overall athleticism and balance. Very good motor for someone his size. Should be better against double teams than he is and isn’t much of a pass rusher despite an elegant spin move. |
| 5:01 | EDGE Mohamed Kamara, Colorado St. (RS Senior). 6-1⅜, 248 lbs. with 32⅜” arms and 8⅝” hands. [Mtg. at Combine] Incredibly productive pass rusher in every statistical way. Wins outside, inside, and especially with Gumby-level bend. Known for a very professional approach to the game and the pass-rushing craft. Shaq Barrett, also from Colorado State, has been cited as a good player comp. Jonathan Heitritter’s gif-supported Depot scouting report (Round 5 grade of 7.0) worries that “Kamara will have to…improve his play strength and technique…against the run or be subject to a pure rotational role as a situational pass rusher who can also contribute heavily on special teams.” |
| 5:01 | EDGE/DT Marshawn Kneeland, W. Michigan (RS Junior). 6’3”, 267 lbs. with 34½” arms and 9⅛” hands. 22, turns 23 in July. Round 2 grade on an all-teams board. Performed well at the Senior Bowl and crushed the Combine to the tune of a 9.54 RAS that really only dinged him for being a hybrid between 4-3 EDGE and 4-3 DT. Efram Geller’s gif-supported Depot scouting report ends in a Round 2 grade for a small-school player who will face some NFL shock when he goes against bigger and faster linemen, but has the length, frame, and athleticism to grow into a high-level pass rusher. |
| 5:01 | EDGE Gabriel Murphy, UCLA (RS Junior). 6-2⅛, 249 lbs. with stubby 30¾” arms and 9¼” hands. Twin brother of Grayson Murphy on the other side of the UCLA line. A good-looking, powerful 4-3 DE with a quick first step, enough COD talent to threaten a tackle with countermoves, and a reasonable amount of bend around the edge. Appears to lack the athleticism to drop back into coverage for a system like the Steelers. |
| 5:01 | EDGE Grayson Murphy, UCLA (RS Junior). 6-2¼, 251 lbs. with stubby 30¾” arms and 9¼” hands. Twin brother of Gabriel Murphy on the other side of the UCLA line. A good-looking, powerful 4-3 DE with a quick first step, enough COD talent to threaten a tackle with countermoves, and a reasonable amount of bend around the edge. Appears to lack the athleticism to drop back into coverage for a system like the Steelers. |
| 5:01 | EDGE Zion Tupuola-Fetui, Washington (RS Senior). 6-4, 241 lbs. 23, turns 24 in July. Explosive and athletic, but more straight line-ish than you’d prefer. |
| 5:01 | Mack ILB Michael Barrett, Michigan (RS Senior). 5-11⅜, 233 lbs. with 32⅛” arms and 8½” hands. 24, turns 25 in December. A three-year starter and five-year contributor to a perennial 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. Has good range when kept free but is only average 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 was 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). 6-0⅞, 235 lbs. with 30⅝” arms and 9¾” 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. Also has 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 | ILB Aaron Casey, Indiana (RS Senior). 6-0⅞, 231 lbs. with 32¾” arms and 9⅜” hands. 23, turns 24 in June. Team captain and leader. Casey is an intense, downhill ILB with good closing speed and tackling technique, fast see-do, and a knack for picking his way through the trash and creating a lot of fumbles. The Combine athletic testing did him no favors, resulting in a dead average RAS of 4.78, though he did show excellent acceleration with a top-15% 10-yard split, and was dragged down in part by height and weight. He’s as big a lock as it gets to excel on special teams. Lance Zierlein’s NFL.com scouting profile questions the pure football IQ: “Casey looks like and hits like an NFL inside linebacker but doesn’t always seem to see the game like one. The instincts and play recognition fall below par, but the production still stands out… He’s not the best fit for pass coverage, but he’s an instant “yes” for special teams.” Tom Mead’s gif-supported Depot scouting report (Round 5 grade of 6.6) sees Vince Williams as one obvious player comp. |
| 5:01 | ILB Marist Liufau, Notre Dame (RS Senior). 6-2⅛, 234 lbs. with exceptionally long 34¼” arms and 9⅞” hands. Turned 23 in February. A smart, experienced player with average NFL athleticism. 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. Excels on special teams. |
| 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] The injury that ended his year has also prevented his stock from rising during the pre-draft process, which it may well have done. Sirmon impressed at the Senior Bowl as a three-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. |
| 5:01 | FS/CB Jarius Monroe, Tulane (RS Senior). 6-0⅝, 204 lbs. with 32¼” arms and 8⅞” hands. 23, turns 24 in October. 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. |
| 5:01 | CB Dwight McGlothern, Arkansas (Senior). 6-1⅝, 185 lbs. with 30½” arms and 8⅝” hands. Turned 22 in February. Pete Carroll would have loved this prospect as developmental depth for his Legion of Boom defenses back in the day. As Lance Zierlein’s NFL.com scouting profile puts it, McGlothern is a “ball-hawking cornerback with the eyes, instincts and ball skills to flip the field against careless quarterbacks. McGlothern can press a little bit and handle some man coverage. However, he might be at his best in zone coverages, where he can scan the field and play chess with the route combinations and quarterbacks. He…has Cover 3 cornerback written all over him.” Tested as a solid athlete with a 6.40 RAS built on good length and speed, but very poor explosion numbers. And no agility tests, which tend to be the issue for this type of CB. |
| 5:01 | Slot CB Shon Stephens, Ferris St. by way of JUCO, Penn St., and Purdue (Senior). 5-11, 173 lbs. [Mtg. at Pro Day, Family] Nephew/first cousin of Joey Porter Sr./Jr. A small school sleeper supreme who has a real chance of success if he can find the right spot. Shon Stephens has walked a twisted path toward his NFL chance, including some painfully hard luck such as his mother’s 2020-2021 heart problems that kept him out of school and the NCAA’s lack of sympathy. That said, the gif-supported Depot scouting report by Jonathan Heitritter (Round 4 grade of 7.1) describes a young man who has persevered through it all, dominated his D-II competition, and now has a chance to prove himself at the NFL level. His best fit will be as a slot corner who can succeed anywhere in the secondary when allowed to play in a zone defense that will compensate for his lack of size and heft. Good on special teams too as both a return man and a gunner. |
| 5:01 | T/G Garrett Greenfield, S. Dak. St. (RS Senior). 6-5¾, 311 lbs. with 33½” arms and 9¾” hands. Two-year team captain. He looks like an NFL tackle and plays like he could actually be one, but it will take another few years of work to really find out. The physical assets are good enough to be a long-term NFL pro, but he doesn’t have a superpower to hang his hat on aside from burst off the line. He accordingly needs to build utterly reliable, professional technique to survive; technique he does not have yet, especially coming from a smaller school. Probably able to serve as a snap-to-snap swing OT or OG early on because he is a good run blocker, but it will take a few years before he might be a starter. One easy fix will be dedicated time spent in an NFL training room. After that it’s footwork and hand-fighting drills for endless hours of detailed work. Jonathan Heitritter’s gif-supported Depot scouting report (Round 6 grade of 6.5) has some inside dirt since the two worked together when Greenfield was in H.S., but mostly it comes down to (summarizing) “He’s got the required size, strength, and length, and he was quite a performer at his smaller school, but Day 3 because there’s a long way to go before he reaches NFL levels of reliability.” Lance Zierlein’s NFL.com scouting profile suggests something more like a Round 5 grade, saying that Greenfield “plays with good quickness and is athletic in his lower body but needs to play under control [and rein in his] tendency to play with arbitrary footwork as both a run and pass blocker, which curtails his contact balance and consistency to sustain.” Caught the world’s attention at the Combine with record-setting explosion numbers and an overall RAS of 9.16. |
| 5:01 | C/G Tanor Bortolini, Wisconsin (RS Junior). 6-3⅞, 305 lbs. with 31⅝” arms and 9¾” hands. Alex Kozora’s gif-supported Depot scouting report (Round 7-UDFA) describes an extremely smart, high character leader who blocks well in a phone booth even if he’s facing a monster NT. Alex saw him as vulnerable to quickness, however, with some issues pulling and climbing, and some of the same issues with inaccurate snaps that drove the fan base so wild when they happened to Mason Cole. It’s a verdict we may need to revisit after Bortolini compiled a perfect 10.00 RAS(!!) when measured as a center with top 2-5% scores in every speed, mobility, and explosion measurement. He also looked good in all the field drills and was described by retired Pro Bowl center Shaun O’Hara as “super athletic.” Could he be a better fit for Arthur Smith’s preferred outside zone running scheme than he might be for dealing with monster NTs man-on-man? Brandon Thorn’s scouting profile ends with a Round 4 grade based on skills, talent, and toughness offset significantly by his lack of length. |
| 5:01 | C/G Nick Gargiulo, S. Carolina by way of Yale (Senior). 6-5⅜, 318 lbs. with 33⅞” arms and 10⅜” hands. 23, turns 24 in July. A center and tackle at Yale, and a C/G for Spencer Rattler in the SEC, the NFL scouting profile by Lance Zierlein sees Gargiulo as a well-balanced, position-flexible prospect whose “body control, patience and core strength show up in pass pro and as a run blocker, and he’s athletic enough to make blocks in space…He’s not a body mover, but he’s also not a basic stalemate blocker.” Very impressive 9.37 RAS. |
| 5:01 | TE Ja’Tavion Sanders , Texas (Junior). 6-3⅞, 245 lbs. with 32⅞” arms and 10⅛” hands. Turns 21 in late March. Round 2-3 talent on an all-teams board. Most people’s #2 or #3 TE of the class, Sanders is a talented and athletic (8.06 RAS) pass catcher who hasn’t learned the blocking part of the game yet. |
| 5:01 | TE Ben Sinnott, Kansas St. (Junior). 6-3⅞, 250 lbs. with 32⅜” arms and 9½” hands. 21, turns 22 in June. Round 3 talent on an all-teams board. If Pittsburgh had any room at all for a TE, I would be digging much deeper into Ben Sinnott. He leans toward the receiver end of the spectrum, but he’s a great athlete (9.75 RAS) and better than that, he’s a football player down to his toes. It may take a few years, but Ben Sinnott will learn to block, and he will have a long NFL career if he can avoid the injury bug. Jonathan Heitritter’s gif-supported Depot scouting report (Round 3) compares him to Foster Moreau. |
| 5:01 | TE Cade Stover, Ohio St. (Senior). 6-3⅞, 247 lbs. with 32¾” arms and 9¾” hands. 23, turns 24 in June. Round 2-3 talent on an all-teams board. Most people’s #2 or #3 TE of the class, Stover is a well rounded, all purpose TE who will make his team better. A solid athlete who compiled an 8.40 RAS. |
| 5:01 | RB Braelon Allen, Wisconsin (Junior). 6-1¼, 235 lbs. with 31¼” arms and 9¾” hands. Turned 20 (not a typo) in January. Round 3-4 talent on an all-teams board. Yep, he is that big and that young, both of which will appeal to Pittsburgh. Allen plays up to his size as well, being a violent, downhill workhorse type with feet a lot niftier than the cartoon version of this profile. This grade will go up by a solid round if the team does not pick up Najee Harris’ fifth-year option because Allen offers a very similar style except with less pedigree, more unknowns, and no second gear. Has fumbled enough to raise eyebrows, but it’s probably a solvable issue. |
| 5:01 | RB Blake Corum, Michigan (Junior). 5-7¾, 205 lbs. with 28⅞” arms and 9” hands. 23, turns 24 in November. [Knee injury ended 2022] Round 3 talent on an all-teams board. Michigan won the CFP championship by building a good OL and then handing the ball off to Blake Corum with the instruction, “There’s yardage to be had; please claim it.” And so he did, despite playing on a questionable knee, over and over and over again. Corum takes what’s there, has the vision to find creases that others don’t, and is just plain hard to bring down. Not a bruiser, or a slasher, or a speed demon threat to score on every play, but rather a reliable part of the solution who makes coaches and blockers look smart. |
| 5:01 | RB Audric Estime, Notre Dame (Junior). 5-11⅜, 221 lbs. with 32⅜” arms and 10¼” hands. 20, turns 21 in September. Round 3 talent on an all-teams board. A bowling ball who simply won’t go down, Estime features extraordinary contact balance, good vision, and some pop to put those assets into aggressive action. Plus, he’s yet to come into his grown-man strength. An impressive young man who won Notre Dame’s student-athlete of the year award. Ran very poorly at the Combine. |
| 5:01 | RB Bucky Irving, Oregon (Junior). 5-9, 192 lbs. with 29½” arms and 9½” hands. 21, turns 22 in August. Round 2-3 talent on an all-teams board. Vision, quickness, and receiving skills elevate his stock. Size drags it back down, especially from a Steelers POV. |
| 5:01 | RB MarShawn Lloyd, USC (RS Junior). 5-8¾”, 220 lbs. with 30⅜” arms and 8¾” hands. Turned 23 in January. [ACL tear in 2020, unknown issue in 2023] Round 2-3 talent on an all-teams board. Lloyd’s game is built on vision, lateral agility, burst, and home-run speed, plus a build that should let him add power into the repertoire. A fine pass blocker too. Stock held down by two issues: the low grade for pure violence in his game and a potentially fatal case of fumbleitis that needs to be cured, or else. The gif-supported Depot scouting report by Josh Carney (Round 6 grade of 6.5) makes for a fascinating read because it agrees on all the assets but sees Lloyd as a late Day 3 prospect anyway due to injury concerns, ball security doubts, and questions about why USC did not use him as an outlet receiver. If I may paraphrase and stick words in his mouth, Josh seems to believe something like this: The tools should have grown a forest of success, but I smell smoke and I fear there could be a fire around. |
| 5:01 | RB Will Shipley, Clemson (Junior). 5-11, 206 lbs. with 30¼” arms and 9⅝” hands. 21, turns 22 in August. Round 3 talent on an all-teams board. A slashing, change-of-pace back with instant speed, return ability, and good pass-receiving chops. |
| 5:01 | WR Lideatrick Griffin, Miss. St. (Senior). 5-10, 181 lbs. with 30⅝” arms and 9⅛” hands. Turned 23 in January. A Philadelphia boy who is loaded down with impressive traits as both a WR and a return man, but he “doesn’t play with nearly enough focus and will cruise through routes rather than finishing them with tempo,” according to Lance Zierlein’s NFL.com scouting profile. Boom or bust in a lot of ways. |
| 5:01 | WR Cornelius Johnson, Michigan (RS Senior). 6-2¼, 213 lbs. with 31⅜” arms and 8½” hands. 23, turns 24 in November. A big, strong, reliable pass catcher who runs good routes and has a knack for getting open. Very good catch radius. The big issue is speed, which he may have answered with elite numbers at the Combine that add up to a very impressive 9.91 RAS that through his size, physicality, and sneaky agility make him pretty solid from the YAC perspective. The TDN scouting profile calls him “a WR4 with upside” who had an excellent 2021 but was held back in both 2022 and 2023 by the “old-school, run-first offense under head coach Jim Harbaugh [which] limited Johnson’s production and development.” The NFL.com scouting profile by Lance Zierlein adds that he “LOVES to mix it up with defensive backs as chippy run blocker.” His big critique is “ragged route running that fails to hit the mark with footwork or timing.” |
| 5:01 | WR Jamari Thrash, Louisville (RS Junior). 5-11¾, 188 lbs. with 31” arms and 8¾” hands. 23, turns 24 in December. A craftsman who understands the art of being a receiver but does so without the quick acceleration, long speed, or physicality that may be required for the next level. That said, he has a knack for getting on top of the coverage and keeping the DB stacked behind him. The NFL.com scouting profile by Lance Zierlein ends in a Day 3 grade, saying “Thrash makes up with speed what he gives away with… a lack of hand strength and frame size [that] create too many drops and losses on contested catches.” |
| 5:01 | WR Isaiah Williams, Illinois (RS Junior). 5-9¼, 182 lbs. with 30⅛” arms and 9⅛” hands. Turned 23 in January. Two-year team captain. Williams is extraordinarily quick, with elite agility and explosion numbers, but his long speed is highly suspect (timed at 4.63 during the Combine), and he has a slight frame that prevents blocking, loses contested catches, and limits YAC even though he’s a professional tough guy. Projects as a move-the-chains short and intermediate route runner if he can sharpen up his route running – which he should be able to do. Good punt return ability. |
| 5:16 | NT Tyler Davis, Clemson (RS Senior). 6-2, 301 lbs. with short 31⅜” arms and 9¼” hands. There’s some bad weight, but he’s quick off the snap nevertheless. |
| 5:16 | NT Myles Murphy, N. Carolina (Senior). 6-4⅛, 309 lbs. with 33⅞” arms and 9¾” hands. Looked really good at the Shrine Bowl, relying on surprising quickness off the ball. He doesn’t meet the Steelers’ strict length standards, but those might loosen up a bit in Round 3 for someone who profiles sort of like a lesser Larry Ogunjobi. Alex Kozora’s gif-supported Depot scouting report ends in a Round 5 grade for what amounts to a 1-tech NT with potential upside and a basically average RAS of 6.19. |
| 5:16 | Buck ILB Steele Chambers, Ohio St. (RS Senior). 6-0¾, 226 lbs. with 30½” arms and 9¼” hands. The obvious winner of this year’s Best Prospect Name Award, Steel Chambers is a slightly undersized, average-for-the-NFL athlete (4.78 RAS) with tons of ILB experience at a good school, and experience before that as a RB who saw things from the other side of the line. Josh Carney’s gif-supported Depot scouting report (Round 5-6) describes Chambers as an athletic, run-first ILB with significant coverage issues despite good natural assets that ought to help. Obvious special teams value provides a solid floor. |
| 5:16 | ILB Tyrice Knight, UTEP (RS Senior). 6-0½, 233 lbs. with 32½” arms and 9⅜” hands. 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 then prove he can be as effective against NFL-caliber talent as he was in college. Lance Zierlein’s NFL.com scouting profile is much less kind, ending in a fringe-UDFA grade: “While he racks up tackles, he fails to play within defensive structure full-time and will lose run fits… [and] has average speed and below-average man cover talent. His size and production will be looked upon favorably, but he might not play with the instincts needed to handle what he will see from NFL offenses.” Knight measured as a good athlete who compiled a 7.44 RAS held down significantly by size. |
| 5:16 | Buck ILB Jordan Magee, Temple (Senior). 6-1⅜, 228 lbs. with 32” arms and 8¾” hands. A ferocious downhill linebacker who’s constantly on his way by/through the blockers to find someone holding the ball. Excellent blitzer. The issues come down to size, speed, and other measurables. |
| 5:16 | SS/RB Sione Vaki, Utah (RS Soph). 5-11⅜, 211 lbs. with 29½” arms and 9¼” hands. 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 to learn that spot. Guaranteed to be a special teams demon. Tom Mead’s gif-supported Depot scouting report (Round 6 grade of 6.5) could be summed up as, “Great athleticism that could eventually be harnessed more with experience.” With “could” and “eventually” being the key words from a draft perspective. Compiled an 8.55 RAS when measured as a strong safety with elite explosion numbers. That RAS will no doubt go up when he does the agility tests too. |
| 5:16 | Slot CB Daequan Hardy, Penn St. (RS Senior). 5-9⅜, 179 lbs. with 30” arms and 8⅛” hands. 22, turns 23 in June. Daequan Hardy is an extremely smart, young Pittsburgher who chose Penn State over top schools such as the military academies. On the field he profiles as a future slot CB who plays defense like the punt returner he is; aggressive and athletic but severely undersized enough to have that interfere with his game. Lance Zierlein’s NFL.com scouting profile calls him, “[A] finesse nickel cornerback with above-average ball skills.” The gif-supported Depot scouting report by Alex Kozora (Round 5) preferred kinder works like “tenacious and aggressive…[and] a willing tackler [with] a quick trigger downhill.” Hardy compiled a massive 8.62 RAS that overcame 10th-percentile size with strong, 90+ percentile scores across the board in speed and explosion testing; a score that will look even better because agility is one of his strongest assets, and those are tests he didn’t do. Weirdly, his tape doesn’t begin to show that kind of overall athletic genius. Size again? |
| 5:16 | OG Mason McCormick, S. Dak. St. (Senior). 6-4¼, 309 lbs. with 32⅞” arms and 10” hands. 23, turns 24 in May. Round 4 talent on an all-teams board. The gif-supported Depot scouting report by Ryan Roberts (Round 4 grade) describes McCormick as “definitely better as a run blocker than a pass blocker, but a lot of his flaws in pass pro are fixable.” A fine prospect for a team that needs guards – which Pittsburgh does not. |
| 5:16 | C/G Drake Nugent, Michigan by way of Stanford (RS Senior). 6-1½, 298 lbs. with 33” arms and 9” hands. Turned 23 in February. Team captain at Stanford. Father was NFL QB Terry Nugent. An old-fashioned tough guy in the middle with excellent power and merely human athleticism. There are also some fundamentals he needs to clean up involving intertwined issues going to footwork, balance, and waist-bending. Ross McCorkle’s gif-supported Depot scouting report (Round 4) particularly likes Nugent’s ability in the proverbial phone booth where he shows a very good anchor, overall toughness, hand strength, and a good understanding of angles. The worry is whether he would do as well in Arthur Smith’s preferred outside zone system as he would in a gap/power game. Lance Zierlein’s NFL.com scouting profile offers a vastly more cynical view, seeing Nugent as no more than backup or practice squad guy. “Nugent does well at protecting his gaps in pass protection and battles back against bull rushers but doesn’t have the foot quickness to survive on an island if isolated against an athletic rusher.” Put together a solid 6.83 RAS that was held back by lack of size. |
| 5:16 | C/G Jacob Monk, Duke (RS Senior). 6-3, 308 lbs. with 32⅜” arms and 10” hands. Turned 25 in March. Five-year starter and two-year team captain. Why did Graham Barton play tackle at Duke instead of his natural position as a center? Because (A) he’s so ridiculously talented that he could be a star at the more important position, and (B) Duke also had Jacob Monk, a center-only prospect who’s talented enough to compile an elite 9.76 RAS. Monk is an athletic and exceptionally strong prospect with decent movement skills. Monk’s lack of length and relatively poor ability to use the inches he has will be the main drag on his stock. The NFL.com scouting profile by Lance Zierlein makes for an interesting read because he sees Monk in two very different lights. “He’s going to have trouble with bulky two-gappers who can snap a punch into him and quickly separate. However, one-gapping defenders will have their hands full, as he’s more than capable of washing them down or outright pancaking them. Monk can slide and redirect A-gap rushers, but an offensive line coach must get him to protect with inside hands. Monk’s blend of football IQ, nimble feet and power give him a realistic chance to compete for a job.” |
| 5:16 | C/G Andrew Raym, Oklahoma (Senior). 6-4, 314 lbs. with 32½” arms and 10” hands. Turns 23 in May. The successor to Creed Humphrey at Oklahoma, he played in every year of his college career as a backup OG in 2020 and then a starting C in 2021-2023. Very good hands, knee bend, and athletic potential. A very solid run blocker. Moves smoothly getting to his landmarks and out in space, but technical missteps happen often enough to be an issue. A fierce demeanor with good leadership skills, but is he nasty enough? The technique needs work, especially in pass protection but also in his range when climbing. Raym will only benefit from time in an NFL training room and compiled a miserable bottom 25% RAS in the Combine athletic testing. These links go to the NFL Draft Buzz profile (Round 5-6 grade), a December TDN scouting profile (Round 3 or so). Someone relying on Lance Zierlein’s NFL.com scouting profile would see Round 5 as a generous grade. “[Raym offers] good toughness and a willingness to do whatever he needs to in order to come out on top of the rep. Unfortunately, [he] lacks lateral quickness and plays with inconsistent body control.” Tom Mead’s gif-supported Depot scouting report (Round 6) ends in a good-looking comp to B.J. Finney. |
| 5:16 | TE Jaheim Bell , Florida St. (Senior). 6-2, 241 lbs. with 33” arms and 10” hands. 22, turns 23 in June. [Mtg. at Combine] Round 4 talent on an all-teams board. Bell graduated from the Conner Heyward School of Tweeners, but it is a little hard to see him succeeding as much as the founder. Ross McCorkle’s gif-supported Depot scouting report (Round 4) examines the possibility that Bell might be converted to an Arthur Smith fullback, just as people have been speculating for Heyward The Younger. |
| 5:16 | TE Tanner McLachlan, Arizona (RS Senior). 6-5⅛, 244 lbs. with 31⅝” arms and 9⅜” hands. Round 4-5 talent on an all-teams board. Tore an ACL in 2021 but seems to have made a full recovery. Tom Mead’s gif-supported Depot scouting report (Round 4 all-teams grade) describes McLachlan as a well-rounded if older prospect who needs to add both muscle and technique. Has a very good athletic profile to build on (9.39 RAS). |
| 5:16 | RB Rasheen Ali, Marshall (Junior). 5-11¼, 206 lbs. with 31¼” arms and 8⅝” hands. Turned 23 in February. [Ruptured biceps tendon at Senior Bowl] An intriguing target for Pittsburgh because (a) Ali projects as an excellent one-cut, downhill slasher for Arthur Smith’s preferred outside zone attack, (b) the injury he suffered at the Senior Bowl could limit his ability to perform during the early part of his rookie season, and (c) the Steelers are one of the few teams with enough RB depth to let him sit until fully healed. Ryan Roberts’ gif-supported Depot scouting report (Round 3 before accounting for the injury) says, “the biggest question about Ali will be his durability issues.” The bicep injury in 2023 follows a suspected ACL tear in 2022. As far as the assets go, Ali is one of those backs who waaaaaits… and then explodes with a sharp, decisive cut into the hole, has outstanding acceleration through it, and then home run speed from there on out. He’s a bit too small to reliably run inside, and isn’t a particularly good blocker, but does have very good hands and route-running ability to haul in passes. Rasheen Ali would be an ideal change-of-pace back If Pittsburgh is looking to break its standard mold and may well be available for a bargain price in the draft. |
| 5:16 | RB Cody Schrader, Missouri (Senior). 5-8½, 202 lbs. with 28⅛” arms and 9⅛” hands. 24, turns 25 in November. Round 4 talent on an all-teams board. Looked dominant at the Senior Bowl. |
| 5:16 | WR Anthony Gould, Oregon St. (Senior). 5-8⅜, 174 lbs. with 29⅝” arms and 8⅞” hands. Calvin Austin III 2.0, with no size, extra agility, and amazing 4.39 speed and explosiveness. The NFL.com scouting profile by Lance Zierlein compares Gould to Tank Dell because he “has the shiftiness to uncover against tight man coverage from the slot but can [also] be utilized as a matchup problem deep against cornerbacks lacking speed.” |
| 5:16 | WR Tahj Washington, USC (RS Senior). 5-9¾, 174 lbs. with 29⅛” arms and very small 8⅜” hands. A shifty return man and miniature slot receiver, Washington’s calling cards are exceptional toughness and jitterbug COD skills, plus good hands. He’s held back by only acceptable speed and his obvious lack of size. The sort of player who may become a solid return man, will probably work hard enough on his route running to learn how to create separation, get open and is hard to catch, but won’t grow a career as big as his heart. The gif-supported Depot scouting report by Jonas Wedlich (Round 5 grade of 6.8) catches the essence by pointing out how TW is an eager blocker but simply doesn’t have the size to win any contested catches. |
| 5:16 | P Tory Taylor, Iowa (Senior). 6-3⅝, 229 lbs. 26, turns 27 in July. Punted for more yards 2023 than any other CFB player ever and won the Ray Guy Award. An Aussie who grew up playing rugby and Australian rules football. Jonathan Heitritter’s gif-supported Depot scouting report ends in a Round 4 grade. For a punter no less! He has been known to shank a few but has also mastered the art of dropping punts inside the opponent’s 20-yard line. |
| 6:01 | NT Khristian Boyd, N. Iowa (RS Senior). 6-2⅛”, 320 lbs. with 31½” arms and 9½” hands. PFN’s Shrine Bowl Defensive Player of the Week, and fully deserved it, according to Steeler Depot’s contingent on site. Has the strength but not the length. Can collapse a pocket with his bull rush, though he doesn’t have much in the way of a pass rush beyond that. |
| 6:01 | DT Zion Logue, Georgia (RS Senior). 6-5⅝, 314 lbs. with 33½” arms and 10” hands. [Mtg. at Pro Day] He has the right body type, and he was a rotational DT on national championship defenses. Why doesn’t he get more buzz? Someone we need to know more about. He didn’t get to play much at the Shrine Bowl because of a turf toe injury but showed exceptional leadership and team-first ability. |
| 6:01 | EDGE/DT Jamree Kromah, James Madison (RS Senior). 6-3⅛, 271 lbs. with amazing 35¼” arms and 9¼” hands. We need to know more. A lot more. Weight aside, his paper measurements look almost perfect with all that length, a lot of reported strength, and great tackling numbers against lower LOC. But can he add 30 lbs. to become a true defensive tackle? Will he only be a 4-3 EDGE? Or will he be another DeMarvin Leal tweener who fails to make an impact in either role? |
| 6:01 | Mack ILB/SAF Jaylon Carlies, Missouri (Senior). 6-2⅜, 231 lbs. with long 34⅛” arms and 9⅝” hands. 22, turns 23 in September. A run-stuffing box safety in college, Carlies measured in as a full-sized Mack ILB at the Shrine Bowl even though he continued to play as a DB. A position change would do him good, since the scouting reports all say he tackles at just about an ILB level but covers poorly for a safety (which would be pretty well for most ILBs). The NFL Draft Buzz profile is pretty typical: “Has the good, low backpedal and closing speed to be effective in off coverage. He’s excellent against the run, willing to get physical and fight off blocks on the perimeter, and a sure, wrap-up tackler who plays with a linebacker’s mentality.” Carlies has very good hands regardless of position, and measures as an elite athlete with a 9.50 RAS as a safety and 9.34 if run as an ILB. If that sounds too good for this grade, see Lance Zierlein’s NFL.com scouting profile, which says he is far too linear as a mover to survive as a safety, and far too raw if viewed as a true ILB prospect. “He’s very tight in his hips and plays with a debilitating lack of change of direction that causes problems for him in coverage and as an open-field tackler.” |
| 6:01 | Nicklebacker Kalen DeLoach, Florida St. (Senior). 5-11½, 210 lbs. with 31½” arms and 8⅝” hands. DeLoach played LB in college, but he’s built like a strong safety and his style straddles that line to perfection, being too small to hold up too near the line and lacking the long-distance speed for playing deep. Good and quick, which lets him hold up physically in man coverage out of the slot. Often used to spy mobile QBs. |
| 6:01 | Mack ILB/SS Jontrey Hunter, Georgia St. (RS Senior). 6-1⅞, 236 lbs. with 31¾” arms and 9” hands. 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 much better tackling technique. Did a good job acting as a spy to keep LSU’s Jayden Daniels (a Lamar Jackson lookalike) in check. |
| 6:01 | SAF Josh Proctor, Ohio St. (RS Senior). 6-1½, 199 lbs. with 32” arms and 8¾” hands. 24 years old. 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. Good on special teams. Alex Kozora’s gif-supported Depot scouting report (Round 6-7 grade of 6.3) describes Proctor as “a fine prospect [with a] high floor but lacks a top-end ceiling. [He] should, at worst, be solid on special teams and good in the locker room.” |
| 6:01 | CB Willie Drew, Virginia St. by way of James Madison (RS Senior). 5-11⅝, 191 lbs. with 32” arms and 9½” hands. Plenty of speed (4.46 dash with a top 3% ten-yard split) with a physical approach to run support that Steelers fans will admire. Good ball skills too. Worries go largely to the lower LOC and whether his game will hold up against NFL athletes. |
| 6:01 | T/G LaDarius Henderson, Michigan (RS Senior). 6-4⅛, 309 lbs. with very long 35” arms and big 10⅝” hands. 22, turns 23 in September. A college OT who will move inside and should be that much better. Strong, athletic, and explosive. Lance Zierlein’s NFL.com scouting profile ends with a UDFA grade: “[Henderson has] decent athletic traits and above-average physical traits, but his game tape simply doesn’t show enough consistency… Ultimately, an inordinate amount of mental mistakes and a lack of instincts will be hard for offensive line coaches to overlook.” Ouch. |
| 6:01 | C Charles Turner III, LSU (RS Senior). 6-3⅝, 303 lbs. with long 34” arms and 9⅜” hands. A nice, solid, experienced, SEC center with very good mobility but limited oomph. He’d fit better in an outside zone scheme but would need to build strength even there. For the AFC North he’d need to be buried in a weight room for his whole rookie year to add the required sand in the pants. If he does that, however, he has the length, mobility, and above-neck assets to be a good one, and the outside zone approach we expect from Arthur Smith could fit him like the proverbial glove. Lance Zierlein’s NFL.com scouting profile sums him up as follows: “Turner is an undersized center-only prospect who relies on his tenacity to overcome his limitations. The LSU offensive line was a physical unit and Turner fit right in.” |
| 6:01 | QB Gavin Hardison, UTEP (RS Senior). 6-1, 215 lbs. 23, turns 24 in May. Big-armed tough guy who can throw touch passes too. Statisticians will point to a low completion rate (53%), but was it caused by wandering mechanics or by playing behind a sieve that had him under constant pressure? A fine boom-or-bust prospect who deserves a Day 3 pick. |
| 6:01 | QB Michael Pratt, Tulane (RS Junior). 6-2½, 217 lbs. with 9¼” hands. 22, turns 23 in September. Three-year team captain. Four-year starter with consistent improvement as he continued to play. The arm is big enough until he’s pushed into extremely long throws or into an extremely tough wind, at which point the difference really shows. OTOH, haven’t we seen professional training add that extra edge for pure arm strength? The assets are seriously good outside of pure arm strength with an 8.21 RAS based on good to special testing in all areas. Excellent accuracy, good decision making, high football IQ, etc. Pratt is a good enough athlete, but again there’s nothing to make him stand out from the NFL norm. He projects as a quality backup right out of the gate whose high floor promises him every chance at building a long career. He just hasn’t shown the Wow! factor that moves prospects up the board, and he’s another guy who looked meh at the Senior Bowl. The gif-supported Depot scouting report by Steven Pavelka (Round 6-7 grade of 6.5) highlights pocket presence and chemistry with his receivers as particular issues. “He kind of reminds me of a worse Kenny Pickett.” |
| 6:01 | QB Austin Reed, W. Kentucky (RS Senior). 6-1¼, 220 lbs. with 9⅞” hands. Turned 24 in February. Reportedly turned down significant money offers from Power 5 programs. This long Steelers Depot interview after his remarkable week at the Senior Bowl points to his absolutely remarkable statistical production and special ability to defeat pressure. It’s Round 1 stuff for someone who does it in the SEC. What does it mean against Conference USA competition? Or even Shrine Bowl competition? Note that his school runs a pure Air Raid offense, which produces nutty results. Reed’s predecessor, Bailey Zappe (now of the Patriots), set the all-time FBS passing record while there. According to this PFN scouting profile, Reed has plenty of arm, if not special, a good, quick release, and remarkable timing/anticipation for leading receivers. |
| 6:01 | QB Taulia Tagovailoa , Maryland (RS Senior). 5-11, 208 lbs. with 9⅝” hands. Turned 24 in February. Tua’s baby brother wanted to play one more year in college, but the NCAA denied his petition and thus he’s entering the NFL draft. The scouting profile reads a lot like a right-handed Tua’s: smart, great arm, accurate, athletic, and just plain small for the position. It doesn’t help that Tua played for a championship-caliber team against the best opposition college football can muster while Taulia has labored away in Maryland where he never managed to get that one gigantic win to raise his stock a little higher. And don’t forget the size as a real concern. TBH, Taulia is a bit stockier than his brother, but he is also two inches shorter. You could still fit him inside a Roethlisberger exoskeleton with room to spare in every dimension. |
| 6:01 | TE Erick All, Iowa (Senior). 6-4⅜, 252 lbs. with 33” arms and 10⅛” hands. 23, turns 24 in September. [ACL tear in October] Round 4-6 talent on an all-teams board. An all-around TE with decent athleticism, Erick All would make a nice, developmental TE3 if the team had any need at all. |
| 6:01 | TE Theo Johnson, Penn St. (Junior). 6-6⅛, 259 lbs. with 33” arms and 10¼” hands. Turned 23 in February. Round 4-6 talent on an all-teams board. He certainly looks the part and will measure as a fine athlete on any scale (the #2 all time RAS score at 9.99!), but he’s never “gotten it” and hasn’t shown the dynamism, hands, and grit expected from the position. Steven Pavelka’s gif-supported Depot scouting report ends with a Round 4 grade for a prospect who “does most things at a solid enough level but nothing really at an above-average one.” |
| 6:01 | RB Ray Davis, Kentucky (Senior). 5-8⅜, 211 lbs. with 30¼” arms and 8⅞” hands. 24, turns 25 in November. Round 4 talent on an all-teams board. A tough, downhill, workhorse back. Average vision, but he seems to get in the zone every once in a while, at which point the production can suddenly leap. Good receiver but needs to work on his blocking for blitz pickups. |
| 6:01 | RB Dylan Laube, New Hampshire (Senior). 5-9⅞, 206 lbs. with 29⅜” arms and 9¼” hands. Round 4 talent on an all-teams board. Dominated his lower LOC in the FCS but will probably run into the NFL wall. An able return man and, according to Steven Pavelka’s gif-supported Depot scouting report (Round 4), an “elite” receiver out of the backfield. |
| 6:01 | WR Jalen Coker, Holy Cross (Senior). 6-1⅜, 208 lbs. with 32⅞” arms and 9⅞” hands. [Mtg. at Shrine Bowl] A solid route runner for someone his size with the good hands required to be a big slot receiver. Set all kinds of records at his tiny school. According to Lance Zierlein’s NFL.com scouting profile, “the evaluation for Coker boils down to balancing his pro-caliber size and ball skills against his level of competition and potential lack of NFL quickness and speed.” He showed great explosion but only moderate speed at the Combine, good for an 8.44 RAS. |
| 6:01 | WR Johnny Wilson, Florida St. by way of Arizona St. (RS Junior). 6-6⅛, 231 lbs. with amazing 35⅜” arms and 10” hands. Turns 23 in April. A living, breathing mismatch with inconsistent tape. Looked like a world beater in 2022 but regressed in 2023 for reasons that aren’t easy to see. Drops have been a continuing and serious issue, especially for a body catcher. Downgraded for Pittsburgh because big, tall receiving weapons abound here already, and for a very lackluster Senior Bowl showing. Wilson did compile an impressive 9.68 RAS with elite scores for both explosion and agility in addition to size, so there’s definitely something there to work on. The gif-supported Depot scouting report by Steven Pavelka (Round 5 grade of 6.6) bases Wilson’s stock almost completely on “his unicorn-like size and speed combo” and the potential that creates. “His route running, YAC ability and agility all have shown to be well below average compared to his peers.” |
| 6:02 | STEELERS ROUND 6.a PICK (# 178 OVERALL) |
| 6:16 | DT Nate Pickering, Miss. St. (RS Senior). 6-2¾, 300 lbs. with 33⅛” arms and big 10⅛” hands. Uses his length well with enough strength to back it up. Good, violent hand fighting. Moves well but has never managed to be much of a pass rusher. Can get stuck on blocks. Very good motor. Another Larry Ogunjobi wannabe who doesn’t fit the Steelers’ preferred Cam Heyward build. |
| 6:16 | ILB Jackson Mitchell, U. Conn. (RS Senior). 6-1¼, 230 lbs. with 30½” arms and 9⅜” hands. Turned 23 in January. An undersized ILB who sees himself as a thumper with the athleticism to roam sideline to sideline and to handle coverage duties. But the scouting reports suggest that he’s too small to do the thumping at an NFL level. He can’t really take on climbing linemen, there’s no room on his body to add good weight, and he’s supremely athletic only when compared to regular humans but won’t have an edge in the league. A classic tweener between ILB and SS who may be one of those that’s neither fish nor fowl. |
| 6:16 | ILB Darius Muasau, UCLA (Senior). 5-11⅞, 225 lbs. with 31½” arms and 9½” hands. Turned 23 in February. If he gets a nickname, it will be “Mr. Motor” because Muasau simply never stops. That alone makes him draftable. The athleticism is quite good overall with a 6.20 RAS dragged down hard by very poor grades for height and weight. Very good burst, but merely good sideline-to-sideline speed. Smart enough to handle zone duties but not gifted enough to continue in space. Everything else, except some tackling misses due to being too eager, is an asset. Could be a special teams demon. Acted as UCLA’s manager in the middle. |
| 6:16 | SAF Beau Brade, Maryland (Senior). 5-11¾, 208 lbs. with 31⅛” arms and big 10⅜” hands. Team captain who reportedly made a significant difference for the team culture. 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 Round 5 all-teams 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 ball carrier or falling off his tackle… Unless the runner is in a straight line, Brade has trouble making solid contact.” Ouch. |
| 6:16 | CB Carlton Johnson, Fresno St. (RS Junior). 5-10⅝, 173 lbs. with 30⅜” arms and 8” hands. Age t/b/d. Known for his straight-line speed, instincts in zone coverage, and excellent hands. Makes interceptions and gets returns from zone and off coverage. Not someone you want for man coverage, though he understands the principles and gives it the old college try. The lack of oomph shows up in his tackling issues, especially when tasked with run support. |
| 6:16 | OT Ethan Driskell, Marshall (RS Senior). 6-8⅜” 313 lbs. with vinelike 35⅜” arms and big 10¾” hands. Extremely tall, extremely long, and possessing decent strength and fairly light feet, Driskell plays like what he is: a converted basketball player. He’ll never have the leverage to be a major people mover, but he gets off the ball well and he’s plenty nasty when it comes to positional blocking and blocking on the move. The issues have to do with gaps in his fundamental technique, like playing too high, waist-bending, and the concomitant lack of overall balance. Take his punch as an example. It’s powerful when things line up, ineffective when they don’t, and unsophisticated from an NFL POV. It’s an early Al Villanueva situation. If the coaches can help him fix those fundamentals, everything else could suddenly click into a very solid player. The gif-supported Depot scouting report by Ryan Roberts (Round 7) notes that Driskell was a walk on and has shown “tremendous growth… [as] a full-time starter at left tackle over the last two years.” He ends with a late Day 3 grade, but also sees Driskell as a potential star for a team that has the patience to build him into all his assets might allow him to be. Lance Zierlein’s NFL.com scouting profile has a fringe-draftable grade because “Driskell’s height is likely to create imbalance and a lack of foot quickness that cannot be coached up.” |
| 6:16 | OT Jeremy Flax, Kentucky (Senior). 6-5½, 343 lbs. with 33⅛” arms and 9” hands. A four-year starter, Flax has a ton of natural talent, including length, strength, quick but sometimes lazy feet, agility on the move that disappears, and flashes of range for pulling and climbing. His stock drops because he habitually plays with a high pad level that diminishes everything else, including his anchor, and he doesn’t tend to finish in the run game. In other sports I would immediately run toward endurance as a likely explanation. Fighters get straight-legged when they get tired, pitchers stop dropping and driving when they get tired, etc. That explanation makes extra sense because Flax’s 343 lbs. include at least 30 that don’t belong. The good news is this: extra flab and shallow gas tanks are easy things to fix if he can dedicate himself to the weight room and to build a new set of habits. If he can’t, and you’d think he would have in college if he could, those flaws will doom his career. NFL tackles who can’t stop opponents from getting beneath them are NFL tackles who don’t last long in the league. Lance Zierlein’s NFL.com scouting profile ends with a fringe-draftable grade. |
| 6:16 | OT Zion Nelson, Miami (RS Junior). 6-5, 311 lbs. with 32⅞” arms and big 10⅞” hands. Turned 23 in January. [Ongoing knee injury] A hot prospect a few years back who got “potential 1st rounder?” buzz in his sophomore and junior years, Nelson was on the college version of IR for most of 2022 and 2023. It began in the first game of the 2022 season with a “fracture in his knee,” and continued all through 2023. If healthy he could be a Round 3 bargain. But a two-year injury? His stock will depend entirely on the medical reports. The fact that he was a Combine snub is a bad sign. |
| 6:16 | RB Jase McClellan, Alabama (Senior). 5-10⅜, 221 lbs. with 31⅛” arms and 10¼” hands. 21, turns 22 in June. Round 4 talent on an all-teams board. Wins with good size, good vision, decent burst through the hole, and general football know how. A good blocker for blitz pickup. He catches okay but lacks the athleticism to turn those catches into bigger plays. |
| 6:16 | WR David White, W. Car. (Senior). 6-2⅛, 195 lbs. with 31½” arms and 9⅜” hands. Dominated his lesser competition throughout most of 2023 with size, athleticism, route running, and hands. Looked great during Shrine Bowl practices but left early. |
| 6:19 | STEELERS ROUND 6.b PICK (# 195 OVERALL) |
| 7:01 | DT Logan Lee, Iowa (RS Senior). 6-5⅜, 281 lbs. with 32¼” arms and 10¼” hands. He’s got no physical superpower to fall back on but does have a renowned competitive fire that leads to overachieving. Not much pass rush, but good against the run, though he will need to add a solid 20 lbs. of good muscle to have any role in Pittsburgh. Tom Mead’s gif-supported Depot scouting report (Round 6 grade of 6.2) sees decent odds that Lee’s character will help him to build an NFL career, but it would have to be in the perfect situation. “Without the addition of weight, I would see him more as a strong side defensive end in an even front. He hasn’t shown the ability to consistently handle double-team blocks, so a 1-gap scheme may fit him best.” |
| 7:01 | NT Fabien Lovett Sr., Florida St. (RS Senior). 6-3⅞, 314 lbs. with amazing 35½” arms and big 10⅜” hands. 24, turns 25 in December. Team captain, leader, and a grown man with a 3-year-old son. Lovett fits the Steelers model physique, which earns extra attention right out of the gate. After that, things stall. Alex Kozora’s gif-supported Depot scouting report shows that Lovett has an exceptional anchor against double teams with enough strength to lose ground only grudgingly while staying in his gap. But it also shows that he lacks the explosion and athleticism to play the Heyward/Ogunjobi roles and would thus be a run-down specialist. A/k/a “nose tackle” in the Pittsburgh system. That was confirmed by his performance at the Combine where his movements looked jerky and uncoordinated compared to his peers. Had a so-so Shrine Bowl at best. |
| 7:01 | NT Justin Rogers, Auburn (Junior). 6-2½, 330 lbs. with 33” arms and 10⅛” hands. A nice, late-round NT with a knack for holding up against double teams. Doesn’t have the length that Pittsburgh prefers. |
| 7:01 | EDGE/DT Eric Watts, UConn (Senior). 6-5⅝, 274 lbs. with crazy long 35¾” arms and 9¾” hands. Look at that length! Add 15-20 lbs. of good muscle and this would the physical model that Pittsburgh loves. Watts has tremendous burst off the line that has made him a successful pass rusher on the inside – against limited competition. A high-ceiling, Day 3 bet. The big question is whether he has enough sand in the pants to hold up as a true DT in nickel packages. Is he a defensive tackle or an exceptionally long 4-3 EDGE? Lance Zierlein’s NFL.com scouting profile (Round 7-ish grade) suggests the latter. Compiled a very impressive RAS of 9.95 at the Combine. |
| 7:01 | Buck ILB Edefuan Ulofoshio, Washington (RS Senior). 6-0½, 236 lbs. with 32⅞” arms and 9¼” hands. Turned 24 in January. Lost 2021 and 2022 to injuries. Ulofoshio is a downhill tough guy looking to thump, who also projects as a special teams star due to eagerness alone. Lacks the physical assets to hold up in coverage and needs to learn the game better before he could do so in zone. Nice straight-line speed, but not special. |
| 7:01 | Buck ILB Nathaniel “Bookie” Watson, Miss. St. (RS Senior). 6-2¼, 233 lbs. with 32⅞” arms and 9⅞” hands. 23, turns 24 in August. A nice, solid run-support ILB who needs to add some oomph into his downhill game to fill the hole against oncoming, freight-train fullbacks and their kin. Has enough range to succeed as a Buck ILB, but probably not as a true sideline-to-sideline Mack. The bigger problems come in coverage. He’s a smart player with decent enough athleticism to play his zone, but he lacks the quickness to hold up against RBs and other outlet weapons. Watson has been adjacent to some criminal issues related to hazardous driving in various ways, but everything has turned out to be teacup tempests. |
| 7:01 | CB Sheridan Jones, Clemson (RS Senior). 6-0, 190 lbs. 23, turns 24 in October. The size and speed are all you could ask for, but the COD is what you avoid. Jones might have thrived in a system like Seattle’s Cover 3 under Pete Carroll, but he would have terrible trouble if asked to do all the things required by the Steelers’ multiple-look secondary. |
| 7:01 | T/G Nathan Thomas, Louisiana (Senior). 6-5, 332 lbs. with 33¾” arms and 10¾” hands. 22, turns 23 in August. The gif-supported Depot scouting report by Ryan Roberts (Round 7 grade of 6.3) describes Thomas as a classic draft-and-stash prospect with “the developmental upside to be a key reserve or low-end starter.” Size, strength, length, and athleticism all get checked. The technical skill is not, however, and basically needs to be rebuilt from the ground up. He will fit at guard if the nuances of tackle play prove to be too much. |
| 7:01 | C/G Dylan McMahon, NC State (Senior). 6-3⅜, 300 lbs. with 31¾” arms and 9⅜” hands. Impressed everyone with a 9.86 RAS based on speed, explosion, and mobility testing! It would have been even higher if he weighed 310 instead of 300. The NFL.com scouting profile by Lance Zierlein (fringe draftable grade) sees McMahon as a pure outside zone prospect who “plays with good technique and awareness on most reps.” The limitations come down to length and strength. |
| 7:01 | QB Jason Bean, Kansas (RS Senior). 6-1, 215 lbs. with 9⅛” hands. 24, turns 25 in June. Has a big, accurate arm even on the move. Agile enough to extend plays, and a good enough overall athlete to punish a defense that fails to remember he can also run. Erratic mechanics have led to some erratic accuracy, though it may be of the fixable sort. He also needs at least a few years to learn the NFL game. This November scouting profile end with an intriguing comparison to Ravens backup Tyler Huntley. |
| 7:01 | QB Carter Bradley, S. Alabama by way of Toledo (RS Senior). 6-0⅜, 218 lbs. with 9⅜” hands. His father is Gus Bradley, the Colts’ defensive coordinator, so football IQ should not be an issue. Can make all the throws, but the decision making and accuracy have to be questioned in light of the #1 issue: interceptions. Okay, you could add LOC I suppose. And an extremely forgettable Senior Bowl. |
| 7:01 | QB Sam Hartman, Notre Dame (RS Senior). 6-1⅛, 211 lbs. with 9¾” hands. 24, turns 25 in July. Back in 1979 another Notre Dame QB (from Western Pennsylvania!) got picked in Round 3 and then earned a whole lot of money for very smart, extremely accurate pocket passers with touch, timing, and rhythm. Joe Montana was a somewhat better athlete than Sam Hartman, but he is the archetype that squinting Hartman’s supporters will cite. “I don’t throw darts at balloons, I throw balloons at darts.” They will also point out that his accuracy and touch existed in college and could really improve if he fixed his body mechanics. Detractors will point to his age, and the sheer number of issues that still plague his tape. Bottom line: Hartman profiles as a stereotypical West Coast quarterback with serious but probably fixable flaws in his throwing mechanics. NOTE: Hartman’s stock plunged after a remarkably horrible Senior bowl, both in the game and in the week of practice, which led a number of Steeler Depot’s Notre Dame fans to chime in with variations on, “I told you so.” |
| 7:01 | QB Devin Leary, Kentucky by way of N.C. State (RS Senior). 6-1¼, 215 lbs. with 9½” hands. 24, turns 25 in September. [Broken shin in 2020, torn pec in 2022] I may as well be the one to say it: the gif-supported Depot scouting report by Jacob Herbst reminds me an awful lot of what we said about Duck Hodges when he was a prospect. Smart, accurate, and decisive with a quick release, good touch, good pocket presence, solid mechanics, etc. with two real problems. First, he has moderate size and an injury history that suggests future problems at the next level. And he has poor arm strength if measured on an NFL scale, which shows up on deeper throws where the ball tends to float on him. The short and intermediate throws are dead on. |
| 7:01 | QB Kedon Slovis, UCLA by way of Pitt and USC (RS Senior). 6-2⅛, 214 lbs. with 9⅞” hands. Turns 23 in April. Had a remarkable freshman year at USC, suffered a shoulder injury, transferred to Pitt and then sort of stalled. Has dealt with elbow issues too. Slovis has a good enough arm but only just, despite good mechanics, touch, pocket presence, and accuracy that showed out well in the Combine drills. His biggest issue appears to be processing speed. |
| 7:01 | TE AJ Barner, Michigan (Senior). 6-6, 251 lbs. with 33⅜” arms and 9” hands. Turns 22 in May. Round 5-7 talent on an all-teams board. Barner is the developmental project to bet on if you really need to, because he’s known for ferocious work ethic and has only begun to tap his potential. That said, he’s at least a few years away from being a real contributor. |
| 7:01 | TE Jared Wiley, TCU (Senior). 6-6⅛, 249 lbs. with 33¼” arms and 9½” hands. 23, turns 24 in November. Team captain. Wiley is a fast, explosive receiving weapon at the TE position who needs to learn the blocking part of the game. Compiled a very impressive 9.71 RAS. |
| 7:01 | RB Frank Gore Jr., Southern Miss. (Senior). 5-7⅝, 201 lbs. with 29⅝” arms and 8¼” hands. Turned 22 in March. Yes, he’s the son of that Frank Gore, the ageless one who just kept piling up yards despite relatively average measurements. The son has a similar profile, though it’s totally unfair to compare the two. He’s a tough, inside runner with good vision and contact balance, who loves to play football and shows it. Would grade much higher if he had more speed to create explosive plays. |
| 7:01 | RB Dillon Johnson, Washington (Senior). 5-11⅝, 217 lbs. with 30” arms and 9⅜” hands. [Visit] To quote the gif-supported Depot scouting report by Alex Kozora, “Overall, Johnson brings power and hands with some quickness to make defenders miss and create in short spaces. He’s also reportedly high character, a great teammate, and tough as nails. But a lack of long speed is limiting, and his game looks maxed out.” |
| 7:01 | RB Tyrone Tracy, Purdue (Senior). 5-11⅛, 209 lbs. with 31¾” arms and 9⅛” hands. 24, turns 25 in November. The one-year starter just converted from playing WR, but an immensely fun guy to watch. Tracy is the now you see him, now you don’t RB/KR we normally love to think about as a potential Day 3 change-of-pace guy. Not this year, of course. Tom Mead’s gif-supported Depot scouting report ends with a Round 7 grade. |
| 7:01 | WR Josh Cephus, UTSA (RS Senior). 6-2¼, 189 lbs. with short 31” arms and small 9” hands. Turned 23 on March 5. Josh Cephus has excellent hands to go along with the length, though he is prone to focus drops. Runs hard after the catch. Had a limited route tree in college but ran what he knew cleanly and precisely. An excellent blocker, which new OC Arthur Smith will particularly appreciate, and which suggests potential aptitude as a special teams player. Showed some great route-running skills at the Shrine Bowl. The problems that led Alex Kozora’s gif-supported Depot scouting report to end in a UDFA grade? Off-field problems related to rolling his car in a DUI case, “good-not-great athleticism, and lack of technical nuance.” |
| 7:01 | WR Jordan Whittington, Texas (Senior). 6-0⅝, 205 lbs. with 30⅜” arms and 10” hands. Turned 24 in February. Built like a RB but more of a sturdy, move-the-chains guy than a YAC weapon, which could be tough because he lacks the speed and suddenness to consistently get open against NFL athletes. Lance Zierlein’s NFL.com scouting profile sums it up well: “A big slot target with excellent toughness, Whittington lacks the explosiveness typically associated with competing in the league. His value comes with his consistency and willingness to do any dirty work necessary.” |
| 7:01 | P Ryan Rehkow (“Ree-Koh”), BYU (RS Junior). 6-4½, 204 lbs. 24, older because he did his Mormon mission thing from 2017-2019 (in London FWIW). Had a good year, with a huge 47.4 yards per punt, but tends to hit them with lower hang times that allow for more returns. |
| 7:16 | Buck ILB Tatum Bethune, Florida St. (Senior). 5-11⅜, 233 lbs. with 32⅛” arms and 8½” hands. In the box, downhill thumper with average athleticism except for some good phone booth quickness. Not a guy you want in coverage. |
| 7:16 | ILB Omar Speights, LSU (Junior). 6-1, 233 lbs. 22, 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? |
| 7:16 | WR Jalon Calhoun, Duke (RS Senior). 5-11, 177 lbs. 23, turns 24 in December. An extremely quick and explosion COD expert as both WR and return man. |
| 7:16 | WR Corey Crooms, Minnesota by way of W. Mich. (RS Senior). 5-11, 185 lbs. A slot receiver with good quickness and route-running skills. |
| 7:90 | DT Byron Murphy II, Texas. (Junior). 6-0½, 297 lbs. with 32⅜” arms and big 10¼” hands. 21, turns 22 in September. [Mtg. at Combine] Round 1 talent on an all-teams board. Severely discounted here unless the current defensive scheme is abandoned. Super explosive and super quick, but limited to particular schemes by his lack of length and size. Pittsburgh does not play that scheme, so he would at best be a two-down specialist despite having a red-hot motor that runs for days. A Round 1 option for any 4-3 team looking for a potentially special 3-tech (#22 on Daniel Jeremiah’s initial Top 50), but not worth overhauling the Steelers’ entire d-line philosophy – especially when he still has a lot of hard, technical work to do before he can achieve his potential. Jim Hester’s gif-supported Depot scouting report (Round 1 all-teams grade) sees Murphy as a great B-gap penetrator but a poor fit for Pittsburgh’s style of defense. |
| 7:90 | DT Jer’Zhan “Johnny” Newton, Illinois. (Junior). 6-2, 304 lbs. with 32⅜” arms and 9½” hands. 21, turns 22 in August. Round 1 talent on an all-teams board. Severely discounted here unless the current defensive scheme is abandoned. Another Round 1 (#25 on Daniel Jeremiah’s initial Top 50) 3-tech who couldn’t be more than a two-down specialist in the Pittsburgh scheme. He can hold the line and also penetrate but has a tendency to play high (a teachable flaw). |
| 7:92 | DT Michael Hall Jr., Ohio St. (RS Soph). 6-2¾, 290 lbs. with 33½” arms and 10” hands. 20, turns 21 in June. Round 1-2 talent on an all-teams Board. Severely discounted here unless the current defensive scheme is abandoned. A 4-3 DT who is short, strong, extremely athletic, and knows how to use his natural leverage. Good range, burst and excellent motor, but lacks the length and mass to fight off double teams if he doesn’t win off the snap. The gif-supported Depot scouting report by Ross McCorkle ends in a Round 3 all-teams grade. |
| 7:93 | DT/EDGE Braden Fiske, Florida St. (RS Senior). 6-3⅝, 292 lbs. with stubby 31” arms and 9⅜” hands. Turned 24 in January. Round 2 talent on an all-teams board. The Steelers have a type, and he doesn’t fit it, which is a real shame because the assets aside from that are everything you want. Everyone agrees he is very explosive, has impressive power, plays a violent sort of game, deals well with double teams, and has a red hot motor that lasts for days. A penetrator who will never stop. The limitations come down to lack of length (the killer from a Pittsburgh POV), limited quickness after that initial burst, and being a somewhat stiff player who won’t bend any corners or excel at stunting. Ross McCorkle’s gif-supported Depot scouting report ends in a Round 2 all-teams grade. |
| 7:95 | DT DeWayne Carter, Duke (RS Senior). 6-2⅜, 302 lbs. with 33” arms and 10¼” hands. 23, turns 24 in December. Round 3-4 talent on an all-teams board. Short, squatty, and tough to move, but sort of a straight-line athlete. Fantastic motor. Men this size shouldn’t be chasing RBs 30 yards down the field, but he’s done just that. And caught them. A promising 4-3 run defender from the 3-tech position, but hard to shoehorn into the Pittsburgh defense. Tom Mead’s gif-supported Depot scouting report ends with a Round 4 grade for an all-teams board, saying “While the Steelers are likely looking for a Cam Heyward-type player, Carter is more along the lines of Larry Ogunjobi. Still valuable but not what they are looking for in this draft.” |
| 7:95 | DT Mekhi Wingo, LSU (Junior). 6-0¼” 284 lbs. with 32” arms and 9¼” hands. Turns 21 in April. Round 4-5 talent on an all-teams board. Severely discounted unless the current defensive scheme is abandoned. Note that age because DTs tend to be 2-3 years older, and pair it with being a team captain and the proud wearer of the #18 jersey as the player who best exemplified what it meant to be an LSU Tiger. A high motor 3-tech for a 4-3 team. Wins on energy, penetration, all but special quickness, and a wrestler’s understanding of balance and leverage. Downgraded because he doesn’t fit the Pittsburgh profile for D-linemen, and his limitations as a run defender. |
| 7:96 | DT Marcus Harris, Auburn (Senior). 6-2⅜, 286 lbs. with 32” arms and 9⅝” hands. Round 4 talent on an all-teams board. A tough, undersized, very strong 3-tech with a chance to succeed in a 4-3 base. |
| 7:97 | DT Jowon Briggs, Cincinnati (RS Senior). 6-1¼” 313 lbs. with 32¼” arms and 9¾” hands. Round 4-5 talent on an all-teams board. Strong, physical, and nasty, but has the totally wrong body type. |
| 7:98 | DT Jordan Miller, SMU (RS Senior). 6-2⅛, 304 lbs. with 33⅜” arms and 9⅞” hands. Practice squad material with a real chance to someday earn NFL snaps. Supposed to have a nice, balanced three-down game with a hot and cold motor. |
