Welcome back to your Pittsburgh Steelers mailbag. As always, we’re here for the next hour to answer whatever is on your mind.
To your questions!
BananasFoster:
AK- so no presence at LSU Pro Day and no MT or OK at pro days for JPJ and Barton. Is this the year they break the streak?
Or is Mims at Georgia the guy? And then a WR in R2? Who is our C?
Alex: Perhaps. We could’ve said that a lot of years before this one. Let’s also see what the pre-draft visitor list looks like. I have a hard time believing they’ll take a guy in the first who they didn’t attend the Pro Day of or at the least, come in for a visit. But the schools they’ve attended have first round candidates, Mims leading the charge. JC Latham is a name to note, too.
Wide receiver should come on Day Two. Round Two, maybe, but if you wait until round three for a center, you might not like the options. And the team hinted center was going to come first.
Brian Tollini: Give me one player the Steelers have NOT shown enough interest in yet for this draft class.
Alex: Hmm…good question. I was surprised Zach Azzanni wasn’t there for the LSU Pro Day yesterday especially for Brian Thomas Jr. I wish the would’ve sent someone to Holy Cross for Dylan Laube, coming over from New Hampshire. Small school guy and the Patterson signing makes a third RB kinda moot but he’s got good hands and can return.
But I would say broadly, and I plan on writing about this, is the lack of DBs Coach Grady Brown. For a team who still needs secondary help, we haven’t spotted him once. Which is very surprising. Last year, we saw him at four schools and he served as a DC in the Senior Bowl.
Cory Jackson:
In the upcoming draft, I’d just like your opinion on a couple options.
Khyree Jackson or Cam Hart as our eventual CB2 and why?
JPJ or Barton for OC and why?
Appreciate all the work that you do!!!
Alex: Hey Cory! I didn’t do the reports on any of those four so I don’t know if I have perfect answers for you. I’m kinda leaning Barton though. More athletic for this zone scheme and that’ll be attractive for Arthur Smith’s system. On Jackson and Hart, pretty similar body types. I think I’d lean Jackson.
Jake Marion: Can you forsee any draft scenario where the Steelers pick someone other than a Center at Pick #20?
If so, who do they target?
Alex: Certainly. Offensive tackle and corner fit the “blue’s clues” and tackle might be more likely than center right now. If it’s tackle and we’re connecting the most obvious dots, it’s Alabama’s JC Latham and Georgia’s Amarius Mims. But you could try to argue Oregon State’s Taliese Fuaga or Washington’s Troy Fautanu if you think the Tomlin/Khan Pro Day streak ends this year.
James Smith:
Alex you’re the GM. It’s Pick 20.
Mims
Brian Johnson
Powers Johnson
Who’s your selection?
Alex: Assume you mean Brian Thomas. That’s tough. Mims or Thomas…I’ll lean Mims. Despite my concerns over his lack of experience, I want Jones to move over and Mims’ upside is immense. Really like Thomas but the depth at WR can allow me to get a guy on Day Two. So I’ll go Mims.
SoCal now Central PA Steeler: Hey Alex, Bananas already pretty much hit on what I’m wondering about but here’s a couple
of minor questions for you.
What round do you think Roger Rosengarten projects in and would you agree he could be the Steelers starting RT?
Do you have any late round sleepers yet? I haven’t delved into it much yet but I was thinking Rosemy- Jacksaint WR, Ryan Watts CB-S and Joey’s cousin Shon Stephens CB.
Alex: Sounds like late first round on Rosengarten but that line can get messy of late Round One to early Round Two. Rosengarten might not be as physical enough of a run blocker.
Late round sleepers, those are good suggestions. I came away a bigger fan of Florida State QB Jordan Travis more than most. Center Matt Lee from Miami (FL) is one of my top sleepers and a really good prospect. And I want to dig more into Illinois WR Casey Washington. So there’s a couple of names.
Petherson Silveria: Do you really think that Amarius. Mims and JPJ will be First rounders?
Mims has so little experience and is often injuried.
JPJ is a center and we all know that interior lineman are often drafted much more later than their talents value.
IMHO in think at least one of those two guys, will be a second rounder.
Alex: Hey man! Hope you’re doing well. I say yes on Mims. The lack of experience is an issue but the talent is over the top. Tackle is deep but it’s valuable and if you hit on him, you’re good for a decade. JPJ, I could see him slip a bit. And if Barton ends up going ahead as someone’s top center, yeah, it wouldn’t shock me to see him slide a bit for the reasons you mentioned.
Banastre Tarleton:
Hi Alex,
Let’s say they strike out at center and none of the “Big Three Plus SVPG” make it to us in round two. Are there any guards in later rounds that fit the center profile? Wouldn’t be plug and play, but someone fitting long term.
Now my conspiracy theory side. Any chance they are in touch with Connor Williams and keeping tabs? Perhaps they are comfortable with Herbig because they plan on starting him only 4-6 weeks until Williams gets healthy?
Alex: That’s a good question. I’m sure there are some. If you’re a later round guard, you’re trying to increase versatility and playing center can sure help. Holy Cross’ CJ Hanson is one of those names as we confirmed at the Shrine Bowl. I’m sure there are others. Maybe something I’ll write about later on.
Peter-Petersen: Hey Alex, you guys have put out many very interesting scouting profiles. So I wanted to ask wether you have any particular grade there that you’d disagree/changed your mind about? Barton is .5 ahead of JPJ, which is against the consensus. Dez Walker has a 8.5(?) grade which might have changed during senior bowl?
Alex: I’d have to look at our spreadsheet with all the grades. Each person is different even if we all follow the same scale and criteria. And the ones I haven’t written reports on, some I haven’t evaluated enough to confidently put a grade on. So I don’t know if there’s one name that sticks out to me good or bad in that grade-change way.
