2024 NFL Draft

Pavelle: How Should We Treat Excessive Discounts On A Steelers-Specific Big Board?

By Scott Pavelle

Posted on March 9, 2024 at 6:00 am

Every year this group faces the same issue with creating our Steelers-specific Big Board: excellent prospects get downgraded to the point of absurdity, which leads to angst and argument about why Prospect X will never, ever fall that far.

These protests miss the basic point, of course. A top-10 talent for one team can easily be someone the Steelers wouldn’t want to pick before Round 3, to pick one example. But it does sort of offend the eye, and therefore leads to a question that’s yet to be answered well. Should we remove the player completely to avoid that cognitive dissonance? Or should we keep the player on the board because there has to be some theoretical point when the bargain becomes irresistible.

I had a new idea for this year’s board and wanted to run it by the hive mind. What about a list of names for each round that says, “These prospects would have a grade at about this point if this was an all-teams board. Link to [this article] if you want a further description of why they do not appear on this Steelers-specific board”?

Please go down the list and let me know your thoughts. I will say in advance that there’s one thing we absolutely won’t be doing: these posts will NOT turn into an all-teams board. There are too many other places you can go for that kind of approach. Our board is special only because it grades prospects from the peculiar perspective of only the team that we know best.

POSITION BY POSITION ISSUES REQUIRING A DISCOUNT. OR NOT.

Offensive Tackle – Graded at full retail value. Is that proper? I personally believe the team likes Dan Moore Jr. much more than the fan base, but that’s not a valid reason to apply any discounts. But what about monstrous, relatively immobile linemen who wouldn’t fit the mobility requirements for the outside zone running attack we believe Arthur Smith will implement? I’ve chosen to discount those players on the full Board, with an explanation of why. Does anyone disagree? Speak now or forever hold your peace.

There’s a second question too. I expect the team to bring in a nice, solid, $3-7 million swing tackle in free agency. Assume that happens. How should this alter the remaining grades? The top end would obviously stay the same, but what about depth that would serve as OT4-5?

Offensive Guard – Discounts Only. This is one of the Steelers’ strongest positions, which makes it hard to imagine any pick before pure depth in Rounds 5-7. At that point I think pure BPA takes over. But there is a concern. Versatile guards who can also serve as depth for tackle or center should not be discounted. Pure OGs are rare enough for the situation to be handled through discounts alone, especially since there are no Round 1 super-prospects.

Center – Full Retail Value. First things first, I need to own up to my personal bias. Again. For any who might forget, every post I write this year is going to include the same line: Mansfield to Webster to Dawson to Hartings to Pouncey to Who? I Want A Center! It’s up to you guys to contain me.

With Mason Cole gone the Steelers have an empty larder for both C1 and C2, though they do have several players under contract who could serve as emergency depth. Hence the lack of any discount of any kind. But what if the team signs an adequate starter in free agency? What if it’s a good starter, of whom there are many? That doesn’t change things from my perspective. Do you disagree?

Quarterback – Full Retail Value. I personally take the team at its word and believe the Steelers intend to move forward with Kenny Pickett as their presumptive QB1 with Mason Rudolph or some other veteran as a QB2 good enough to create competition. But that’s me, not cold and hard reality.

Tight End – Off The Board Until Late Day 3. This is probably the strongest position on the roster, even with an Arthur Smith offense that uses tight ends more than any other team will. It’s also not a great class, so I don’t think anyone will protest a hard line that moves every TE into Round 5 or lower… except for one. Brock Bowers is a special case because he can also be viewed as an oversized WR. He’s therefore on the Board at 2:01 for the Steelers, it being understood that he’s a Top 10-15 guy for almost everyone else. Any protests? Here are the three names where the excessive discounts could cause some pain. Do we publish as is or move some of them to the Excessive Discounts list?

2:01	TE Brock Bowers, Georgia (Soph.). 6-3⅛, 243 lbs. with 32¾” arms and 9¾” hands. 21, turns 22 in December. A Top-10-15 talent on an all-teams board, discounted here for lack of need. Bowers is the phenom who forced Darnell Washington to play blocker all through 2022. His game only improved in 2023, to the point where he (a tight end!) was Georgia’s top receiving weapon. Could be removed from the Board completely, but he’s versatile enough to count as a WR too.
5:01	TE Ja’Tavion Sanders , Texas (Junior). 6-3⅞, 245 lbs. with 32⅞” arms and 10⅛” hands. 20, turns 21 in 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 Sinnot 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 8.4 RAS.
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.

Running Back – Off The Board Until Round 4, Discounted Until Round 6. Same argument as TEs, except the team could legitimately want to target an RB3. This offense would be helpless if both Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren got hurt, and RB is the single position where injuries happen most often. OTOH, one has to agree with the Tomlinism about not living in our fears. That leaves a few choices.

This draft has no Round 1 RBs but is thick on the ground with Round 2-3 prospects. Should we arbitrarily drop the ones who would fit in Pittsburgh to 4:01? Or should we remove them from the Board completely except for names and a link to this article for those who want to know more?

Another concern is that proviso about RBs who “would fit in Pittsburgh.” The Steelers have a type, and they don’t vary from it until late-round fliers. So what should we do with RBs who pack less oomph than a very stocky 210 pounder? Should we discount them to a Steelers-specific grade (which would be absurd from an all-teams perspective) or remove them completely except for names and a link to this article?

Here’s the current list of RBs causing these problems:

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. 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] Round 3 talent on an all-teams board. 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 on the tires because he was always sharing the backfield with guys like Jonathan Taylor. Guerendo is a converted WR with good hands and route-running ability (which also kept him in school). He has good power and excels as a one-cut, downhill runner who fits Arthur Smith’s preferred outside zone scheme. His 9.98 RAS clocks in as the No. 5 RB athlete since 1987!
4:01	RB MarShawn Lloyd, USC (RS Junior). 5-8¾”, 220 lbs. with 30⅜” arms and 8¾” hands. Turned 23 in January. ACL tear in 2020. Round 2-3 talent on an all-teams board. Lloyd’s game is built on vision, lateral agility, and burst even though he has the build to add power into his repertoire. A fine pass blocker too. Grade held back by two issues: the low grade for lack of pure violence in his game, and a potentially fatal case of fumbleitis that needs to be cured or else.
4:16	RB Jaylen Wright, Tennessee (Junior). 5-10½, 210 lbs. with 31½”arms and 9⅜” hands. 20, 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 than you’d prefer, but he’s a killer if the OL can work open a crack 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.
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 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 and more unknowns.
5:01	RB Blake Corum, Michigan (Junior). 5-7¾, 205 lbs. with 28⅞” arms and 9” hands. Turns 24 in November. Knee injury ended 2022. Round 3 talent on an all-teams board. Michigan won the 2023 national 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. 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. 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 Will Shipley, Clemson (Junior). 5-11, 206 lbs. with 30¼” arms and 9⅝” hands. 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	RB Tyrone Tracy, Purdue (Senior). 5-11⅛, 209 lbs. with 31¾” arms and 9⅛” hands. Turns 25 in November. Round 3-4 talent on an all-teams board. A one-year starter 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.
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. Round 3-6 talent on an all-teams board. 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 recent bicep injury 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, 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 he 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. Turns 25 in November. Round 4 talent on an all-teams board. Looked dominant at the Senior Bowl.
6:01	RB Ray Davis, Kentucky (Senior). 5-8⅜, 211 lbs. with 30¼” arms and 8⅞” hands. 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. 23, turns 24 in ___. Round 4 talent on an all-teams board. Dominated lower competition 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.
6:16	RB Jase McClellan, Alabama (Senior). 5-10⅜, 221 lbs. with 31⅛” arms and 10¼” hands. 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.
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.

Wide Receivers – Full Retail Value. This position poses some problems. First, the need level could either skyrocket or plummet depending on free agency moves. Second, some WR styles may require deeper discounts than others for this particular team at this particular time. I propose grading them on an all-teams basis with moderate discounts for those who duplicate the WRs currently on the roster. Should there be a (light) finger on the scale to depress the grade of Diontae Johnson look-alikes who project as good, versatile, move-the-chains, high-volume targets? George Pickens-ish long, tall deep threats who won’t be high-volume targets? Calvin Austin III clones with fantastic speed and some return ability but without the size to be a mainstay in the passing attack?

My current approach would be the “light finger with a note as to why” solution. We aren’t talking about more than half a round in any event.

Nose Tackles – Discounts Until Round 4 Except For Pass Rushers. This is usually the second-biggest argument we have each year. The Dick LeBeau “Okie” 3-4 relied heavily on having a gigantic, 330- to 350-pound immovable object in the center of the defensive line. And Steelers fans loved that profile! Only 500 snaps per year for Old Man Casey in 2012? Who cares? He’s Casey Hampton, he’s almost done, those are important snaps, and even the OLBs played only 1,000 or so. Then the snap count dropped to 350 in 2013, 300 in 2014, and 380 in 2015 for Steve McLendon. Now it was getting to be a part-time spot.

Then the defense shifted in 2016 to the modern “Eagle 3-4,” which changed from one-gapping to two-gapping and put a premium on pass-rush ability. Javon Hargrave was drafted and got almost 500 snaps as a rookie! He logged 450 in 2017, 450 in 2018, and 680 in 2019. Back down to 450 for Tyson Alualu in 2020, 230 for Alualu and Montravius Adams combined in 2021 (with no designated NT at all), and 280 for Adams in 2022 (the year T.J. Watt was injured).

We saw a major increase in 2023 due to the combination of Watt’s health and Cam Heyward’s season-long injury and limitations, with 484 snaps for Keeanu Benton, 416 for Adams, and 273 for Armon Watts. The other relevant stat is sacks. Pittsburgh led the league in 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021. The team fell to No. 16 in 2022 (the Watt injury) and No. 11 in 2023 (the Heyward injury).

The bottom line seems clear. Pittsburgh values sacks more than run-stuffing snaps, and NTs with no pass rush earn only 250 snaps or so unless Cam Heyward gets hurt. That’s a Round 4 grade at most. NTs with pass-rush ability comparable to Javon Hargrave can earn upwards of 700 snaps. That’s more like a Round 2 value. Maybe even Round 1 if the prospect projects as even better than Hargrave.

Need? That’s another question. The Steelers drafted Benton in 2023 with many statements to the effect that he will be their NT of the future. If so, the NT position has been filled and should be off the Board. If we choose to see Benton as a future DE/DT comparable to Heyward or Stephon Tuitt, the position is open at that dichotomous value: Round 1-2 for expert pass rushers, Round 4-5 for run stuffers.

That approach yields the following Board, which I am pretty happy about. The great debate will be about T’Vondre Sweat, of course. I’ve placed him in between those two categories on the theory that we just don’t know if he can ever be a pass rusher but have to allow for the chance if he manages to drop 30-40 pounds.

3:01	NT T’Vondre Sweat, Texas (RS Senior). 6-4½, 366 lbs. with 33¼” arms and 10⅛” hands. [NOTE: Played at 364 in college; declined to weigh in at the Senior Bowl; and then weighed in at his college weight at the Combine. Is the weight out of control?] Turns 23 in July. Do you lust for a genuine immovable object for the center of the defense who may not go forward but darned well won’t retreat even with two grown NFL men doing their best to shove him one way or the other? And who has a good bit of sneaky athleticism you wouldn’t expect? If so, you are about to fall in love with the man who came in at No. 48 on Daniel Jeremiah’s initial top 50. “Hulk grab two men by jersey. Hulk do one-handed pushup with each. Hulk toss little men aside. Hulk grab any ball carrier who comes in reach.” Just don’t expect Hulk to chase after said ball carrier, let alone pressure a QB on passing plays. T’Vondre Sweat makes even NFL linemen look small. He’d probably weigh 320 in prime condition, and he is correspondingly strong. But he is the very definition of a run defense specialist who may not even be a two-down player because even his bull rush disappears a few plays in. Has battled weight issues for his entire career with very limited endurance as well. Efram Geller’s gif-supported Depot scouting report (Round 2) calls Sweat “a one-man wrecking ball” with some surprising nuance like “an impressive swim move,” but also a player who “is completely neutralized on outside runs and lacks the lateral movement to attack the sideline.” Moved surprisingly well in the Combine drills, looking smooth and coordinated, but measured quite poorly on everything but size.
4:16	NT McKinnley Jackson, Texas A&M (RS Senior). 6-1½, 326 lbs. with 33⅞” arms and 10” hands. Turns _ in ___. [Mtg. at Combine] Round 2-3 talent on an all-teams board. A four-year starter with some decent pass-rush moves but inadequate length. Not a fit for the Steelers except as a NT, though he does move better than you’d expect for a man with that profile. Tested as a bottom-third NFL athlete (3.28 RAS).
5:16	NT Myles Murphy, N. Carolina (Senior). 6-4⅛, 309 lbs. with 33⅞” arms and 9¾” hands. Turns __ in ___. 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 upside and a basically average RAS of 6.19.
6:01	NT Khristian Boyd, N. Iowa (RS Senior). 6-2⅛”, 320 lbs. with 31½” arms and 9½” hands. Turns __ in ___. PFN’s Shrine Bowl Defensive Player of the Week and fully deserved it according to Steelers 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.
7:01	NT Fabien Lovett Sr., Florida St. (RS Senior). 6-3⅞, 314 lbs. with amazing 35½” arms and big 10⅜” hands. Turns 25 in December. Team captain, leader, and a grown man with a three-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. Turns __ in ___. A nice, late-round NT with a knack for holding up against double teams. Doesn’t have the length that Pittsburgh prefers.

Defensive End/Tackle – Full Retail Value For System Fits, Others Off The Board. This has to be divisive spot for building the Board. Like it or not, the Steelers only target DE/DTs who fit within a narrow profile. The fact that many people range over toward hate rather than just dislike doesn’t change that. Here are the standards as calculated n Alex Kozora’s most recent “What The Steelers Look For” studies.

Height: 6035
Weight 280+
40 Time: 5.15
10 Split: 1.85
Arm Length: at least 32 inches
Bench: 20 or more
Vert: 27 inches or more
Broad: 8’5” or more

Please note that later-round picks and hybrid NTs skew the results downward in a predictable way, particularly when it comes to height and arm length. The requirements look more like 6-5 or more with arms that are 34 inches or longer for prime DE/DT targets – even if you include DeMarvin Leal in that description.

Those standards are absolute killers when applied to this year’s draft class because it’s chock full of tremendous prospects who are simply too short and/or short-armed to succeed in the Steelers’ current defense. Here’s the current list of prospects who fit that description. Do we remove them from the Board completely with a reference like, “A, B, C, and D are omitted for the reasons in [link to this article]?” Or include them with absurd grades like those below in order to reflect the difference between their all-teams value and their Steelers-specific value? I lean toward the first but will defer to the popular vote.

4:01	DT Jer’Zhan “Johnny” Newton, Illinois. (Junior). 6-2, 304 lbs. with 32⅜” arms and 9½” hands. 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 (25th on Daniel Jeremiah’s initial top 50) 3-tech who couldn’t be more than a two-down specialist in Pittsburgh’s scheme. He can hold the line and also penetrate but has a tendency to play high (a correctable flaw).
4:01	DT Byron Murphy II, Texas. (Junior). 6-0½, 297 lbs. with 32⅜” arms and big 10¼” hands. 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 (No. 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.
4:01	DT Michael Hall Jr., Ohio St. (RS Soph). 6-2¾, 290 lbs. with 33½” arms and 10” hands. Turns 21 in June. Round 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.
4:16	DT/EDGE Kris Jenkins, Michigan. (RS Junior). 6-2¾, 299 lbs. with 34” arms and 9⅜” hands. Turns 23 in October. Round 2 talent on an all-teams board. Team captain. His father is that other Kris Jenkins, the monster NT who earned All-Pro nods while playing for the Panthers and Jets in the early 2000s. The son is 60 pounds lighter and much more explosive. Jenkins is a magnificent, freakish athlete (RAS 9.55 held back by size) who stands astride the line between a 4-3 EDGE and a 4-3 DT playing 3-tech but who has somehow managed to very rarely show it on the field. His erratic get off is one big factor, and his feet will occasionally stall for no apparent reason. Steven Pavelka’s gif-supported Depot scouting report particularly praises Jenkins’ team-oriented character and his ability as a run stuffer but worries about ”a questionable ceiling due to pass-rush limitations.” The lack of pass rush will hurt his stock with the Steelers, but lack of length would be an even bigger problem given the team’s very narrow requirements for body type.
4:16	DT/EDGE Leonard Taylor III, Miami (Junior). 6-3⅛, 304 lbs. with 33⅜” arms and 9½” hands. 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 despite being slightly under the team’s strict length requirements. 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 Stephen Pavelka (Round 4 grade) admires a lot of Taylor’s measurable athletic talents, such as straight-line speed, burst off the line (inconsistent, but it really 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.”
5:16	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.
6:01	DT DeWayne Carter, Duke (RS Senior). 6-2½, 308 lbs. with 33” arms and 10¼” hands. 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.”
6:01	DT Tyler Davis, Clemson (RS Senior). 6-2, 301 lbs. with short 31⅜” arms and 9¼” hands. Turns __ in ___. Round 3-4 talent on an all-teams board.
6:01	DT Mekhi Wingo, LSU (Junior). 6-0¼” 284 lbs. with 32” arms and 9¼” hands. Turns 21 in April. Round 3-4 talent on an all-teams board. Severely discounted unless the current defensive scheme is abandoned. Note that age because DTs tend to be two to three 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, and a wrestler’s understanding of balance and leverage. Downgraded because he doesn’t fit the Pittsburgh profile for defensive linemen.
7:16	DT Jowon Briggs, Cincinnati (RS Senior). 6-1¼” 313 lbs. with 32¼” arms and 9¾” hands. Turns __ in ___. Round 4-5 talent on an all-teams board. Strong, physical, and nasty but has the totally wrong body type.
7:16	DT Marcus Harris, Auburn (Senior). 6-2⅜, 286 lbs. with 32” arms and 9⅝” hands. Turns __ in ___. 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.

Edge Rushers – Highest Possible Grade Set At 3:24. This one is based solely on lack of space on the roster and will change if room opens up for an EDGE4 as a result of free agency. Please note that I have a couple of draft crushes on this list and would enjoy reading my own Board a lot more if I didn’t have to bow to the reality of the situation. Jared Verse in the 3rd?! Are you kidding me?

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 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. Started at Washington where he was medically retired due to a neck injury but came back to play at 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-first round) 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 Jared Verse, Florida St. by way of Albany (Junior). 6-3⅞, 254 lbs. with 33½” arms and 9⅞” hands. 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 on, “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	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 improve that profile even more as he adds more grown-man strength. No. 1 in the class when it comes to pure potential. He also has 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.
4:01	EDGE Austin Booker, Kansas (RS Soph.). 6-4½, 240 lbs. with 33⅞” arms and 9¼” hands. 20(?), turns 21/22 in ___. [Mtg. at Combine] All-teams grade. 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 point of 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 his nonstop effort 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/DT Brandon Dorlus, Oregon. (Senior). 6-3⅛, 272 lbs. with 33⅜” arms and 9¼” hands. Turns 23 in March. DeMarvin Leal 2.0, leaning more toward him 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.
4:01	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. (Senior). 6-4, 247 lbs. with 33⅞”” arms and 9⅝”” hands. Turns 23 in October. All-teams grade. Should be discounted. Fits the model of a 3-4 OLB who can rush from either a two- or three-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 had 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 Mohamed Kamara, Colorado St. (RS Senior). 6-1⅜, 248 lbs. with 32⅜” arms and 8⅝” hands. Turns __ in ___. [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, has been cited as a good player comp.
4:01	EDGE Bralen Trice, Washington (Junior). 6-3½, 245 lbs. with 32½” arms and 9” hands. Turned 23 in February. Fringe-2nd 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.
4:16	NT McKinnley Jackson, Texas A&M (RS Senior). 6-1⅝, 331 lbs. with 33” arms and 9⅞” hands. Turns _ in ___. [Mtg. at Combine] Round 2-3 talent on an all-teams board. A four-year starter with some decent pass-rush moves but inadequate length. Not a fit for the Steelers except as a NT, though he does move better than you’d expect for a man with that profile.
4:16	EDGE/DT Darius Robinson, Missouri (RS Senior). 6-5, 285 lbs. with 34½” arms and big 10⅝” hands. Turns __ in ___. Two-year captain. 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 that Leal (6-5 vs. 6-4, 286 vs. 283), longer than Leal (34¾-inch arms vs. 33¼ inches), 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. He 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 Keeanu 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 No. 32 on Daniel Jeremiah’s initial top 50.
4:16	EDGE Xavier Thomas, Clemson (RS Senior). 6-2¼, 244 lbs. with 32⅞” arms and 9⅛” hands. Turns __ in ___. 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 he measured as a linebacker.
5:01	EDGE/DT Marshawn Kneeland, W. Michigan (RS Junior). 6’3”, 267 lbs. with 34½” arms and 9⅛” hands. Turns __ in ___. 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 a 4-3 EDGE and 4-3 DT.
5:01	EDGE Gabriel Murphy, UCLA (RS Junior). 6-2⅛, 249 lbs. with stubby 30¾” arms and 9¼” hands. Turns __ in ___. 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. Turns __ in ___. 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.

Inside Linebackers – Buck ILBs Discounted By 1 Round. This is another case where the only discount comes from a lack of need. The Steelers could really use a cover-capable Mack ILB but appear to be set for the thumper down under role. Any disagreement?

Safety – Full Retail Value. The team has Minkah Fitzpatrick. Should there be a discount for pure free safeties? Or should they be kept with an all-teams grade on the theory that they’d free Fitzpatrick up to roam?

Cornerbacks – Full Retail Value. The Steelers arguably need two CBs, not just one. The slot-DB role could be seriously better, and there will be room for an outside CB even if the team, as expected, signs a basically solid journeyman in free agency. I do not give weight to Cory Trice or Darius Rush in this calculation, though I will admit to harboring a few dreams.

CONCLUSION – EXCESSIVE DISCOUNTS BY ALL-TEAMS GRADE

Summing up, the following players all have severe discounts on our Steelers-specific board for the reasons given above. Should they be included on the Board at their somewhat absurd and offensive grades, as seen from an all-teams perspective? Or should I remove the entries save for their names and approximate all-teams grades, with a reference to this article?

Round 1 Talents