Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith is making the quick trip from Duke to North Carolina. Smith is attending Tar Heels Pro Day, according to Charlotte Observer reporter Mike Kaye.
Duke and North Carolina are separated by roughly 10 miles, making for a quick trip and allowing Smith to attend two Pro Day workouts. Smith was at Duke primarily to watch OL Graham Barton, who had a strong workout. Offensive line coach Pat Meyer didn’t join him. Instead, he’s on the West Coast to watch Washington’s top two linemen, Troy Fautanu and Roger Rosengarten. Neither Mike Tomlin nor Omar Khan have been spotted today and from initial reports, it doesn’t appear they’re present during Day 1 of the Big 12 “Super Pro Day” workouts.
The Tar Heels top prospect is QB Drake Maye, who will be well off the board by the time the Steelers pick, not that the team is in the market for a first-round arm. Maye is battling LSU’s Jayden Daniels and Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy to be the second quarterback selected behind USC’s Caleb Williams, the presumed No. 1 overall pick of the Chicago Bears. Maye threw for 63 touchdowns in his college career, including 38 during the 2022 season.
Other notable prospects include DL Myles Murphy and LB Cedric Gray, who aren’t in Round 1 consideration. Murphy flashed in 2021 but his game has waned since while Gray is part of an average off-ball linebacker class with solid testing and production.
Offensively, there’s WR Tez Walker, allowed to play after fighting a battle with the NCAA over his eligibility. In just eight games with North Carolina, Walker caught 41 passes for 699 yards and 7 touchdowns, with an excellent 17 yards per catch. Check out our report on him below.
Smith was hired earlier this year as the Steelers’ next offensive coordinator, replacing Matt Canada. He has made several Pro Day stops this season, but these are his first trips without Mike Tomlin and Omar Khan. So far this year, Smith has attended workouts at Georgia, Clemson, Michigan, Duke, and North Carolina.
The 2024 NFL Draft kicks off next month. Pittsburgh currently holds the 20th overall pick.
