Though Mike Tomlin nor Omar Khan attended LSU’s Pro Day Wednesday, they did have one prominent front office member make the trip to Baton Rouge. Pittsburgh Steelers Assistant GM Andy Weidl attended the workout, joining DL Coach Karl Dunbar.
Dave Bryan spotted Weidl going back through video of the Tigers’ Pro Day. It’s the first time we’ve spotted Weidl on the 2024 Pro Day circuit.
LSU has several first round picks in this year’s draft. QB Jayden Daniels tops the list, expected to be the second or third quarterback taken this year. WR Malik Nabers is battling to be the first receiver off the board, turning in a fantastic workout. He ran a 4.35 40 (though he believes it was a 4.28) with a 42-inch vertical and 10’9″ broad jump, elite numbers across the board.
Teammate and fellow WR Brian Thomas Jr. is also a likely first round pick though odds are better he hears his name in the middle or latter portion of Day One. A height/weight/speed freak, Thomas is a bonafide big play threat, averaging 17.3 yards per catch as part of a breakout 2023 season. He found the end zone a whopping 17 times, the most at the FBS level, with six of them coming from 40-plus yards out. While his game is raw, the traits are there to become a better route runner over the middle of the field.
Dunbar was on hand to watch three defensive linemen led by DL Maason Smith. Like Thomas, Smith has the size (6051, 301 pounds, 35-inch arms) but needs to develop his game. His career production is light, 47 career tackles with 6.5 sacks, and he missed most of 2022 due to a torn ACL. Other notable d-linemen include DT Mehki Wingo and Jordan Jefferson, likely Day Three picks. Smith could be taken Friday night, Day Two of the draft.
Other Tigers’ prospects worth mentioning include C Charles Turner III and S Andre Sam, who Ike Taylor put through drills. A Marshall transfer, Sam picked off three passes in 2023.
Last year, we spotted Weidl at two Pro Days, Penn State and Tennessee. The Steelers drafted Penn State CB Joey Porter Jr. at the top of the second round. The Tennessee Pro Day came one day after league meetings last year and Weidl’s LSU stop today came during a similar timeframe. It appears Weidl is used as a stand-in while Mike Tomlin finished things up in Orlando. The first workout of the Big 12 “Conference Pro Day” begins tomorrow as is Duke, Washington, and North Carolina’s Pro Days. It’ll be interesting to see how the Steelers spread out.
