The Pittsburgh Steelers were busy at and away from their team facility today. While the bulk of 2024 Pro Days won’t kick off until next week and throughout the rest of March, the first notable one took place Friday. Illinois held their Pro Day a week after the NFL Combine with several prospects expected to be drafted. To watch, the Steelers sent Director of Player Scouting Mark Sadowski.
It’s a little hard to tell, I know, but here is Sadowski in the background of a photo gallery from the event.
Sadowski is a logical name to attend. Earlier this week, he attended Northwestern and Purdue, two schools in the region. Yesterday, he was at Purdue, only 90 minutes from the Illinois’ campus.
The top name coming out of Illinois this year is DT Jer’Zhan Newton. Foot surgery he underwent in January prevented him from working out in front of scouts today though he reportedly hopes to hold a workout before April’s draft. He’s regarded as a potential first round pick. In 2023, he racked up 52 tackles (8.5 for a loss) with 7.5 sacks and one forced fumble. A stocky body with plenty of power, our Jim Hester noted Newton’s hot motor and leverage as hallmarks of his game. However, average length, missed tackles, and injury are working against him. Check out our full report below.
Also not working out Friday at Illinois’ Pro Day was OT Julian Pearl. A likely Day 3 selection, his length and mass are intriguing but he exposes his chest in pass protection and a lack of quickness may push him to guard, where he logged time before kicking out to left tackle. Read Pearl’s scouting report here.
Wide receiver Casey Washington is a deep sleeper who popped on tape when I watched Pearl against Northwestern, going for 218 yards and three touchdowns. Not invited to the Combine, he put up great testing at his Pro Day, running a 4.46 40 while jumping 39.5 inches in the vert and 10’7″ in the broad.
Other notable names include TE Tip Reiman, WR Isaiah Williams and DL Keith Randolph Jr., a trio of potential Day 3 selections. Be sure to follow along our Pro Day tracker as we keep tabs on where the Steelers go during draft season.
