Player comparisons are one of the most entertaining and futile parts of the NFL draft process. It’s meant to give us a framework to understand a prospect’s skills and game. But when you assign a Pro Bowl-level name to an incoming NFL rookie, it can lead to some pretty unfair expectations. But everyone, from fans to NFL coaches, still does it. So what are NFL coaches saying about some of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ potential draft targets?
The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman talked with a number of coaches and personnel leading up to the draft. And there were some interesting comparisons tossed around for some players linked to the Steelers. One offensive coordinator mentioned an AFC North quarterback when talking about Louisville QB Tyler Shough. One defensive line coach drew comparisons to a former first-round pick and a two-time Super Bowl champion when talking about Michigan DT Kenneth Grant. And one wide receiver coach brought up a wide receiver the Steelers were reportedly interested in trading for when talking about TCU’s Savion Williams.
“I’m not saying he’s Joe Burrow, but he’s got some Joe Burrow to him,” OC No. 2 said when talking about Shough. “I think he has the best feet in this quarterback class. I know he’s had injuries, and if he didn’t, I think he’d be a first-round QB.”
The coordinator was careful to say that he isn’t saying Shough is Burrow, but that’s still an incredibly lofty reference point. Shough had a crazy college career with stops at Oregon and Texas Tech before finishing it at Louisville. When Steelers Depot’s Alex Kozora scouted Shough, he saw some quite good tape, especially on short and intermediate throws.
But it’s hard to imagine the Steelers investing a high draft pick on Shough for two main reasons, one of which the offensive coordinator mentioned. He’s suffered three major injuries while in college: a broken collarbone in both the 2021 and 2022 seasons, and a broken left fibula in 2023. And those injuries lead right into the other major issue: Shough will turn 26 years old in September. Now, he views his age and experience as a good thing.
But how often do older college quarterbacks turn out to be a quality NFL starter? It’s really hard to see a 26 year old rookie quarterback being successful, especially one who lacks a standout physical trait as Kozora sees it. But insider Ray Fittipaldo thinks that Shough is the quarterback the Steelers should target because of his upside. And if he turns out to even be a poor man’s Joe Burrow, he’d be right.
Now, Kenneth Grant might be the opposite of Tyler Shough in terms of age and experience. Grant is five years younger than Shough and played three seasons for Michigan. But that was enough to demonstrate his freakish athletic ability at 331 pounds. And it’s that physical ability that could make him incredibly disruptive in the NFL, even played nose tackle.
“I think he has top-10 talent,” DL coach No. 2 said. “He can be like Dexter Lawrence at nose, where he gives guys so many problems. I also see some Chris Jones in him.”
If you can get a top-10 talent at 21 who garners comparisons to Lawrence and Jones, how could you not seriously consider him? Jim Hester scouted Grant, and he sees former first-round pick Dontari Poe as well. While Poe may not garner the same respect as Lawrence or Jones, he had a nine-year career with 285 total tackles, 31 tackles for a loss, and 20.5 sacks.
Former NFL DL Leger Douzable also thinks that Grant “has the highest upside of all these d-tackles in the draft.” That should put him squarely on the Steelers’ radar, depending on how the first round breaks.
As for Savion Williams, wide receiver is not the same pressing need it was before the Steelers traded for DK Metcalf. But you can never have too many good wide receivers. And Williams brings something unique to the table that the Steelers don’t have (and also showed some interest in).
“To me, he’s more like Deebo [Samuel],” Feldman quoted a coach as saying. “You question whether he can run routes well enough to win consistently, but he’s got enough hands. He’s a bit of a body catch, but he is so rugged with the ball in his hands and hard to tackle. If he goes to the right place, he might be one of those who takes off.”
The Steelers reportedly checked in on now-Washington Commanders WR Deebo Samuel while he was still with the San Francisco 49ers. Samuel is certainly one of the most unique wide receivers in the NFL during his career. He’s not a traditional wide receiver, but his size and athletic ability made him a threat with the ball in his hands every time.
And that’s exactly what Williams has shown. Jonathan Heitritter scouted Williams, and he saw an incredible athlete who moved better than almost every human being his size. He envisions him as someone you just find ways to get the ball to so he can make big plays. He’s 6-3 and 222 pounds, but he ran a 4.48 40-yard dash. He had six receiving and six rushing touchdowns in 2024, showing his ability to make plays no matter how you get the ball. He’s got issues, primarily with drops, but there is no question he’s a dynamic athlete.
Steelers wide receivers coach Zach Azzanni attended the Big 12 Pro Day where Williams worked out, so perhaps he had his eye on the TCU receiver. The Steelers also brought him in for a pre-draft visit. And the Steelers certainly were interested in Samuel when he was available. So it’s easy to connect the dots, which is exactly what Steelers Depot’s Josh Carney did in his final mock draft. He selected Williams in the third round.
