First and foremost I hope Steelers’ brass elects to stay on 17 (no pun intended) instead of risking a bust by trading up (that one was intended). That goes double if the name in question is Jalen Carter; I’ve made my thoughts very clear about him.
Methodology: I ran 50 iterations of the draft on PFF’s simulator and tallied the most frequent selections. If any of these guys make you go “he’ll never be available there” take it up with PFF, not me. I didn’t klutz around with any trades because their trade logic is…I’m not sure what the word would be, “broken” implies it once worked.
R1 (17)
CB Joey Porter Jr
The son of Steelers Legend Joey Porter was a consensus 2022 First Team All-B1G & Penn State’s defensive MVP. Although his technique can be sloppy at times his great recovery and 34″ arms afford significant margin for error.
Don’t believe everything you’ve heard He actually has decent ball skills that didn’t translate to box scores because QBs were terrified of him. He drew undue attention from officials in college because he shares a name with a former pro but he worked hard to curtail that this year (only 2 flags).
DB Brian Branch
The thing that jumps off the tape for this 2022 second team All-American is elite tackling and instincts. He’s never fooled by fakes, misdirection or ballcarrier moves; he missed only 4 tackles in 174 opportunities through his collegiate career (2.3%).
His range is maximized on the back-end; although he played all over the field at Alabama I’m not sure he can stick with your shiftier NFL slots. The testing admittedly didn’t line up with the production but his stat line in the Sugar Bowl is eye-popping: 12 tackles, 4 TFLs, 1 sack, 1 INT.
R2 (32)
OT Dawand Jones
Elite length/width/strength with plenty of athleticism for his size. You can’t get through him you need to go around; with his size you better get a snack and use the bathroom before that trip. Boy can he finish a block: I filled a Twitter highlight video just with instances of him putting defenders on the ground…and I only pulled four of his games.
Much ado about nothing You may have read that the Steelers were less-than-impressed with Jones’ decision to forego much of the testing at the Combine and Ohio State’s Pro Day. He also pulled out of the Senior Bowl after one [legendary] day of practice. He’s far from the first NFL prospect to pick his spots with the measurables. Don’t for one second think he came off anyone’s draft board, but he may have taken himself out of potential “reach” territory.
DL Mazi Smith
This kid caught my eye at the Combine, where he put up more reps on the bench than any other DL prospect. He blends that elite strength with above-average athleticism, especially for his size. That means he can push pockets but he’d also be a great stunting partner with Cam Heyward.
Smith consistently drew double teams at Michigan but it would be hard to devote two to him on a defensive front with Heyward and Watt. I did notice, however, that it seems like conditioning can be an issue on long drives.
R2 (49)
OLB Felix Anudike-Uzomah
The Steelers recorded only 8 sacks in the 7 games TJ missed last year; in 3 of those games they had zero. The 2022 Big12 DPoY could be the bread that holds Watt’s peanut butter and Highsmith’s jelly together. He had 13 sacks in 2021; only 2 college players recorded more.
Felix is a refined pass rusher with a plan and impressive measurables: his agility (6.94 three-cone) and explosiveness (124” broad) are both in the 90+ percentiles. He has the bendability to get around the edge in addition to being a speed-to-power threat. The aforementioned agility makes him another natural complement as a looper in the stunt game.
CB Julius Brents
If JPJ goes early (and he very well could) Brents is a good second-tier option. This 2022 first team All-Big12 selection has great sizelength, best-in class broad jump & 41.5” vert for high-pointing. While not an elite runner, that explosiveness makes him a hero-killer in the red zone.
Brents has the agility to stick with those shifty slots I mentioned earlier. His ball skills (4 INT’s in 2022) put him in that archetype of ballhawks that this new management team has telegraphed is so important to them. Having said that, he can get caught staring into backfield.
R3 (80)
OLB Nick Herbig
If the name sounds familiar it’s because his brother (Nasty Nate) is already a Steeler. Elite production (11 sacks/15.5 TFL’s/2 FF’s) earned Nick a First Team All-B1G selection in 2022, but he caught my eye last year while scouting those Wisconsin LB’s who came out last Spring.
As alluded above Herbig shows a full arsenal of pass rush moves. He’s significantly weaker vs the run but that’s fine for what this team needs. He needs to work on his approach against power – OSU’s massive tackles shut him out – but so did TJ Watt when he was drafted.
S Ji’Ayir Brown
Pronunciation guide for yinzers: soft J+eye+ear; if that’s still too difficult to wrap your pallet around, just call him Tig. The co-MVP of the 2023 Rose Bowl epitomizes the phrase “high motor.” He led Power Five safeties in sacks last year & college football in INTs the year before.
With elite strength and agility Brown can set an edge in the run game and rotate through covering slot receivers. Teryl Austin would be wringing his hands menacingly thinking about the various schemes he could employ with Tig, Minkah and Kazee on the back-end of his defense.
R4 (120)
WR Charlie Jones
This pick was made before the Allen Robinson new broke. Speaking of which: Penn State fans will remember this kid terrorizing us in the 2022 season opener, to the tune of 12 catches for 153 yards. He finished the year 1st in the draft class in contested catches (22), 2nd in receiving yards (1361) and 2nd in 1st downs (63) w/ 8 games over 100 yards. He even brings punt return experience (1 muff in 76 chances in college).
How does a guy with such elite hands and production slip all the way to the fourth, I feel you asking? Take a look at his fairly lopsided web chart: he’s a “tweener” whose size relegates him to the slot at the next level but that’s fine for this team.
ILB Dorian Williams
Elite speed (95th percentile 40) makes him a potential sideline-to-sideline guy as a MACK LB. He only had two games last year in which he allowed double-digit YAC. His 133 tackles in 2022 ranked 2nd in the draft class…in the class, not at his position.
Williams is also a capable blitzer, registering 22 pressures in 2022. Playing behind three of the best 30 pass rushers on the planet should give him plenty of opportunities to do damage. It’s fair to wonder how his production will translate to the NFL from the AAC but the measurables are encouraging.
CamBlackburnWrites 