2015 Steelers Draft Prospects: Part 3

With the 2015 NFL Draft approaching, its time for another installment of the Steelers draft prospect series. As with last year, I'll profile draft prospects who have been connected to the Steelers, through mock drafts or visits/workouts. The profiles come from nfl.com.

WR Devin Gardner - Michigan  (6'4'', 216lbs)

Strengths: Willing to do whatever it takes to transition from a QB to a WR. Has the thickness of frame to potentially out-muscle smaller CBs. Showed improvement with his routes at East-West Shrine Game practices.

Weaknesses: Obviously has very little experience at the position. Has below average speed and will need more time & seasoning to run functional routes.

Score: 4.86 (Should be in a training camp)

DE Danielle Hunter - LSU  (6'5'', 252lbs)

2014: 13 TFL (led LSU), 73 total tckls

Combine: 40- 4.57s. 25reps

Strengths: Has long arms with jarring power behind his hands. Is fluid & agile in space. Uses length to bat down passes and disrupt the passing lane. Uses arm-over inside moves to set up tackles for loss. Has secondary motor to pursue and chase leads to more tackle opportunities. Continues to work to improve his position vs the run & pass. His off-field character is considered "squeaky clean".

Weaknesses: Relies heavily on his athleticism & motor over skill and instincts. Doesn't have the upfield burst & bend to turn the corner. He isn't considered a naturally instinctive reactor. Has winning power in his hands, but inconsistent with how he uses them against the run & pass.

NFL Comp: Jason Pierre-Paul

Score: 5.64 (Chance to become a starter)

 

NT Grady Jarrett - Clemson  (6'1'', 304lbs)

2014: 1st Team All-ACC

Combine: 40- 5.06s, 30reps, 31in vert jump

Strengths: Has a compact, powerful frame and gets consistent push. He plays to the whistle and will chase plays to the sidelines. Outstanding at timing snaps and getting into lineman first. Protects himself against cut blocks and shows plus ball awareness. He's able to elude guards in tight spaces and gets into the backfield.

Weaknesses: Relies on initial burst off the snap to generate a pass rush. Plays well but will wear down in the 4th quarter. 

NFL Comp: Earl Mitchell

Score: 5.81 (Chance to become a starter)

           

CB Eric Rowe - Utah  (6'1'', 205lbs)

Combine: 40- 4.45s, 19reps, 39in vert jump

Strengths: Has the ability to disrupts WRs off the line of scrimmage and can mirror them out of their release. Jams & disrupts shallow crossers. Will throw his body around in run support if needed. Attacks the ball at the catch point and makes it hard for the receiver to finish the catch. Instinctive in the zone with ball skills to match. Also has experience at safety.

Weaknesses: Struggles to carry NFL deep speed. He's not a recovery type of CB. Limited as a man-cover corner. Has change of direction issues in tight spaces.

NFL Comp: Pierre Desir

Score: 5.48 (Backup/Special Teams potential)

TE Nick O'Leary - Florida St  (6'3'', 252lbs)

2014: 1st Team AP-All American, John Mackey Award Finalist (Top TE), 2nd on the team in catches, Yds, TDs

Combine: 40- 4.93s, 21reps, 30.5in vert jump

Strengths: A tenacious play demeanor. Has an understanding of space and how to adjust routes. Steps up and bolsters pass protection. Uses good technique as a run blocker. He slides his feet and keeps the rusher squared in pass protection. Rarely drops catches. Works for tough yards after the catch.

Weaknesses: Has tight hips and won't gain ground quickly out of his release. A labored runner in space. A willing blocker but lacks the natural core power to handle stronger players. Doesn't create separation in man coverage.

NFL Comp: James Casey

Score: 5.30 (Backup/Special Teams potential) 

DE Geneo Grissom - Oklahoma  (6'3'', 262lbs)

Combine: 40- 4.81s, 20reps, 37in vert jump

Strengths: Has played both DE & OLB. Has some burst off the snap. Steady in pursuit. He'll flash inside moves & quickness and could benefit from a wider rush point in the pros.

Weaknesses: Lacks lateral agility and desired change of direction. A straight-line one-note rusher. Will struggle if asked to cover in space. His play strength doesn't match the build.

NFL Comp: Frank Alexander

Score: 5.29 (Backup/Special Teams potential)

DE Corey Crawford - Clemson  (6'5'', 283lbs)

2014: Played 11 games, started 10 (Had an ankle injury)

Combine: 40- 5.01s, 33in vert jump

Strengths: A smooth mover in space with the ability to change direction and chase boot-action QBs. Flashes a second gear when in close pursuit. Mindful of contain and rarely loses sight of the ball. Active with his hands in the passing lane when sensing the pass off. 

Weaknesses: Had more missed tackles than impact tackles. Shows very little fire in his hands. He allows TEs to take him out of run plays and doesn't get enough mileage from his length. Lacks upfield burst off the snap to threaten the edge. 

Score: 4.90 (Should be in a training camp)

DT Joey Mbu - Houston  (6'3'', 313lbs)

2014: 1st Team All-AAC, Team Captain

Combine: 40- 5.54s, 22.5in vert jump

Strengths: Mindful of getting hands on opponents quickly and with good arm extensions. Very active hands and works to keep himself clean as he mirrors run plays down the line. He senses screen passess & reacts.

Weaknesses: Doesn't gain much ground as a pass rusher. Lacks power and can be uprooted from his position. He pursues too aggressively at times against the run and vacates his gap.

NFL Comp: Jerrell Powe

Score: 5.08 (Better than average chance to make a roster)

OLB Randy Gregory - Nebraska  (6'5'', 235lbs)

2014: 2nd Team All-American, 1st Team All-Big 10, Team high 7scks
Combine: 40- 4.64s, 24reps, 36.5in vert jump
Strengths: Stronger than expected at the point of attack. Able to lock out & square against big OTs and can whip most TEs. Unhinges and gets tentacles on RBs bursting through the gap. Shows toughness against the run. Can chase & limit outside runs with speed. Gets instant change of direction to hound QBs in play-action. Has stride and 2nd gear for a quick close. Has the bend & hips to convert speed to power. Can counter and recover from cut blocks. Flashes plus hand-feet coordination.
Weaknesses: Technique & feel as a pass rusher is lacking thus far. Takes occasional fake steps as a stand-up rusher. Too much time stutter-stepping tackles rather than exploding upfield. Makes it too easy for OTs to quick set him. Doesn't process what he sees very quickly. He can be redirected. Has had positive drug tests.
NFL Comp: Barkevious Mingo
Score: 6.52 (Chance to become pro bowl caliber)

DT Arik Armstead - Oregon  (6'7'', 292lbs)

2014: 46tckls, 2.5scks, 4.5TFL

Combine: 40- 5.10s, 24reps, 34in vert jump

Strengths: Explodes upfield into blockers with good pad-level and hip snap, gaining instant leverage against the run & often jarring them into the backfield. Gets good arm extension to control OL and peppers them with powerful hands. Can unlock quickly from blocks.

Weaknesses: Plays tall as a pass rusher and doesn't use his hands to gain consistent advantages. Has no reliable counter moves when the rush stalls. Will win against OL, but doesn't put himself into position to finish.

NFL Comp: Calais Campbell

Score: 6.51 (Chance to become pro bowl caliber)

OLB Bud Dupree - Kentucky  (6'4'', 269lbs)

2014: team captain, 7.5scks

Combine: 40- 4.56s, 42in vert jump

Strengths: Outstanding power with the ability to rag-doll TEs. Should be an above average edge-setter. Has an explosive closing burst. A willing thumper when he has a shot on the RB. Can drop into space play zone. Has the strength at the point to be a physical edge-setter. 

Weaknesses: Wins with athleticism over skill at this point. Will get caught taking bad angles to the ball. Needs to improve his hand fighting. He's still raw rushing the passer. Doesn't possess a go-to pass rush move.

NFL Comp: Jamie Collins

Score: 6.10 (Should become an instant starter)

OLB Vic Beasley - Clemson  (6'3'', 246lbs)

2014: 1st in school history (sacks), ACC Defensive Player of the Year

Combine: 40- 4.53s, 35reps, 41in vert jump

Strengths: Explosive athlete who's always 1st off the snap. Has quick feet & fluid hips. Able to change directions and burst to the target. Able to drop into space. Has solid instincts and an outstanding closing burst.

Weaknesses: Unlikely to convert speed to power against NFL OTs. Rarely transitioning from the speed rush to spin as an instinctual pass rush counter. Too often content to stay blocked if the pass rush stalls out. He needs to shed blockers more consistently against the run.

NFL Comp: Bruce Irvin

Score: 6.64 (Chance to become pro bowl caliber)