Better late than never, its time for the Steelers Draft Prospects series. With the draft quickly approaching, there will just be 2 parts to this, comprised of only confirmed prospect visits. The player summaries all come from NFL.com
SS Jeremy Cash (Duke): 6-2, 210lbs
'15: 101 tckls/2.5 scks/4 PB's (pass breakups)/3 FF's. ACC DPOY, Nagurski & Thorpe Finalist
Strengths: Very big & physical. Has long arms and big hands for the position. Comes diving off the edge to upend RBs before they hit the crease. Has a big closing burst. Runs through targets with force and can separate WRs from the catch.
Weaknesses: Struggles in space to match up in man coverage. Plays with tight, stiff hips that limit sudden movements and change of direction. Slow to drop into zone coverage with proper depth from the line of scrimmage. Scheme-limited. Dealt recently with surgery on a broken wrist
Comp: T.J Ward
Grade: 5.54 (Backup/eventual starter)
S Deon Bush (Miami): 6ft, 199lbs
combine: 4.64 (40)/ 17 reps/ 36in vert
'15: Honorable All-ACC
Strengths: Good size for the position. Comes downhill under control looking to mirror runners. Wraps-up as a tackler. Good leaper. Can disrupt at the high point. Comfortable in zone coverage underneath. Has blitz capabilities. Determined special teams effort.
Weaknesses: Lacks dynamic athleticism. Struggles to change direction in space. Doesn't always read development of play. Shows pre-snap confusion at times. Lack of instincts limit range & playmaking ability. Late to respond to throws in his area.
Comp: Mo Alexander
Grade: 5.27 (Developmental/ST Potential)
CB D.J White (Georgia Tech): 5-11, 193lbs
combine: 4.49 (40)/ 17reps/ 33.5in vert
'15: 41tckls/ 2INTs/ 8PBs
Strengths: Patient from press coverage and plays with balance. Disrupts receivers. Challenges catch without running through receivers. Good leaper. Instinctive & disciplined. Attacks catch point rather than man when in position.
Weaknesses: Little clunky hips and changing directions sharply. Recovery speed is very average. Waits on receiver after short catch giving away valuable yardage. Head decker in run support and finishes with arm tackles over a chest-up approach.
Comp: Justin Bethel
Grade: 5.59 (backup/eventual starter)
OT Jerald Hawkins (LSU): 6-6, 305lbs
combine: 5.23 (40)/ 23reps
Strengths: Slides feet & hips. Flashes power and maintains grip. Plays with balances pass sets. Possesses foot quickness and change of direction. Speedy snap off and search mechanism against twists. Uses upward blow with decent hip snap into initial contact in run game.
Weaknesses: Power in base blocks hindered by his narrow drive base. Doesn't always bring his feet through contact. Not a natural knee bender. Hands too wide in pass pro setup. Willing to wait bend when pass rusher gets to edge.
Comp: Bobby Massie
Grade: 5.5 (backup/eventual starter)
DT A'Shawn Robinson (Alabama): 6-4, 307lbs
combine: 5.2 (40)/ 22reps/ 26in vert
'15: All-American, Outland finalist. 46tckls/ 3.5scks
Strengths: Tough to move off the spot. Dislodges guards & centers if they try and wait. Athletic enough to give reasonable chase to the ball. Heavy tackler. Generates pocket push when he gets it cranked up as a pass rusher. Brute force to match NFL power immediately.
Weaknesses: Plays too upright when asked to move. Should be more consistent against double teams. Straight-liner, stalls due to leverage loss. Needs to play with a wider base to improve balance & overall base. Rarely turns the corner. Doesn't play with the quickness or forward lean to threaten edges and win in the gaps.
Comp: John Henderson
Grade: 6.34 (Chance to become a good starter)
SS Keanu Neal (Florida): 6ft, 211lbs
combine: 4.62 (40)/ 17reps/ 38in vert
'15: 96tckls/ 2scks/ 1INT
Strengths: Cranks it up to top speed in a hurry. Explodes downhill in run support. Vicious hitter. Drives all the way through his contact with aggressive finishes. Close skill in coverage. On top of the receiver immediately after the catch. Impact tackler around the line of scrimmage.
Weaknesses: Hard tackling style can lead to missed or broken tackles. Can be wild in space skating past his target. Field awareness can be hit or miss in coverage. Won't always turn and run early enough.
Comp: Kenny Vaccaro
Grade: 5.88 (Could become early starter)
S Darian Thompson (Boise St): 6-2, 208lbs
combine: 4.69 (40)/ 12reps. 32.5in vert
'15: 5INTs/ 8.5TFL
Strengths: Soft hands can make difficult, diving INTs. Will run through receivers' catch point to disrupt. A ready hitter. Able to bob & weave around traffic and consistently choose the correct lane to find RBs.
Weaknesses: Undisciplined. Needs to play with more technique and less improv. Hip tightness hinders ability to open quickly and ruin with necessary speed to close separation. Needs to slow and gather himself when charging downhill to avoid missed tackles.
comp: Morgan Burnett
Grade: 5.52 (backup/eventual starter)
CB Tavon Young (Temple): 5-9, 183lbs
combine: 4.46 (40)/ 9reps/ 34.5in vert
'15: 41tckls/ 1sck/ 7PBs
Strengths: Plays bigger and more physically than his size. Drives through receivers with force at the point of the catch and can jar the ball free. Plays with winning ball skills. Crowds receivers upfield and gets his head around to find the ball. Comfortable in bail coverage.
Weaknesses: Gets grabby and starts to maul when running with big receivers. Doesn't have twitch or fluid change of direction in most small corners. Gets caught guessing in route recognition. Feet are clunky when opening up to run with WRs.
Grade: 5.49 (backup/eventual starter)
OT Caleb Benenoch (UCLA): 6-5, 305lbs
combine: 4.98 (40)
Strengths: Plays with good knee bend. Lateral quickness off the snap to put himself in position for difficult zone blocks. Has feet the mirror in space in pass protection. Aggressive worker with some recovery athleticism to work himself back into the play.
Weaknesses: Lacks core strength. Too much waist bending as a tackle. Leans into pass rushers opening up balance concerns. Needs to bring hands back inside with his punch.
Grade: 5.3 (backup/eventual starter)
FS Vonn Bell (Ohio St): 5-11, 199lbs
combine: 16reps
'15: 65tckls/ 2INTs/ 9PBs 2nd All Big 10
Strengths: Man cover talent. Instincts and reaction time are big assets. Fires downhill as soon as he reads throw. Able to mirror targets and strike a centered blow when flowing downhill. Plays with excellent feel for his responsibilities in space. Rarely out of position.
Weaknesses: Hip tightness impedes fluid flip & go when beaten in space. Occasionally gets caught peeking in on QB for too long and will briefly lose track of the receiver. Drag down tackler without much thud.
Comp: Kurt Coleman
Grade: 5.68 (backup/eventual starter)
CB Jonathan Jones (Auburn): 5-9, 180lbs
combine: 4.33 (40)/ 19reps/ 36in vert
'15: 69tckls/ 1INT/ 13PBs
Strengths: Foot quickness and fluid hips for smooth transitions from press coverage. Looks to make plays out of his area. Able to carry long speed stride for stride. Man cover specialist. Finds the deep ball and gets his head around to challenge. Much better instincts underneath or in man coverage.
Weaknesses: Miscast in zone and off coverage. Allows much cushion for pitch & catch throws. Unable to unhinge quickly from big receivers. Has injury history.
Grade: 5.35 (backup/eventual starter)
FS T.J Green (Clemson): 6-2, 209lbs
combine: 4.34 (40)/ 13reps/ 35.5in vert
'15: 95tckls/ 3PBs/ 2FFs
Strengths: Has exciting coverage range potential for defense that asks more of him. Flashes man cover ability with length, speed & ball skills. Lightning fast blitzer who can factor off the slot.
Weaknesses: Open-field tackling issues are problematic. Not enough wrap-ups. Positioning and balance when tackling is below average. Limited experience. Hesitates to fire downhill after the run or catch, giving away valuable yardage.
Comp: Cedric Thompson
Grade: 5.64 (backup/eventual starter)
CB Ryan Smith (NC Central): 5-11, 189lbs
combine: 4.47 (40)/ 18reps/ 36in vert
'15: 2nd All-MEAC, 2INTs/9PBs
Strengths: Very smooth in his pedal and turn, does a nice job of reading a receiver's "tells" with his route. Quality footwork for mirror and match, sticks to the hip of his man. Plays with good ball skills. In zone, slides according to a QB's eyes restricting passing windows.
Weaknesses: Closing burst is marginal. Acceleration from change of direction is below average. Challenged by size.
Comp: Bill Bentley
Grade: 5.39 (backup/eventual starter)
OLB Jatavis Brown (Akron): 5-11, 227lbs
Strengths: Tremendous play speed & acceleration to cut off angles and catch RBs around the corner. Explosive athlete. Glides & mirrors. Can outrace blockers to the spot. Instinctive and sniffs out misdirection plays. Some cover ability and can disrupt TEs. Uses quickness and burst to the QB to rack up sacks as a blitzer.
Weaknesses: More of a hybrid fit than a NFL LB. Lack of play strength and mechanics show up with his tackling. Redirect blocks can end his pursuit.
Grade: 5.5 (backup/eventual starter)
DT Javon Hargrave (SC St): 6-1, 309lbs
combine: 4.93 (40)/ 29reps/ 34.5in vert
'15: AP All-American
Strengths: Can play low and dip around the corner when playing in gaps. Surprising foot quickness with an adequate spin move. Plays with quick burst upfield and into blockers. Flashes playmaking ability.
Weaknesses: Very raw as a pass rusher relying on athleticism. Lacks instincts and feel for position. Doesn't anticipate down blocks and can be knocked around because of it. Doesn't play with enough of an anchor.
Grade: 5.5 (backup/eventual starter)
DT Quinton Jefferson (Maryland): 6-4, 291lbs
combine: 4.95 (40)/ 24reps/ 29in vert
'15: Honorable All Big 10, 12.5TFLs/6.5scks/1INT
Strengths: Can come off the snap with low pad level and make initial penetration with leverage into the gap. Shows some disruptive qualities when he commits to the attack. Can create uncertainty in blockers. Nifty swim move tied to a jump cut for go-to inside move.
Weaknesses: Allows himself to be redirected. Doesn't fire-off the snap and into blockers with much juice. Rushes with a narrow base. Lack of power in his base prevents him from fighting back against wash down blocks on the move.
Grade: 5.13 (Back end of the roster)
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