2017 Steelers Draft Preview - Part 5 (Conclusion)

Believe it or not, the 2017 NFL Draft is well on its way, with the combine and pro days behind us. Like in prior years, I've put together a list of players who could be dressing up in the black and gold come the '17 season. These players are connected either through mock drafts (mainly Bleacher Report's Matt Miller), or Steelers visits. The profiles are summarized from NFL.com.

LB Jarrad Davis - Florida (6'1", 238lbs)

2016: 2nd All-SEC, 60tckls/6TFL, 4PBUs

Strengths: Twists & turns to slither into gaps. Has plus acceleration. Runs downhill with choppy steps. Effective in spy mode for mobile QBs. A wrap-up tackler. Forceful redirect of TEs. Athletic tools to be better in coverage.

Weaknesses: Problematic downhill routes to the ball. Sometimes prioritizes attacking blockers too high. Struggles to free himself when snatched by blockers. Average instincts create inefficiency with early, post-snap movement.

Comp: Shaq Thompson

Grade: 5.98 (Could become an early starter) 

S Josh Jones - NC State (6'1", 220lbs)

2016: Honorable All-ACC, 3ints/8pbu's, 109tckls/4TFL

Combine: 4.41 40, 20reps, 37.5in vert jump

Strengths: Acceleration and top-end speed to range all over the field. Has reactive quickness. Fluid in his movement and is an explosive leaper when challenging the high-point. Eager eyes stay glued to QB's intentions. Closing burst to challenge throws. Accelerates through collision. Does a good job of punching and playing off of blockers.

Weaknesses: Will come in too hot, end up missing mark as a tackler. A little slow to anticipate routes from zone coverage. Will lose track of assignments getting hyper-focused on the QB. Will bite on play-action bait and get drawn out of position.

Comp: Mike Mitchell

Grade: 5.88 (Could become an early starter) 

CB Rasul Douglas - West Virginia (6'2", 209lbs)

2016: 70tckls/3.5TFL, 8ints/8pbu's

Combine: 4.59 40, 16reps, 33.5in vert jump

Strengths: Very aware from zone coverage. Reads QB's drops and will break early to race ahead of slants. Plays with strong hands. Able to go up high and win 50-50 balls. Good recognition of route combinations. 

Weaknesses: Upright in his pedal, affects balance & transition quickness. Below average closing bursts. Coverage limitations could limit scheme fits. Makeup speed is below average. Inconsistent hitter, defaults to arm tackles.

Comp: Daryl Worley

Grade: 5.81 (Could become an early starter)

S Budda Baker - Washington (5'10", 195lbs)

2016: 1st All-P12, 71tckls/10TFL, 2int's/6pbu's

Combine: 4.45 40, 15reps, 32.5in vert jump

Strengths: Screams off the edge as a blitzer. Waiting to race to action on a dead sprint. Smooth backpedal and diagonal shuffle. Plus instincts from any coverage area. Not easily pulled from coverage responsibilities by bait routes. Click & close ability of a CB in coverage. Accelerates through WRs to jar the pass loose. A tackle finisher.

Weaknesses: Force as a tackler just average against big RBs. Small hesitation to accelerate when forced to open and sprint down field. Can be too overzealous when stepping downhill to tackle.

Comp: Bob Sanders

Grade: 5.91 (Could become an early starter) 

LB Reuben Foster - Alabama (6', 229lbs)

2016: 1st All-American, Butkus Award, 115tckls/13TFL, 5scks

Strengths: Springy, reactive feet. Loose hips and long stride allows him to open and close immediately. Elite sideline to sideline range. Willing to take his shots downhill. A coverage ability asset. Can carry long speed against RBs on wheel routes & nine routes. 

Weaknesses: Instincts are average. Overly reliant on speed, athleticism over instincts & feel. Inconsistent deflecting blocks. Too eager to take on everyone at the point of attack. Needs to improve stock and shed technique to keep himself clean. Drops head at times as a tackler.

Comp: Bobby Wagner

Grade: 6.40 (Chance to become a good starter) 

CB Marlon Humphrey - Alabama (6', 197lbs)

2016: 2int/5pbu's

Combine: 4.41 40, 10reps

Strengths: Fluid hips and hard-charging makeup speed. Disciplined eyes and good balance between high-low responsibilities in zone. Short-area acceleration to close out WRs and attack throwing lanes. Aggressive from press with powerful punch. Looks to intimidate when opportunity arises. Will not let blocking WR punk him. Tears through blocker and attacks downhill. Searches for the opportunity to strip the ball. 

Weaknesses: Impatient from press coverage. Allows separation opportunities. Feet are fast but sloppy. Concerns in playing deep ball. Scrambling style too reliant upon athletic gifts. From off coverage, overreacts to route fakes and opens the door to a big play. Can be slow to locate the ball and finds himself out of optimal position to the play the ball.

Comp: Jimmy Smith

Grade: 6.16 (Chance to become a good starter) 

And that'll do it. Check back after the draft for a full Steelers draft review on all of their selections.

2017 Steelers Draft Preview - Part 4

Believe it or not, the 2017 NFL Draft is well on its way, with the combine and pro days behind us. Like in prior years, I've put together a list of players who could be dressing up in the black and gold come the '17 season. These players are connected either through mock drafts (mainly Bleacher Report's Matt Miller), or Steelers visits. The profiles are summarized from NFL.com.

S Obi Melifonwu - UConn (6'4", 224lbs)

2016: 1st All-AAC, 118hits/2.5TFL, 4ints/3pbu's

Combine: 4.40 40, 17reps, 44in vert jump

Strengths: Sharp focus when the ball is in the air. Plus hand-eye coordination to flip the field. Athleticism to cover TEs. Constricts windows. A downhill tackling machine, plus range. A body-up hitter.

Weaknesses: Will play slow with eyes at times. Has to see the ball in the air before charging over to help on deep throws. Takes time to diagnose play-action. Can take inefficient path to the ball.

Comp: George Iloka

Grade: 5.77 (Could become an early starter)

DE Taco Charlton - Michigan (6'6", 277lbs)

2016: 1st All-B10, 9.5scks, 13TFL

Combine: 4.92 40, 25reps, 33in vert jump

Strengths: Flashes instant reaction time off the snap & up-field. Generates pop through speed to power element. Very good flexibility. Able to sink & swerve around the corner if he gets an early lead to the edge. Rushes with a forward lean. Elongated lateral slides can open into sprint. Hand usage is improving.

Weaknesses: Consistency of anchor at the point of attack is in question. Can be routed out of the gap by power. Doesn't make enough plays on the other side against the run. Held back by inconsistent play speed. Has footwork inconsistencies Needs better readiness to take on move blockers.

Comp: Chandler Jones

Grade: 6.38 (Chance to become a good starter) 

CB Chidobe Awuzie - Colorado (6'0, 202lbs)

2016: 2nd All-P12, 65tckls/6TFL, 1int/12pbu's

Combine: 4.43 40, 16reps, 34.5in vert jump

Strengths: Easy change of direction. Carries smooth backpedal downfield. Digests route combination from the zone. Springy feet allow for abrupt click & close to throw. Opens and swivels hips. Able to maintain coverage on shifty slot WRs. Instinctive with feel for route development. Short-area closing burst. Head turned around on deep throws.

Weaknesses: A short strider. Can be handsy down the field. Run support is lacking. Could use more aggressiveness and commitment when stepping downhill to tackle.

Comp: Prince Amukamara

Grade: 5.82 (Could become an early starter) 

WR Chris Godwin - Penn State (6'1", 209lbs)

2016: Honorable All-B10, 59rec/982yds/11TDs

Combine: 4.42 40, 19reps, 36in vert jump

Grade: 5.76 (Could become an early starter)

OLB Vince Biegel - Wisconsin (6'3", 246lbs)

2016: 2nd All-B10, 6TFL, 4scks

Combine: 4.67 40, 21reps, 33.5in vert jump

Strengths: Known for intensity, instinctive. Diagnoses zone blocks quickly. Works to keep outside shoulder uncovered against the run. Wrap-up tackler. First strike specialist at the point of attack. Leads hands first. Good run-pass recognition. Squeezes WRs from the zone. 

Weaknesses: Gets jostled around by tackles if he loses with his hands. Poor contact balance. Average three-step burst up-field. Missing footwork to activate spin counter.

Comp: Frank Zombo

Grade: 5.28 (developmental/ Special Team potential)

RB D'Onta Foreman - Texas (6'0, 233lbs)

2016: All-American, Doak Walker Award, 303att/ 2,028 total yds, 15TDs

Combine: 18reps

Strengths: Smooth lateral movement. Finesses run lanes with subtle shifts & turns. Swivels hips to swerve away from the second level. Jars LBs and safeties at impact with size alone. Rarely takes a loss do to bouncing outside. 

Weaknesses: Goes with finesse over power. Inconsistent acceleration into contact. A one pace runner. Looks to break back inside prematurely. Burst is average through the line. Ball security issues. Poor mechanics in pass protection.

Comp: Jonathan Stewart

Grade: 5.76 (Could become an early starter) 

LB Paul Maglorie Jr - Arizona (6'1", 227lbs)

Strengths: Instinctive around the box. Good feel for developing run lanes. Experience at safety, ILB, OLB. Motor always running. Head swivel looking for coverage responsibilities. 

Weaknesses: Stiff through hips. Poor reactive quickness. Inconsistent at playing off blocks. Lacks burst and recovery talent to take downhill chances into gaps.

Grade: 4.90

QB Joshua Dobbs - Tennessee (6'3", 216lbs)

2016: 2,946 pass yds, 27TDs/12ints,  831 rush yds. 12TDs

Combine: 4.64 40, 33in vert jump

Strengths: Ball handling and release quickness to get the ball out early. Tight spiral. Eye-catching deep ball accuracy. Good mental toughness. Explosive ability as a runner. 

Weaknesses: Below average delivery balance. Footwork is uneven. Throwing motion causes him to push some throws. Decision making not where it needs to be.

Grade: 5.23 (developmental/ special teams potential)

DT Isaac Rochell - Notre Dame (6'4", 280lbs)

2016: 56tckls/7TFL, 1sck

Combine: 4.89 40, 25reps, 31.5in vert jump

Strengths: Dependable & durable. Some bull-rush capability. Good arm extension after contact. Good bend and aggressiveness coming off of the ball. Not easily out leveraged against run blockers. A tackle finisher.

Weaknesses: One-speed pass rusher. Effort rusher with dull, predictable approach at times. Fails to activate skilled counter rushes. Fails to see blockers in front of him. Low number of early wins at the point of attack.

Comp: Lawrence Guy

Grade: 5.98 (could become an early starter) 

SNL Season 42: Jimmy Fallon

SNL's staggered schedule continued, as its about to go on another multi-week hiatus before its season ending run. So how did Jimmy Fallon do? Onto the review

Donald Trump Cold Open: Alec Baldwin once again opened the show as Trump, along with Beck Bennett as Mike Pence. They met in the white house, looking back at the past 100 days, before going into a Bachelor style ceremony with Bannon (Grim Reaper) and Kushner (Fallon) to see who gets to be Trump's top adviser. Bannon got the boot, with Kushner taking the main desk, becoming "President Kushner" while Trump goes back to his child's desk, playing with a toy. I wonder if "President Kushner" will bug him as much as "President Bannon" did? (7.5) 

Monologue: When you get Fallon you're going to get a musical monologue, which is exactly what happened. Fallon, along with a multitude of dancers, and Harry Styles danced through 30 rock to Bowie's "Lets Dance" in celebration of this being SNL's first "live coast to coast" airing. (8.0)

Celebrity Family Feud - Time Travel Edition: I was skeptical during the start of this, as the sketch usually contains the introduction of celebrity impersonations without much substance, but this one was slightly different. For one, Kate McKinnon does a great Kristen Stewart...which of course she does, because she's Kate McKinnon. Harry Styles made an appearance with a pretty decent Mick Jagger (though quite exaggerated). But the go-to here was Fallon playing both a 1970s and a current John Travolta, running across the stage in constant costume change. It actually came off pretty seamless. (7.1)

Before The Show (short): (7.7)

Take Me Back: I'm not going to spoil the punchline, but what a clever way to pack in some of the biggest news that spread like wildfire across social media this past week. (8.5)

Easter Message from Sean Spicer: With such a bad week from Spicer, I was hoping we'd get Melissa McCarthy returning as Spicer, but this time it felt off. She was taping this from Los Angeles, unable to make it to NYC. It was missing that punch with a live audience present. (6.3)

(Harry Styles): (8.4)

Weekend Update: (7.0)

Civil War Soldiers: (7.0)

Turtle shirt (ad): (8.3)

Sully & Denise: (6.0)

(Harry Styles): (8.6)

Basketball Scene (short): A nice, silly 10 to 1 short. As a movie is being seen, Fallon and Mikey Day in the background run into some problems playing basketball. There's something about that sort of background humor that really works and draws your attention. (8.0)

This was a fairly typical Jimmy Fallon-type of show, although Jimmy never really broke character during the entire show, unlike his entire snl run it seems. And is Fallon/Styles the new Fallon/JT? I wonder how JT is taking it. (7.57)

Dave Chappelle: 8.83
Kristen Stewart: 8.13

Tom Hanks: 8.03

Scarlett Johansson: 7.98

Aziz Ansari: 7.82

Lin Manuel Miranda: 7.74

Louis C.K: 7.65

Felicity Jones: 7.62

Alec Baldwin: 7.58

Jimmy Fallon: 7.57

Emma Stone: 7.56

Casey Affleck: 7.40

Margot Robbie: 7.38

John Cena: 7.19

Kristen Wiig: 7.09

Emily Blunt: 7.07

Benedict Cumberbatch: 6.60

Octavia Spencer: 6.49

2017 Steelers Draft Preview - Part 3

Believe it or not, the 2017 NFL Draft is well on its way, with the combine and pro days behind us. Like in prior years, I've put together a list of players who could be dressing up in the black and gold come the '17 season. These players are connected either through mock drafts (mainly Bleacher Report's Matt Miller), or Steelers visits. The profiles are summarized from NFL.com.

OG Nico Siragusa - San Diego St (6'4", 319lbs)

2016: 1st All-Mountain West

Combine: 5.35 40, 28reps, 32in vert jump

Strengths: Adequate hip bend to unlock power. Has a strong core. A drive blocker with strength to win individual battles. Able to redirect his weight. Anchor to handle bull rushes.

Weaknesses: Labors coming out of stance. Hands are a little slow with inconsistent placement. Impatient with punch. Unable to punch & mirror, allowing active rushers a pathway to his edge.

Comp: Chris Kemoeatu

Grade:  5.54 (backup/eventual starter)




WR Bobo Wilson - Florida St (5'9", 189lbs)

Combine: 4.57 40, 10reps

Strengths: Quick feet near the sideline to stick the catch. Flashes big burst into routes. Has natural acceleration. Good body control to reach back and pluck throws behind. Has return experience.

Weaknesses: Issues getting off press coverage. Doesn't have much hip sink. CBs are able to climb back into pattern and challenge catches. Hands are too inconsistent.

Grade: 4.95

S Desmond King - Iowa (5'10", 201lbs)

2016: 1st All-B10, 3ints/7pbu's

Combine: 14reps, 34in vert jump

Strengths: Instincts are off the charts. A focused QB reader. Pattern reader with anticipation to keep him ahead of the route. Creates unique angle to throws. Ball-tracking, hands & high-point talent. Good press strength. Has return skills. Is rough on slot-receivers.

Weaknesses: Struggles to carry receivers down field. Can be mismatched by legit speed. Lacks mirror & match fluidity and foot quickness. Relies on hand usage and grabbing over footwork. Lacks recovery speed to consistently close. Needs to show more explosion into tackles and improve wrap-up technique.

Comp: Jairus Byrd

Grade: 5.70 (could become an early starter) 

LB Tyus Bowser - Houston (6'3", 247lbs)

2016: 2nd All-AAC, 8.5scks, 12TFLs

Combine: 4.65 40, 21reps, 37.5in vert jump

Strengths: Bursts out of stance and challenges the edge. Ability to play a variety of spots. Crisp change of direction. Ability to pattern match TEs. 

Weaknesses: Can be engulfed by size. Needs to get better with his hands at the point of attack. Built around athleticism and not enough around skill. Has to get tougher and more skilled against the run.

Comp: Eli Harold

Grade: 5.86 (could become an early starter)

LB Jabrill Peppers - Michigan (5'11", 213lbs)

2016: B10 LB OTY, 1st All-B10, 72tckls/16TFLs/4scks, 1int

Combine: 4.46 40, 19reps, 35.5in vert jump

Strengths: Fluid in space, desired change of direction talent. Jack of all trades, can play the slot, safety or LB in any given game. Hits with as much force as he can muster. Big closing burst. Runs plays down from sideline to sideline, disrupts runs. Has man-cover talent, and is physical enough to handle most TEs. Enough quickness to match receivers. A capable blitzer. An electric return man.

Weaknesses: Slow to recognize construct of a play. Doesn't always trust his feet in coverage. Slow to read and range when the ball is in the air. Can be overzealous in play action. Leads into tackles with a ducked head. Opts to hit rather than wrap-up.

Comp: Eric Weddle

Grade: 6.18 (Chance to become a good starter) 

WR Mike Williams - Clemson (6'4", 218lbs)

2016: 2nd All-American, 1st All-ACC, 84rec/1,171yds/10TDs

Combine: 15reps, 32.5in vert jump

Strengths: Sells vertical push. Uses his hands to create late separation on vertical throws. A 50/50 ball winner. Ball tracking is impeccable. Body control to dig out low balls. Concentration ramps up when routes take him between the hashes. Makes CBs miss after the catch.

Weaknesses: Occasionally runs into focus drops. Route work lacks focus & energy. Creates very little indecision from CBs with head fakes & jab steps. Has average release quickness. Gets hung up by press corners. Needs to play to his size.

Comp: Plaxico Burress

Grade: 6.29 (Chance to become a good starter) 

DE Tim Williams - Alabama (6'3", 244lbs)

2016: 2nd All-American, 1st All-SEC, 31tckls/16TFLs, 9scks

Combine: 4.68 40, 33.5in vert jump

Strengths: Rockets out of sprint like a track sprinter. True edge bending ability as a rusher. Shows a good feel for pass-rush arc. Hand usage well-timed as a rusher. Plus foot quickness with the smoothness to drop into coverage and operate in space on zone blitzes. 

Weaknesses: Can be taken advantage of with screen passes & misdirection. Still needs work as an edge setter. Athletic tackles with a well-timed punch can stymie his rush plans. Needs to do a better job of getting set pre-snap.

Comp: Leonard Floyd

Grade: 6.04 (Chance to become a good starter)

WR Corey Davis - Western Michigan (6'3", 209lbs)

2016: 1st All-American, 97rec/1,500yds/19TDs

Strengths: Focused like a laser when the ball is in the air. Tracks the deep ball as well as anyone. Second gear to run under the long ball. Variable route speed creates indecision for defenders. Play speed features access to functional burst. Can defeat inside leverage. Works aggressively back to the ball. Dominates in the redzone. A high-point catcher.

Weaknesses: Doesn't always sell vertical routes aggressively. Sometimes allows defenders to squeeze route. Needs to improve quickness into and out of his breaks underneath. Has some focus drops. Not asked to do much blocking.

Comp: Eric Decker

Grade: 6.26 (Chance to become a good starter)

QB Nathan Peterman - Pittsburgh (6'2", 226lbs)

2016: 60.5% compl, 2,855yds, 27TDs/7ints

Combine: 4.82 40, 31in vert jump

Strengths: Smooth, quick set-up in the pocket. Poised in the pocket. Can cut it loose from off-balance angles. Full field reader. Strong natural accuracy. Can pinpoint passes to moving targets in intermediate work. Sees passing window before it develops. Outstanding timing & anticipation. Challenges windows on all three levels. Has good escapability. 

Weaknesses: Inconsistent delivery base causes throws to sail. Will float some throws on seams. Ball handling a little sluggish in screens. Wants to play hero-ball. Gets too cute with some sideline throws.

Comp: Kirk Cousins

Grade: 5.79 (Could become an early starter)

SNL Season 42 - Louis CK

SNL returned after a decent sized hiatus in this jumbled 2nd half schedule. Would they get back on track? Onto the review.

Trump's People Cold Open: Alec Baldwin returns as Trump as he conducts a townhall of his supporters in Kentucky. I wasn't sure what angle they would take here, but they went more towards how these people start to realize that Trump might not have their best interests in mind. They ask him about jobs, with Trump responding "only 2 places for men to work, coal mines and Goldman Sach's". This cold open paints Trump as more of a con-man. (7.7)

Monologue: As it goes, stand-up routine monologues are always the best, and that was the case here with Louis C.K. He put his own unique twist on white male privilege. He definitely knows how to walk a fine line. (9.0) 

Thank You, Scott (short): This was a good take on "hashtag/social media activism". Louis C.K. plays Scott, a guys who gets active in the "resistance" via sharing posts on facebook. This is really what a lot of people do (i'll admit, myself included at times), sharing posts or articles and then moving on to something else. (8.7)

The Lawyer: This was one of those sketches that really only had 1 main punchline, but Louis C.K sold it 100% to make it work. As a defense lawyer, he charms everyone, from the judge (Kenan Thompson) to the jury and prosecutor (Aidy Bryant & Vannesa Bayer) with his luxurious eyelashes. I don't know if this was a sponsored sketch by Maybelline or not, but it worked. (8.4)

Soda Shop: (6.7)

Pepsi Commercial (short): You just knew SNL was going to take on that panned Kendall Jenner Pepsi ad, but instead of a straight up parody, they gave us a behind the scenes look at how it played out with the director (Beck Bennett). Beck calls around for various opinions on the premise of the ad, with the unanimous response being "stop". It's both humorous, but also a little uncomfortable as you see Beck scrambling to stop it. (9.4)

(The Chainsmokers): (4.3)

Weekend Update: (7.4)

The O'Reilly Factor w/ Donald Trump: Baldwin did double duty on this sketch, playing both Trump and Bill O'Reilly. His O'Reilly impression was right up there with his Donald impression. There was a bit of a timing issue with this, but the classic lines here were the ads that were still sticking with the O'Reilly factor "cocaine for dogs....and the movie Chips". (6.8)

Birthday Clown (short): This was like something out of a Louie episode. Bobby Moynihan plays a clown who shows up at a middle aged guy's house (Louis C.K) to entertain him for his birthday. It sort of flipped that whole 'clowns are creepy' narrative, as the clown was the one more disturbed/terrified, as the short closes with Louis C.K being a serial killer. (8.7)

Sectionals: Who would have thought that an infomercial on sectional couches could be hilarious? Again, Louis C.K just sells it and makes it worse. A classic 10 to 1 sort of sketch. (7.6)

(The Chainsmokers): (6.3)

Tenement Museum: On a tour, we see a reenactment of a Polish couple played by Louis and Kate McKinnon, as they make stereotypical Italian jokes. What made this work though was that Louis's accent caused Kate to break (and its tough to get Kate to break....she's usually the one to do it to everyone else). His accent just kept morphing and morphing....becoming Borat-esque. (8.4)

Louis C.K was the right guest to put things in motion with such a long layoff. He just sells every role he's in. It'll be interesting to see how Jimmy Fallon does next week. (7.65)

Dave Chappelle: 8.83
Kristen Stewart: 8.13

Tom Hanks: 8.03

Scarlett Johansson: 7.98

Aziz Ansari: 7.82

Lin Manuel Miranda: 7.74

Louis C.K: 7.65

Felicity Jones: 7.62

Alec Baldwin: 7.58

Emma Stone: 7.56

Casey Affleck: 7.40

Margot Robbie: 7.38

John Cena: 7.19

Kristen Wiig: 7.09

Emily Blunt: 7.07

Benedict Cumberbatch: 6.60

Octavia Spencer: 6.49