Monday, March 25, 2019

2019 Draft: Steelers Prospects Preview - Pt. 1







These draft prospects come from a selection of mock drafts connected to the steelers, and/or team visits. The player summaries come from NFL.com.



DE/OLB Jaylon Ferguson (La. Tech)   6'5", 271lbs














2018: AP 3rd All-American, 64tckls/26TFLs, 17.5scks, 3 breakups, 2FFs

strengths: Consistent high-impact production during his college career. Able to unhinge from blocks with a spin move & violent hands. Varies pass-rush approach with go-to moves for all angles of attack. An instinctive rusher. Plays with forward lean and powerful rip-and-run move around the edge.

weaknesses: Could struggle to chase & close out outside run plays. Loses leverage battle when he fails to strike and lock out early. Upright attack limits his effectiveness of inside moves. Hard-charging, downhill approach to QB hinders body control to corral pocket-climbers.

comp: Marcus Davenport

grade: 6.06 (Should become instant starter)




CB Deandre Baker (Georgia)  5'11" 193lbs















2018: 1st All-SEC, 1st All-American, Thorpe Award, 40tckls, 2INTs, 10 breakups

combine: 4.52s 40, 14reps

strengths: Confident on press-coverage. Quick trigger to turn & sprint when needed. Good feel for timing of route breaks for effective matching. Has excellent field awareness. Impressive burst to close. Good timing on jump balls. Willing and able as open-field tackler.

weaknesses: Early to open hips against press faking. Grabby when trailing complex routes. Inconsistent reading QB's eyes for early jumps on the throw. Struggles to disengage from blocks in perimeter run support.

comp: Asante Samuel

grade: 6.15 (Should become instant starter)




LB Germaine Pratt (NC State)  6'2" 240lbs
















2018: 1st All-ACC, 104tckls/10.5TFLs, 6scks

combine: 4.57s 40, 24reps, 32.5" vert

strengths: A controlled stepper in scrape to pursue. Backside lateral burst to find playside tackles. Play speed to range & chase. Above-average reaction twitch. Times up blitzes. Fluid, fast drops into space. Has ability to cover TE's.

weaknesses: Plays with tight ankles and below-average bend. Not a natural gap filler. Lacks some feel for blocking schemes. High pad level limits change-of-direction quickness.

comp: Tahir Whitehead

grade: 5.58 (Chance to become a starter)



LB Devin Bush (Michigan) 5'11" 234lbs














2018: Big 10 DPOY, 2nd All-American, 80tckls/9.5TFLs, 5scks, 6 breakups

combine: 4.43s 40, 21reps, 40.5" vert

strengths: Trusts his eyes. Has good patience. Very good body control & balance. Proactive with hands to balance against wash-down blocks. Strong legs drive through upright blocks. A sideline-to-sideline runner. Disguises launch point as a blitzer.

weaknesses: Average reactive time in early response. Slow to process & diagnose against misdirection. Too many block challenges. Requires better pursuit leverage. Runs himself out of tackle attempts.

comp: Stephen Tulloch

grade: 5.99 (Chance to become a starter)



LB Tre Lamar (Clemson)  6'3" 253lbs












2018: 2nd All-ACC, 85tckls/5.5TFLs, 3scks, 1int

strengths: Good knee-bend and eye-discipline in set-up. Power & size to leverage gap. Occupies blocks and clouds run lanes. Gas special teams values.

weaknesses: Feet are heavy & hips are tight. Poor foot quickness. Limited range to sideline. Absence of recovery traits. Needs to improve hand aggression. Below-average cover talent.

comp: Josh Perry

grade: 5.20 (Backup/Special teams potential)



TE Foster Moreau (LSU)  6'4" 252lbs

















2018: 22rec/272yds/2TDs

combine: 4.66s 40, 22reps, 36.5" vert

strengths: Sustains & finishes blocks. Long strides to maintain positioning of hips. Well-conditioned and maintains technique late in games. Tends to be a punishing runner after the catch.

weaknesses: Sluggish start-up quickness. Doesn't work hard to create space. Can be clumsy around excessive foot traffic.

comp: Logan Paulsen

grade: 5.39 (Backup/Special teams potential)



CB Byron Murphy (Washington)  5'11" 190lbs












2018: 1st All-Pac 12, 2nd All-American, 58tckls/4TFLs, 4ints, 13 breakups

combine: 4.55s 40, 14reps, 36.5" vert

strengths: High football IQ & instincts. Twitchy feet for instant plant & drive. Good downfield body control to track and play the ball. Steps downfield & strikes. Hyper-competitive in run-support duties.

weaknesses: Below-average footwork. Grabs & hitches to receiver. Can overrun tackles. Lacks fluidity in transition. Not an explosive leaper. Has average recovery burst.

comp: Brent Grimes

grade: 5.95 (Chance to become a starter)



LB Lyndell "Mack" Wilson (Alabama) 6'1" 240lbs











2018: 2nd All-SEC, 71tckls/5TFLs, 2ints, 5 breakups

combine: 32" vert

strengths: Good with his hands. Able to unlock hips and explode into blockers. Anticipates run-lane choice. Can trigger downhill. Able to cover TE's & RB's. Fluid in drop coverage. Makes acrobatic catches.

weaknesses: Limited number of instinctive shots into gaps. Tends to widen run-lane  when side-stepping blocks. Needs to better constrict the run lane. Some issues getting off of blocks.

comp: C.J. Mosley

grade: 5.90 (Chance to become a starter)


CB Andraez "Greedy" Williams (LSU)  6'2" 185lbs












2018: 1st All-SEC, 2nd All-American, 33tckls, 2int's, 9 breakups

combine: 4.37s 40

strengths: Patient & calm. Balance and agility to recover from missteps. Maintains route feel. Smooth hips. Good ball production. Balances his eyes. Able to find passing lanes.

weaknesses: Release mirror is average. Lacks initial quickness. Needs to eliminate grabbing & clutching from trail. Issues locating the ball when his back is to it. Not competitive enough getting off of blocks. A below-average tackler.

comp: Antoine Cason

grade: 6.21 (Should become instant starter)



DE/OLB Christian Miller (Alabama)  6'3" 247lbs












2018: 36tckls/11.5TFLs, 8.5scks, 1 breakup

combine: 38.5" vert

strengths: A quality get-off. Effective use of arm length. Maintains distance as a rusher. Avoids being punched squarely. Sudden, aggressive swats. Loose hips to pivot around the edge. Above average pursuit speed to the sideline. Fluid to drop & cover blocks headed out of the backfield.

weaknesses: Lacks sand to anchor and can get manhandled by tackles. Needs to ramp up physicality. He's unable to convert speed into power. Can't power through edges as a rusher. Doesn't have the base strength to balance against redirect blocks.

comp: Samson Ebukam

grade: 5.83 (Chance to become a starter)



RB Benny Snell (Kentucky)  5'10" 224lbs














2018: 3rd All-American, 1st All-SEC 289car, 1,449yds, 16TDs

combine: 4.66s 40, 16reps, 29.5" vert

strengths: Patient letting blocks develop. Eyes are quick. Preemptive fakes in open field creates additional running room. Has a strong base. Above-average catch radius out of the backfield.

weaknesses: Runs with heavy feet. Below-average lateral quickness. Trouble getting geared back. Very average burst through the line of scrimmage.

comp: David Cobb

grade: 5.34 (Backup/Special teams potential)


TE Jace Sternberger (Texas A&M)  6'4" 251lbs












2018: 1st All-SEC, 48rec/832yds/10TDs

combine: 4.75s 40, 17reps, 31.5" vert

strengths: A talented route-runner. Sets off-man coverage up before accelerating past. Runs routes like a big WR. Keeps some energy in & out of breaks. Above-average hands. Plus in-air adjustments and grab radius. Runs with vision after the catch.

weaknesses: Below-average run blocking. Allows backside leakage due to poor angles. Needs longer sustain as a blocker in space. Inconsistent finishing catches through contact.

comp: Jacob Tamme

grade: 5.66 (Chance to become starter)

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