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.
RB Mike Weber (Ohio St) 5'10" 211lbs
2018: Honorable All-Big10, 172car/954yds/5TDs, 21rec/112yds/1TD
combine: 4.47s 40, 22reps, 33.5" vert
strengths: Vision is his strength. A smooth downhill decision maker. Able to work around early traffic & keep the run alive. Passes desired level of balance through contact. Reliable leak-out option in the passing game. A natural catcher.
weaknesses: Inefficient in stacking moves. Monotone downhill pace. Doesn't have desired level of burst. Has below-average acceleration. Hip tightness. A lack of burst when play spills wide.
grade: 5.31 (Backup/Special Teams potential)
LB Ben Burr-Kirven (Washington) 6' 230lbs
2018: 1st All-American, Pac-12 DPOY, 176tckl/5.5TFL, 2scks, 3FR/2FF, 2INT/6 breakups
combine: 4.56s 40, 21reps, 34.5" vert
strengths: A frequent tackler. Outstanding instincts. Replicates & mirrors lane choices. Makes a point tackling the football. High fumble production. Has excellent balance. Takes it away if the QB's eyes lingers on a target.
weaknesses: Takes steep pursuit angles. Slow to punch & plays away from the blocker. Downhill drift gets him trapped against counters. Gives away run fit with attempts to elude blocks. Needs more control in his approach to tackle WR's in big spaces.
comp: Jayon Brown
grade: 5.33 (Backup/Special Teams potential)
CB Sean Bunting (Central Michigan) 6' 195lbs
2018: 1st All-MAC, 37tck/3TFL, 2INTs, 2FF
combine: 4.42s 40, 14reps, 41.5" vert
strengths: Flips his hips to sprint without needing to reset his feet. Looks to physically smother outside releases. Flows with bends of routes & stays under control. Above-average ball skills. Plays the ball, not the man. Adjusts as a ball-tracker.
weaknesses: Below-average play strength. Lunges from the press when lateral mirror breaks down. Drags behind against true vertical speed. Lacks make-up speed. Average plant-and-drive from the ball. Close-out burst on short throws lacks juice,
comp: Levi Wallace
grade: 5.71 (Chance to be a starter)
WR David Sills (West Virginia) 6'3" 211lbs
2018: 3rd All-American/1st All-Big12, 65rec/986yds/15TDs
combine: 4.57s 40, 14reps, 37.5" vert
strengths: Has some build-up speed to surprise squatting CBs. Improving as a route-runner. Leverages additional throwing space to the boundary. Clever creating late-catch separation through hand fighting. Body control for mid-air turning. Elevates & high-points 50-50 balls. A goal-line specialist. Can gear down & stack corners while tracking the football deep.
weaknesses: Below-average play strength. Unable to get free from tight man coverage. Lacks top-end speed to separate. Slow to gather & open on comebacks. Has issues with contested catches. Drops were an issue in 2018.
comp: Josh Reynolds
grade: 5.42 (Backup/Special Teams potential)
TE Noah Fant (Iowa) 6'4" 249lbs
2018: 3rd All-American/1st All-Big 10, 39rec/519yds/7TDs
combine: 4.50s 40, 20reps, 39.5" vert
strengths: Accelerates off the snap for immediate seam & attacks. Runs with long, loose strides downfield. A springy leaper with an outstanding catch radius. Sinks & scoops low throws. Speed to take off after the catch. Able to stay balanced & centered as a move blocker. Initial hands as a blocker are inside & well-placed.
weaknesses: Lacks play strength necessary at the point of attack. Needs to compete harder on backside blocks. Must learn to adjust routes & fight through contact. Needs to create better catch space. Loses focus in traffic, leading to drops. Slow to turn & find the ball and make adjustments to under-throws.
comp: Eric Ebron
grade: 5.90 (Chance to be a starter)
RB Kerrith Whyte (Florida Atlantic) 5'10" 197lbs
2018: 2nd All-CUSA returner, 1 return TD (28.7yd avg), Honorable All-CUSA, 134car/826yds/8TDs, 10rec/160yds/2TDs
strengths: Tough, explosive runner with good early pace. Burst to drive past the 2nd level. Speed to turn the corner wide. Runs aggressively through contact with above-average balance. Late hip slip to elude angle tackles willing to sit & square blitzers. Hits it downfield with no-nonsense return style.
weaknesses: Below-average vision. Leaves yards on the field. Needs more finesse in finding tracks between tackles. Finds more traffic than he should. Inconsistent tracking passes. Gets the QB hit in protection.
comp: Jordan Todman
grade: 5.28 (Backup/Special Teams potential)
S Will Harris (Boston College) 6'1" 207lbs
2018: 3rd All-ACC, 75tckls, 1INT
combine: 4.41s 40, 20reps, 36.5" vert
strengths: Size & cover talent to line up over TEs, Hearty hitter when greeting pass catchers. A quick trigger into the alleys. Tackles with good positioning & body control. Offers immediate coverage talent on special teams.
weaknesses: Lacks instincts & closing skill to disrupt in coverage. Lacks feel from the zone. Drive from transitions gets stuck in neutral. Inconsistent feel for pursuit angles allows additional yardage. Lacks tone-setting power in run support. Slow to punch & play off blocks.
comp: Bradley McDougald
grade: 5.36 (Backup/Special Teams potential)
WR Diontae Johnson (Toledo) 5'10" 183lbs
2018: 1st All-MAC punt returner (18.5yd avg), 2nd All-MAC kick returner (25.8yd avg), 1st All-MAC, 49rec/761yds/8TDs
combine: 4.53s 40, 15reps, 33.5" vert
strengths: Big-time playmaking potential. A twitchy mover. Agile & sudden to slide easily around the press. Early acceleration creates early route leads. Plays with toughness & fights for his leverage. Electric feet for sharp route cuts. Gadget talent for screens & sweeps.
weaknesses: Below-average play strength. Needs to trust routes. Needs better balance & footwork in routes. Focus drops are an issue. Has issues pulling in balls outside his frame.
comp: Emmanuel Sanders
grade: 5.59 (Chance to be a starter)
CB Stephen Denmark (Valdosta St) 6'3" 220lbs
2018: 2nd All-Gulf South, 55tckl/8TFL, 3INTs/9 breakups
strengths: Halts route schedule when he can body WRs. Smooth hips to bend with routes from trail. Has a big recovery gear. Length & ball skills to win jump balls. Comes downhill with aggressive demeanor as a tackler. Consistent to close & wrap as a finisher.
weaknesses: Upright in press with a narrow base. Indecisive footwork & jam technique from the press. Too easy to tilt off-balance with fakes. Excessive false steps. Unbalanced in transitions. Lacks confidence to play with eye-balance from off-coverage.
grade: 5.26 (Backup/Special Teams potential)
CB Lonnie Johnson (Kentucky) 6'2" 213lbs
2018: 23tckls, 1INT/4 breakups
combine: 4.52s 40, 15reps, 38" vert
strengths: Offers a stiff jab to stall a WR's release near the goal line. Fluid feet in early stages of mirror-and-match from press or off-man. Lateral transitions are fluid. Effective use of length when throws are in front of him. Shows flashes of aggression to become better in run support. Dangerous off the edge as a kick blocker.
weaknesses: Motor runs hot & cold in run support. Below-average ball skills. Rarely finds the football once his back is to the QB. Slow to gather feet & trigger on throws from off coverage. Rare to challenge the high point. Lacks top-end makeup speed. Below-average route anticipation.
comp: Tharold Simon
grade: 5.82 (Chance to be a starter)
DE Clelin Ferrell (Clemson) 6'4" 264lbs
2018: 1st All-ACC, Ted Hendricks Award, 53tck/19.5TFL, 11.5scks, 4 breakups, 3FFs
combine: 25reps
strengths: First off the ball. Traits to punch & control blocker's frame in setting the edge. Unloads his shoulder into leads & pulls. Project-able power rusher on the next level. Has violent hands. Targets tackle's inside or outside hand when attacking the punch. Base to drive through redirect blocks. Potential with low, smooth clockwise spin move. Attentive in redirecting TEs into routes.
weaknesses: Below-average fluidity. Hands & feet not-always in unison. Average burst to close. Struggles to veer off the path to tail pocket-climbers. Limited lateral quickness. Could use better knee bend. Slow to unglue once tackles capture his frame. Marginal open-field tackling ability.
comp: Derrick Morgan
grade: 6.07 (Should be an instant starter)
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