Tuesday, April 5, 2022

2022 NFL Draft Preview: Pittsburgh Steelers Part 1

 




All the summaries and scores come courtesy from NFL.com.




Kenny Pickett QB (Pittsburgh)  6'3" 217




2021: 334/497 4,319yds (67.2%) 42TDs/7INTs, 241 rush yds/5TDs,  ACC POY/OPOY, 2nd All-American, Heisman Finalist

Combine: 4.73s 40, 33.5" vert

Strengths: In a passing scheme that required full-field reads. Good recognition and decisions on combo-route throws to all levels. Worked with improved anticipation and tight spiral into windows. Velocity to stay ahead of closing coverage. Able to extend the play and win on the move with his arm. Arm talent to make off-platform throws. Elusiveness to escape a free runner and scramble for yards.

Weaknesses: Nervous feet and poise can get the best of him despite clean pockets. Feet don't always follow his eyes when throwing. Poor placement and touch added to drop issues. Better timing would prevent contested catches. Doesn't throw with much of an expedited release. Needs to take the incompletion instead of the sack.

Score: 6.40 (Will become a good starter within 2 years)  Next Gen: 84 (good)

Comp: Andy Dalton (prime years)



Nik Bonitto EDGE (Oklahoma) 6'3" 248


 


2021: 39 tckls/15TFLs, 7scks, 1FF, 1PD, 3rd All-American/2nd All-BIG 12

Combine: 4.54s 40, 35.5" vert

Strengths: Quick, athletic & agile from anywhere on the field. Change of direction and burst to pursue & tackle in space. Slippery to slide off a block and make a tackle. Menacing edge-to-edge foot quickness. Counters come instinctively. Bends & flattens around the corner and into the pocket. 

Weaknesses: Gets himself swallowed & sealed in contain duties. Needs to keep his motor turned up away from the ball. Below-average speed-to-power conversion. Hands lack power to grease the edge. Redirect punch knocks him off of a light base.

Score: 6.33 (Will eventually be a plus starter) Next Gen: 74 (Average)

Comp: Vic Beasley



Jamaree Salyer OG (Georgia) 6'3" 321


  

2021: 2nd All-SEC

Combine: 31 reps

Strengths: Relatively calm hands help maximize his length. Bounces defenders off-balance with clubbing hands. Keeps his feet on the move as a base blocker. Sinks hands into pads & clinches up. Extends & shoves gap-runners off their path.

Weaknesses: High-cut with below-average flexibility. Stiff lower half prevents lateral block success. Often leads with his helmet before hands-feet. Mirroring can be labored & slow. Unable to sink a sudden anchor when needed.

Score: 6.19 (Good backup with potential to develop as a starter) Next Gen: 78 (Good)

Comp: Quinton Spain



Trevor Penning OT (Northern Iowa) 6'7" 325



2021: 1st All-MVFC, 1st FCS All-American

Combine: 4.89s 40, 28" vert

Strengths: Compact, efficient movements as a run blocker. Arcs up to LBs with good balance & control. Size, strength and bend equal to bulldozing potential. Punches with sharp inside stab to the sternum.

Weaknesses: Power zone is a little more narrow than expected. Below-average move adjustments due to size. Inconsistent recognition and snap-offs against twists. Needs to clasp & snuff out room to counter for the rusher.

Score: 6.40 (Will be a good starter within 2 years) Next Gen: 85 (Good)

Comp: Jon Runyan Sr. (Size/Demeanor) Riley Reiff (Play Style)



Charlie Cross OT (Mississippi St.) 6'5" 307










2021: 1st All-SEC

Combine: 4.95s 40, 26" vert

Strengths: Maximizes arm length in pass sets. Times up hands and clamps into face-up rushers. Body control and core strength for extended mirrors. Adequate tools for recovery against speed. Explodes into run fit with powerful hand strike. Able to stay connected to a block in the box & in space. Runs feet to finish what he starts.

Weaknesses: Inconsistent finding positioning on reach blocks. Struggles with inside recovery against slants. Needs greater variance of sets & punches. Edge burners create some lunge at the top of the rush. Gets gamed out of position by twists.

Score: 6.44 (Will be a good starter within 2 years) Next Gen: 91 (Elite)

Comp: Taylor Moton (Physical) Tristan Wirfs (Play)



 

Sam Howell QB (North Carolina) 6'1" 218


  







2021: 217/347 3,056yds (62.5%), 24TDs/9INTs, 183att/828yds, 11TDs

Strengths: Climbs the pocket with his scanner still clicked on. Can get to his 3rd read across the field. Looks for explosive throws outside the pocket. Nimble dealing with foot traffic. Red-zone value as a runner. Frisky with shake to elude & pop to finish. 

Weaknesses: Touch & timing both need work. Muscles throws with upper-body causing the ball to sail. Gives the safety a head-start to make plays over the top. Placement issues make WRs work hard. Lacks accuracy on drive throws. Needs to trust his eyes. Takes unnecessary sacks. 

Score: 6.40 (Will become a good starter within 2 years) Next Gen: 82 (Good)

Comp: Chase Daniel



Matt Corral QB (Mississippi) 6'2" 212










2021: 2nd All-SEC, 262/386 3,348yds (67.9%) 20TDs/5INTs, 152att/614yds 11TDs

Strengths: Hasty ball-handling for quick game and RPOs. Impressive release quickness & rips a tight spiral. Above-average arm strength for smaller QBs. Twitched-up hips to generate drive on window throws. Would rather take a sack then put the ball up for grabs. Able to slip away from pressure. Both elusive and combative on called runs & scrambles. 

Weaknesses: Too haphazard as a runner to sustain durability. Needs to prove he can become a full-field reader. Deep ball needs to come out early for speedy NFL targets. Most of his INTs were layups for defenders. Poise & placement take a hit once his feet are moving. Takes too long to leave the pocket and seek refuge under duress.

Score: 6.40 (Will become a good starter within 2 years) Next Gen: 89 (Good)

Comp: Baker Mayfield



Travon Walker DE (Georgia) 6'5" 272










2021: 37tckls/7.5TFLs, 6scks

Combine: 4.51s 40, 35.5" vert

Strengths: Transfers power from his hips to his hands to lift opponents' pads. Violent hands create a jarring pop. Able to stack & release for tackles near his gaps. Use of length make him difficult to latch onto. Pure power occasionally opens rush paths to the pocket. Stays on his feet throughout the game. 

Weaknesses: Below-average get-off playing inside or outside. Very limited bend in his lower half. Dull pursuit burst in space. Not threatening as an edge-to-edge rusher. Will need scheme help as an NFL rusher.

Score: 6.48 (Will become a good starter within 2 years) Next Gen: 80 (Good)

Comp: Chris Wormley



Malik Willis QB (Liberty) 6'0 1/2 " 219



  








2021: 207/339, 2,857yds (61.1%), 27TDs/12INTs, 197att/878yds, 13TDs

Strengths: Electrifying dual-threat ability & potential. Rare escapability & elusiveness on the go. Able to pace his release according to need. Ability to recognize the blitz and get the ball out. Arm strength capable of winning in tight windows. Beats safeties on deep sideline throws. Wide-lens field scan on rollouts & scrambles. Strong hands for fluid pump, reset & launch. 

Weaknesses: Below-average climbing the pocket and staying throw-ready. Drops his eyes rather than standing and delivering in face of pressure. Allows throwing windows to close on him. Pressed & took unnecessary sacks. Throwing mechanics lack repeatable consistency. Deep balls can be rushed & a little flat. Ball placement causes stride breaks & adjustments for wideouts. Accuracy plummets when scrambling.

Score: 6.41 (Will become a good starter within 2 years) Next Gen: 79 (Good)

Comp: Jay Cutler (Arm)/ Jalen Hurts (Build/Play Style)



Tyler Linderbaum C (Iowa) 6'2" 296









2021: Rimington Trophy, Unanimous All-American, 1st All-Big 10

Strengths: Gets snap hand where it needs to go quickly. Hands, hip & feet are harmonious. Explosiveness in his dip & lift against nose tackles. Fluid & fast for climbs to the MLB and long pulls in space. Footwork & body control make him a magnet during sustain phase. Finds additional work when uncovered. Tremendous reactive athletic agility for recovering.

Weaknesses: True two-gappers will discard his base block. Drive base can get hurried & narrow. Bull rushers can be a problem. Needs to limit oversets and calm his initial movements. Shotgun snaps are a little too tall.

Score: 6.70 (Year 1 Starter) Next Gen: 99 (Elite)

Comp: Jason Kelce



Darian Kinnard OG (Kentucky) 6'5" 322


  







2021: 1st All-American, 1st All-SEC

Combine: 5.31s 40, 25" vert

Strengths: Able to generate instant movement when technique is right. Torques & turns defenders out of gap. Looks for physical, nasty block finishes. Maintains balance & posture when punching. Ankle flexion improves his anchor. 

Weaknesses: Lackadaisical approach in pass punch. His mirroring cracks during the 2nd half of rush. Struggles to get block centered and keep it there. Falls off the block due to narrow drive steps. Spends too much time on the ground.

Score: 6.24 (Will eventually become an average starter) Next Gen: 75 (Good)

Comp: Cody Ford



Bryan Cook S (Cincinnati) 6'1" 206










2021: 1st All-AAC, 96tckls/5TFLs, 1sck, 2INTs, 9PDs

Strengths: A former CB with ability to match over the slot. Digests route combinations and comes out clean. Changes direction quickly when reading the QB. Triggers & tackles quickly from zone. Counted on to help fit up & frustrate the run game. Contains and upends outside run.

Weaknesses: Technique to stack his take-ons will need work. Average reactive quickness against slashers. Slides off tackles when he doesn't run through contact. Loses some leverage pursuing catches on the flank. Anticipation makes him susceptible to route fakes.

Score: 6.37 (Will eventually be a plus starter) Next Gen: 73 (Average)

Comp: Julian Blackmon



Trent McDuffie CB (Washington) 5'11" 193









2021: 3rd All-American, 1st All-PAC 12, 35tckls, 1sck, 6PDs

Combine: 4.44s 40

Strengths: Patience and well-balanced to mirror & match a clever release. Swivels and stays connected to cross-face routes. Body control & foot quickness allow for elite phase potential. Natural feel for angles to the ball. Tenacious in run support. Wipes out run after the catch with decisive blows.

Weaknesses: Could struggle to defend throws from trail. Waits for the release to begin before squeezing tight. Could have issues banging on big wideouts.

Score: 6.70 (Year 1 Starter) Next Gen: 84 (Good)

Comp: Jaire Alexander



Andrew Booth CB (Clemson) 6'0" 194










2021: 1st All-ACC, 37tckls, 3INTs, 5PDs

Strengths: Feet are very agile & twitchy. Strength to maintain extended jab through release. Backpedal is smooth & fast. Consistently competitive and urgent in his coverage. Awareness to read & overlap from zone. Ball judgment & tracking is top-notch. A downhill striker.

Weaknesses: Will need to dial back physical hands beyond the line of scrimmage. False steps and inefficiencies in coverage movements. Gets prematurely turned by a quality route-runner. Can be too anticipatory and over reactive. Tackling lacks control at times.

Score: 6.40 (Will be a good starter within 2 years) Next Gen: 84 (Good)

Comp: Janoris Jenkins



Wan'Dale Robinson WR (Kentucky) 5'8" 178


   











2021: 2nd All-SEC, 104rec/1,334yds 7TDs

Combo: 4.44s 40, 34.5" vert

Strengths: Gadget-guy talent for creative play-callers. Juice to consistently uncover on option routes. Talented with the ball possessing excellent vision. Has feet to slip out of traffic untouched. Eludes route traffic and tracks throws effectively. Quick with his change of direction.

Weaknesses: Below-average strength to play through press. Drifts through turns, allowing undercutting by coverage. Average fluidity through route stems. Restricted catch radius to throws outside his frame.

Score: 6.17 (A good backup with potential to develop to a starter) Next Gen: 80 (Good)



Quay Walker LB (Georgia) 6'4" 241








2021: AFCA 2nd All-American, 63tckls, 1.5scks, 2PDs

Combine: 4,52s 40, 32"vert

Strengths: Plays with lively, ready feet. Quick recognition into response. Recognizes blocking scheme & play design. Snappy hands to play off blocks quickly. Consistent hustle away from the ball. Reliable, face-up tackler near the line. 

Weaknesses: Has some tightness in his hips. Upright in 2nd-level movements. Play strength doesn't always match his size. Inconsistent finding the best level to elude the block. Erratic vision and response in coverage. Will overrun his target in space.

Score: 6.27 (Will eventually be an average starter) Next Gen: 75 (Good)



Connor Heyward TE (Michigan St.) 5'11" 233










2021: Honorable All-BIG 10, 35rec/326yds 2TDs

Combine: 4.72s 40, 32.5"vert

Strengths: Former RB provides potential run & catch versatility. Hands are natural, strong & quick. RB instincts and acceleration as a target in the screen game. Accelerates quickly and finishes powerfully after the catch. Experience with punt coverage & kick returns.

Weaknesses: One-speed route runner. Minimal depth of target as a college pass-catcher. Requires additional control and technique as a blocker. Lacks coordination of hands & feet at the point of attack. Missing length & mass to control an NFL defender.

Score: 5.60 (Candidate for the bottom of the roster or Practice Squad) Next Gen: 61 (Below-Average)



Carson Strong QB (Nevada) 6'3" 226










2021: 1st All-Mountain West, 367/523 4,186yds (70.2%), 36TDs/8INTs, 51att/208yds

Strengths: Took care of the football in the red area. Able to make splash throws off-platform. Elite combination of velocity & touch. Release is effortless and can come from a variety of angles. Can make precision throws between coverage levels. Throws WRs away from trouble. 

Weaknesses: Lacking in his pre- & post- snap response to pressure. Medical history is a red flag. Needs to prove he can become a full-field reader. Will linger on primary WRs. Allows high safeties to get a head-start over the top. Chance-taking could backfire on him as a pro.

Score: 6.00 (Traits or talents to be an above-average backup) Next Gen: 75 (Good)

Comp: Drew Bledsoe       

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