Tuesday, April 19, 2022

2022 NFL Draft Preview: Pittsburgh Steelers - Part 3

 



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




Nick Cross S (Maryland)  6'0" 212










2021: 66tckls, 3scks, 2FFs, 3INTs/5PDs

Combine: 4.34s 40, 37"vert

Strengths: Plays the role of enforcer in the middle of the field. Races forward and explodes into WRs. Good ball focus & tracking over the top. Size & strength to stay tight to TEs inside the route. Very quick to pounce and tackle in space.

Weaknesses: Needs to keep feet active when gathering to tackle. Becomes a drag-down tackler at times. Hip tightness limits agility laterally. Doesn't drive in with playmaking angles on in-breaking routes.

Score: 6.28 (Will eventually become an average starter) Next Gen: 68 (Average)

Comp: Kamren Curl



Lewis Cine S (Georgia) 6'2" 199














2021: 3rd AP All-American/1st All-SEC, 2022 National Championship Defensive MVP, 

73tckls, 1INT/9PDs

Combine: 4.37s 40, 36.5"vert

Strengths: Can galvanize a defense with his hitting. Hustles downhill with a timely response to cut off run options. Fluid switching from route to route in zone. Awareness to race WRs to designated catch spots. Hammers at pass-catchers to pop throws loose. 

Weaknesses: Segmented & bumpy in his backpedal. Can improve eye balance in coverage. Loses his leverage in coverage at times. Average body control flowing for the tackle. Angles in run support can be a little steep.

Score: 6.26 (Will eventually become an average starter) Next Gen: 74 (Average)

Comp: Anthony Harris




Christian Harris LB (Alabama) 6'0 1/2 " 226










2021: 79tckls, 5.5scks, 2FFs, 3PDs

Combine: 4.44s 40, 34.5"vert

Strengths: Flips shoulders to slip under climbing blocks. Step-for-step pursuit speed versus wide-flowing runners. Gets to lead shoulder take-on to prevent being squared. Athletic talent to make plays in the backfield. Wide & agile as an open-field tackler. 

Weaknesses: High-cut & upright in space. Instincts and field vision are suspect. Will misread the blocking scheme and land out of position. Needs better use of hands to get rid of blockers earlier. Could be targeted & exploited in the passing game.

Score: 6.27 (Will eventually become an average starter) Next Gen: 81 (Good)

Comp: De'Vondre Campbell




Sean Rhyan OG (UCLA) 6'5" 321









2021: 1st All-PAC 12

Combine: 5.25s 40, 33.5"vert

Strengths: Has LT experience. Able to stay square and pop with his punch. Footwork for short or long pull blocking. Operates with good hand accuracy & pop. Accelerates through the down block with force. Adjusts assignments quickly to moving fronts.

Weaknesses: Too many false start penalties. Needs to stay under his pads for better balance. Punch is a little monotonous and can be timed. Average arm extension to redirect his edge.

Score: 6.14 (A good backup with the potential to develop into a starter) Next Gen: 74 (Average)




Phidarian Mathis DT (Alabama) 6'4" 310













2021: 2nd All-SEC, 53tckls/12TFLs, 9scks, 2PDs

Combine: 23.5"vert

Strengths: Instant ground-to-pads hand quickness off the snap. Will punch & separate with 2 hands or 1. Two-gapper with traits to sit & fight versus downhill run game. Dents protection with bull rush or edge attack. Maintains sack viability as a middle rusher.

Weaknesses: Limited range away from home base. Unable to keep pace with wide-flowing run game. Premature shed gives runners a shot to alter their track. Upfield rush lack desired edge-to-edge quickness.

Score: 6.27 (Will eventually become an average starter) Next Gen: 72 (Good)

Comp: DaQuan Jones




Kenyon Green OG (Texas A&M) 6'4" 323










2021: Consensus All-American/1st All-SEC

Combine: 5.24s 40, 20reps, 26"vert

Strengths: Bulldozing drive blocker with horsepower to consistently clear paths. Base & power make wall-off blocks impenetrable. Pass punch is direct and forceful. Booming upper-body strength to cave in A-gap blitzers.

Weaknesses: Enters lateral block fit before finding positioning. Requires better feel for best angles as an inside-zone blocker. Below-average instincts in pass protection. Slow to activate lateral slide when mirroring.

Score: 6.45 (Will become a good starter within 2 years) Next Gen: 84 (Good)

Comp: Richie Incognito




George Pickens WR (Georgia) 6'3" 195


  







2021: 5rec/107yds (Played in the last 4 games)

Combine: 4.47s 40, 33"vert

Strengths: Off-hand & burst help defeat and overtake press. Creates throwing windows with suddenness at break points. Displays good focus in catching in a crowd. Catches with sudden hands and elite catch radius. Vice-grip hand strength rarely lets him down. 

Weaknesses: Effectiveness can be diminished by physical press. Leaves coverage unstacked when he gets the ear;y advantage. Needs to learn to carve out & protect his catch space. Allows trespassers to tilt 50/50 balls in their favor. Missed time to injury, including a spring '21 ACL tear.

Score: 6.23 (Will eventually become an average starter) Next Gen: 78 (Good)

Comp: Josh Reynolds  




Jake Ferguson TE (Wisconsin) 6'5" 250













2021: 1st All-BIG 10, 46rec/450yds, 3TDs

Combine: 4.81s 40, 15reps, 31.5"vert

Strengths: Clever release stems and skilled hand usage to slip pressure. Speed to threaten the seam vertically & hops to snare at the high point. Outstanding catch focus no matter the traffic jam. Makes instant adjustments to the ball. Lateral quickness as a zone blocker. 

Weaknesses: Lacks desired physicality as an in-line blocker. DEs play through him too easily. Average burst off the line and into his routes. Average leverage at the break point. Would benefit by settling in space more quickly. 

Score: 5.99 (Average backup or special teamer) Next Gen: 73 (Average)



Jordan Davis DT (Georgia) 6'6" 341










2021: 1st All-American/1st All-SEC, Chuck Bednarik Award, Outland Award, 32tckls/5.5TFLs, 2scks

Combine: 4,78s 40, 32"vert

Strengths: Squares the block and tosses it aside when he's ready. Flows through an edge when he finds his positioning. Can shed blocks & transition a gap over. Hands are pinpoint accurate into the blocker's shoulders. He's never on the ground. Won't be blocked by a single block. Has size to overwhelm certain opponents. Potential to alter opponent's game plan.

Weaknesses: Can be a little straight-legged into lateral engagement. Below-average 1st step quickness. Lacks knee bend to roll downhill with a bull rush. Change of direction isn't a thing for him. Can't disengage & tackle suddenly. Redirected due to lack of bend in his rush.

Score: 6.50 (Boom-or-Burst Potential) Next Gen: 84 (Good)

Comp: Haloti Ngata




Nakobe Dean LB (Georgia) 5'11" 229









2021: 1st All-American/1st All-SEC, Butkus Award, 72tckls/10.5TFLs, 6scks, 2INTs/1TD, 6PDs, 2FFs

Strengths: Explosive athlete with access to instant acceleration. Fearless to attack & fit a gap with force. Agility & quickness for effective lateral flow. Patrols with excellent track-down speed and range. Runs through the ball-carrrier. Athletic ability to cover backs out of the backfield. Blitzes get home thanks to timing, burst & leverage. 

Weaknesses: Instincts and play diagnosis are just average. Triggers on an incomplete read. Can be swallowed up when lingering on the 2nd level. Traffic seems to find him in lateral pursuit. Inconsistent to body-up & finish.

Score: 6.40 (Will be a good starter within 2 years) Next Gen: 90 (Elite)

Comp: Devin Bush



Daniel Faalele OT (Minnesota) 6'8" 384


 









2021: 1st All-BIG 10

Combine: 24reps

Strengths: Has good functional movements. Wide catch hand to capture the run-block target. Sheer mass creates momentum needed to move a man. Relatively impressive quickness in initial slide steps. Grip strength to stymie a secondary rush try. Bull-rushers will find limited success overtaking him.

Weaknesses: Play is much more mechanical than instinctive. Sluggish in working up to the 2nd level. Too much sliding off of sustain blocks. Poor reactive quickness to save gap from sudden slot. Lacks mirror quickness to keep rusher in front of him. Has trouble widening the rusher past the pocket.

Score: 6.28 (Will eventually be an average starter) Next Gen: 77 (Good)

Comp: Zach Banner



Baylon Spector LB (Clemson) 6'0" 233









2021: 74 total tckls, 2.5scks, 1FR, 1INT, 1PD

Combine: 4.60s 40, 36"vert

Strengths: Rapid-fire diagnosis and reaction to play movement. Quickness to flow & contain the outside run. Comes to balance and tackles with double leg wrap-ups. Former safety with smooth drops & weaves in zone. 

Weaknesses: Won't be a disruptive defender. Gets jostled around by box traffic. Below-average tackler when it's not in front of him. Range in coverage is very average. Lacks twitch to burst and disrupt at the catch point.

Score: 5.83 (Average backup/special teamer) Next Gen: 64 (Below Average)



Justyn Ross WR (Clemson) 6'4" 205











2021: 46rec/514yds, 3TDs

Combine: 11reps

Strengths: Smooth gait disguises route intentions. Snaps off in-breaking routes at crisp angles. Athletic & smooth catching on the move. Able to sink and save low throws. Instinctive footwork near the boundaries. Bouncy with an expansive catch radius on jump balls.

Weaknesses: Repetitive stutter-step release. Below-average juice to climb past & stack tight-man coverage. Indecisive on run-after-catch opportunities. Not enough commitment as a run blocker. Has an injury history.

Score: 5.89 (Average backup/special teamer) Next Gen: 77 (Good)

Comp: Tim Patrick



Damarri Mathis CB (Pittsburgh) 5'11" 196










2021: 43 total tckls, 2INTs/1TD, 5PDs

Combine: 4.39s 40

Strengths: Redirects release with forceful shove to the boundary. Maintains route feel across the hashes. Quick read-and-respond from zone. Races to the catch point with efficient paths. Wrap-up finisher who rarely allows runners to sneak away.

Weaknesses: Balance gets away from him in transitions. Can't carry speedy WRs vertically. Panic brings loads of penalties down the field. Loses tackle angles pursuing runners in space.

Score: 6.00 (Traits and talent to be an above-average backup) Next Gen: 61 (Below Average)



Tre' Turner WR (Virginia Tech) 6'1" 184













2021: 40rec/675yds, 3TDs, 12att/64yds

Combine: 4.51s 40, 27"vert

Strengths: Breaks off turns & slants at crisp angles. Rebound king with elevated body control on 50/50 balls. Flashes supreme hand-eye coordination. Makes the acrobatic catch look easy.

Weaknesses: Linear movements make it easy for press coverage to find him. Bumped off of route timing in early stages. Makes assumptions & slows routes without finishing.

Score: 5.90 (Average backup/special teamer) Next Gen: 76 (Good)

Comp: Darius Slayton




Coby Bryant CB (Cincinnati) 6'1" 193


   







2021: 1st All-AAC, Throrpe Award, 44tckls, 2FFs, 3INTs/1TD, 11PDs

Combine: 4.54s 40, 17reps

Strengths: Instinctive in coverage. Can track throws and catch it like a WR. Awareness to play the throw. Ability to maintain positioning through the route phase. Slick to swing around targets & disrupt the catch without interfering. Committed to do the work in run support. 

Weaknesses: Will give ground to legitimate pro speed across from him. Route experts could exploit his deficiencies in space. Average burst to close from off-man. Loses tackle balance when pursuing on the move.

Score: 6.20 (Will eventually be an average starter) Next Gen: 74 (Good)

Comp: P.J. Williams



Myjai Sanders EDGE (Cincinnati) 6'5" 228


   











2021: 1st All-AAC, 40tckls/6.5TFLs, 3.5scks, 6PDs

Combine: 4.67s 40, 33"vert

Strengths: Sudden hands into blockers for early lift & leverage. Quick feet and twitchy hands help him to discard the block. Athleticism to find his way back into plays after getting behind. Inside-outside jab steps create edge openings as a rusher. Effective stutter-and-swipe rush tactic.

Weaknesses: Drawn offside too easily & too often. Segmented mover who lacks desired body control. Inconsistent motor in backside pursuit. Narrow-based rusher with upright counters. Poor conversion of speed to power. Lacks contact balance to rush through heavy contact.

Score: 5.95 (Average backup/special teamer) Next Gen: 64 (Below Average)

Comp: Arden Key   

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