Thursday, April 21, 2022

2022 NFL Draft Preview: Pittsburgh Steelers - Part 4

 



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






Garrett Wilson WR (Ohio St) 6'0" 183









2021: 2nd All-American/2nd All-BIG 10, 70rec/1,058yds, 12TDs

Combine: 4.38s 40, 36"vert

Strengths: Deceptive speed seems to surprise single coverage. Play strength to fight through route pressure and set back on track. Hands are instinctive, sudden & strong. Good hand extension to pluck throws away from his frame. Hang-time leaper & mid-air contortionist. Brings in really difficult jump balls and 50-50s. Slip-and-go talent after the catch.

Weaknesses: Takes off without a clear route plan. Needs better route adjustment in traffic. Route-running is raw & segmented. Sloppy footwork in and out of intermediate break points. Suffered from focus drops near the sideline. Average win rate in battle for positioning.

Score: 6.50 (Boom or bust potential) Next Gen: 87 (Good)




Chris Olave WR (Ohio St) 6'0" 187














2021: 2nd All-American/1st All-BIG 10, 65rec/936yds, 13TDs

Combine: 4.39s 40, 32"vert

Strengths: Able to jab and juke press doors open. Top-end speed creates vertical opportunities. Burst for separation on all 3 levels. Alters weight & direction for balanced route turns. Effortless in the air. Adjusts speed to the ball flight. Ball skills feature plus focus & well-timed, sudden hands. 

Weaknesses: Room for more manipulation as a route salesman. Average hand strength to finish the catch. Inconsistent working back to the throw when needed. Average in run-after-catch mode. Gets run through as a run blocker.

Score: 6.43 (Will be a good starter within 2 years) Next Gen: 84 (Good)

Comp: Terry McLaurin



Jesse Luketa EDGE (Penn St) 6'3" 253













2021: Honorable All-BIG 10, 61tckls/8.5TFLs, 1INT

Combine: 4.89s 40, 37.5"vert

Strengths: Downhill strikes on pulling guards and lead blockers. Strong base to dip & drive under the blocker. Foot quickness to slip past the climber. Works to squeeze his gap. Explosive hands for edge-setting potential in 3-4. 

Weaknesses: A step slow to read and react to keys from the middle. Too much shoulder & not enough hands in take-ons. Pursuit speed is a bit dull. Inconsistent finisher against slashing runners. Loses track of coverage duties from zone to man. 

Score: 6.16 (A good backup with the potential to develop as a starter) Next Gen: 70 (Average)



Arnold Ebiketie EDGE (Penn St) 6'2" 250




   





2021: 1st All-BIG 10, 62 total tckls/18TFLs, 9.5scks, 2FFs, 2 Blocked Kicks

Combine: 21reps, 38"vert

Strengths: Brings all he has into his initial punch off the snap. Good discipline and recognition reading the mesh point. Skilled rusher with active, accurate hands. Good job of flattening his angle to the QB. Possesses inside stab hand to displace over-setting tackles. Has special teams experience.

Weaknesses: Needs to stay away from bulldozers inside. Forced to look for stalemate rather than shed. Some hip tightness shows up in his rush. Pad level rises on inside counters. Not very slippery in upper half to elude punch.

Score: 6.34 (Will eventually be an average starter) Next Gen: 78 (Good)

Comp: Uchenna Nwosu



Jaquan Brisker S (Penn St) 6'1" 199













2021: 2nd All-American/1st All-BIG 10, 63 total tckls, 1FR, 2INTs, 5PDs

Combine: 4,49s 40, 22reps, 34.5"vert

Strengths: Versatility to play post, box & slot safety roles. Smooth pedal with limited wasted motion. Instincts to find takeaway positioning from any coverage location. Eye balance to read the WR or QB to anticipate routes. Footwork to adjust to WR's route bends. Attacks & discards perimeter blockers with quickness. Forceful to square, strike and finish as a tackler.

Weaknesses: Stares down QBs and loses feel for the route. Recognition of route combinations is average. Pursuit angles against speed can improve. Inconsistent coming to balance to tackle.

Score: 6.38 (Will eventually be an average starter) Next Gen: 88 (Good)

Comp: Justin Reid




Danny Gray WR (SMU) 6'0" 186


 








2021: 1st All-ACC, 49rec/803yds, 9TDs

Combine: 4.33s 40, 34"vert

Strengths: Explosive and loose-limbed with three-level ability. Bends & swipes for quick slip of press. Routes filled with athletic movements. Long, fluid strider in space. Relentless hand fighting as needed inside the route. Gains late separation to haul in contested deep throws. Kick & punt return ability. 

Weaknesses: Needs additional play strength to battle bully corners. Disoriented finding the ball against physical coverage. Drifts through stems, allowing coverage to drive & contest. Focus drops pop up on in-breaking routes. Inconsistent vertical push on intermediate patterns.

Score: 6.00 (Traits, talent to be an above-average backup) Next Gen: 71 (Average)

Comp: Demarcus Robinson




Ty Chandler RB (North Carolina) 5'11" 204










2021: 2nd All-ACC, 182att/1,092yds, 13TDs, 15rec/216yds, 1TD

Combine: 4.38s 40, 31"vert

Strengths: Follows blocks and uses them as shields. Stays low and coiled to absorb & manage run contact. Pass-catching threat with soft, sure hands. Attacks LBs down the seam. Catches through heavy collision. Has background as a kick returner.

Weaknesses: Leggy strides slow quickness out of downhill cuts. Needs to get pads squared earlier in the run. Lacks suddenness getting in & out of cuts. Average run finisher. Average elusiveness in space.

Score: 5.97 (Average backup/special teamer) Next Gen: 68 (Average)




Joshua Jobe CB (Alabama) 5'11 1/2 " 182


  







2021: 38 total tckls, 2INTs, 4PDs

Strengths: Can impose size and strength during release. Traits to smother slants & stop routes underneath. Aggressive striker to dislodge catch attempt. Discards blocking WRs and crashes into run-support duties. Experience on kick cover & punt return teams.

Weaknesses: Long steps and tight hips limit success rate in press. Loses positioning against clever route release. Can't stop himself from grabbing & holding. Loses too much ground matching a route turn. Below-average recognition and instincts in zone coverage. Average lateral twitch as an open-field tackler.

Score: 6.12 (A good backup with potential to develop as a starter) Next Gen: 71 (Average)



Jalyn Armour-Davis CB (Alabama) 6'1" 197









2021: 32 total tckls, 3INTs, 4PDs

Combine: 4.39s 40, 14reps, 34.5"vert

Strengths: Tools to become a more disruptive player from press. Foot agility to mirror-and-match form release. Closes out coverage distance with plus acceleration. Reaches into open angles to slap at the throw. Speed & length to quickly close on crossing routes. Willingness to play with contact as a tackler.

Weaknesses: Noticeable hitch when opening to sprint. Hip tightness prevents lateral fluidity. Struggles in the finishing phase of pass coverage. Currently uncomfortable getting his head around to find the ball. Entry into tackles lacks desired balance & aggression.

Score: 6.23 (Will eventually be an average starter) Next Gen: 64 (Below Average)

Comp: Dre Kirkpatrick    




Hassan Haskins RB (Michigan) 6'2" 228













2021: 3rd All-American/1st All-BIG 10, Univ. Mich OPOY, 270att/1,327yds, 20TDs, 18rec/131yds

Combine: 27reps

Strengths: Wears down defenses with physicality. Patient runner who steers lead blockers into targets. Good forward lean into contact. Accustomed to squeezing into small creases along the interior. Hands look capable on limited swing passes.

Weaknesses: Lacking desired burst through the line. Segmented running style lacks creativity. Lateral jump cuts are telegraphed. Below-average elusiveness in space after the catch. Technique lacking to keep blitzer in front of him.

Score: 5.88 (Average backup/special teamer) Next Gen: 68 (Average)




Marcus Jones CB (Houston) 5'8" 174












2021: Hornung Award, 2nd All-AAC/1st All-AAC (Special Teams)/Consensus All-American, 47total tckls, 1FF, 5INTs/2TDs, 13PDs, 15 kick returns/34avg/2TDs, 26 Punt returns/14.4avg/2TDs

Strengths: Twitchy, explosive & versatile. Hits top speed instantly. Makes initial tackler miss and ignites downhill. Smooth hips are able to open & redirect with no pause. Crowds into WR's frame from early in the route. Quick backpedal with prompt plant-to-drive transition. Instinctive, aware & communicative from off-coverage. Opts for the playmaking close-out angle on the throw. Gather-and-bounce athleticism to compete on jump balls. 

Weaknesses: Handsy coverage down the field will result in flags. Shows some panic when he fails to locate the deep ball. Coverage tends to be reactive rather than anticipatory. Average eye balance in off-man coverage. Needs to squeeze the break point a little tighter. Some fumbling issues during his career as a returner.

Score: 6.27 (Will eventually be an average starter) Next Gen: 80 (Good)

Comp: Dante Hall (as return talent)




Kyle Hamilton S (Notre Dame) 6'4" 220










2021: Consensus All-American, 34 total tckls, 3INts, 4PDs

Combine: 4.59s 40, 38"vert

Strengths: A true intimidator over the middle. Run-through power to obliterate pass-catchers. Above-average fluidity for a really big safety. Searches for playmaking angles on the throw. Length & size overwhelms pass-catchers on contested catches. Effective in the box with potential for downhill disruptions. No hesitation to trigger and attack in run support. Length & agility to recover from bad angles and still make the tackle.

Weaknesses: Room for improvement with pattern recognition & anticipation. Lacks short-area burst and quickness to cover smaller slot targets. Can be spun around by routes in space. Erratic balance & route feel from trail coverage. Elevated pad level as a face-up tackler.

Score: 6.81 (Year 1 starter) Next Gen: 90 (Elite)

Comp: Kam Chancellor 

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