With the draft in the books, it's time to review what the Steelers did. All the summaries come from NFL.com.
combine: 4.97s 40, 30"vert, 9' broad jump
strengths: Drives hands into the defender with an upward strike. Rips outside hand through pads to corral & move opponents. Body control to adjust to moving targets. Recognizes twist attempts quickly. Possesses loose hips & quick feet for recoveries.
weaknesses: Needs to keep his chin tucked & back flat in protection. Gives early ground when challenged by power rush. Will need to improve play strength as a pro. Tends to duck his head and lose sight into 1st contact.
comp: Andrew Thomas
grade: 6.44 (Good starter within 2 years) Next Gen: 85 (Good)
RD 2 (32) CB - Joey Porter Jr, Penn State 6'2 1/2" 193
'22: 2nd All-American/1st All-BIG 10, Penn State Def. MVP, 27tckls, 11PU's
combine: 4.46s 40, 35"vert, 10'9" broad jump, 17reps
strengths: Smart hand usage helps cover when his feet are late. Recovery & length to swat away would-be catches underneath. Can win high-point challenges even from trail position. Match-up potential against pass-catching TE's.
weaknesses: Noticeable delay in transitions from the press. Not twitchy enough to match a complex route. Too grabby at the top of the route. Lacking change-of-direction quickness as an open-field tackler.
comp: Amani Oruwariye
grade: 6.42 (Good starter within 2 years) Next Gen: 81 (Good)
RD 2 (49) DT - Keeanu Benton, Wisconsin 6'4" 309
'22: 3rd All-BIG10, 35tckls/10TFLs, 4.5scks, 2PU's
combine: 5.08s 40, 29.5"vert, 9'3" broad jump, 25reps
strengths: Brute force to toss angle blocks out of the way. Able to shake center's pads with his initial punch. Very challenging to knock him off his feet. Clubbing, heavy hands help knock pass sets off-balance.
weaknesses: Below average snap quickness into the neutral zone. Slow to read & move with blocker's initial reach steps. Inconsistent corkscrewing his post leg to take on double teams. Very limited tackle window & will primarily be an A-gap finisher. Slow-moving train once he's inside the pocket as a rusher.
grade: 6.25 (Will eventually be an average starter) Next Gen: 68 (Average)
RD 3 (93) TE - Darnell Washington, Georgia 6'7" 264
'22: 2nd All-SEC, 28rec/454yds/2TDs
combine: 4.64 40, 31"vert, 10'2"broad jump, 21reps
strengths: Mismatches LBs at the point of attack. Pure power to torque & displace the defender. Creates considerable advantage near the goal-line. Able to adjust to off-target throws & catch in congestion.
weaknesses: Footwork into block fits needs work. Waist-bender and head-ducker at the point of attack. Stiff-kneed, limiting speed to attack the seam. Unable to sink and break off routes underneath.
grade: 6.38 (Eventually will be a plus starter) Next Gen: 85 (Good)
comp: Darren Fells
RD 4 (132) LB - Nick Herbig, Wisconsin 6'2" 240
'22: 3rd All-American/1st All-BIG 10, 47tckls/15.5TFLs, 11scks, 2PUs
combine: 4.65 40, 25reps
strengths: Fluid inside move fueled by long, easy strides. Finds a 2nd gear to close & finish QBs. Uses hands effectively to stay clean and pursue the ball. Cross-faces tackle & disrupts run plays into the B-gap. Good agility and change of direction in coverage space.
weaknesses: Below average play strength & ruggedness at the point of attack. Unable to sink and set a firm edge. Speed-to-power rush fizzles out. He would benefit from varied entry angles and tempos as a rusher.
grade: 6.14 (Good backup with the potential to develop as a starter) Next Gen: 73 (Good)
RD 7 (241) Cory Trice Jr, Purdue 6'3" 206
'22: Honorable All-BIG 10, 34tckls/2TFLs, 2INTs, 10PUs
combine: 4.47 40, 35.5"vert, 11' broad jump, 17reps
strengths: Capable of creating wide rerouting of receiver's release. Possesses size & strength to alter route timing. Surprising twitch to plant and close from side shuffle. Uses size advantage to squeeze the catch space near the boundary. Able to jar & shed perimeter blocks fairly easily.
weaknesses: Plays too tall for clingy route phasing. Below average long speed to recover when beaten. Clunky hips prevent fluid swivel for coverage recovery. Technique to phase and locate downfield throws will need work. Below average field aggression as a run supporter for his size.
grade: 6.14 (Good backup with the potential to develop as a starter) Next Gen: 69 (Average)
RD 7 (251) G - Spencer Anderson, Maryland 6'4" 305
strengths: Versatility to play a variety of positions along the offensive line. Fits up base blocks with balance, centered strike. Rarely loses focus on his job against twists/blitzes. Independent hands allow him to punch, reset & punch again.
weaknesses: Feet look heavy getting to lateral blocks. Doesn't feature much knock-back pop when pulling. Tendency to lose balance due to narrow base. Missing necessary length to redirect rushers who find his edge.
grade: 5.67 (Candidate for bottom of a roster or Practice Squad)
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