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.
WR A.J Brown (Ole Miss) 6' 226lbs
2018: 1st All-SEC, 85rec/1,320yds/6TDs
combine: 4.49s 40, 19reps, 36.5" vert
strengths: Routes are fast, and he adds speed variance. Sells routes to manipulate the feet & hips of CBs. Instinctive in space. A quality hand-fighter. Shields & completes combat catches. Big running after the catch. A willing blocker.
weaknesses: Appears more quick than fast. Drops appear when his focus declines. Needs to make better adjustments to poorly thrown balls. He can get too slick at the top of routes.
comp: Juju Smith-Schuster
grade: 6.08 (Should be an instant starter)
WR Riley Ridley (Georgia) 6'1" 199lbs
2018: 44rec/570yds/9TDs
combine: 4.58s 40, 13reps, 30.5" vert
strengths: Has play strength to work past press. Plays through route contact. Physical at the top of routes. Has strong, sure hands with a wide catch radius. Graceful mid-stride. Leaps with outstanding in-air body control.
weaknesses: Average quickness off-snap. Missing early acceleration. His long speed is non-threatening. Takes his time to gather & present on comeback routes.
comp: James Jones
grade: 5.81 (Chance to be a starter)
WR N'Keal Harry (Arizona St) 6'2" 228lbs
2018: 1st All-P12, 73rec/1,088yds/9TDs
combine: 4.53s 40, 27reps, 39.5" vert
strengths: Fearless play demeanor. A big, presentable target on slants. Leverages & stems his way to open catch space. Plays with patience. Has strong hands. Wins jump balls. Plus stiff-arm getaways after the catch.
weaknesses: Feet aren't quick enough in stutter-release. Downhill speed fails to threaten most CBs. Too upright slowing route breaks. Needs better urgency getting up field after the catch. Below average stop-start quickness to elude & accelerate.
comp: Allen Robinson
grade: 5.87 (Chance to be a starter)
WR Deebo Samuel (South Carolina) 5'11" 214lbs
2018: 1st All-SEC Returner (1 return TD), 2nd All-SEC, 62rec/882yds/11TDs
combine: 4.48s 40, 15reps, 39" vert
strengths: Body control allows for earlier stops & turns in routes. Possesses strong hands. Works aggressively back to the ball. Steams right through arm tackles. Has a RB-like vision. Surprising build-up speed. A highly skilled returner.
weaknesses: Needs to improve his footwork to deflect press. Routes lack forward lean & vertical push. Struggled to uncover against press-and-trail coverage. Below average catch radius. Has past hamstring issues.
comp: Pharoh Cooper
grade: 5.96 (Chance to be a starter)
WR Marquise Brown (Oklahoma) 5'9" 166lbs
2018: 1st All-American, 1st All-B12, 75rec/1,318yds/10TDs
strengths: Terrifying top-end speed. Has slick, sudden feet to escape press coverage. Long speed has additional separation gear. Has easy burst quickness. Coverage of Brown requires safety help. Dots both feet in-bounds on sideline throws. Electric maze runner after the catch. No gear-down needed to make cuts & elude tackles.
weaknesses: Requires more positional polish. Additional route knowledge is required. Average hands to finish contested catches. Inconsistent deep-ball adjustments. Not a 50-50 ball winner.
comp: DeSean Jackson
grade: 6.18 (Should be an instant starter)
DE/OLB Jachai Polite (Florida) 6'3" 258lbs
2018: 2nd All-American/2nd All-SEC, 45tckls/17.5TFL, 11scks, 6FF
combine: 4.84s 40, 32" vert
strengths: A blazing get-off. Fluid movement with loose hips & fast feet. Able to stack rush moves. Explosive burst to finish QBs. Intimidating closing burst. Ability to slip blocks & access the edge in the run game.
weaknesses: Ducks his head into initial contact. Swallowed by tackles with strong grips. Below average strength to shed & tackle. A drag-down tackler. Struggles to fight through misdirection. Possible maturity & character concerns.
comp: Vic Beasley
grade: 5.91 (Chance to be a starter)
DE/OLB Chase Winovich (Michigan) 6'3" 256lbs
2018: 3rd All-American/1st All-B10, 69tckls/17TFL, 5scks
combine: 4.59s 40, 18reps, 30.5" vert
strengths: Good 1st-step quickness. Punches & works to the edge. Willing to do the dirty work. Has urgent feet. Slams into ball carriers. Slides to the inside and counters without slowing.
weaknesses: Hard-charging style dulls awareness & instincts. Lacks effective counter. Average setting the edge & containing outside runs. All-out rush approach limits timing for counters. Needs to fine-tune a more efficient path to QBs.
comp: Markus Golden
grade: 5.73 (Chance to be a starter)
CB Joejuan Williams (Vanderbilt) 6'4" 211lbs
2018: 2nd All-SEC, 61tckls/2TFL, 4INTs/14 breakups
combine: 4.64s 40, 17reps
strengths: Smothering once he ensnares release. Plays with good agility for his size. Functional self-fixer after an early misstep. Very quick hands. Rips between & through arms and hands. Aggressive & reliable tackle-finisher in space.
weaknesses: Impatient from the press. Needs better connection rate with jams. Lacks hips & long-speed. Panicky hands when his back is to the ball. Grabs or attacks WRs prematurely. Inconsistent finding & adjusting to the throw.
comp: Trumaine Johnson
grade: 5.81 (Chance to be a starter)
C Erik McCoy (Texas A&M) 6'4" 303lbs
2018: 13 starts
combine: 4.89s 40, 29reps, 31" vert
strengths: Unlocks & snaps hips into angle blocks. Plus body control. Loose hips to bump & climb to tough angles. Possesses pop in well-timed punch. Plays with good stickiness in pass mirror. Low center of gravity with a strong rush-anchor. Meets & absorbs upfield charge.
weaknesses: Base gets too wide in some pass sets. A little slow with his head swivel. Average athleticism in space. Below average pull quickness.
comp: Corey Linsley
grade: 5.99 (Chance to be a starter)
RB Justice Hill (Oklahoma St) 5'9" 198lbs
2018: 1st All-Big12, 158car/930yds/9TDs, 13rec/68yds
combine: 4.40s 40, 21reps, 40" vert
strengths: Feet have good life. Limber hips to balance and recover against contact. A fast decision maker. Able to slam on the breaks for sudden cuts. Tight, rapid spin move. Access to sharp, lateral cuts to bounce wide. Outstanding ball security.
weaknesses: Lacking tempo. Doesn't elude punishing blows in the open field. Fails to run tackler into blockers. Top-end speed appears marginal. Steamrolled by size in pass protection.
comp: Phillip Lindsay
grade: 5.48 (Backup or Special teams potential)
T Tyler Roemer (San Diego St) 6'6" 312lbs
2018: 2nd All-Mountain West
combine: 5.21s 40, 18reps, 30.5" vert
strengths: Quick out of his stance. Can unlock hips & sink under opponents. Punches with inside hands. Good recovery agility.
weaknesses: Immaturity concerns. Play strength misses the mark. Struggles to press & extend after the punch. Can't reidrect rushers that hit his edge.
grade: 5.50 (Chance to be a starter)
QB Gardner Minshew (Washington St) 6'1" 225lbs
2018: P12 OPOY, 468/662 (70.6 compl%), 4,779yds, 38TDs/9INTs
combine: 4.97s 40, 33.5" vert
strengths: Gives safeties little time to diagnose. Works rapidly through progressions. Excellent pose form the pocket. A natural feel for timing as a passer. Owns the back-shoulder throw. Unfazed by additional rushers.
weaknesses: Perceived lack of arm strength. Little stride-and-drive in release. Appears to lack confidence with touch throws over LBs in zone. Unlikely to run away from closing rushers. Defaults to short reads on high-low looks.
comp: Chase Daniel
grade: 5.16 (Better than average chance to make a roster)
WR Gary Jennings (West Virginia) 6'1" 214lbs
2018: Honorable All-B12, 54rec/917yds/13TDs
combine: 4.42s 40, 20reps, 37" vert
strengths: A reliable possession target. Good catch strength. Shields defenders from the ball. Above average focus & play strength. Plays through physical coverage.
weaknesses: Early speed into routes is non-threatening. Lacking suddenness to uncover in tight quarters. Runs into uncatchable positions. Lacks wiggle & burst to elude after the catch.
grade: 5.43 (Backup/Special Teams potential)
DE/OLB Jordan Brailford (Oklahoma St) 6'3" 262lbs
2018: 1st All-B12, 54tckls/16TFL, 9scks
combine: 4.65s 40, 22reps, 37.5" vert
strengths: Gets off the snap quickly. Features an inside spin counter. Successfully crosses the blocker's face. Punches above his weight class at the point of attack. Can extend & anchor to set the edge. Has reps at ILB versus zone-read offenses.
weaknesses: Redirecting weight in space is a challenge for him. Had frequent missed tackles. Lacks control. Sticks to tackles who run him around the pocket. His rush needs creativity.
comp: Shane Ray
grade: 5.48 (Backup/Special Teams potential)
WR J.J Arcega-Whiteside (Stanford) 6'2" 225lbs
2018: 2nd All-P12, 63rec/1,059yds/14TDs
strengths: Plays a strong inside route. He's savage in the red-zone. Puts CBs on his hips. Above average ball tracking. Carves out space & finishes combat catches. Able to drop low & dig out grass burners. Highly confident field demeanor.
weaknesses: Struggles to free himself from physical press corners. Excessive stutter-stepping. Plays with some hip tightness. Average burst to separate at the top. An unlikely deep-ball threat. Room for improvement with his hand placement as a blocker.
comp: Eric Decker
grade: 5.78 (Chance to be a starter)
