The National Football League meat market, errrrrrrr, Combine is underway in Indianapolis, Indiana and the Steelers are of course elbow deep into their evaluation process.
The Steelers are notoriously quiet when it comes to discussing who they are interviewing and they aren’t but here’s what we know so far… The Steelers have spoken with USC QB Cody Kessler, Stanford TE Austin Hooper and San Jose State RB Tyler Ervin.
Kessler is not a surprise at all. The Steelers took a very long look at him during the postseason all-star games and obviously the Steelers were enamored enough to speak with him again. If he goes undrafted then I’m all in on signing him as a free agent but with limited picks QB should not be a target with a pick.
Considering what transpired a week ago, Hooper isn’t a surprise either. With Heath Miller’s retirement, the Steelers are dreadfully short on tight end talent. At 6′ 4″ and 248 lbs Hooper fits the what the Steelers usually like in their tight ends. NFL Network Draft Analyst Lance Zierlein thinks Hooper has the potential to be a “10-year starter in the NFL.”
Ervin’s interview is the most surprising but again we have to understand these are nothing more than “get to know you” interviews. The former Spartan rushed for 13 touchdowns and over 1,600 yards in 2015 but he’s more than just a running back. He also caught 73 passes over the last two seasons as well. Zierlein compared what he could be in the NFL to Dexter McCluster and that fits exactly what Steelers’ Offensive Coordinator Todd Haley likes.
Tweet of the Day… OK, this one’s a bit self-serving.
Solid celebration https://t.co/sdiK5RU2bw
— DeAngelo Williams (@DeAngeloRB) February 25, 2016
If you weren’t sure about the direction of the Browns in terms of Johnny Manziel you should be now. They are moving on from him.
MMQB’s Peter King says the NFL should give the Patriots their draft picks back. Wow. King shilling for the Patriots… I’m stunned.
Great point by Cardinals’ Head Coach Bruce Arians about offensive linemen these days. “Many haven’t been in a three-point stance since high school.” Very, very true and a great point which makes you wonder just what teams look for in O-Linemen coming out of certain programs.
More Combine news this weekend. Have a great one Steeler Nation!
Photo courtesy rantsports.com
