Once the draft is over we tend to move forward with the momentum towards the upcoming pre-season, and talking about how the new picks will fit in.
For that reason, we usually don’t pay much attention to who visited with the Steelers and who ended up on the team.
With the Steelers starting to line up visits I’ve tried finding some information on how visits correlated with the picks in the actual draft in the past few years.
In 2013 the Steelers brought in Jarvis Jones, Shamarko Thomas, Vince Williams, Justin Brown, and Nik Embernate to their facilities prior to the draft. They also met with Le’Veon Bell at the combine.
I feel safe saying that 3-4 of the Steelers pre-draft visits will be in black and gold in 2014.
Here are a the guys that the Steelers have been reported to have met with so far, or have meetings scheduled to come to Pittsburgh.
Anthony Barr, LB, UCLA (Private Meeting)
Kelvin Benjamin, WR, Florida State (Combine)
Ka’Deem Carey, RB, Arizona (Combine)
Aaron Donald, DL, Pittsburgh (Private Meeting)
Justin Gilbert, CB, Oklahoma State (Pro Day)
Wesley Johnson, OL, Vanderbilt (Combine)
Donte Moncrief, WR, Ole Miss (Private Meeting & Combine)
Calvin Pryor, S, Louisville (Combine)
Allen Robinson, WR, Penn State (Combine)
Bradley Roby, CB, Ohio State (Private Meeting)
Lache Seastrunk, RB, Baylor (Private Meeting)
Jason Verrett, CB, TCU (Private Meeting)
Ryan Shazier, LB, Ohio State (Private Meeting)
Darquenze Dennard, CB, Michigan St. (Private Meeting)
Stephon Tuitt, DE, Notre Dame (Private Meeting)
It’s not a surprise that most of the guys they’re showing interest in are on defense, or at wide receiver.
It’s also telling that there’s only one offensive lineman there. I think that confirms the thinking that they want Mike Munchak to coach up the guys already on the roster.
I find a few of the recent meeting reports somewhat interesting. Bradley Roby, Ryan Shazier, and Jason Verrett are all guys that I’d say fit the late first/early second range.
It’s possible Colbert and Tomlin are just doing their homework in case one of those guys falls to them in round 2. It also makes me wonder if the Steelers are thinking seriously about working to trade down on draft day.
3 comments
Cleveland might come up for a QB and that gives the Steelers Cleveland’s two 3rd round picks. If San Diego wants to come up it gives up a 2nd.
Trades within the division are rare. I know it happened last year, but that makes it even less likely I think. If Steelers really wanted to go big, they could deal with San Fran and pick up an extra 2 and 3.
What is purpose of trading down to 30 for an extra 2 picks? If they go that route that big weapon that’s the Steelers need won’t be and instead take a guy who have 1 of these 2 things happen to him: 1.starts and gets crucified for the way he plays as a rookie or 2.rarely sees the field his 1st year. I’m looking at some tweets here on this site and I see fans who would be happy with yet another small WR. Do you people even care that they have done nothing but take the same type of guy over and over and over again? It’s amazing how people think that another small WR such as Cooks, Landry or Beckham Jr will make any difference in the Steeler offense. You all seem to think that a WR core of AB, Moore, Wheaton, Heyward-Bey and another small WR draft pick will do any good than adding a Big Target WR who can make a catch that none of the other WR’s on this team can’t make. It’s fine really, I mean you the fans think that these guys can do more than an Evans or Benjamin or Coleman and fine have it that way but when they go 8-8 again I don’t wanna hear you people whine and moan about there offense cause I will point out that you the fans wanted the offense to have no Tall WR that Ben can throw a jump ball to.