Maybe it’s just me but I always find it hard to believe how quickly we go from ‘end of the season’ to ‘draft prep.’ Such is life covering the Pittsburgh Steelers though and this season has obviously brought a lot of new changes. The work of evaluating potential draft picks is here and Mike McCarthy’s new staff is fully immersed. It’s time for us to do the same. Here are some names to know of guys that could be – and I stress “could be” – future Steelers.
QBs
I think it’s safe to say you should get used to hearing the name “Garrett Nussmeier.” The LSU signal caller and son of former NFL QB Doug Nussmeier saw his final college season go about as poorly as it could. Often hampered by poor offensive line play and inconsistent skill players, Nussmeier struggled. The redemption tour has started well for him. He was clearly the best QB at The Senior Bowl combining a nice mix of accuracy and throwing with anticipation. You could see his confidence grow through the week and it paid off with a positive performance in the game Saturday. I still view him as a Day Two guy right now but I think you’ll hear his name a lot in regards to the Steelers. I’m thoroughly enamored with North Dakota State’s Cole Payton. He’s a 6’3″ lefty who runs the ball like a powerful running back and slings it as well as anyone. His accuracy is going to need serious work though and I’m really excited to see what he does at the Combine and beyond.
RBs
This doesn’t strike me as an overly talented Draft in particular and the running backs are kind of perfect representation of that. Indiana’s Kaelon Black was really impressive with his footwork. He has a very nice burst into the first level and I thought he a more than willing participant when it came to pass protection. Seth McGowan of Kentucky showed some burst on a 30-yard run and looked pretty good all week catching the ball too.
WRs
Wide Receivers have become more and more plentiful with so many college programs building their success on the passing game. Notre Dame’s Malachi Fields was the best and most consistent performer. He blended route running and aggressiveness in catching the ball with confidence and a sneaky ability to get behind defenders. Josh Cameron of Baylor is monster. At 220lbs he was difficult to cover and owned the ball when he was in traffic. Division III’s Tyren Montgomery was a surprise. He’s athletic and showed the moment and competition wasn’t too big for him.
TEs
One would assume that tight end isn’t on the Steelers’ radar but I’ve got a feeling that isn’t true. Jonnu Smith is likely gone leaving Darnell Washington and Pat Freiermuth. We’ve seen a lot of three-tight end looks in recent seasons under Arthur Smith, but whether that continues under Mike McCarthy is uncertain. Houston’s Tanner Koziol and Texas A&M’s Nate Boerkircher are both big dudes at 6’7″ and 6’5″ respectively. They were the most notable of the guys I saw at the position and would think they likely early Day Three guys.
OLs
Down in the trenches, the guy getting all of the attention was Iowa’s Gennings Dunker. While the flowing red mullet was enough to draw attention to him, he also plays with a mean streak. Despite starting every game for the Hawkeyes at tackle, he projects as a guard and the Steelers may very well be in the market for one. Kentucky’s Jalen Farmer, who transferred from Florida, was pretty steady all week. He’s another interior guy who brings massive size and athleticism. As far as the tackles go, I really didn’t see a guy that would be more than a third round guy. Any interest the Steelers may have will be in guys that likely weren’t here.
