Welcome to our annual Pittsburgh Steelers Draft Profiles! Each of these articles will feature all of the positions in the game of football and more importantly, the top-rated players at these positions and those that the Steelers may be interested in! This one features the Inside Linebackers.
Marist Liufau – Notre Dame, 6’2″ 239lbs
Played roughly 600 snaps on D in his second and third years… Long arms and high motor… Closes quickly with wide radius and brings a thud when he arrives… Solid in coverage against tight ends and really good in zone coverage… Saw increased improvement as a blitzer throughout his career… On the smaller side and can get easily washed… Saw time on the edge but he’s got to be more of an inside LB at the pro level.
vs Louisville,
Our Prediction: Fourth-Fifth Round
Edgerrin Cooper – Texas A&M, 6’3″ 230lbs
Big time athleticism… Three-down LB who can cover, stop the run and rush the passer… Really sound recognition… Often beats blockers to the spot on run plays… His length is really impressive and gives receivers fits… Tackling radius is massive… Scheme versatile but probably fits as a 4-3 weakside LB… Will likely need to bulk up a bit if he plays inside… Needs to play lower and avoid blockers getting inside of him…
vs Auburn,
Our Prediction: Mid-Second to Early Third
Junior Colson – Michigan, 6’2″ 235lbs
Grew up paying soccer which explains his solid footwork and quickness… Has the man-to-man cover skills you want in a LB hanging with running backs and tight ends… Love his communication skills pre-snap/Very animated and makes sure everyone is where they are supposed to be… Good speed and agility… Solid instincts… Solid tackler and brings violence with him wherever he goes…
vs Penn State,
Our Projection: Second to Third Round
Tommy Eichenberg – Ohio State, 6’2″ 230lbs
Saw very little action in his first two seasons… Plays at full speed with high motor… Ideal build for an inside backer… Gets sideline-to-sideline better than you would think… Really like his understanding of the game… Reads things in front of him well and reacts in real time… Excellent in pursuit/Takes good angles to the ball carrier… Pass coverage is incomplete in my opinion/Need to see more… Could play with more violence/Tends to grab rather than hit and wrap.
vs Penn State, vs Notre Dame 2022
Our Prediction: Late Third to Mid-Fourth
Cedric Gray – North Carolina, 6’2″ 230lbs
Tremendous athletic skills… Tons of experience at the position… Gets off blocks with quickness and/or strong, heavy hands… Compact build which leads to explosive tackles… One of the more instinctive LBs in recent years… Has the versatility to play inside or on the EDGE but might not be good enough to do either for long periods of time… He will need large people in front of him in order to excel on the inside… Would like to see more violence in tackling rather than grabbing.
vs South Carolina,
Our Projection: Fourth Round
Payton Wilson – NC State, 6’4″ 240lbs
State champion wrestler in high school… His medicals will be extremely important (2 ACL tears and a bad shoulder injury)… Despite those he keeps battling back… Classic ‘high IQ’ inside LB… Excellent speed and agility… Terrific zone coverage drops and reads things well in front of him… Hard worker and strong work ethic… Natural leadership qualities… He’s a little on the thin side/May need to bulk up… He’ll be almost 24 years old when the season starts… Can overrun plays and get out of position at times.
vs Wake Forest, vs Notre Dame
Our Projection: Late Second Round
Nathaniel Watson – Mississippi State, 6’2″ 245lbs
Six-year player for the Bulldogs who saw a big jump in playtime and production in his final two seasons.. . Off-ball LB who would likely fit better in a 4-3… Willing to lay the lumber on ball carriers… Slightly above average athlete who moves well side-to-side… Shoots gaps with high level of success… Fairly instinctive player… Covers well in the flats… Very concerned about his age (will be 24 years old when season begins)… Doesn’t get off blocks with enough aggression… Good athlete but he has limitations that will likely restrict where he plays… Body is maxed out.
vs LSU,
Our Projection: Late Sixth-Seventh Round
Jeremiah Trotter, JR – Clemson, 6’0″ 225lbs
Father was a 12-year vet in the NFL and earned All-Pro honors twice… Really excels at blitzing/Times his movements well in getting to the QB… Highly competitive player willing to take on all comers… One of the better cover LBs in this Draft… Goes sideline-to-sideline with no problem… Will deliver big hits and enjoys doing so… Appears to read and react well against the run… While sees the run well, he doesn’t always act on it… Will often try to avoid blockers rather than take them on… Size could be a factor… Needs to get stronger too… Can sometimes look bad in open-field tackling situations.
vs North Carolina, vs Duke
Our Projection: Late Second to Early Third Round
James Williams – Miami, 6’4″ 230lbs
Was a highly ranked safety recruit nationally… Made transition from safety to LB in preparation for the Draft… Downhill tackler and excellent blitzer… Tremendous NFL frame featuring length, height and strength… Tremendous in coverage largely due to background in the secondary… Ability to go sideline-to-sideline… Highly durable player…His position switch will come with hiccups… Can he read and react as well… Taking on blocks closer to the line of scrimmage will be a challenge… Will need to learn some new techniques… I think his ceiling is really high if used correctly.
Our Projection: Late Third to Mid-Fourth Round
Other guys to Keep an Eye on…
Jaylan Ford, Texas… Aaron Casey, Indiana… Isaiah Major, Florida A&M
