Welcome to our Steelers Draft Profiles. What we’ve done is create lists of top prospects with our take on their abilities based on what we’ve seen of them. Once published, we will continue to update these very articles on a regular basis as new information comes in about the players. In today’s article, we feature the Linebackers.
Trenton Simpson – JR. – Clemson – 6’3″ 230lbs
A walking Swiss Army knife… Capable of playing almost anywhere on defense… Punishing tackler… Tremendous pass rusher from literally every angle… His versatility could be a problem if the coordinator struggles to find a place for him… Three-down capability… Able to cover in man or zone… Was forced into a more traditional LB role with change in DC at Clemson… Very likely he’s in play at 17.
Key Combine Stats:
40-yard Dash: 4.43
Bench: 25 reps
Notes: Mike Tomlin at Clemson Pro Day on 3/14. Had dinner wit Tomlin.
Henry To’o To’o – SR. – Alabama – 6’2″ 225lbs
Played at Tennessee before playing final two years at Alabama… Tremendous amount of experience having started both years for the Vols and then for two seasons in Tuscaloosa… Smart and instinctive player… Tremendous leader… Communicates as well as any player I’ve seen… Flies around consistently… Has proven ability to play in any defense… Is a good tackler but will occasionally have a bad miss…
Key Combine Stats:
40-yard Dash: 4.62
Broad: 9’8″
Shuttle: 4.40
Notes: Pro Day is March 23rd.
Jack Campbell – SR. – Iowa – 6’5″ 240lbs
2022 Butkus Award winner… Tremendous height and overall size… Comes downhill with physicality… Big improvement over his career in coverage area… Will be much more suited to zone as opposed to man coverage… Samrt player who sees things develop and makes plays to head them off… Not going to be a sideline-to-sideline guy… Not sure how good of a blitzer he is/Often stymied by blockers more often than he should be… Natural leader and positive locker room guy…
Key Combine Stats:
40-yard Dash: 4.65
Broad: 10’8″
Shuttle: 4.24
Notes: Pro Day is March 20th.
Drew Sanders – JR. – Arkansas – 6’5″ 230lbs
Transferred from Alabama where predominantly played on the edge… Only played ‘off-ball LB’ for one season at Arkansas… Tremendous height and length… Above average tackler…Brings violence when he lines up guys and his length allows him to make plays that go wide… Very little to go on in terms of his man-to-man skills… Will need to bulk up if he stays in the middle…
Noah Sewell – SO. – Oregon – 6’3″ 250lbs
Three-year starter for the Ducks… Aggressive, downhill run stopper… Can get fooled with strong fakes and misdirection at times… Has the ideal size matched with solid athleticism… Great effort player… Brings a violent streak with him on tackles… Above average at getting off of blocks… Not a good sideline-to-sideline player… Decent in coverage especially against tight ends… Much better as a blitzer on passing downs…
Key Combine Stats:
40-yard Dash: 4.64
Bench: 27 reps
Daiyan Henley -SR. – Washington State – 6’2″ 230lbs
Burst onto the Draft scene with a strong showing at the Senior Bowl… Went to Nevada out of high school as a wide receiver… Made switch to LB after two years on offense… Struggles as a run stopper which could be due to a simple lack of experience… If he has two big defensive tackles in front of him he may have a better chance of excelling… I can see him being used as a pass rusher due to his length and speed… Teams will have to be patient as he continues to develop at the position…
Key Combine Stats:
40-yard Dash: 4.54
Broad: 10’5″
Vertical: 35″
Notes: Pro Day is March 28th.
Mohamoud Diabate – SR. – Utah – 6’3″ 230lbs
Played in 37 games while at Florida… Started 12 games for the Utes in 2022… Long and athletic build… Frequently used a pass rusher while at Florida and from a variety of spots along the formation… Much better in man coverage than he is in zone… Plays with a strong sense of urgency… Comes downhill against the run with aggression… Experience at off-ball LB is thin so he has room to grow… Can often take poor angles to the ball carrier… Should be an immediate Special Teams contributor…
Notes: Pro Day is March 23rd.
SirVocea Dennis -SR. – PITT – 6’1″ 230lbs
Plays with great urgency… Flows sideline-to-sideline with ease… Was a QB and DB in high school… Above average tackler who rarely lets one slip away… Diagnoses things well in front of him… Good blitzer who comes from a variety of areas… Hard to judge his ability in coverage as there aren’t a lot of reps there…
Key Combine Stats:
Bench: 19 reps
Notes: Pro Day is March 29th
Anfernee Orji – SR. – Vanderbilt – 6’2″ 230lbs
Contributed immediately as a freshman… Saw constant improvement year after year… One of the more consistent cover guys in this group… Covers RBs and TEs well and does a better than average job in zone coverage… Run defense is a concern… Needs to get off blocks better…
Key Combine Stats:
40-yard Dash: 4.53
Shuttle: 4.43
Vertical: 43.5″
Notes: Pro Day is March 28th.
Demarvion Overshown – SR. – Texas – 6’4″ 225lbs
Arrived in Austin as a safety… Plays with violence… Goes sideline-to-sideline extremely well… Really good in coverage… Tape displays ability to cover tight ends and even some slot guys… Needs to improve his ability against the run… Can get washed out too quickly by blockers… Coordinators will need to find a spot for him as being a traditional LB might not work…
Key Combine Stats:
40-yard Dash: 4.56
Bench: 15 reps
Broad: 10’5″
Others to Watch: Charlie Thomas -Georgia Tech, Dee Winters – TCU, Ivan Pace, Jr – Cincinnati, Cam Jones – Indiana
