Senior-bowl Thread

[tapeANaspirin2it]

Here's a really detailed breakdown on Hackenberg. Shows how far advanced his is mentally compared to most college QBs, and also shows the OL and WR breakdowns. It goes into detail to show why his completions % was so low for a guy with so much talent while also showing that he does have work to do.

The breakdown of the Temple game is great stuff if you love X and O talk.

<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xUh7Tia8pWM" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" width="560"></iframe>

 

[Coach]

Watched some of the third practice today.

Coach's notes: Most of the talent is on DL, OL, and DB. RB, WR, and TE are very thin. QB is average, but with some depth. LB's for 3-4 outside of Spence isn't great. Not a bad group overall, but I've seen much better senior bowl players.

The WR's and QB's are pretty average at best and that might be a bit kind. The best WR could be Braxton Miller, and he's a converted player!
QB Wentz isn't NFL ready. I think the networks are hyping him a bit for ratings. The game is too fast for him now. On potential, he's a high 1st round pick, but on NFL readiness, Most of the QB's are way ahead of him. As Maycock noted, his arm is good, not great.

If you're looking for a guy who should rocket up the charts, it could be OT Jason Spriggs. He was very impressive vs. a good group of DL players. Good base, hard to move, good feet, good technique. I read he gave up just two sacks in 526 called pass attempts. At age 21, he's not even a full grown man yet. Could be a nice round two pick. I'm not 100% sold on Villanueva being the long term answer as seems to have issues with a speed rush.

The Steelers need depth on the DL, so I looked for a few guys who might be there in round three or four. Adolphus Washington. Dude's a house with some skills. Looks like a five-technique guy to me. Could be a bit of an under-achiever, but he's a guy I'd put on the radar.

I had a second look at Nassib. Once again he beat his man with speed and technique. The other time was a draw, but man he's a fighter. Nassib is a football player who wants it and gives 100%.

As a pass rusher, he's got a first round grade in my book. If he has some OLB skills, I warming up to him...in round one! If he's DL player only, I'd put him on the radar for round two.

Vernon Butler remains a man among boys. Great DT skills. I'd love him is we played a 4-3. As a NT, he could be a three-down player, doing his damage when we play nickel and dime.

OL Martin stood out again, He's probably a round 2 guy now. The Steelers should be fishing for guards and centers for round 4.
OC Austin Blythe impressed. Round 3-5 type of grade. Big, physical, and well schooled. He could be NFL ready sooner than most. When you consider Pouncey's injury history and Foster being a free agent, this is a secondary need spot

 

[GRBman]

If the Steelers want to take a chance on a pure pass-rusher, Florida's Alex McAlister is going to be a good one. He's raw as hell and apparently had some issues with the new coaching staff...but good lord that kid can get to the QB!

 

[SteelBuckeye]

Washington won't be there in rounds 3-4. Rated a first round talent and I doubt he falls past the second if he falls at all.

 

[Coach]

Washington won't be there in rounds 3-4. Rated a first round talent and I doubt he falls past the second if he falls at all.

I'd say round two is more likely than round one.. The good news is the 2016 draft has a lot of talent and depth at DL

 

[GRBman]

My point with Williams is that he at least has physical gifts to possibly be great. Any QB you take late will likely never amount to anything. Hell, half the QBs drafted in Rd 1 will end up backups like Leftwich or Gabbert, and almost all QBs drafted after Rd 1 will be busts.

You can always sign a Leftwich or Gabbert as a free agent to be a good backup, so why draft a QB whose ceiling is mediocrity? You can get veteran mediocrity for league minimum. That's why i think you should swing for the fence when drafting a late round QB.

Coker might end up with a nice career as a backup for 10 years and Williams may bust and be out of football in 2 years, but i'd still rather take the shot on Williams. BTW i don't really like Williams that much, just making a point with him.

Really? You do know that there have been a few QB's drafted late who have been decent...

 

[Coach]

My point with Williams is that he at least has physical gifts to possibly be great. Any QB you take late will likely never amount to anything. Hell, half the QBs drafted in Rd 1 will end up backups like Leftwich or Gabbert, and almost all QBs drafted after Rd 1 will be busts.

You can always sign a Leftwich or Gabbert as a free agent to be a good backup, so why draft a QB whose ceiling is mediocrity? You can get veteran mediocrity for league minimum. That's why i think you should swing for the fence when drafting a late round QB.

Coker might end up with a nice career as a backup for 10 years and Williams may bust and be out of football in 2 years, but i'd still rather take the shot on Williams. BTW i don't really like Williams that much, just making a point with him.

When it comes to drafting a late round ( 5-7 ) QB...they seldom pan out. For every Tom Brady, there's 40 nobodies. You have a better shot in rounds 2-4 to find a QB of the future. Andy Dalton, Russell Wilson or Kirk Cousins come to mind.

If taken, I'd prefer one of three types

1 ) A small school guy with upside

2 ) A QB, on a bad team who's much better than #'s, would indicate. The Indiana QB this year I think is very good

3 ) A QB who didn't start a lot of games, but showed promise.

Our backup QB spot is a weakness. I wish we had more draft picks. We already blew round 5 and 6. # I hope we can trade Wheaton for a 3rd round pick/

 

[GRBman]

When it comes to drafting a late round ( 5-7 ) QB...they seldom pan out. For every Tom Brady, there's 40 nobodies. You have a better shot in rounds 2-4 to find a QB of the future. Andy Dalton, Russell Wilson or Kirk Cousins come to mind.

If taken, I'd prefer one of three types

1 ) A small school guy with upside

2 ) A QB, on a bad team who's much better than #'s, would indicate. The Indiana QB this year I think is very good

3 ) A QB who didn't start a lot of games, but showed promise.

Our backup QB spot is a weakness. I wish we had more draft picks. We already blew round 5 and 6. # I hope we can trade Wheaton for a 3rd round pick/

So you want Mark Sanchez...great.

I'd rather have a guy who started a LOT of games and played in a pro-style system. I don't care that he's not the next Tom Brady or Drew Brees. I want someone who can complete a forward pass and run the offense...get me a win or two while Ben is recovering from his annual injury spree mid-season.

 

[SteelerFan448]

The Steelers need depth on the DL, so I looked for a few guys who might be there in round three or four. Adolphus Washington. Dude's a house with some skills. Looks like a five-technique guy to me. Could be a bit of an under-achiever, but he's a guy I'd put on the radar.

I had a second look at Nassib. Once again he beat his man with speed and technique. The other time was a draw, but man he's a fighter. Nassib is a football player who wants it and gives 100%.

As a pass rusher, he's got a first round grade in my book. If he has some OLB skills, I warming up to him...in round one! If he's DL player only, I'd put him on the radar for round two.

Washington is a guy I've heard about for awhile and is someone who many believe will be a player in the league. He also has two things going for him: Plays defense and played at OSU.

Nassib seems like a coaches dream, but I've read some scouts believe he is limited. While they love his work ethic, don't see a big upside. I'd like to believe that he'll develop into a very good player and is a guy the Steelers should keep an eye on.

 

[tapeANaspirin2it]

Really? You do know that there have been a few QB's drafted late who have been decent...

Few being the key word. I count 20 current starting QBs as 1st rounders. Brady is really the only late rounder who has been anything special. And Brady did have NFL size and arm strength. He dropped because Michigan screwed him by limiting his playing time.

So you want Mark Sanchez...great.

I'd rather have a guy who started a LOT of games and played in a pro-style system. I don't care that he's not the next Tom Brady or Drew Brees. I want someone who can complete a forward pass and run the offense...get me a win or two while Ben is recovering from his annual injury spree mid-season.

Yeah, i do want Sanchez or somebody like him as backup. You can sign a guy like Sanchez off the scrap heap every year. Starting QBs are hard to find. Backup QBs can be had for cheap as free agents.

It takes time to develop a QB. Look at all the time they put into Landry, giving him all those reps and he's still not reliable as a backup. Backup QBs will never get enough reps to develop unless they are special.

I don't know why we are discussing QB so much anyway. I don't see the steelers spending a high pick on one.

 

[Troglodyte]

I like Matekevich. Reminds me of Zach Thomas. Someone will draft him in the 4th or 5th and he'll be a solid starter for a decade.

 

[SteelBuckeye]

That kid Butler ... size, strength, agility ... I don't know where he's slated, but it would be nice to have a kid like that plugging the middle for the Steelers. Plus, he has the length to play DE also. Would fit very well in the rotation that they need to develop to keep Heyward and Tuitt fresher.

 

[slashsteel]

Spence and Day had some solid game moments...

 

[nooneuno]

When it comes to drafting a late round ( 5-7 ) QB...they seldom pan out. For every Tom Brady, there's 40 nobodies. You have a better shot in rounds 2-4 to find a QB of the future. Andy Dalton, Russell Wilson or Kirk Cousins come to mind.

So you're saying the earlier you draft a guy the more chance they have of succeeding? Revolutionary thought process!

 

[Tibs]

My sense is we'd be better off focusing on defense in this draft, and seeking a serviceable back-up QB in FA. I think drafting the heir to Ben can wait a year or two....as far as taking someone in the early rounds.

 

[steelpastor]

Here's a really detailed breakdown on Hackenberg. Shows how far advanced his is mentally compared to most college QBs, and also shows the OL and WR breakdowns. It goes into detail to show why his completions % was so low for a guy with so much talent while also showing that he does have work to do.

The breakdown of the Temple game is great stuff if you love X and O talk.

<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xUh7Tia8pWM" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" width="560"></iframe>

Tape...

Thank you for the clip. That is some top shelf insight in Hackenberg. But STINK! I was one who was hoping he would fall to us later in the draft.

.

 

[steel dino]

Just watched the East-West Shrine game that I DVR'd last night, and was very impresses by the DL from Manitoba David Onyemata..

Very raw ..but what a physical specimen this kid is!

Would love to get him on our roster...I would even go as far as spending a number 2 on him..

Anyone else see him play?

 

[slashsteel]

Just watched the East-West Shrine game that I DVR'd last night, and was very impresses by the DL from Manitoba David Onyemata..

Very raw ..but what a physical specimen this kid is!

Would love to get him on our roster...I would even go as far as spending a number 2 on him..

Anyone else see him play?

6"4 300 so he has DE size..

looks like the Bucs, Panthers,Bengals and Ravens have looked at him. (listed at Walterfootball)

Steelers have looked at QB Kessler

 

[steel dino]

6"4 300 so he has DE size..

looks like the Bucs, Panthers,Bengals and Ravens have looked at him. (listed at Walterfootball)

Steelers have looked at QB Kessler

I liked what I saw in Kessler...I understand the Steelers interest..

But if the Ravens grab Onyemata before we do..I will be verydisappointed..

 

[slashsteel]

I liked what I saw in Kessler...I understand the Steelers interest..

But if the Ravens grab Onyemata before we do..I will be verydisappointed..

Kessler is a little short for my tastes. Drew Brees size, but what I like about him is his ball handling. He seems smart enough to know where to go with the football.. As in if he came off the bench he probably wouldn't throw that Landry forced INT.

As a late round prospect I would be ok with him being a Steeler..

 

[steel dino]

Kessler is a little short for my tastes. Drew Brees size, but what I like about him is his ball handling. He seems smart enough to know where to go with the football.. As in if he came off the bench he probably wouldn't throw that Landry forced INT.

As a late round prospect I would be ok with him being a Steeler..

Exactly...loved his pocket presence and overall awareness, which is especially impressive considering he only had a week of practice in the system he was playing in.....
I heard the Steelers were talking to him this week, now I understand why..

Don't think he is Ben's replacement...but could be Landry's or Gradkowski's..

 

[LeXX75]

I like Matekevich. Reminds me of Zach Thomas. Someone will draft him in the 4th or 5th and he'll be a solid starter for a decade.

Reminded me of Chris Borland. .I know it was only less than a year he played..but when he did..he tackled everything. .too slow too small..but just a knack for finding the ball carrier and finishing the tackle..also liked the Temple DL Ionias (sp)

 

[FordFairLane]

A little late but watched the game and took a few notes who impressed.

South
QB

Brandon Allen was the best pure QB of the bunch. He showed a nice arm, good pocket awareness, and decent accuracy. Dak Prescott shows probably the most potential with a big arm, quick feet, and decent size. Decision making and footwork were very sub par though.

RB
Kenyan Drake definitely had NFL speed and showed he will be the first out of the group drafted. They state he's a change of pace back but in the new NFL with all the passing he I believe is an every down back as long as he doesn't go to a team that wants to run the power I. Aaron Green from TCU opened my eyes a little. He has great speed, good vision, and made moves like he was in a video game. I would be very interested in him if we could drop back pick up some more draft picks and get him with one of those.

WR
KJ Maye from Minnesota looked very quick and caught the ball well. I guess he was a late addition but he didn't look it. He looked strong for his size and quick on his feet and dangerous when the ball was in his hands. Maybe a 7th round flier or priority UDFA. Jay Lee looked more like a typical NFL WR with a nice frame and very good hands. He ran ok routes but needs to work on his moves a little because he doesn't have elite speed so would help to create separation.

TE
Baby Gronk looked like the best football player maybe of the group. He will need to be versatile in the NFL but I would take him over Wil Johnson and have him fill that role. He could backup TE, FB, RB and maybe even a little WR in a pinch. If he can play special teams I'd be cool with drafting him but determining a value might be tough.

OL
Vadal Alexander looked good but it was hard to judge with the tape who looked good or bad on most plays.

North

QB
Wentz looks the part of a franchise QB and threw the ball well but I am not sold on a top 5 pick. Being a bad QB year will help his stock. Cody Kessler imo looked the best. He had good feet and rose up in the pocket, went thru his progressions and even came back to his first read a few times, had good accuracy but could have been better. I feel he needs to set his feet better but he extended plays with them so hard to do when you are running from a lineman.

RB
Kenneth Dixon has the look of an every down back and seemed to move the chains and have good vision. Not sure about his top end speed tho.

WR
Braxton Miller looks the part of a WR who is transitioning from QB. But he is definitely a good athlete. Geronimo Allison seemed to play well again I feel he is a better football player than athlete.

TE
Nick Vannett to me is the best all around TE in the draft. Solid second rounder with potential to be a late first if he blows up his pro day since buckeyes never seem to run at the combine.

OL
Everyone looked pretty good as long as they didn't get matched up with Noah Spence. Nick Martin was about as solid as it gets. Cole Toner had a rough few plays but you can tell he's a worker and I feel is a Munchak kinda guy.

Defense in a few days

 

[Coach]

While there is some talent in the senior bowl, I thought previous years had better talent.

QB was thin, RB, very thin, WR, very thin. TE, very thin. LB's were fair. Both lines were decent, and there were a few DB's that stood out.

The problem with the DB evaluation is they were going against a mediocre group of QB's and weak WR's ( Outside of Braxton Miller )

I'd guess we will see 5-7 first round picks and that's rather low compared to other classes.


Senior Bowl and NFL Draft

2015
FIRST ROUND (76 TOTAL DRAFTED)

12. Danny Shelton DT Washington Cleveland
28. Laken Tomlinson OG Duke Detroit
29. Phillip Dorsett WR Miami (FL) Indianapolis
30. Damarious Randall S Arizona State Green Bay
31. Stephone Anthony ILB Clemson New Orleans

2014
FIRST ROUND (84 TOTAL DRAFTED)

13. Aaron Donald DT Pittsburgh St. Louis
16. Zack Martin OG Notre Dame Dallas
19. Ju'Wuan James OT Tennessee Miami
23. Dee Ford DE Auburn Kansas City
26. Marcus Smith OLB Louisville Philadelphia
27. Deone Buccannon S Washington St Arizona
30. Jimmie Ward S Northern Illinois San Francisco

2013
FIRST ROUND (94 TOTAL DRAFTED)

1. Eric Fisher OT Central Michigan Kansas City
4. Lane Johnson OT Oklahoma Philadelphia
5. Ziggy Ansah DE BYU Detroit
11. D.J. Fluker OT Alabama San Diego
16. E.J. Manuel QB Florida State Buffalo
19. Justin Pugh OT Syracuse NY Giants
20. Kyle Long OT Oregon Chicago
22. Desmond Trufant CB Washington Atlanta
26. Datone Jones DE UCLA Green Bay
28. Sylvester Williams DT North Carolina Denver

2012
FIRST ROUND (82 TOTAL DRAFTED)

16. Quinton Coples DE North Carolina NY Jets
18. Melvin Ingram DE South Carolina San Diego
19. Shea McClellin DE Boise State Chicago
22. Brandon Weeden QB Oklahoma State Cleveland
27. Kevin Zeitler OG Wisconsin Cincinnati
29. Harrison Smith FS Notre Dame Minnesota
30. A.J. Jenkins WR Illinois San Francisco
31. Doug Martin RB Boise State Tampa Bay

2011
FIRST ROUND (83 TOTAL DRAFTED)

2. Von Miller OLB Texas A&M Denver
8. Jake Locker QB Washington Tennessee
12. Christian Ponder QB Florida State Minnesota
16. Ryan Kerrigan DE Purdue Washington
17. Nate Solder OT Colorado New England
21. Phil Taylor DT Baylor Cleveland
22. Anthony Castonzo OT Boston College Indianapolis
23. Danny Watkins OG Baylor Philadelphia
24. Cameron Jordan DE California New Orleans
25. James Carpenter OG Alabama Seattle
29. Gabe Carimi OT Wisconsin Chicago
32. Derek Sherrod OT Mississippi State Green Bay

2010
FIRST ROUND (84 TOTAL DRAFTED)

10. Tyson Aluala DT California Jacksonville
13. Brandon Graham DE Michigan Philadelphia
17. Mike Iupati OG Idaho San Francisco
19. Sean Weatherspoon LB Missouri Atlanta
25. Tim Tebow QB Florida Denver
26. Dan Williams DT Tennessee Arizona
27. Devin McCourty CB Rutgers New England
28. Jared Odrick DT Penn State Miami
29. Kyle Wilson CB Boise State NY Jets
32. Patrick Robinson CB Florida State New Orleans

2009
FIRST ROUND (86 TOTAL DRAFTED)

9. B.J. Raji DT Boston College Green Bay
15. Brian Cushing LB USC Houston
16. Larry English DE Northern Illinois San Diego
18. Robert Ayers DE Tennessee Denver
20. Brandon Pettigrew TE Oklahoma State Detroit
21. Alex Mack OL California Cleveland
23. Michael Oher OL Ole Miss Baltimore
24. Peria Jerry DT Ole Miss Atlanta
26. Clay Matthews LB USC Green Bay
28. Eric Wood OL Louisville Buffalo
32. Ziggy Head DT Missouri Pittsburgh

2008
FIRST ROUND (82 TOTAL DRAFTED)

7. Sedrick Ellis DT USC New Orleans
9. Keith Rivers OLB USC Cincinnati
11. Leodis McKelvin CB Troy Buffalo
14. Chris Williams OT Vanderbilt Chicago
16. D. Rodgers-Cromartie DB Tennessee State Arizona
17. Gosder Cherilus OT Boston College Detroit
18. Joe Flacco QB Delaware Baltimore
21. Sam Baker OT USC Atlanta
24. Chris Johnson RB East Carolina Tennessee
28. Lawrence Jackson DE USC Seattle
29. Kentwan Balmer DE North Carolina San Francisco

2007
FIRST ROUND (90 TOTAL DRAFTED)

5. Levi Brown OT Penn State Arizona
10. Amobi Okoye DT Louisville Houston
11. Patrick Willis LB Ole Miss San Francisco
13. Adam Carriker DE Nebraska St. Louis
18. Leon Hall CB Michigan Cincinnati
19. Michael Griffin S Texas Tennessee
20. Aaron Ross CB Texas N.Y. Giants
23. Dwayne Bowe WR LSU Kansas City
24. Brandon Meriweather S Miami New England
26. Anthony Spencer DE Purdue Dallas
28. Joe Staley OT Central Michigan San Francisco
30. Ben Grubbs OG Auburn Baltimore

2006
FIRST ROUND (RECORD 15 IN 1ST RD)

4. D'Brickashaw Ferguson OT Virginia NY Jets
11. Jay Cutler QB Vanderbilt Denver
13. Kamerion Wimbley DE Florida State Cleveland
14. Brodrick Bunkley DT Florida State Philadelphia
15. Tye Hill CB Clemson St. Louis
17. Chad Greenway LB Iowa Minnesota
20. Tamba Hali DE Penn State Kansas City
22. Manny Lawson LB N.C. State San Francisco
23. Davin Joseph OG Oklahoma Tampa Bay
27. DeAngelo Williams RB Memphis Carolina
28. Mercedes Lewis TE UCLA Jacksonville
29. Nick Mangold OC Ohio State NY Jets
30. Joseph Addai RB LSU Indianapolis
31. Kelly Jennings CB Miami Seattle
32. Mathias Kiwanuka DE Boston College NY Giants

2005
FIRST ROUND (83 TOTAL DRAFTED)

5. Carnell Williams RB Auburn Tampa Bay
9. Carlos Rogers CB Auburn Washington
11. Demarcus Ware DE Troy Dallas
20. Marcus Spears DE LSU Dallas
21. Matt Jones WR Arkansas Jacksonville
22. Mark Clayton WR Oklahoma Baltimore
25. Jason Campbell QB Auburn Washington
27. Roddy White WR UAB Atlanta
31. Mike Patterson DT USC Philadelphia
32. Logan Mankins OG Fresno State New England

 

[nitsuj1225]

So basically the Steelers won't be drafting a senior bowl player round 1. The only one taken in 10 years was Ziggy.