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Senior-bowl Thread

slashsteel

Thank you for everything Franco, R I P.
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– Joshua Garnett/LG Stanford: 6’5 321. If you like powerful guards, you’ll fall head over heels for Garnett. Big, wide base creates a ton of strength in the run game. Strong hands who is able to lock out and stick in pass protection. Not the best athlete but good feet for his size and asked to pull a ton at Stanford. And you know that line is one made for players who have a nasty streak and Garnett certainly does. Want to see him in one-on-ones and how he can slide and mirror in pass protection.

– Henry Krieger Coble/TE Iowa: 6’4 250. Not the biggest threat vertically but he’s explosive out of his stance and creates excellent separation at the top of his break. Able to sink his hips and explode out. Like his ability to reach block the backside DE, sets his hips well in the run game, even if he isn’t the strongest player pound-for-pound. Asked to pass pro against DEs, something very similar to what the Steelers ask their tight ends to do. Could definitely see this guy in a Steelers’ uniform and of course, he would barely have to change jerseys.

– Kevin Peterson/CB Oklahoma St: 5’11 190. Lot of CBs in Mobile I really like. But Peterson is flying under the radar. Well-rounded CB who will come up and hit against the run, and does a great job of playing the pocket with the ball in the air. Let’s see how he handles bigger receivers. Laquon Treadwell beat him twice for scores earlier this year. Of course, Treadwell did that to everyone.

– Noah Spence/OLB Eastern Kentucky: 6’3 261. This could be a guy who winds up mocked to the Steelers at 25 when all is said and done. An Ohio State transfer, Spence fires off the ball and shows the flexibility to flatten and get upfield. Big tests are his ability to counter -which you see evidence of but maybe not enough – and ability to hold at the point of attack.

– Tyler Ervin/RB San Jose St: 5’10 177. He’s a little guy but he’s going to show everyone some toughness this week. Not afraid to bang the run up inside. Explosive, versatile, who will probably get endless comparisons to Dexter McCluster. But I think Ervin is a better runner, though any team who takes him will have to define a clear role, something the Steelers failed to do with Dri Archer.

– Darian Thompson/S Boise St: 6’2 212. I know Jeremy Cash is the guy on everyone’s mind, and trust me, we’ll keep a close eye on him too, but I really like Thompson. Complete safety whereas Cash is much more limited to the box. Thompson is a playmaker with 19 interceptions, a school record, who fills the alley admirably against the run Guy can do it all.

– DeAndre Houston-Carson/S William & Mary. 6’2 195. His special teams ability, blocking five kicks/punts the last two years, reminds me of a bigger Justin Bethel. His play on defense reminds me of Mike Mitchell. Physical, big hitter, but has to take better angles to the football and I don’t know a lot about him in coverage. Of course, he also attended Mike Tomlin’s alma matter.

– Leonte Carroo/WR Rutgers: 6’1 205. Not sure if he is as tall or listed but regardless, I love the guy. Advanced route runner who can separate with his feet and his eyes with plus hands. Quick to the tuck and a willing run blocker who was very productive.

– Paul McRoberts/WR Southeast Missouri: 6’3 197. Limited tape on this small school kid, a driving reason why I’m giddy to see him in person. Get to know him better. A former basketball player, the guy has vice-like hands and excellent body control. Needs to be more consistent timing his jumps and tracking the football vertically, and has to be able to win in more ways than just high-pointing the football. But the dude is a crazy athlete who can get up in the air with the best of them.


Here is Steelersdepot first writeup.

Feel free to add who yinz is looking at and why.............
 
I know some are down on Spence early in 1, but if that was more of a early character concern than a later character concern, I will not to the Steelers doing their homework.

Steelers need a

OLBer
CB
SS

(not in order of preference)
 
I know some are down on Spence early in 1, but if that was more of a early character concern than a later character concern, I will not to the Steelers doing their homework.

Steelers need a

OLBer
CB
SS

(not in order of preference)

And we need Landry's replacement...

Jake Coker - can't wait to hear how he performs...
 
And we need Landry's replacement...

Jake Coker - can't wait to hear how he performs...

do you draft a backup though or pick up a backup with experience?

I would stay away from drafting a prospect for now. As I think we need experience over a possible starter.... I don't think Ben is that close to the end. Not in this league that protects QBs more now and they are lasting longer IMO>
 
Interesting question Slash - I agree to a point, but, we passed up on McCarron two years ago - Jake Coker could be the heir-apparent if we take him in the 4th and let him learn from Ben and Coach Haley...
 
do you draft a backup though or pick up a backup with experience?

I would stay away from drafting a prospect for now. As I think we need experience over a possible starter.... I don't think Ben is that close to the end. Not in this league that protects QBs more now and they are lasting longer IMO>

You can never afford to pass up on a potential Franchise QB... remember Bradshaw was thought to have years left and they had a backup on the team that had potential so they passed on Marino... can you imagine the 80s if Bradshaws's elbow had given out and Marino took over... better yet... with him on the team they don't rush Bradshaw back and he never totally ruins his arm and plays a couple more years...

If a guy is there in round 1 that has a high upside, you can NEVER afford to pass on him. If he pans out, you have an Aaron Rodgers scenario... at worse he doesn't and 1st round pick QBs that look bad still can be moved for a mid rounder when you give up on them...
 
Didn't want to start a new thread so this are my observations from the East West Shrine Game.

East-

Josh Ferguson RB Illinois
Looked very smooth, nice speed, good vision, decent hands, and looks the part of a third down back. IMHO was the best back on either team and I feel will at the very least make a team with his versatility.

Blake Frohnapfel QB Massachusetts-Amherst
Didn't expect much out of him but was the best of the group. Has the size, better arm than advertised, some fire in his belly for the game. I feel he's likely a PS player for 1-2 seasons but a guy with some upside.

Cre'von Leblanc DB Florida International
I really wasn't high on him but in this game he played aggressive, showed some nice hands, broke on the ball, and stuck his nose in there during some runs. Might be more of a nickel back but with his return ability and most likely special teams ability he is a guy worth a look in camp and a later round pick. 4-6 rounds would be ideal.

Victor Ochi OLB Stoney Brook
I want this kid in camp. He just flew past the OT time and time again. He was able to get low and use his balance, speed, and strength to get the edge again and again. My only harp on him was not counter move to the inside. I feel if he could develop one he would be a sack machine in the NFL. Really impressive showing.

Anthony Harrell LB Florida
Made some nice plays and seemed to read and react very well. Didn't know anything about this kid until the game and he was very impressive. I think he's a UDFA priority but a guy I'd like to see in a camp and at very least stash on the PS for a season.

West-

Tyler Marz OT Wisconsin
He looked pretty natural at OT and moved well enough in the run game to get to the second level on some blocks. Again nothing special but a late round guy but not a lot of position diversity either.

Vernon Adams Jr. QB Oregon
He wasn't really on my radar because of his height but after watching him move in the pocket, always keeping his eyes down field, and able to pick up some yards with his feet I'd be happy picking this kid up late. He reminds me a lot of Russell Wilson in the terms of his mobility and ability to extend plays but he does a nice job of looking down field. Again a guy I'd like to see in camp late. Probably no more than an NFL backup but it would be a nice to have a guy who can keep the chains moving in the event Ben is out for a few games.

Brandon Doughty QB Western Kentucky
Had a nice delivery and accuracy but he stared down his targets and really seemed to zone in on his own WR from WKU in Dangerfield. I feel Doughty will go high than Adams because of his size and being the better pure passer but unless he can use his eyes to hold off a safety and spread the ball better he won't end up being the better player. I guess higher ceiling than Adams but much lower floor IMO.

Geronimo Allison WR Illinois
I really like this kid. He seemed to understand the position better than the rest of the receivers, had a very nice route tree, not quick switch but good speed, uses his hands to catch, gives the QB a target, adjusts to the ball when in the air, found holes in the zones, understood blocking concepts and did a very good job, uses his frame to his advantage. He's projected as an UDFA but I'd love to get him in the 7th so we don't have to fight for him as an UDFA.

Briean Boddy-Calhoun CB Minnesota
Again a guy I really didn't know a lot about but he played very very well. He has smooth hips, plays the ball, good speed and maybe more of an outside CB in my opinion than Leblanc.

Michael Caputo S Wisconsin
I liked him at Wisconsin but saw some nice range and hands during the game. I thought he was more of a in the box kind of safety but he played deep and jumped a route and was in on a ton of tackles which is what I expected. I feel he might be a little slow but his football awareness should help him read and react quicker. I think he's a 4.6 - 4.7 guy but I would love to get him into camp.
 
And we need Landry's replacement...

Jake Coker - can't wait to hear how he performs...

Gradkoswki if healthy is much better than Jones. I'd settle for a better veteran who has started and won his share of nfl games.
 
Gradkoswki if healthy is much better than Jones. I'd settle for a better veteran who has started and won his share of nfl games.

Gradkowski has NEVER thrown a pass for the Steelers and his stats in the NFL are awful. He has a weak arm, is small inaccurate and throws more picks than TDs. He is not better than Jones that is how bad our backup QB situation is. Grandkowski has an awful 52.9 % career completion rate, a horrible career QB rating of 65.8 , a won loss record of 6-14 and 21 TD passes against 24 INTs, just a poor player.
 
I mentioned in another thread that i really like Mike Caputo. He has a nose for the ball and plays hard. At a minimum, he will be a great special teamer but i think he's a good fit with Mitchell.

Josh Ferguson is a good fit for the steelers who now throw to the RB as a major part of the offense. Not a gamebreaker but a solid guy like Mewelde Moore

Geronimo Allison - i'm not sure about him. Honestly, i don't even remember Allison much at all from when PSU played them. Illinois' offense was pretty bad. They had QB issues so maybe that is why he was absent so often. I don't see the steelers drafting a WR very high.

Jake Coker - i know people will say i'm being a hater, but i just don't think he's very good at all. He has mediocre arm strength, struggles with accuracy, and he is easily rattled. Bama had some great weapons for him. The OL and the run game meant he was rarely pressured. He also had easy coverages to throw against because most teams committed 8 to stop the run. His job was pretty easy and he was still shaky in many games. I don't see the upside.

Blake Frohnapfel from Umass is a good prospect. Obviously didn't face top competition but he was coached by former Steeler QB coach Mark Whipple

Noah Spence - he's this year's Randy Gregory but Spence had a problem with Ecstasy where he failed multiple drug tests. Not sure i spend a high pick on him.

Austin Johnson NT/DT Penn State - not the typical fat guy NT. He's athletic and has a motor. He can play NT and also DE in a 3-4. Johnson will likely be a 1st or high 2nd rounder so the steelers would likely have to get him in RD 1. DL would not be the first choice for the steelers but if the DBs get cleaned out, it may be the best option. Heyward and Tuitt had too many snaps. They need a better rotation.

Carl Nassib DE Penn State - i want to see if they let him play LB at all. He's 6'6 270 and a former walk on. He weighed about 220 when he arrived and put on 50 lbs of muscle over 4 years. Kid is a hard worker with a high motor. Led the nation in sacks despite missing 3 games. Combine will be huge for him. If he shows well in LB drills, i'd be very interested. If not then he's not a 3-4 DE.

Darian Thompson S Boise State - he's got size and instincts. He had 12 INT the last 2 seasons. Part of me hopes he has a bad senior bowl week so he lasts until the steelers pick.

Kenyan Drake RB Alabama - can be a good receiving back and possible return man. I hope they have him return punts at senior bowl
 
Gradkowski has NEVER thrown a pass for the Steelers and his stats in the NFL are awful. He has a weak arm, is small inaccurate and throws more picks than TDs. He is not better than Jones that is how bad our backup QB situation is. Grandkowski has an awful 52.9 % career completion rate, a horrible career QB rating of 65.8 , a won loss record of 6-14 and 21 TD passes against 24 INTs, just a poor player.

I have to disagree with that. Gradkowski healthily is better than Landry Jones. If memory serves Gradkowski has also beaten the Steelers. Judge him with our line and weapons, not from Oakland, Tampa Bay and Cleveland.
 
Jake Coker - i know people will say i'm being a hater, but i just don't think he's very good at all. He has mediocre arm strength, struggles with accuracy, and he is easily rattled. Bama had some great weapons for him. The OL and the run game meant he was rarely pressured. He also had easy coverages to throw against because most teams committed 8 to stop the run. His job was pretty easy and he was still shaky in many games. I don't see the upside.
l

Agreed. Coker isn't amoung the best 8 QB's in this draft!

If you're looking for a big QB, who produced in a top conference with average talent around him, check out Nate Sudfeld. I think he can move up to round two or three.

http://www.iuhoosiers.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6214&path=football
 
Tape, I want your opinion on what the ceiling is for Jesse James. While I think it's stupid to talk about a player's ceiling after one season (no one would have said AB could be the best WR in the game or that Beachum was a starting LT after one season), especially a guy like James who is 21, I keep hearing local media and bloggers preaching that James will be - at best - a rich man's version of Matt Spaeth. What say you?
 
Jake Coker - i know people will say i'm being a hater, but i just don't think he's very good at all. He has mediocre arm strength, struggles with accuracy, and he is easily rattled. Bama had some great weapons for him. The OL and the run game meant he was rarely pressured. He also had easy coverages to throw against because most teams committed 8 to stop the run. His job was pretty easy and he was still shaky in many games. I don't see the upside.

I don't think you're too far off with Coker...

He has struggled with accuracy and he has been inconsistent at Alabama. He is intriguing to me for a couple of reasons though:

1) He has an arm that is good enough. He's not Aaron Rodgers or Joe Flacco with arm strength, but he's not Andy Dalton either.
2) He does move and throw on the move extremely well. He's made some truly great throws while on the move, in particular there were a couple against Auburn, Florida and Clemson that were just highlight-reel stuff. So the raw talent is there...
3) He will have time to develop. The Steelers (or whomever) can take a late-round flyer on the kid and see what happens...

We know what Landry Jones can do (not a lot)...

I'd rather draft Kevin Hogan (Stanford) than Jake Coker...
 
I'd rather not draft a QB. Bring back Gradkowski and roll with Bruce, Ben and Landry. Let's draft like we have a legit chance to win the Super Bowl next season instead of adding someone who won't help us at all next year. We don't have a 5th or 6th round pick this year also...not a year for "luxury" picks.
 
James played pretty well a rookie. He needs to improve his blocking and might have a low ceiling in that department. But I like him as a short to medium type of receiving Tight End and red zone target.
 
Tape, I want your opinion on what the ceiling is for Jesse James. While I think it's stupid to talk about a player's ceiling after one season (no one would have said AB could be the best WR in the game or that Beachum was a starting LT after one season), especially a guy like James who is 21, I keep hearing local media and bloggers preaching that James will be - at best - a rich man's version of Matt Spaeth. What say you?

I don't know why people think he is limited. He is a really good athlete. His vertical is 37 inches and broad jump was over 10 feet. He had 26 reps on the bench. He's a good athlete, he's just not real fast. But how fast is a guy 6'7 270 supposed to be? Heath Miller ran 4.87 in the 40. James ran faster than that. As you said, he's only 21. He's still developing. He's a gym rat and a hard worker.

James is never going to be Jimmy Graham as a receiver but Graham can't block for **** either. I think he can be like Heath Miller, a complete TE who can block and is a reliable receiver. Heath isn't running deep routes. He's a chain mover and a good redzone target. That's what James can be as a receiver. With his height and his leaping ability, he may become a huge redzone threat.
 
I don't think you're too far off with Coker...

He has struggled with accuracy and he has been inconsistent at Alabama. He is intriguing to me for a couple of reasons though:

1) He has an arm that is good enough. He's not Aaron Rodgers or Joe Flacco with arm strength, but he's not Andy Dalton either.
2) He does move and throw on the move extremely well. He's made some truly great throws while on the move, in particular there were a couple against Auburn, Florida and Clemson that were just highlight-reel stuff. So the raw talent is there...
3) He will have time to develop. The Steelers (or whomever) can take a late-round flyer on the kid and see what happens...

We know what Landry Jones can do (not a lot)...

I'd rather draft Kevin Hogan (Stanford) than Jake Coker...

if they took coker in the 7th round i wouldn't care, but there are a lot of others i would prefer. If you carry 3 QB, you should have your starter, a reliable backup and a developmental QB. You can always sign a reliable vet like Batch or Gradkowski for cheap in free agency. That means you should always swing for the fence when drafting a QB.

i don't see the point of putting the work into developing Coker when his ceiling appears to be career backup. He simply doesn't have the nerve to be a great QB.

I'd rather take a shot on a guy like Marquise Williams from North Carolina

I'm not sure about Hogan. I sw him play a bunch of games and always thought he sucked. He was holding Stanford back. He was even terrible in the loss to Northwestern this year. But they Christian McCaffrey emerged and they seemed to open up the offense a bit more and Hogan started to look good. Maybe the light came on for him finally.

Regardless or the QB, i don't think they should take one higher than round 6.
 
I don't know why people think he is limited. He is a really good athlete. His vertical is 37 inches and broad jump was over 10 feet. He had 26 reps on the bench. He's a good athlete, he's just not real fast. But how fast is a guy 6'7 270 supposed to be? Heath Miller ran 4.87 in the 40. James ran faster than that. As you said, he's only 21. He's still developing. He's a gym rat and a hard worker.

James is never going to be Jimmy Graham as a receiver but Graham can't block for **** either. I think he can be like Heath Miller, a complete TE who can block and is a reliable receiver. Heath isn't running deep routes. He's a chain mover and a good redzone target. That's what James can be as a receiver. With his height and his leaping ability, he may become a huge redzone threat.

Tape...

I have to agree. I see much more potential in James than most seem to give him credit for. He was a 4.69 40 at his pro day. His numbers are equal to or better than Gronk's. James has some chops. Worst case... he is a Spaeth that can really jump. Best case... he could be a starter for 10 years. The kid works hard. I am certain that he is learning from Heath. I am very interested to see where he is in three years.

.
 
I have to disagree with that. Gradkowski healthily is better than Landry Jones. If memory serves Gradkowski has also beaten the Steelers. Judge him with our line and weapons, not from Oakland, Tampa Bay and Cleveland.

Grandkids is small, has a weak arm and a horrible throwing motion. He has beat the Steelers, big deal, he had a career quarter where he threw 3 TD passes against us 7 years ago. He lacks everything you want in an NFL QB except for mobility. What has he ever done to think he can be decent even with our weapons?Jones, who I don't like, has a better arm, better size and has done something with our weapons, something Gradkowski hasn't done even in his preseason games.
 
if they took coker in the 7th round i wouldn't care, but there are a lot of others i would prefer. If you carry 3 QB, you should have your starter, a reliable backup and a developmental QB. You can always sign a reliable vet like Batch or Gradkowski for cheap in free agency. That means you should always swing for the fence when drafting a QB.

i don't see the point of putting the work into developing Coker when his ceiling appears to be career backup. He simply doesn't have the nerve to be a great QB.

I'd rather take a shot on a guy like Marquise Williams from North Carolina

I'm not sure about Hogan. I sw him play a bunch of games and always thought he sucked. He was holding Stanford back. He was even terrible in the loss to Northwestern this year. But they Christian McCaffrey emerged and they seemed to open up the offense a bit more and Hogan started to look good. Maybe the light came on for him finally.

Regardless or the QB, i don't think they should take one higher than round 6.

Really? Mr. 5-turnovers vs a horrible South Carolina team? He throws more inexcusable interceptions than EJ Manuel.
 
Marquise Williams is dumb, Carolina had to use their fake classes to keep the moron eligible. He is a choker and a mediocre player.
 
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.
 
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