Stacking the Steelers Draft Board
I think now you are looking at any player that can help out past the fourth round and while some may feel this guy is a 5th or should go undrafted, you really never know at this point and it boils down to this, if you like a guy and he is there, you take him. So, I am listing guys that may not fall into the top 4 rounds for the Steelers but if they are there, they will be interested.
Round 6, Pick 45, Round 7, Pick 8, Round 7, Pick 25, and Free Agency
Ken Crawley, CB, Colorado-Crawley is 6003, 187 pounds. He ran a 4.43 forty. He is more of a straight line speed guy and fits the edge corner position more than an interior slot guy. He has some change of direction, but can lose the smaller, quicker wide receivers when asked to handle them as an inside corner. He shows solid ball skills and does a nice job of attacking the football in the air. He isn’t a physical corner and does not appear to be a guy that wants to do the heavy lifting in the run game. I’m not calling him soft, but the next time he delivers a pop will be the first time I get to see it.
Brandon Williams, CB, Texas A&M-Williams is 5113, 197 pounds. He has really had his interest jump since the combine where he ran a 4.37 forty with a 4.19 shuttle. His vertical is not elite but he shows solid strength. Williams is a former runningback that kind of reminds people of Ike Taylor. He is raw. His technique, backpedal, and feet make you cringe. He usually plays open, will bail early, and likes to give cushions. What he does well is he breaks on the football, plants and drives on shorter throws, even when he is bailing he keeps pretty good position and he shows the ability to run with receivers. He will tackle. He is so raw, but his size, speed, and raw abilities make him a very interesting developmental corner.
Tyler Ervin, RB, San Jose State-Ervin is 5097, 192 pounds. He ran an excellent 4.41 forty at the combine and had a 39” vertical jump with 17 reps on the bench before shutting it down with a calf injury. A lot of draftniks have Ervin ranked as a 4th round guy, but I just don’t see him as being that highly rated. He has the athletic attributes, but he really isn’t a big back. Ideally, he would be a 3rd down receiving back and he has some ability as a route runner, but he looks like a runningback coming out of the backfield, does not track the ball well in the air, and while he has some run after catch ability, he isn’t going to shake a lot of tacklers. I see him as a pretty raw guy that will need to work on being more of a north/south runner that uses his shiftiness and quickness to make a guy miss and get downhill. He isn’t going to be a power back, but he has to limit the dancing and look to gain some yards. He has the ability to be a homerun type threat, but again, he has to plant his foot, see the daylight, and get there instead of dancing and trying to shake every tackler 3-yards deep.
Jay Lee, WR, Baylor-Lee is 6016, 215 pounds. He ran a 4.53 forty at his pro day and had decent numbers across the board. Lee is a well-built receiver that shows some promise down the field as a deep threat. He does a nice job of not tipping off that the ball is near and will flash his hands out to make the catch. He shows soft hands but will have some really bad drops and sometimes see the ball bounce off his hands. He can be physical and is a willing blocker on the outside. I see Lee as a free agent that gets invited to camp and if he can overcome his case of the dropsies, he has the ability to be an intriguing player.
Dadi Nicolas, OLB, Virginia Tech-Nicolas is 6027-235 pounds. He really has the build of a basketball player more so than an outside linebacker. I can see him in the mold of Floyd, the OLB from Georgia or McAlister from Florida. Many people will look at his production and notice a pretty big decline from last season, but Nicolas battled hand issues all season and it effected his ability to put quarterbacks on the ground. He does not show a great deal of strength and his bench press numbers were bad. It really is difficult for me to get behind an outside linebacker in a 3-4 that throws the bar up 14 times, but Nicolas does have long arms (34¼”) and he can bend the edge. He has some explosion in his lower body (41” vertical) and can change direction. So, when you are looking at potential pass rushers late in the draft, Nicolas actually feels like a sleeper pick. I am going to give him the benefit of the doubt with his hands and think that maybe he lost some strength over the course of the season and maybe he can improve once he turns pro, and if he can, he has the other attributes that make him a very attractive pass rusher. He is a guy I think they target past the fifth round.
Derrick Alexander, DE, Tulsa-Alexander is 6013, 299 pounds. He isn’t a guy that fits the mold of what the Steelers want to do on defense, but he is an explosive player that uses his hands well to work off blocks. I think if I were to draw a comparison, it would be a poor man’s Sheldon Day. Alexander plays with good leverage and holds the point. He can recognize the play and will shed blocks to make tackles. He has a nice ability to penetrate and makes plays in the backfield. He is undersized and we are talking about a nice jump in competition, but Alexander is probably a priority free agent that could find a spot on a team because of his ability to create pressure. He really appears to understand the game.
Trae Elson, S, Mississippi-Elston is 5112, 193 pounds. He ran a 4.50 forty at his pro day. Elston isn’t a safety you are going to walk down to cover a tight end or wide receiver in the slot. That isn’t playing to his strength, but if you want a guy you can line up deep that has good straight line speed and range, Elston can handle it. He can struggle sometimes with reading plays and being in the right position, but he will challenge the ball in the air, has the range to play the deep end, and will come down and hammer receivers on shorter throws. The inconsistency in coverage and being a little late to the party is somewhat troubling for a 4-year starter.
Quinton Jefferson, DE, Maryland-Jefferson is 6037, 291 pounds. Jefferson is a guy I really wanted to like, but I just get a bad feeling about him. He bounces upright off the snap and while he uses his hands well enough, he really doesn’t show any true explosion, power, or agility as a pass rusher. When you are looking at DT/DEs at this stage, you are kind of hoping to find a guy with one of those traits and I kept watching film on Jefferson hoping to see it and I just don’t. Even his highlight reel looks more like a guy feasting on bad blocking than it does a guy whipping the offensive lineman.
Dean Lowry, DE, Northwestern-Lowry is 6056, 296 pounds. Lowry is a guy that might get consideration in the 4th round but if he is available later, you can bet the Steelers are interested. He had very good workout numbers for a guy his size with a bench of 30 reps, 32.5” vertical jump, and a broad jump of 9’6” giving him a KEI of 72. He keeps his pads down and plays with nice leverage. He uses his hands well and will drive blockers back, shed, and make the tackle. He has some burst to the quarterback as well and shows pretty good hustle. He isn’t a real polished player but flashes some really great athletic ability. I think he is a guy that if you get him late, you can show some patience and develop him into a really nice player.
Caleb Benenoch, OL, UCLA-Benenoch is 6054, 311 pounds. He isn’t a guy that has been on the radar of a lot of people, but he is starting to climb some draft boards. Physically, he looks the part of an NFL lineman. He can play with a mean streak and appears to have solid functional strength. Not sure he has the all-around polish and technical ability to play left tackle at the next level, but I think he can play right tackle or both guard spots. He moves well. He is nasty. He finishes plays. He isn’t pretty, but his man doesn’t blow things up very often either. I’d call him a mauler, but he is a little too athletic to fit that general mold.
DeAndre Elliott, CB, Colorado State-Elliott is 6007, 188 pounds. He ran a 4.55 forty but had excellent change of direction numbers with a short shuttle of 3.94. His workout numbers were very good across the board. So, he has the physical attributes you want and I can see him being brought in as an undrafted free agent, but the simple truth is, he just isn’t that good. He does not get his head around and fails to play the ball in the air well enough. Teams did not shy away from him on a putrid Colorado State pass defense. So, as an athlete, he might make it into camp and maybe they think they can develop him, but I really think if he is drafted, it just shows some desperation.
I think now you are looking at any player that can help out past the fourth round and while some may feel this guy is a 5th or should go undrafted, you really never know at this point and it boils down to this, if you like a guy and he is there, you take him. So, I am listing guys that may not fall into the top 4 rounds for the Steelers but if they are there, they will be interested.
Round 6, Pick 45, Round 7, Pick 8, Round 7, Pick 25, and Free Agency
Ken Crawley, CB, Colorado-Crawley is 6003, 187 pounds. He ran a 4.43 forty. He is more of a straight line speed guy and fits the edge corner position more than an interior slot guy. He has some change of direction, but can lose the smaller, quicker wide receivers when asked to handle them as an inside corner. He shows solid ball skills and does a nice job of attacking the football in the air. He isn’t a physical corner and does not appear to be a guy that wants to do the heavy lifting in the run game. I’m not calling him soft, but the next time he delivers a pop will be the first time I get to see it.
Brandon Williams, CB, Texas A&M-Williams is 5113, 197 pounds. He has really had his interest jump since the combine where he ran a 4.37 forty with a 4.19 shuttle. His vertical is not elite but he shows solid strength. Williams is a former runningback that kind of reminds people of Ike Taylor. He is raw. His technique, backpedal, and feet make you cringe. He usually plays open, will bail early, and likes to give cushions. What he does well is he breaks on the football, plants and drives on shorter throws, even when he is bailing he keeps pretty good position and he shows the ability to run with receivers. He will tackle. He is so raw, but his size, speed, and raw abilities make him a very interesting developmental corner.
Tyler Ervin, RB, San Jose State-Ervin is 5097, 192 pounds. He ran an excellent 4.41 forty at the combine and had a 39” vertical jump with 17 reps on the bench before shutting it down with a calf injury. A lot of draftniks have Ervin ranked as a 4th round guy, but I just don’t see him as being that highly rated. He has the athletic attributes, but he really isn’t a big back. Ideally, he would be a 3rd down receiving back and he has some ability as a route runner, but he looks like a runningback coming out of the backfield, does not track the ball well in the air, and while he has some run after catch ability, he isn’t going to shake a lot of tacklers. I see him as a pretty raw guy that will need to work on being more of a north/south runner that uses his shiftiness and quickness to make a guy miss and get downhill. He isn’t going to be a power back, but he has to limit the dancing and look to gain some yards. He has the ability to be a homerun type threat, but again, he has to plant his foot, see the daylight, and get there instead of dancing and trying to shake every tackler 3-yards deep.
Jay Lee, WR, Baylor-Lee is 6016, 215 pounds. He ran a 4.53 forty at his pro day and had decent numbers across the board. Lee is a well-built receiver that shows some promise down the field as a deep threat. He does a nice job of not tipping off that the ball is near and will flash his hands out to make the catch. He shows soft hands but will have some really bad drops and sometimes see the ball bounce off his hands. He can be physical and is a willing blocker on the outside. I see Lee as a free agent that gets invited to camp and if he can overcome his case of the dropsies, he has the ability to be an intriguing player.
Dadi Nicolas, OLB, Virginia Tech-Nicolas is 6027-235 pounds. He really has the build of a basketball player more so than an outside linebacker. I can see him in the mold of Floyd, the OLB from Georgia or McAlister from Florida. Many people will look at his production and notice a pretty big decline from last season, but Nicolas battled hand issues all season and it effected his ability to put quarterbacks on the ground. He does not show a great deal of strength and his bench press numbers were bad. It really is difficult for me to get behind an outside linebacker in a 3-4 that throws the bar up 14 times, but Nicolas does have long arms (34¼”) and he can bend the edge. He has some explosion in his lower body (41” vertical) and can change direction. So, when you are looking at potential pass rushers late in the draft, Nicolas actually feels like a sleeper pick. I am going to give him the benefit of the doubt with his hands and think that maybe he lost some strength over the course of the season and maybe he can improve once he turns pro, and if he can, he has the other attributes that make him a very attractive pass rusher. He is a guy I think they target past the fifth round.
Derrick Alexander, DE, Tulsa-Alexander is 6013, 299 pounds. He isn’t a guy that fits the mold of what the Steelers want to do on defense, but he is an explosive player that uses his hands well to work off blocks. I think if I were to draw a comparison, it would be a poor man’s Sheldon Day. Alexander plays with good leverage and holds the point. He can recognize the play and will shed blocks to make tackles. He has a nice ability to penetrate and makes plays in the backfield. He is undersized and we are talking about a nice jump in competition, but Alexander is probably a priority free agent that could find a spot on a team because of his ability to create pressure. He really appears to understand the game.
Trae Elson, S, Mississippi-Elston is 5112, 193 pounds. He ran a 4.50 forty at his pro day. Elston isn’t a safety you are going to walk down to cover a tight end or wide receiver in the slot. That isn’t playing to his strength, but if you want a guy you can line up deep that has good straight line speed and range, Elston can handle it. He can struggle sometimes with reading plays and being in the right position, but he will challenge the ball in the air, has the range to play the deep end, and will come down and hammer receivers on shorter throws. The inconsistency in coverage and being a little late to the party is somewhat troubling for a 4-year starter.
Quinton Jefferson, DE, Maryland-Jefferson is 6037, 291 pounds. Jefferson is a guy I really wanted to like, but I just get a bad feeling about him. He bounces upright off the snap and while he uses his hands well enough, he really doesn’t show any true explosion, power, or agility as a pass rusher. When you are looking at DT/DEs at this stage, you are kind of hoping to find a guy with one of those traits and I kept watching film on Jefferson hoping to see it and I just don’t. Even his highlight reel looks more like a guy feasting on bad blocking than it does a guy whipping the offensive lineman.
Dean Lowry, DE, Northwestern-Lowry is 6056, 296 pounds. Lowry is a guy that might get consideration in the 4th round but if he is available later, you can bet the Steelers are interested. He had very good workout numbers for a guy his size with a bench of 30 reps, 32.5” vertical jump, and a broad jump of 9’6” giving him a KEI of 72. He keeps his pads down and plays with nice leverage. He uses his hands well and will drive blockers back, shed, and make the tackle. He has some burst to the quarterback as well and shows pretty good hustle. He isn’t a real polished player but flashes some really great athletic ability. I think he is a guy that if you get him late, you can show some patience and develop him into a really nice player.
Caleb Benenoch, OL, UCLA-Benenoch is 6054, 311 pounds. He isn’t a guy that has been on the radar of a lot of people, but he is starting to climb some draft boards. Physically, he looks the part of an NFL lineman. He can play with a mean streak and appears to have solid functional strength. Not sure he has the all-around polish and technical ability to play left tackle at the next level, but I think he can play right tackle or both guard spots. He moves well. He is nasty. He finishes plays. He isn’t pretty, but his man doesn’t blow things up very often either. I’d call him a mauler, but he is a little too athletic to fit that general mold.
DeAndre Elliott, CB, Colorado State-Elliott is 6007, 188 pounds. He ran a 4.55 forty but had excellent change of direction numbers with a short shuttle of 3.94. His workout numbers were very good across the board. So, he has the physical attributes you want and I can see him being brought in as an undrafted free agent, but the simple truth is, he just isn’t that good. He does not get his head around and fails to play the ball in the air well enough. Teams did not shy away from him on a putrid Colorado State pass defense. So, as an athlete, he might make it into camp and maybe they think they can develop him, but I really think if he is drafted, it just shows some desperation.
