NFL Combine Winners Steelers Should Have Their Eye On
NFL Combine week always gives a lot to look at. Whether it was our favorite players jumping/running out of the gym, or them having meetings with the Pittsburgh Steelers brass, there's always a ton to take away from it. Meetings, particularly formal, have usually been a strong indicator on whether or not the Steelers draft certain players
Obviously, it's tough to pin down specifically who, but we can do some deducing based on how some prospects did and the certain traits they value.
Cornerback
If there is any player that wasn't previously in the discussion at the 17th pick that might have put themselves in there with their combine performance, it has to be Maryland CB Deonte Banks.
Listed at 6"0, 197 pounds, Banks possesses the size Pittsburgh would ideally want in an outside cornerback, as well as the athleticism as he put up a 42-inch vertical and ran a 4.35 in the forty-yard dash.
Given the Maryland pipeline of players drafted under Mike Tomlin and the fact he had a formal meeting with them that went well, there's good reason to believe that the ascending Banks could be their guy at 17.
The guy I've personally become a big fan of as the process has gone along that fits them like a tee is Julius Brents, whom they've already had exposure to at the combine as defensive backs coach Grady Brown coached him up.
What Brents did in Indianapolis at his size is something you rarely ever see. It wasn't just the athletic testing that was freaky in almost every regard, it was the positional drills as he was so quick twitched when opening his hips. You combine that and his rare 34-inch arm length, I don't see how they don't consider him starting at pick 32.
The Steelers love ball production, and Emmanuel Forbes, who met formally with the Steelers, had 14 interceptions in his career, with six returned for touchdowns. The big worry about Forbes is he has a slight frame, and didn't quell those concerns as he weighed in at 166 pounds which is almost unprecedented for a cornerback.
When outliers are presented, often the film not only has to be special but so do the athletic metrics. Forbes did just that as he put up a 4.35 forty-yard dash, which was tied for third among all corners and showed great explosion posting a 37.5-inch vertical and a 10' 11 broad jump.
Some may not consider Clark Phillips a combine winner based on the measurables, but there was nobody who ran the cornerback positional drills better than Phillips did. Super balanced base, typewriter footwork, and just no wasted steps when clicking and closing on the ball. He has inside and outside versatility which will appeal to the Steelers, who had a formal meeting with him and is battle tested versus some of the best receivers in the country the past few years.
The discussion starts in the second round and if he is, for some inexplicable reason, there in the third, it's a certified sprint to the podium moment.
Honorable mention: Cam Smith
Off Ball Linebackers
Coming into combine week, I thought Jack Campbell was a good athlete but didn't get the sense he was a great one. Well, his testing may have vaulted him into the linebacker one spot on many boards, as his film was tremendous, but some had questions about his athleticism, which may have now been answered.
Campbell was a leader on that Iowa defense as he consistently was making checks pre-snap and making sure the defense was in the right spots. That sort of leadership is something the Steelers could desperately need at the position, the athleticism also wouldn't hurt.
The Steelers have been keeping an eye on Daiyan Henley since Senior Bowl week, and he showed why as he put up some really good testing numbers in the forty-yard dash with a 4.54.
Henley might have the most coverage upside out of any of the linebackers in this class, given his length, fluidity and how quickly he gains depth. He showed that off in the positional drills and is definitely a player who has continued his strong momentum during the process.
Honorable mention: Drew Sanders
Interior Defensive Line
Bryan Bresee had quite a rough college career as he tore his ACL in 2021, dealt with a non-football-related medical concern that also seemed to limit him in 2022, and lost his 15-year-old sister to brain cancer the same year. The amount of adversity Bresee has had to go would break many players, and yet here he is, on the cusp of being drafted early in this year's draft.
Pittsburgh met with Bresee formally and very much has a need along the defensive interior. Bresee showcased a great first step in his forty-yard dash of 4.86, putting up a 1.71 10-yard split, which is not exceptional for his size, but also his position. He remains among the prime candidates at 17th overall.
While Gervon Dexter has some up-and-down film, there are some special traits there that haven't quite fully been unlocked. Having formally met with the Steelers and modeling his game after Chris Jones, Dexter put up a freakish 4.88 forty-yard dash, which is a crazy time for some who is 310 pounds. That type of athleticism and size combo should have him firmly on their radar, but it's a bit questionable as to which round he might go in currently.
Honorable mention: Zacch Pickens
Offensive Line
I've been on record stating multiple times on the Steelers Draft Talk podcast that center is a position I'm strongly considering upgrading if I'm the Steelers. Pittsburgh arguably showed more interest in the top-rated interior offensive linemen than the offensive tackles, which is something many might not have expected.
One of them happened to be Ricky Stromberg, who's in consideration among the top centers in this class and happens to model his game after Creed Humphrey. Stromberg looked very solid in the positional drills and put up fairly respectable testing, too as he jumped 32.5 inches in the vertical at 306 pounds.
I would argue that if you wanted Peter Skoronski to fall to the Steelers' 17th pick, just about as much as you could've asked for, aside from a disastrous combine testing from Skoronski, happened. Anton Harrison, Broderick Jones, Parris Johnson and Darnell Wright all killed the testing, aside from Johnson, who didn't test, and all of them killed it in the positional drills.
All of these guys have the size and wingspan of a tackle, unlike Skoronski who couldn't clear the 33-inch arm-length threshold of offensive tackles, which could have teams looking at him more at guard.
The Steelers met formally with Skoronski, who was at one point considered the number-one center by some recruiting agencies like 247 sports. With the Steelers being more focused on the interior, with an emphasis on center versatility, it's hard not to speculate the possibilities that could exist if he were to fall into the Steelers' lap.
It wouldn't be the first time the top interior offensive linemen in a draft class fell to them. The hallmark of great Steelers teams is often started at center and Skoronski could potentially add to that illustrious history at the position.
Honorable mention: Blake Freeland
Make sure you bookmark All Steelers for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!
Pranked: Schefter Reports Ravens on Verge of Lamar Jackson Trade
Eagles Continue Blasting JuJu Smith-Schuster
Brian Branch Dreams of Playing With Steelers
T.J. Watt Must Agree Before Steelers Sign Taylor Lewan
Steelers Ready to Trade Up in NFL Draft
- Subscribe to the All Steelers YouTube Channel
- Follow All Steelers on Twitter: @si_steelers
