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If you’re like me, there is no such thing as a “too soon” NFL Mock Draft. I know the Pittsburgh Steelers are right in the thick of a tight AFC playoff hunt, but this is also the point of the season where General Manager Kevin Colbert is beginning his draft board for the 2022 NFL Draft. With non-senior players not being invited to the annual Senior Bowl, their bowl game is their last chance to perform for NFL scouts before the combine. Therefore, I wanted to put on my GM cap and take a look at some players who will be playing in a bowl game this season who the Steelers may be eyeing.
Here are a few players I am watching in this year’s bowl games:
Disclaimer: These players will not be attending the Senior Bowl and have not opted out of their respective Bowl game as of December 17th. They are not listed in any specific order.
Cotton Bowl, December 31st, 2021
Ahmad Gardner, Junior, Cornerback, University of Cincinnati
The Steelers’ secondary has been exposed ever since Joe Haden went down with a foot injury. We’ve known the cornerback position is the biggest weakness of the Steelers’ defense, and there is no doubt Colbert is going to look to address that in April. Gardner is one of the top ranked cornerbacks in this year’s draft. He plays outside and works best in a zone scheme; which is exactly what the Steelers run. Gardner is a long, lengthy corner who is best at coverage skills. One area of improvement is tackling, but that is something that can be coached. Cincinnati has a tough bowl matchup against the University of Alabama, where Gardner is going to be facing the toughest receiving corps in his entire collegiate career. This will be a great opportunity for him to propel his draft stock forward before the offseason combine.
Orange Bowl, December 31st, 2021
The entire Georgia front-seven
The University of Georgia has arguably the best defense in all of college football. A large part of that is their defensive line and linebacker corps. Although there are some seniors as a part of that group, the remaining will need to use their bowl game tape to improve their drat stock. Some players I’m watching are Jordan Davis (DL), Travon Walker (DE/DL), and Nakobe Dean (LB). The Steelers have suffered injuries along the defensive line and it is safe to assume Stephon Tuitt may never return. Both Davis (6’6”, 340 pounds) and Walker (6’5”, 275 pounds) are massive bodies the Steelers need to regain their stout rush defense. Davis plays more inside at the nose, where Walker can line up as a defensive tackle or edge player. With the lackluster performance of Devin Bush, Robert Spillane, and the rest of the Steelers’ linebacker group, Dean could be a great fit in the middle of the defense. He’s incredibly athletic with great instincts and an eye for the ball. He may be what the Steelers had in Bush before the ACL injury, so this would be a nice redemption pick for the Steelers.
Duke’s Mayo Bowl, December 30th, 2021
R.J. Roderick, Senior, Safety, University of South Carolina
Roderick is one of the most intriguing safety prospects going into this year’s draft. After playing with top-10 corner (now Carolina Panther), Jaycee Horn, Roderick opted out of the 2020 season to focus on his academics and rehab some lingering injuries. Upon his return in 2021, Roderick posted 58 tackles with 2 forced fumbles. With the future of Terrell Edmunds being up in the air after this season, the Steelers may look for a physical player to take over that strong safety role paired with Minkah Fitzpatrick. As his numbers indicate, Roderick isn’t necessarily a ball-hawk, but he’s a player who doesn’t shy away from contact. He reminds me of Ryan Clark, in that although he may never make a game-changing interception, opposing receivers are always hesitant of crossing routes in his zone. Roderick could bring that to the Steelers’ secondary. He hasn’t indicated any bowl game opt-out, so if he plays, I’m watching how he matches up against one of the best quarterbacks in the draft in Sam Howell.
Rose Bowl, January 1st, 2022
Nicolas Petit-Frere, Redshirt Junior, Offensive Tackle, Ohio State
The 2022 draft is looking to be very similar to what we saw in 2021, where there is a lot of depth at offensive line positions. This bodes well for the Steelers, as we all know the continued offensive line struggles throughout this season. Ohio State seems to consistently churn out top talent along the offensive line and Petit-Frere is no exception to that. He plays mostly on the left-hand side of the line at tackle, where we see rookie Dan Moore, Jr. today. Petit-Frere has the right size, measuring about 6’5″, 315 pounds. He has a wide base and has great athleticism for his size. He’s able to move laterally and is incredibly mobile on extended run plays or screen plays. Ohio State is playing a tough University of Utah team on New Year’s Day, so I’m watching how Petit-Frere performs against a top defense from the Pac-12 conference.
Citrus Bowl, January 1st, 2022
Wan’Dale Robinson, Junior, Wide Receiver, University of Kentucky
The Steelers’ receiving corps is going to need a face life in 2022. With JuJu Smith-Schuster entering free agency (again) and the futures of Ray-Ray McCloud and James Washington being unknown, we could see Colbert going after a receiver in the draft. With the outside receivers being presumably set with Dionate Johnson and Chase Claypool, they’ll be looking for a guy who can play in the slot. That is where Robinson comes in. Robinson is a shifty route-runner with elite speed. He was seen as the “homerun hitter” in college and that is what the Steelers need. Robinson is able to line up in the slot and make contested catches in the middle of the field. Further, he is able to take handoffs or screen passes and break away from defenses. Kentucky is matching up against Iowa in the Citrus Bowl, so this will be a great challenge for Robinson. I’m watching to see how he performs against a top defense in his final college game before the combine.
Who are you watching for in this year’s bowl games? What position do you think the Steelers need first? Let us know in the comments!
#SteelerNation
Support SteelerNation by clicking here to read the story..
Here are a few players I am watching in this year’s bowl games:
Disclaimer: These players will not be attending the Senior Bowl and have not opted out of their respective Bowl game as of December 17th. They are not listed in any specific order.
Cotton Bowl, December 31st, 2021
Ahmad Gardner, Junior, Cornerback, University of Cincinnati
The Steelers’ secondary has been exposed ever since Joe Haden went down with a foot injury. We’ve known the cornerback position is the biggest weakness of the Steelers’ defense, and there is no doubt Colbert is going to look to address that in April. Gardner is one of the top ranked cornerbacks in this year’s draft. He plays outside and works best in a zone scheme; which is exactly what the Steelers run. Gardner is a long, lengthy corner who is best at coverage skills. One area of improvement is tackling, but that is something that can be coached. Cincinnati has a tough bowl matchup against the University of Alabama, where Gardner is going to be facing the toughest receiving corps in his entire collegiate career. This will be a great opportunity for him to propel his draft stock forward before the offseason combine.
Orange Bowl, December 31st, 2021
The entire Georgia front-seven
The University of Georgia has arguably the best defense in all of college football. A large part of that is their defensive line and linebacker corps. Although there are some seniors as a part of that group, the remaining will need to use their bowl game tape to improve their drat stock. Some players I’m watching are Jordan Davis (DL), Travon Walker (DE/DL), and Nakobe Dean (LB). The Steelers have suffered injuries along the defensive line and it is safe to assume Stephon Tuitt may never return. Both Davis (6’6”, 340 pounds) and Walker (6’5”, 275 pounds) are massive bodies the Steelers need to regain their stout rush defense. Davis plays more inside at the nose, where Walker can line up as a defensive tackle or edge player. With the lackluster performance of Devin Bush, Robert Spillane, and the rest of the Steelers’ linebacker group, Dean could be a great fit in the middle of the defense. He’s incredibly athletic with great instincts and an eye for the ball. He may be what the Steelers had in Bush before the ACL injury, so this would be a nice redemption pick for the Steelers.
Duke’s Mayo Bowl, December 30th, 2021
R.J. Roderick, Senior, Safety, University of South Carolina
Roderick is one of the most intriguing safety prospects going into this year’s draft. After playing with top-10 corner (now Carolina Panther), Jaycee Horn, Roderick opted out of the 2020 season to focus on his academics and rehab some lingering injuries. Upon his return in 2021, Roderick posted 58 tackles with 2 forced fumbles. With the future of Terrell Edmunds being up in the air after this season, the Steelers may look for a physical player to take over that strong safety role paired with Minkah Fitzpatrick. As his numbers indicate, Roderick isn’t necessarily a ball-hawk, but he’s a player who doesn’t shy away from contact. He reminds me of Ryan Clark, in that although he may never make a game-changing interception, opposing receivers are always hesitant of crossing routes in his zone. Roderick could bring that to the Steelers’ secondary. He hasn’t indicated any bowl game opt-out, so if he plays, I’m watching how he matches up against one of the best quarterbacks in the draft in Sam Howell.
Rose Bowl, January 1st, 2022
Nicolas Petit-Frere, Redshirt Junior, Offensive Tackle, Ohio State
The 2022 draft is looking to be very similar to what we saw in 2021, where there is a lot of depth at offensive line positions. This bodes well for the Steelers, as we all know the continued offensive line struggles throughout this season. Ohio State seems to consistently churn out top talent along the offensive line and Petit-Frere is no exception to that. He plays mostly on the left-hand side of the line at tackle, where we see rookie Dan Moore, Jr. today. Petit-Frere has the right size, measuring about 6’5″, 315 pounds. He has a wide base and has great athleticism for his size. He’s able to move laterally and is incredibly mobile on extended run plays or screen plays. Ohio State is playing a tough University of Utah team on New Year’s Day, so I’m watching how Petit-Frere performs against a top defense from the Pac-12 conference.
Citrus Bowl, January 1st, 2022
Wan’Dale Robinson, Junior, Wide Receiver, University of Kentucky
The Steelers’ receiving corps is going to need a face life in 2022. With JuJu Smith-Schuster entering free agency (again) and the futures of Ray-Ray McCloud and James Washington being unknown, we could see Colbert going after a receiver in the draft. With the outside receivers being presumably set with Dionate Johnson and Chase Claypool, they’ll be looking for a guy who can play in the slot. That is where Robinson comes in. Robinson is a shifty route-runner with elite speed. He was seen as the “homerun hitter” in college and that is what the Steelers need. Robinson is able to line up in the slot and make contested catches in the middle of the field. Further, he is able to take handoffs or screen passes and break away from defenses. Kentucky is matching up against Iowa in the Citrus Bowl, so this will be a great challenge for Robinson. I’m watching to see how he performs against a top defense in his final college game before the combine.
Who are you watching for in this year’s bowl games? What position do you think the Steelers need first? Let us know in the comments!
#SteelerNation
Support SteelerNation by clicking here to read the story..
