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In the midst of what has been arguably one of the craziest NFL offseasons in history, the Pittsburgh Steelers still have the 2022 NFL Draft to prepare for. We were able to catch an early look at some of the top prospects by way of the NFL Combine in February, but as we round the corner into the month of the draft, college Pro Days are starting to heat up. So this begs the question, who should Steeler Nation be watching at their Pro Days? Well, here is who the Steelers most likely have on their watch list on Monday’s slate:
Sam Howell, Quarterback, Projected 2nd Round
Even with the addition of Mitch Trubisky, it is no secret the Steelers are leaving no stone unturned in this year’s rookie quarterback class; this includes early 2021 Heisman-favorite Howell. After an impressive 2020 season, Howell seemed to take a step back in 2021 and fell out of the Heisman contention after being one of the top favorites in a lot of preseason polls. Therefore, Howell attended and played in the Senior Bowl earlier this year and attended the combine as well. Although he wasn’t able to fully test at the combine, he recorded the hardest throw at 59 miles per hour. On Monday, look for Howell to run through the entire circuit for NFL scouts. There are a lot of quarterback-needy teams this year, and Howell needs to show out to move his draft stock in the right direction.
Ty Chandler, Running Back, Projected 5th to 6th Round
Between Michael Carter and Javonte Williams in 2021 and Chandler this year, UNC is slowly beginning to produce decent NFL running backs. Although Chandler is currently sitting as a solid Day 3 selection, he’d be a great value pick for whoever gets him. For the Steelers, he’d be a great change-of-pace back in tandem with Najee Harris. Chandler ran one of the fastest 40-yard dashes at the combine with a time of 4.38 seconds and has a great stride in space. Chandler took a giant leap forward in 2021 showing he has a decent ceiling, but he’ll need the Pro Day to boost that more. As of right now, Chandler sits as a safe third day pick.
Noah Elliss, Defensive Tackle, Projected 4th Round
Looking at the talent level coming out of Idaho this year, Elliss is going to be getting the bulk of the attention. Elliss is a dominant force at the line and at 367 pounds, he’s a massive body for an offensive line to contain. Elliss has one of the highest ceilings for a defensive lineman this year and if it wasn’t for Devonte Wyatt and Jordan Davis out of Georgia, Elliss would most likely be considered as a Day 2 pick. We know the Steelers like drafting big defensive linemen and they need added depth in the interior. Because not a lot of NFL scouts watch Idaho football, Elliss is going to need all the help he can get to build his draft stock. But if you were to ask me who I’d like the Steelers to use their 138th overall selection on, I’d say Elliss 10 out of 10 times.
Kaiir Elam, Cornerback, Projected 1st Round
The Steelers need help at the cornerback position. I would even argue that cornerback in the first round isn’t necessarily out of the question for the Steelers’ 20th overall selection. Elam is a tough, physical corner who plays best on the outside. With Joe Haden presumably gone and Cam Sutton most likely moving back inside, this leaves an unavoidable vacancy in the Steelers’ secondary. Elam would be drafted as a true day-one starter and showed he can live up to those expectations. Early reports indicate he’s a middle to late 1st round selection, so the Steelers will need to see where the cards fall on the first day to determine if he’s worth the 20th overall selection.
Jeremiah Moon, Linebacker, Projected 4th Round
Moon is a unique specimen at the linebacker position. He began his college career as an edge player, then transitioned into a true inside linebacker. This showed to be the correct move he had to take to get NFL scouts’ attention. Moon is a long, lengthy player and is incredibly athletic. He attended the NFL Combine and put on an absolute show. Moon measured 6’5” and 249 pounds with 35-inch arms. He moved through the agility drills with ease and really raised his draft stock heading into his Pro Day. The Steelers always draft linebackers, and Moon is definitely on Kevin Colbert’s big board.
Zachary Carter, Defensive Tackle, Projected 4th Round
This year’s draft class is showing to be one of the deepest at defensive linemen. However, Carter’s skillset is a bit different than most other linemen. He is listed as a defensive end, or even a big edge player, but plays more like an interior lineman at the tackle spot. His testing results at the combine were sufficient, depending on how coaches looked at them. For a defensive tackle, they were great. He showed he can get off the ball quickly and shed blockers to get to the backfield. He had a nice burst of strength in his hands and has a nice size of 6’4” and 282 pounds. But as an edge player, he looked too big and too slow to beat offensive tackles to get to the quarterback. Therefore, although Carter is an interesting player, he showed he’d fit better inside a 4-3 scheme, as opposed to the Steelers’ 3-4. But with that said, Carter is aware of this and wants to use his Pro Day to prove to scouts he could be that anchor along the defensive line in the NFL.
As we move closer to more Pro Days this week, we’ll be sure to keep you updated on who to watch!
Who are you watching this week? Is there anyone you think I missed on this list? Let us know in the comments below!
#SteelerNation
Support SteelerNation by clicking here to read the story..
University of North Carolina
Sam Howell, Quarterback, Projected 2nd Round
Even with the addition of Mitch Trubisky, it is no secret the Steelers are leaving no stone unturned in this year’s rookie quarterback class; this includes early 2021 Heisman-favorite Howell. After an impressive 2020 season, Howell seemed to take a step back in 2021 and fell out of the Heisman contention after being one of the top favorites in a lot of preseason polls. Therefore, Howell attended and played in the Senior Bowl earlier this year and attended the combine as well. Although he wasn’t able to fully test at the combine, he recorded the hardest throw at 59 miles per hour. On Monday, look for Howell to run through the entire circuit for NFL scouts. There are a lot of quarterback-needy teams this year, and Howell needs to show out to move his draft stock in the right direction.
Ty Chandler, Running Back, Projected 5th to 6th Round
Between Michael Carter and Javonte Williams in 2021 and Chandler this year, UNC is slowly beginning to produce decent NFL running backs. Although Chandler is currently sitting as a solid Day 3 selection, he’d be a great value pick for whoever gets him. For the Steelers, he’d be a great change-of-pace back in tandem with Najee Harris. Chandler ran one of the fastest 40-yard dashes at the combine with a time of 4.38 seconds and has a great stride in space. Chandler took a giant leap forward in 2021 showing he has a decent ceiling, but he’ll need the Pro Day to boost that more. As of right now, Chandler sits as a safe third day pick.
University of Idaho
Noah Elliss, Defensive Tackle, Projected 4th Round
Looking at the talent level coming out of Idaho this year, Elliss is going to be getting the bulk of the attention. Elliss is a dominant force at the line and at 367 pounds, he’s a massive body for an offensive line to contain. Elliss has one of the highest ceilings for a defensive lineman this year and if it wasn’t for Devonte Wyatt and Jordan Davis out of Georgia, Elliss would most likely be considered as a Day 2 pick. We know the Steelers like drafting big defensive linemen and they need added depth in the interior. Because not a lot of NFL scouts watch Idaho football, Elliss is going to need all the help he can get to build his draft stock. But if you were to ask me who I’d like the Steelers to use their 138th overall selection on, I’d say Elliss 10 out of 10 times.
University of Florida
Kaiir Elam, Cornerback, Projected 1st Round
The Steelers need help at the cornerback position. I would even argue that cornerback in the first round isn’t necessarily out of the question for the Steelers’ 20th overall selection. Elam is a tough, physical corner who plays best on the outside. With Joe Haden presumably gone and Cam Sutton most likely moving back inside, this leaves an unavoidable vacancy in the Steelers’ secondary. Elam would be drafted as a true day-one starter and showed he can live up to those expectations. Early reports indicate he’s a middle to late 1st round selection, so the Steelers will need to see where the cards fall on the first day to determine if he’s worth the 20th overall selection.
Jeremiah Moon, Linebacker, Projected 4th Round
Moon is a unique specimen at the linebacker position. He began his college career as an edge player, then transitioned into a true inside linebacker. This showed to be the correct move he had to take to get NFL scouts’ attention. Moon is a long, lengthy player and is incredibly athletic. He attended the NFL Combine and put on an absolute show. Moon measured 6’5” and 249 pounds with 35-inch arms. He moved through the agility drills with ease and really raised his draft stock heading into his Pro Day. The Steelers always draft linebackers, and Moon is definitely on Kevin Colbert’s big board.
Zachary Carter, Defensive Tackle, Projected 4th Round
This year’s draft class is showing to be one of the deepest at defensive linemen. However, Carter’s skillset is a bit different than most other linemen. He is listed as a defensive end, or even a big edge player, but plays more like an interior lineman at the tackle spot. His testing results at the combine were sufficient, depending on how coaches looked at them. For a defensive tackle, they were great. He showed he can get off the ball quickly and shed blockers to get to the backfield. He had a nice burst of strength in his hands and has a nice size of 6’4” and 282 pounds. But as an edge player, he looked too big and too slow to beat offensive tackles to get to the quarterback. Therefore, although Carter is an interesting player, he showed he’d fit better inside a 4-3 scheme, as opposed to the Steelers’ 3-4. But with that said, Carter is aware of this and wants to use his Pro Day to prove to scouts he could be that anchor along the defensive line in the NFL.
As we move closer to more Pro Days this week, we’ll be sure to keep you updated on who to watch!
Who are you watching this week? Is there anyone you think I missed on this list? Let us know in the comments below!
#SteelerNation
Support SteelerNation by clicking here to read the story..
