The
Pittsburgh Steelers have found their quarterback with their 20th overall pick with QB
Kenny Pickett. The Steelers followed up by taking WR
George Pickens with their 2nd round pick and DE
DeMarvin Leal in the 3rd round to close out Day 2. The Steeler have 4 picks remaining when Day 3 of the draft gets underway at 12 ET. Barring any trades, the team has a 4th, 6th, and two 7th round picks to finish out the
2022 NFL Draft. Who are some potential targets to fill the rest of the teams’ needs?
S
Verone McKinley III
Jordon Kelly/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Analysis from draftnetwork.com
“Verone McKinley III is a redshirt junior safety for the Ducks defense who has aligned both to the field and boundary. He’s a good athlete, showing good agility and short-area quickness in coverage. In the run game, he has good tackling efficiency on the perimeter with receivers, easily limiting extra yardage upon contact. Against bigger running backs, he could be more effective as a sure wrap-up tackler. In the passing game, he is excellent due to his instincts and high-level ball skills. He understands route combinations and easily adjusts with motion, showing his high-level football IQ. This allows him to play the down and distance in situational football while using the coverage as protection. His range is sufficient and projects to be most effective in two-deep looks. He can cover in the slot in short stretches but this may not be a strength in the NFL. However, he is a playmaker at the position with ball skills.”
CB
Tariq Woolen
UTSA defensive back Tariq Woolen (38) participates in a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Sunday, March 6, 2022. (AP Photo/Steve Luciano)
Analysis from draftnetwork.com
“After a standout athletic career in high school that saw him play football, basketball, and run track, Woolen went to UTSA to play wide receiver—where he spent his first three seasons. Late in the 2019 campaign, Woolen converted to cornerback and proceeded to start for the Roadrunners in 2020 and 2021. While the newness to playing defense is clear when watching him play, so are his rare physical gifts. Woolen brings a unique blend of size, length, and athleticism to the table and offers an extremely high ceiling. He has the makings of a dynamic zone corner that can make plays on the ball, tackle, and situationally play press coverage, where he already shows a willingness to crowd releases and cap routes. When it comes to weaknesses, it’s all about gaining more time on task to develop his coverage instincts and find more comfort playing off contact and tackling. He has to develop his technique and fundamentals, but the good news is he isn’t lacking anything in terms of physical gifts. Woolen may not offer much in year one but with development, he has all the tools necessary to develop into an impact playmaker.”
CB
Coby Bryant
Steelers’ CB prospect Coby Bryant makes an interception (Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports)
Analysis from draftnetwork.com
“Coby Bryant is a former 3-star recruit out of Glenville High school in Cleveland, Ohio. According to 247 Sports, Bryant was the No. 1644 player in the nation, the No. 170 cornerback, and No. 66 player in Ohio. He played two sports in high school: baseball and football. As a junior, he played cornerback and safety. He was coached by Ted Ginn Sr. His brother, Christian, played defensive back at Ohio State (2010-14) and is a member of the Arizona Cardinals. Bryant is a competitive cover man with man and zone versatility. He has great ball skills and tracking abilities. He has a quick trigger to sit and break on shorter routes. Bryant is a solid athlete but twitchy receivers can force him to panic early in the stem. Poor tackling form has plagued him. He’d rather dive at the ball-carrier’s feet as an ankle-biter—improvement is needed in this area.”
OT
Daniel Faalele
Daniel Faalele is a massive human. / Photo SI.com
Analysis from draftnetwork.com
“Daniel Faalele projects as a viable starting offensive tackle at the NFL level despite some areas of improvement needed throughout his game. Faalele is a freakishly large athlete for the game and moves with more agility and grace than you’d ever expect from a man of his stature. Add in his raw size and it is clear that Faalele offers the “unteachable” dynamics of the position and will likely be coveted as a result of having all the tools in the toolbox and simply needing refinement on his technique. Opting out of the 2020 college football season cost Faalele some valuable repetitions in his player development, but nevertheless, he’s continued to show enough instinct and feel for the position in his return to the field in 2021 for teams to have comfort that he’s still simply scratching the surface of what he can be as a blocker. Given Faalele’s relative inexperience to the game—he was a former rugby player who has only three seasons of starting experience at Minnesota—Faalele’s ceiling is unquestionably high. There’s a dynamic of risk and reward here that needs to be weighed, but teams with accomplished offensive line coaches who are comfortable in player development should not shy away from the challenges that come with an investment here.”
OT
Rasheed Walker
Penn State offensive lineman Rasheed Walker blocks during the first quarter on Nov. 13, 2021. Joe Hermitt |
jhermitt@pennlive.com
Analysis from draftnetwork.com
“Penn State’s offensive tackle Rasheed Walker is an experienced offensive lineman who has been a staple on the Nittany Lions’ blindside for the last three seasons. Walker came to Penn State as a highly-rated recruit and has certainly lived up to the billing. He is a wide-bodied offensive tackle who offers excellent length and athleticism. As a pass blocker, Walker shows very good foot quickness to get depth in his pass sets and mirror edge defenders. He can change direction quickly and redirect to stunts and inside counters. Walker displays excellent anchor and is very good with his hands, showing very good hand strength and punch timing. There are times Walker oversets and leaves room inside for counters and Walker will lose balance at times playing too far over his feet. In the run game, Walker is much more of a wall-off-and-seal blocker than a road grader. He doesn’t have top-end power at the point of attack and can get inverted by stronger and more physical defenders. He uses his wide body to cover up at the point and is athletic enough to reach the second level consistently, although he can improve his awareness in locating defenders at the second level. Overall, Walker is a solid offensive line prospect who offers length, athleticism, and fundamentals to develop into a starter at the next level. “
RB
Zamir White
Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
Analysis from draftnetwork.com
“Zamir White is a former 5-star recruit out of Scotland County in Laurinburg, North Carolina. He was elected to represent the East in the 2018 U.S. Army All-America Bowl. According to 247 Sports, White ranked as the No. 1 RB in the country, No. 9 player in the nation, and the No. 1 player in North Carolina. White was a two-sport athlete, track and football. He competed in the 100 meters, 200 meters, 400 meters, and 4×100 meter relay for the Scotland track and field team. He finished sixth in the 100 meters at the 2016 NCHSAA Class 4A State Championships with a time of 10.85 seconds. He is known for his physical downhill and explosive style of play. Between the tackles, he will push piles and drag defenders for extra yards. He may have lost some of his explosion and athleticism after suffering two ACL tears. That being said, he can generate power and burst to explode past the first and second levels of the defense. Those two injuries prevented him from receiving a bell-cow workload.”
LB
Brandon Smith
Penn State linebacker Brandon Smith during the Illinois game on Dec. 19, 2020. Joe Hermitt |
jhermitt@pennlive.com
Analysis from draftnetwork.com
“Penn State linebacker Brandon Smith is a highly gifted athlete and comes from a program filled with productive linebackers. Smith could potentially, in the right environment, be the next in line to live up to the LBU moniker that Penn State has so frequently claimed. However, Smith is going to be a work in progress and his development as a player is going to require time, patience, and specific roles early on for him to shine. Smith was once upon a time one of the most coveted recruits in the country before committing to Penn State and was credited with running a 4.38s 40-yard dash as a high school recruit. Those physical skills are clearly visible on the field, where Smith has served as a two-year starter for the Nittany Lions between 2020 and 2021. But the high-level flashes of play are coming intermittently and not without lulls in performance in between—he appears to have had more responsibilities in the box put on his plate in 2021 and that has created inconsistent performance this past season. Smith’s tackle production and impact in coverage grew, but his work playing the run and negotiating blocks is a work in progress that may put a glass ceiling over his perception as a prospect. Smith will be best in space, where his length and athleticism can shine and allow him to trigger and attack forward, but I’m not sure without growth I see a three-down role in his future. This is a player that I was hopeful to see get a bigger opportunity in 2021 after flashes of his skills in 2020; he got the bigger role but hasn’t quite added the needed polish to allow him to live up to his tremendous potential just yet. Can an NFL team get him there? That’s the major question that awaits.”
LB
Damone Clark
Matthew Hinton/Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved
Analysis from draftnetwork.com
“Damone Clark is a two-year starter for the LSU football team. Prior to the 2020 season, he was named a team captain and given the No. 18 jersey—in the LSU program, that jersey is given to a player that shows high character on and off the field. During the 2020 season, Clark struggled to play at a high level and was pulled in and out of the lineup for the Tigers. Clark turned the corner in 2021 and played the linebacker position at a high level. He plays the game with a high motor that has become infectious across the whole defense. He is a versatile defender for the Tigers and it shows in his stats, recording more than 100 tackles and five sacks during the 2021 season. Clark has exceptional athleticism and makes plays all over the field. Clark has outstanding closing speed to ball-carriers that allows him to pursue and tackle ball-carriers all over the field. Clark is a special athlete at linebacker that uses those athletic traits to track and pursue ball-carriers and is a big reason why he ranks amongst the top in the nation in tackles for the 2021 football season. “
C
Dohnovan West
In his third year at ASU Dohnovan West’s role comes full circle starting at center (Sun Devil Athletics Photo)
Analysis from draftnetwork.com
“Dohnovan West is a junior who aligns at center for the Sun Devil offense. He has also started games at right and left guard in his career. He has good proactive athleticism, as evidenced in his lateral agility, balance, and body control. In the run game, he does a good job of coming off the ball hard to strike. He’s athletic enough to pull and get out on the perimeter while also engaging at the second level. In the passing game, he demonstrates good ability to get them in the right protection. He has good hand quickness to snap and get in his set. He demonstrates competitiveness and good functional strength to anchor against power rushers. He plays with good awareness and intelligence. He has good latch strength in his hands and can redirect laterally with ease. In the NFL, he is a talented player who could ascend to be a starter by year two at any of the interior positions. He needs to continue to work toward consistency with regard to his technique. However, his schematic and positional versatility only adds to his value and his best football may be ahead of him.”
TE
Connor Heyward
Michigan State running back Connor Heyward (11) leaps over Purdue safety Marvin Grant (4) during the first half of an NCAA college football game in West Lafayette, Ind., Saturday, Nov. 6, 2021. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)AP
Analysis from draftnetwork.com
“Michigan State tight end Connor Heyward is an admirable story. He transitioned from the running back position to play tight end for the Spartans in 2021 in a bid to help the team and optimize his playing time. The effort paid dividends with a career-high in receptions (35), receiving yards (326), and receiving touchdowns (2) over 12 games played. Heyward doesn’t have high-level physical tools and he at times “wins ugly” in his role, but nonetheless, he has won his reps with consistency and was a key role player in Michigan State’s explosive offense. Projecting him forward, I think Heyward is going to need to find a home where he can continue to “win ugly,” playing on special teams and executing a lot of dirty work in an offensive system that looks to add on to the blocking surface in both the run and pass game with untraditional alignments. I love the story and Heyward is a highly-competitive player on the field, making him a proper investment late in the draft for his ability to fulfill a handful of roles and play special teams.”
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