Steelers Interviewed Dont'a Hightower

Alabama LB Dont'a Hightower will meet with the Pittsburgh Steelers at the NFL Scouting Combine Saturday, Feb. 25.

2012-02-25 19:40:21 | Source: Scout.com - Aaron Wilson

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he's a stud but I doubt he will be available

 

He's basically a fit but I think this is more of a smoke screen in getting Poe. They're broadcasting expected intentions and everyone and their brother see the Steelers at least talking to this kid. If they didn't, the other staffs would out right know they have their eye on someone else. They do, Poe.

I find it interesting Billick recently commented on this on the NFC network, saying he has to much Raven blood to see Poe go to the Ravens. Ravens-Poe, are other forces at work here?

'And the Ravens nevermore...'

 

I think Hightower will be there and for me it's easy you take him. He fills a huge need and you keep him from ravens. Dtackle is deep this year

 

Nothing against Hightower, but that's my least favorite reason to get a player EVER. It should never be a factor.

 

Can he cover? As much as I like Alabama players, they are the most NFL
ready college players in the draft. I feel he is a thumper
down hill player he may have a hard time covering people, which is a problem
in our defense.

 

I think Hightower's workouts today will be very important. Hightower's weakness is in his speed and flexibility.

 

Agreed. But think if he runs in the 4.6's then that will put those weaknesses to rest. Think his positives (size, intelligence, leadership potential, experience) outway a tenth of a second in the 40. Old knee injury is a concern. Just found out today how bad it was.

 

Hightower unofficially 4.62. Two-tenths of a second faster than he had been projected. and 3/10's faster than Burflict, considered the best pure athlete ILB in the draft (can anyone say 4th round?) Keuchly, btw, 4.5 (unofficial), ties for the record (since 2000) for an pure inside linebacker.

 

with Poe doing so well yesterday, it's beginning to look like we will get Hightower. I don't think Glenn and Decastro or Poe will be there at 24....

 

Looks like we could get Hightower in the 1st and Burfict in the 7th if we want him lol

 

I'd take it in a second.

 

I'm not so sure. Burfict really bombed the interviews, blaming his former coaches for his lack of production in his last season at ASU... Then just looked terrible in the drills and ran a 40 time that was worse than some of the DL... Not to mention some scouts didn't like his play even before the combine.

I've heard him possibly going undrafted. I don't know that I see that. I wouldn't take him before round 5 though.

 

Let's not put too much weight into who the Steelers interviewed at the combine. Reason being every team has a guaranteed 15 minute access to every player at the combine. I doubt we interviewed for 15 min all 300 players but I bet we did meet with over a hundred as most teams also did.

Cajun-

 

Read somewhere online the limit was 60.

 

Can only interveiw 60? I did not know that. I'm interested in just who those sixty players were. Wonder if there is a site somewhere that info can be found.

Cajun-

 

Steelers depot has a list from last year (march 2, 2011), albeit only a partial list. Of the 17 names on the list, none of them were of people we drafted.

 

He'd be great against the run in our system.

Would he be able to cover the zone the way we've all come to expect from our LBs?

 

i don't like hightower i watched films and seems too slow in the open field

 

He can stop the run, but I just don't see him having a ton of success in our system as he can't cover. I don't think he'll be there at 24 anyway. Poe won't be, Decastro won't be, and I doubt Glenn will be either.

 

I think the "can't cover the pass" is overrated, because he wasn't asked to cover the pass in the system he was in. He was the thumper, stop the run, mirror the qb linebacker. Don't see any video of him getting blown up by a TE for big yards. Just wasn't his job. Think he proved at the combine that he wasn't as slow as people had given him credit for being, so within a year or two he should have the pass coverage part down. Hell, Farrior has been out on passing downs all last year.
Only way I see Hightower not being there is if the Ravens trade up in front of us to take him.

 

looking at film i saw a lot of times he was beat on screens , i don't think he can cover ray rice out of the backfield , now if we want a plugger in the middle is another story .
what about zach brown ?

 

I've said on here before I'm a big fan of Mike Mayock...

Mike Mayock was at Alabama's Pro Day, and he raved about Dont'a Hightower, talking up his pass-rushing skills and calling him a three-down linebacker (Hightower joked that he was really a four-down linebacker because he could also play special teams.)

 

I saw the same thing. Note:

He said he was a three down linebacker because he can rush the passer on third down. He didn't say anything about his abilities in pass coverage. He didn't say they were bad, he just didn't mention them. Not a great sign if you ask me.

Rushing the QB is a great asset to have for an inside linebacker, but given that we already have Harrison, Woodley, Timmons, and even Worilds, it's not really that necessary for us, especially if he does it from the outside like he did at Alabama. The occasional blitz up the middle would be nice, and it would be awesome if he was good at it (I think Farrior was underrated there), but it's really nothing more than a bonus for someone we're looking at to be the centerpiece of the defense. He has to be able to hold his ground in coverage. Has to. He doesn't have to be able to take Ray Rice one on one, but he has to be above average.