I have several defensive players to add to the growing list of draft prospects the Steelers have met with at the Combine. All of these players are on the defensive side of the ball. You can definitely get a pretty easy idea of what the team is interested in (not that it was a mystery) based on the number of candidates they’re focusing on from certain groups.

Of course, a lot of these interviews are just due diligence, but they do appear to be focusing heavily on defensive backs. I’m not going to comment too much on each player, or offer game footage in this post just due to the number of prospects. In the near future we’ll take a more in depth look at some of them.

Aside from the ones I’ve already posted in previous articles,  the team has met with Baylor Safety Ahmad Dixon. Dixon met with Tomlin at the Senior Bowl, and he met with scouts at the combine. Missouri CB E.J. Gaines had an informal meeting with the team in Indianapolis.

At least 3 other safeties are scheduled to meet with the team.  Calvin Pryor, who reportedly already met with the team, is scheduled to meet with coach Tomlin Monday night according to Scout.com writer Jim Wexell. Alabama FS Ha-Ha Clinton Dix is scheduled to meet with team personnel, and USC SS Dion Bailey is slated to meet with the team tonight.

According to Wexell, Notre Dame DE Stephon Tuitt interviewed with Steelers GM Kevin Colbert, as well as Head Coach Mike Tomlin. Oregon State DE Scott Crichton will meet with the team tonight according to reports. Penn State NT Daquan Jones also met with Steelers Defensive Line Coach John Mitchell on Saturday night.

Notre Dame Nose Tackle Loius Nix III told reporters today that he interviewed with the Steelers. The Senior defensive linemen talked about his knee, his weight loss, and other topics. He said he was ‘starstruck’ by Pete Carrol, and met with Mike Tomlin. He also said that he met with Ravens Head Coach John Harbaugh, and that he was nice…”sort of”.

Nix is rehabbing from a knee surgery he had in November, to repair a torn meniscus. He underwent multiple platelet-rich plasma therapies earlier in the year, but they didn’t repair the tissue successfully. He told reporters that his knee is doing excellent. He told reporters that he’s lost 23 lbs since January.

Here is the video of his meeting with reporters today.

Here are a couple of his games to see him in action.

The Steelers have met with two safeties recently at the NFL Combine. Mathew Fairburn of the Missourian reports that the Steelers have met with Louisville Safety Calvin Pryor. Florida State senior Free Safety Terrence Brooks has also met with the Steelers. The team is also reportedly scheduled to interview Oklahoma State CB Justin Gilbert soon, according to Scout.com writer Jim Wexell.

I would expect all of these prospects to be on the Steelers radar. Gilbert is one of the handful of candidates who may well be the #15 pick, if he doesn’t go sooner. The 6’0, 202 lb corner had 7 interceptions in 2013, 2 of which he returned for a touchdown. He’s a very aggressive defender who has great ball awareness as well as speed.

Calvin Pryor is 5’11, 207 lbs. He plays very well in deep zone or up close to scrimmage. He’s a violent hitter who has little regard for his body. He’s a first round talent who would make an impact in 2014.

Lastly, Terrence Brooks is a mid round prospect who measures in at 5’11, 198 lbs. The FSU senior started as a corner back, but was moved to safety as a junior. Here are his stats fro the past two seasons.

[table]Year, Tackles, Sacks, Interceptions, Pass Defensed, Forced Fumbles
2013, 56, 1, 2, 5, 2
2012, 52, 0, 2, 4, 1
[/table]
All three of these players would be good fits for the Steelers. Here is some in game action to view if you are so inclined.

Justin Gilbert

Calvin Pryor

Terrence Brooks

Minnesota Defensive Lineman Ra’Shede Hageman has a formal interview scheduled with the Steelers tonight, according to Scout.com writer Jim Wexell. Hageman measured in at 6’6″, 310 lbs., and some of the longest arm measurements at 34 1/4.

The senior out of Minnesota is one of my favorite defensive linemen in this draft. He’s been described as “a terror to block” by some scouts, and shows flashes of greatness on tape. He also can play virtually any spot on the defensive line, but is of the mold of a Steelers 5 technique. Hageman tells coaches that he can play anywhere from 0-9 tech, but calls the 0 tech position “claustrophobic”.

Here are his stats of note in 2013: 38 tackles, 2 sacks, 13 tackles for a loss, 1 interception, 8 batted passes, and 2 blocked kicks. I look at Hageman as a late first, early second round prospect, but the Steelers scouting department might think otherwise.

Here are a couple of his games if you’d like to see him in action.

The Steelers met with Penn State WR Allen Robinson last night according to Jim Wexell. Robinson is one of the top 6 or 7 receivers in this class in my opinion. Wexell also reports that the Steelers had an “informal” meeting with UCLA linebacker Jordan Zumwalt.

Robinson is 6’2″, 220 lbs, with 32″ arms, and 9 1/2″ hands. The junior totaled 1432 yards on 97 receptions in 2013. He’s also the first player since at least 1985 to lead the Big Ten in both receptions and receiving yards in back-to-back seasons. He creates good separation from defenders with his size, but does at times tend to “body catch”. Teams will want to see him attack the ball during drills this weekend.

Here are a couple of his games if you’re not familiar with him.

Zumwalt is a 6’4″, 235 lb senior out of UCLA. He’d be a good pick up for a team looking for an inside linebacker in the middle rounds. He plays physical, has good ball awareness, and can drop into coverage. He finished the 2013 season with 91 tackles, 6.5 tackles for a loss, two INT, and one forced fumble. Here are a couple of his games.

North Carolina TE Eric Ebron spoke with NFL.com after his 40 yard dash runs earlier today. In that interview, he discussed meeting with the Steelers. “Me and Mike Tomlin had a great conversation. We were in there just cutting it up as if we’ve known each other for a long time. As I was explaining my history I felt he felt me more than anybody…”

Ebron is one of the top rated tight ends in this draft class. He amassed 973 yards on 62 receptions. His numbers from today’s workouts can be seen here: Combine Tight End Results 

The standout tight end tweaked his hamstring during the second 40 yd dash attempt, so he was unable to participate in the gauntlet.

Here are a couple games of his if you haven’t seen him in action yet.

Kareem Martin

Kareem Martin is a defensive end out of North Carolina. He’s 6’6″ and 272 lbs. He totaled 82 tackles, and 11.5 sacks in 2013.

Before the combine is over, the Steelers will likely meet with dozens of draft prospects. According to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post, the team met with Arizona running back Ka’Deem Carey today. Jim Wexell reported earlier that the team also met with Oklahoma TE/FB Trey Millard.

Here are Ka’Deem Carey’s measurements from today’s weigh in.~

The junior running back rushed for 1885 in 2013, and 1929 in 2012. He is an excellent cut back runner, and has great breakaway speed. He possesses very good vision, and would excel in a ZBS. He also interviewed with the Ravens today. Here are a couple of his games if you aren’t familiar with him.

Trey Millard is a senior FB/TE out of Oklahoma. He was a vocal leader on the Sooners offense before tearing his ACL in October. He could prove to be a late round steal. Here are his measurements from today.~

Here are a couple of Millard’s games for your viewing pleasure. He was used mostly in the run game, but also in the screen game as well.

The Steelers are slated to meet with Florida State WR Kelvin Benjamin, and Ole Miss WR Donte Moncrief  today according to Scout.com reporter Jim Wexell. Benjamin is meeting with 12 other teams today.

Here are their measurements:

[table]Player,School,Height,Weight,Arms,Hands

“Benjamin, Kelvin”, Florida State, 6050, 240, 34 7/8, 10 1/4

“Moncrief, Donte”, Ole Miss, 6020, 221, 32 3/8, 9 1/8[/table]

Benjamin, a red shirt sophomore,  had 54 receptions in 2013, for a total of 1011 yards. Moncrief,  a junior, had 59 recptions for a total of 938 yards. If you haven’t seen them play, here are a couple games of each of them in action from draftbreakdown.

Benjamin

Moncrief

Each team is allowed to meet with up to 60 players for 15 minutes. You can bet on the Steelers meeting with several receivers during combine week.