Category Archives: Steelers Draft

steelers draft

Daniel Jeremiah Says He’s Told The Steelers Will Draft Kyle Fuller

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NFL draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah was on ESPN 970 with David Todd yesterday talking about various draft prospects, and the possibilities for different teams in the first round. On the subject of cornerbacks, Jeremiah claimed that he’s been told that the Steelers will select Kyle Fuller.

The former NFL scout didn’t say who the source was, but said the person he talked to told him, “if you’re looking for Pittsburgh, and what Pittsburgh’s going to do, I’m telling you right now, they’re going to take Kyle Fuller.” Jeremiah continued, “That’s what some people in the league feel like, just with how he fits with what they do, and the needs that they have. That’s the name I was given.”

While I certainly agree about Fuller’s talents, and how he’d fit schematically, it’s worth noting that he may have been talking to his neighbor, or the guy in line behind him at Starbucks. The Steelers obviously aren’t tipping their hand to anyone. It’s no secret that cornerback is a need, and they’ve certainly shown they believe so too, by hosting several prospects at the South Side.

Fuller is (and has been) one of my favorite corners for the Steelers. While he doesn’t quite get the media hype that Gilbert and Dennard do, he’s really more talented than one of them. A natural football player, Fuller saw time at linebacker, cornerback (both inside and outside) and safety during his career at Virginia Tech. He also played hybrid spots of the three positions.

Here’s my write up on Fuller from the week of his visit with the Steelers. http://thesteelersfans.com/2423/steelers-draft-visits-cb-kyle-fuller-scheduled-week/

Here is the audio from the interview with Daniel Jeremiah.

[xyz-ihs snippet=”DanielJeremiahFuller”]

steelers draft

Mike Mayock: Steelers Will Heavily Consider Ebron

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NFL Draft guru Mike Mayock held his pre-draft conference call with the media this afternoon. The call lasted about an hour less than the 3 hour call he hosted in February. The Pittsburgh Tribune’s Mark Kaboly called in to ask Mayock his thoughts on how the recent youth movement on the Steelers defense would impact their first round selection.

“I think the way Pittsburgh historically approaches the draft is it’s the best player at the position of need,” said Mayock. “Defensively they were 14 in points allowed, offensively- number 16. So basically, I think as they get closer to number 15 here…they’ve got to see if a corner matches up to what they want to do on defense.” Mayock, who’s recent rankings change had Kyle Fuller moving up to the number one corner spot, thinks he’s a possible fit for the Steelers, with a caveat. ‘Whether it’s Fuller, Gilbert, Dennard or Roby depends on what Dick LeBeau wants and how Kevin Colbert lines them up’, said Mayock.

Mayock went on to say that he thinks the Steelers need to get a corner in the first, but if a certain offensive player is there, they may not. “I don’t think the tight end Eric Ebron will be there. If he was, I think he’d be a heavy consideration also,” he added.

Ebron would be an interesting pick for the Steelers for sure. While he has some improving to do at the next level, and doesn’t fit the mold of a “Steelers” tight end, Ebron would be a great, multi-dimensional TE who would fit the Joker role very well in the NFL.

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Ohio State CB Bradley Roby Pleads Guilty To Lesser Charge

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Former Ohio State cornerback Bradley Roby, who was charged with operating a vehicle while impaired last week, has plead guilty to a lesser charge in court this morning. The draft prospect plead having “physical control” of a vehicle while under the influence, a non-moving charge that carries no license suspension or points on his license. Essentially, after he takes a required 3 day alcohol awareness course this week, the matter will be resolved.

In a statement to ProFootballTalk, Roby’s agent said, “Though my client, Bradley Roby, maintains his innocence and feels he would have been completely exonerated had he taken this matter to trial, Bradley has accepted the prosecutor’s offer of a reduced charge to ‘physical control’ to bring closure and finality to this situation ahead of next week’s NFL draft.”

Roby was reportedly very high on the Steelers radar before this point. How does this effect his stock in the eyes of the Steelers organization? Let us know in the comments or in the forum.

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911 Caller Said Bradley Roby Almost Hit Kids Before Passing Out

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Columbus police have released the 911 call that led officers to find former Ohio State CB Bradley Roby allegedly passed out in his car. According to WBNS-10, the 911 caller stated that Roby was driving his vehicle not long before police found him passed out in his vehicle.

Here is the transcript from the 911 call: “Hi, I’m just leaving BBR on Vine and some black Dodge Charger just almost hit a bunch of kids on the sidewalk. And now, the driver is passed out drunk on the side of BBR in black Charger with Georgia plates.” BBR is a restaurant in downtown Columbus, just down the street from the Convention Center.

When the news broke last week, Roby’s agent released a statement saying that the star cornerback was just sitting in his car when officers approached him, and that he had a BAC of .008 which is well below the legal limit. His agent didn’t comment on why Roby reportedly failed the field sobriety test. After the news broke, Roby himself posted a photo confirming the .008 breathalyzer reading.


With the draft quickly approaching, the Steelers are no doubt investigating this matter, as Roby was one of the top cornerbacks who the team expressed interest in. Roby has a court date scheduled for tomorrow.

NFL-Draft-Pittsburgh

NFL Hopes To Extend The Draft

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The NFL is hoping to extend the draft from 3 days to 4 days sometime in the future. In an interview with NFL reporter Jeff Darlington, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell revealed the league’s goal of stretching the draft coverage.

“We’re looking at a lot of options with respect to the draft to create even more excitement around the draft,” Goodell said in the interview. It begs the question- How much draft day coverage would most people want to watch? I can’t imagine waiting an extra day for the last round or two would be considered “must see tv” for the average fan.

Goodell also said he was unsure if the draft would return to April, or if it would remain in May. Ironically, the Rockettes show that supposedly caused the scheduling issue at Radio City Music Hall was postponed.

Lamichael_james606

49ers Have No Intention Of Trading RB LaMichael James

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San Fransisco 49ers general manager Trent Baalke told the San Francisco Chronicle today that the team has no intention of trading LaMichael James.

How is this relevant to the Steelers? Some people have suggested that the team should trade with the 49ers on draft day. The notion stemmed from an article published last week…on the Sacramento Bee. Coincidentally, the author is the same writer who, in my opinion, flat out made up how much Mike Wallace was demanding from the Steelers when he was a free agent, but I digress.

According to the article, a source said that the team was shopping the running back for a possible trade. In February, when asked about the possibility of trading James, Baalke said, “No discussions. LaMichael is a 49er. He’ll continue to be a 49er.”

Rumors of a possible trade escalated when James did not attend voluntary workouts earlier this week. When questioned about his absence, the 49ers GM said his understanding is that LaMichael James is working out in Texas due to the recent birth of his child. He reiterated that there were no plans to trade the running back.

le'veon Bell

2014 Draft Prospect CB Bradley Roby Charged With OVI

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Former Ohio State cornerback Bradley Roby has been charged with OVI (which is basically the same as a DUI outside of Ohio if you’re wondering), according to WBNS TV in Columbus, Ohio.

The incident occurred on April 20th when police officers reportedly found Roby sleeping in his car. According to the court documents, officers were not able to wake him. When they opened the unlocked car door, they smelled alcohol, which led to a field sobriety test which he subsequently failed.

Roby’s agent released a statement about the arrest.

Bradley was sitting in his parked car in a parking lot when he was approached and questioned by an officer.  He was fully cooperative and willingly submitted to field sobriety and breathalyzer tests.  His BAC test registered a negligible .008 and after further testing at the police station, he was very quickly released on his own recognizance.  There are no other charges, and we are confident that this matter will be resolved quickly and favorably for Bradley.

Sounds innocuous enough, though, I wouldn’t expect an agent to very well say, “he’s guilty”. The minimum BAC for a charge of OVI is .08, so it is curious why he would be charged if his BAC was as low as his agent claims. Roby has a court date Friday. With this happening so soon before the draft, teams will be scrambling to get the facts on this case to determine whether or not his draft stock should diminish. This isn’t the first off-field mishap for Roby. He was suspended for the home opener last year due to a disorderly conduct charge resulting from an incident in a bar in Indiana.

Obviously not all of the details are in yet, but if I was a betting man, I’d wager this doesn’t have a significant impact on his draft stock.

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Steelers Draft Visits: LB Demarcus Lawrence And QB/RB Jerick McKinnon Visit Today

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The Steelers are hosting Boise State LB Demarcus Lawrence and Georgia Southern RB/QB Jerick McKinnon today. Lawrence is a disruptive pass rusher who could very likely be gone by the time the Steelers pick in round 2.

Demarcus Lawrence mainly lined up with his hand in the dirt, but he was also moved around and rushed from a 2 point stance at Boise State. The 6’2″, 251 lb edge rusher finished his 2 year career with the Broncos with 20 sacks (10.5 in 2013), 7 forced fumbles, and 3 blocked kicks on special teams.

Those stats are over 2 years and 23 career starts as Lawrence went the JUCO route out of high school due to poor grades. I think the main determining factor for his draft stock will be character concerns. He was suspended 3 times at Boise State due to unspecified violations of team rules. Here are a couple of his games from last year.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZH4Thv2_MQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GvMr8MGbl0

Jerick McKinnon is a 5’8″, 209 lb RB/QB who ran a 4.38 40 yard dash at the combine. He’s a tough, explosive runner who played many of his snaps at QB in Georgia Southern’s triple option offense. He was very rarely a passing target in college with only 10 catches during his career. His lack of experience as a “traditional” running back will not help his draft stock. He could be a great pick up in the later rounds. Here is McKinnon vs. Florida last year. Thanks for stopping by and for sharing on the web.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jWeY7_hCuw

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Report: Nebraska WR Quincy Enunwa To Visit The Steelers

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Eric Edholm of Yahoo Sports reports that former Nebraska senior WR Quincy Enunwa has a visit scheduled with the Steelers.

The 6’2″, 225 lb wide out ran a 4.45 40 yard dash at the combine. The former captain tied for the most touchdowns scored by a WR in the Big Ten last year with 12. He is a good blocker, a good route runner, and uses his hands well to go after the ball.

Enunwa’s 78″ wingspan helps him extend and bring in the tougher grabs, though, his ball control after the catch can be a little suspect at times. Some analysts have said that he has focus issues and gets easily frustrated when plays don’t go his way. Durability may also be a concern, as he’s had recent hand and hamstring injuries. He will likely be a late round selection in May. Here are a couple of his games from last year.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzoT5IgJ6aY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_eYmI2pRYE

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NFL Announces List Of Day 1 Draft Invitees

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The NFL has released the list of the draft prospects they have invited to attend the opening day of the NFL Draft on May 8th. The list includes a record 30 prospects, and not one running back. Here is the list in alphabetical order-

Odell Beckham, WR, LSU

Blake Bortles, QB, Central Florida

Teddy Bridgewater, QB, Louisville

Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, S, Alabama

Jadeveon Clowney, DE, South Carolina

Brandin Cooks, WR, Oregon State

Kony Ealy, DE, Missouri

Eric Ebron, TE, North Carolina

Mike Evans, WR, Texas A&M

Kyle Fuller, CB, Virginia Tech

Jimmy Garoppolo, QB, Eastern Illinois

Justin Gilbert, CB, Oklahoma State

Ra’Shede Hageman, DT, Minnesota

Timmy Jernigan, DT, Florida State

Cyrus Kouandjio, OT, Alabama

Cody Latimer, WR, Indiana

Marqise Lee, WR, USC

Taylor Lewan, OT, Michigan

Khalil Mack, LB, Buffalo

Johnny Manziel, QB, Texas A&M

Jake Matthews, OT, Texas A&M

Jordan Matthews, WR, Vanderbilt

Morgan Moses, OT, Virginia

C.J. Mosley, LB, Alabama

Calvin Pryor, S, Louisville

Greg Robinson, OT, Auburn

Bradley Roby, CB, Ohio State

Ryan Shazier, LB, Ohio State

Jason Verrett, CB, TCU

Sammy Watkins, WR, Clemson

You may notice a few surprises. Most notably to me- MSU CB Durqueze Dennard is not on the list. Pitt DT Aaron Donald, UCLA LB Anthony Barr, Auburn pass rusher Dee Ford, and Notre Dame OT Zack Martin were also all not invited. One surprise invitee to me is Indiana WR Cody Latimer.

It had been speculated recently that the league would loosen it’s policy, and begin inviting prospects who were not considered first round locks, like they have done for so many years in the past. If there is someone you think is a big snub from list, please feel free to share in the comments or in the forum.