Wisconsin LB Leo Chenal

Like this kid a lot. I like about 500 players in this draft. Hopefully, after the FA pick-ups, we can really build through the draft.

This draft is good for everything BUT QB. Hopefully we give Mitch a year without drafting QB. If Willis turns out to be the next Mahomes I'll call myself an ass****!

 

Mitch is just iron to sharpen the iron Pittsburgh already has in veteran Mason Rudolph... The advantage of starting several games in only his second year is that his improvement is much more evident to even the casual observer...

 

I would love him in a Steelers uniform to be honest. I can make the case for him of being the best pure BUCK LB in the entire class.... if it were only for his limited coverage experience. That said though, while the coverage experience is a bit concerning, everything else is either great or excellent overall. He is definitely in play for Round Three as the Steelers have been known to draft teammates from the same college since 2019; Buddy Johnson and Dan Moore Jr being the latest examples here.


Now, for Leo to be a Steeler, two things need to happen;


1.) Quay Walker is gone by pick 84.


2.) Leo himself being there by pick 84.




How does Quay Walker factor into all of this?! Mind you I did say the Steelers have drafted teammates from the same college dating back to 2019. However, a major component of that is based on familiarity of current Steelers or, and this is important, whomever the team selects in the early rounds. Now, Najee Harris does not apply here but Devin Bush, Anthony McFarland and Dan Moore do. There is also the aspect of the Steelers bringing the HOUSE to Georgia's Pro Day though Pittsburgh often does this for Georgia anyways. Now, regarding the early rounds, assuming he is still available, George Pickens is very much in play for pick 52 as WR Coach Frisman Jackson was very much involved in Pickens' workouts. This is important as the positional coaches carve out an even bigger picture on who specifically the Steelers take. More info of this importance can be found below;



- Coach Faulkner with Harris

- Coach Roberts with Freiermuth

- Coach Klemm with Green

- Coach Morgan with Moore

- Bush with Coach Olsavsky

- Johnson via Coach Drake's request via interviews

- Layne with Coach Austin

- Snell with Coach Faulkner

- Gentry with Daniel at his Pro Day

- Buggs with Coach Dunbar




The problem with Leo is that only Area Scout Dave Petett was spotted there. Now, Dave himself is not a newcomer to any of this; on his 19th Season with the team. Now, outside of the first two rounds in which the house, both Tomlin/Colbert with a positional coach or a positional coach with at least one of Colbert/Tomlin need to be present, rounds 3 to 7 are usually fair game. However, as listed above, having a positional coach at that players Pro Day means more than without; all the more reason why I added Quay Walker into that scenario listed above. Now, mind everyone that Dave Petett was also there for Isaiah Loudermilk's Pro Day.. so there are exceptions here. That said, Loudermilk was a fifth round pick while Leo is likely to be had in the third round.... or at least that is where the Steelers would want to take him. I say want because I believe he will go as a late 2nd Rounder.



Overall though, as stated before, I would love to have Leo in a Steelers Uniform. His pass rushing chops and run stuffing skills are exactly what the team needs depth wise. In addition, he can very counted upon very much so in both cases. As for his pass coverage, he has the athletic ability to grow there and should not be dismissed because of it.... just needs to be pulled off the field in those cases. My only issue (problems can be solved while issues cannot) lies in players the Steelers likely favor more than him; Quay Walker namely. Add the fact that it is possible he can go higher and I do not believe he will be there to get selected.

 

i agree on the pickens talk. this has to come into the conversation as well. https://steelersdepot.com/2022/03/pauline-steelers-showing-love-to-michigan-lb-josh-ross/

not a big fan of ross really but they seem to be. of all the LB'ers they have met with, he would have to be bottom of my list. productive but his speed at 4.79 doesn't seem to translate well. i know that isn't the be all but in the pros that speed means a ton. for his size and slow, that's a killer combo for me. that's like two strikes already. there are just too many other productive LB'ers that are bigger and can move better. i wish they would get off the michigan train they seem to love so much. dean, harris, chenal, muma, anderson all rank higher on my card.

 

Channing Tindall sure did ball out at the combine.. though that was expected given what he had shown throughout the course of the college season. However, there is another problem with Tindall all together; it is possible he is going to get drafted long before pick 84 as he would be an ideal 4-3 OLB. All depends on what the likes of the end of Round One looks like; doubly so if Detroit ends up taking Nakobe Dean the same.



Now, as for Quay Walker, he also had a great Combine himself. More info here.


https://ras.football/ras-information/?PlayerID=21043&pos=&wu=&ovl=Steelers


Looks impressive at a glance. He did finish out as a Top 10 performer based on RAS scoring metrics; Tindall finishing higher than him but not by much. However, what is more important though is how each player got their score; highlighted by two differences.


- Channing is the more explosive player of the two; having a full 10 inches better than Walker in 42 vs 32 via the vertical. Their board jumps also indicate this though not by leaps and bounds; 129 inches for Tindall vs. 123 inches for Walker.

- Walker possess more abilities to play coverage as he is more agile; a 6.89 three cone to him vs. a 7.25 for Tindall. The short shuttle has Tindall bouncing back here as he timed out on 4.18 vs. Walker's 4.32. However, the biggest component that will help Walker is his size; 6'4 to Tindall's 6'1.



Overall, both can fit in this defense. However, as it stands currently, Myles Jack is the only legitimate BUCK Backer on the team. After him, the rest are MACK based. Walker moves like a MACK but plays like a BUCK; near identical to what Jack does currently. For my money, in addition to Flores being there as well, Walker would be the better fit between the two.

 

I believe that the team likely sees Ross as a Special Teams player but not much else mac. I would not worry too much about him being ranked higher than those you have mentioned. Besides, if there is one major prize I imagine the Steelers were looking for at Michigan's Pro Day, Daxton Hill was the lucky contestant UNLESS the team really wants David Ojabo; something I really do not see them doing. For that matter, I do not expect the team to touch EDGE until either day three or possibly round 3 if all other options are exhausted by then.

 

I still don't understand the need for ILB.

We currently have 7 ILBs under contract for next year, both backup ILB were just resigned this offseason, and last year's 4th round draft , Buddy Johnson, is still a complete unknown.


Why would the Steelers being spending an early pick on the 8th ILB?

Bush deserves his 2nd year from ACL injury, and Jack did not come here to be a backup.

 

Because no matter what ILB played last season it wasn't good enough, there is a need at the position, maybe they can wait until the mid rounds to do it.

 

excluding jack, we need more production from the position.