April 15, 2025 • 44 mins
Dale and Matt take a look at the players the Steelers have brought in for a pre-draft visit prior to the last handful of drafts to highlight certain trends. The guys also discuss the running back position and where the team may take one.
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Speaker 1 (00:03):
At least.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
He's the Drive with Dale Lolly and Matt Williamson on
your twenty four to seven Home of the Black and
Gold Steelers Nation Radio.
Speaker 1 (00:16):
And welcome to the drive.
Speaker 3 (00:18):
I am Dale LOLLI he is the Matt Williamson and
it is a blustering There.
Speaker 1 (00:24):
Was hailing on the way here and when we were
down facility early. Yeah, yeah, the sideways hail. Yeah, it's crazy.
But we're getting closer and close. Almost a week away,
almost a week away. The Steelers having two more visits
today running backs. Surprisingly enough, it's been a lot of them,
a lot of running backs in I think they might
(00:44):
take a running back in this drive. I think they
have some interest in the running back position.
Speaker 3 (00:47):
Yes, tray Von Henderson of Ohio State and RJ. Harvey
of Central Florida the visitors today.
Speaker 1 (00:54):
I like both. Harvey is a all around good player,
kind of a pain them but to play against, hard
to tackle sort of the Steelers mold that way in
terms of competitive now yeah, yeah, yeah, I mean I
guess there's a little war into his game too. Also
a good zone in a four to fourth combine. I
know he can he can scoot too. Like to me,
(01:15):
he screams like him and Neil from Kansas, or guys
that would often be the third or fourth best back
in a class and they're gonna be the eighth best
back in the class and you're gonna get them fifth round,
fourth round. You know, we're usually they're a third round
type guy, where Henderson he might sneak in the end
of the first round. I mean, he is a burner,
(01:38):
he's really good in protection. He's small ish, but he's
stoutly built, one cut and go. Obviously a really good
compliment to Judkins. On a national title team, He's to
be pretty desirable. I mean in a league that's looking
for explosives, he's kind of the poster boy right now.
(01:58):
I'm just looking here.
Speaker 3 (01:59):
According to my little tracker that I've put together, that
is nine running.
Speaker 1 (02:05):
Backs of a possible thirty visit that.
Speaker 3 (02:07):
The Steelers almost a third and they still got a
couple more that they can use. So the running backs
that they've had in we know am Marion Hampton. Yeah,
he's a first round type.
Speaker 1 (02:17):
Say where let's project where these guys would go. I
would say he's gonna be top forty at the latest,
maybe top twenty. I think Henderson is around two at
the latest. Guy I can't believe he gets out of
the top fifty.
Speaker 3 (02:29):
Yeah, you got Dylan Samson from Tennessee. He's probably a
top three round.
Speaker 1 (02:34):
I would think this guy, I kind of get think
that opinions vary on him because it's such a weird offense.
Sometimes they run against like four man boxes and stuff.
It's weird. But he's very explosive. Yeah, Basehall Tuton from
Virginia Tech. I think he kind of counts in that
fifth round, fourth round. Neighbor supreme tester Olie Gordon from
(02:54):
Oklahoma State. He's a little bit later. He's my least
favorite of the guys they've got. I think he's kind
of a plot. But what's interesting about him and maybe
why you have him in for a visit, is what
happened this year, Allie, because a year ago he'd be second,
third round, consider a first round guy made right? Right? Yeah,
And maybe he's like, well, I had a bad ankle
all year and I just wanted to play through it.
(03:16):
I'm a team guy, and like, oh okay, Ollie, that's right,
you know. Uh. They had Jaden Blue in earlier this
week from Texas. Sure Burner. I don't know where he goes. Yeah,
I don't know. That's that's a tough one. That's he
is guy that they've had in It's kind of the
sket that when people say, you know, the pick one
of the dree Archer or whoever, that's who he is.
He's the closest to that. Yeah, I mean, like some
(03:38):
of these guys are shorter and thick and like a
Warren where he's a satellite back, you know what I mean.
I think he's probably sixth round, but someone might just
love the speed and take them a fourth, you know.
Caleb Johnson from Iowa perfect fit. I don't think he
gets out of the second round. I don't either. Maybe
he's the fifth back taken, but that's still could be
(04:00):
late second round and zone teams like the Steelers are
going to like what he does. I mean, he's one
of those guys like you watch his highlight tape and
you're like, all right, yeah, but you watch five games,
You're like, he does the same thing every time. You know,
he's up with one hundred and eighty. Yeah. Professional back
R J.
Speaker 3 (04:18):
Harvey, who he just mentioned again a just a good
all around back.
Speaker 1 (04:23):
Yeah, I'm a fan. I think he's a little older.
I don't care about that. Running back, you're probably get
one right, right, So really, Jayalen Warren was older too,
because Jayalen Warren is the same age as.
Speaker 3 (04:35):
Not he just came into the league a year later. Uh,
I think that's it. So Giddings, I say.
Speaker 1 (04:43):
I don't think we mentioned DJ Giddens from k State
is the other one. Also, great tester, kind of a slasher.
He's a little taller and runs a little higher than
like Bell. Yeah, that's a good competive time by the
time he was down twenty five and maybe Giddings even
puts on five or ten of muscle too. Mixed feelings
(05:05):
on him, but there are certainly some people in his corner.
Yeah he's fast and yeah. Yeah his footwork at the
combine was like, yeah, it's impressive. Yeah, and he can
go too. Yeah. So I mean it's a good group.
It's a good group, and they've they've really canvassed a
lot of different areas in a draft. Absolutely with these guys.
I mean Hampton might be gone, I think everyone else
(05:26):
will be there at twenty one. I must suggest that
they'll take any of those guys at twenty one Hampton aside.
But some of those dudes aren't going to be around
for the third round, that's for sure. They didn't bring
Judkins in though, huh, they did not, but they weren't
at the Ohio State Pro Day. True, Okay, so they
may know. I'm trying to think of the top backs
who has not been in Martinez and the other they're
not the top guys Gadibo Martinez and Neil or the
(05:49):
kind of ones. It's almost like the list of who
isn't is greater than who has been. Yeah, they were
smaller than who has been in there. At quarterback, they've
had four guys in Tyler Shuck. That was early. It
was early.
Speaker 3 (06:03):
Then you had Jackson Dart, Shador Sanders, and then this
week calm accord from Syracuse.
Speaker 1 (06:08):
Okay, they've definitely done a lot of homework on those guys.
They've also been in a lot of the pro days.
For some of those guys, they took dinner. Yeah. Yeah,
so they've been in close contact with all those.
Speaker 3 (06:17):
Dude, but not as many of the quarterbacks as the
running backs for sure.
Speaker 1 (06:22):
No, of course, I mean running backs is I mean,
like you said, it's a third of their visit. It's
you might as well put we are taking a running
back and just put it out on the front of
the building, which isn't even worth hiding in this now,
it's not really you could tell the whole planet and
still get one, you know, and be happy about it.
Wide receivers, they've only brought in four. I don't know
what the plan is there. They brought in both Ohio
(06:44):
I Aloway stay guys, Jalen Knowl and Jayden and Higgins
both are second third round type guys. Yeah, I mean,
they're not gonna come cheap. Save On Williams was an
early early visit. I wonder if they're just trying to
figure out he's doing with them, and maybe he even
could be in the running back category, you know, or
just kind of tall for that, but he's a quarterial Patterson,
(07:04):
That's who he is. And then Matthew Golden from Texas.
So Higgins and Golden are probably top forty guys. I
mean Golden for sure. Knowle's a little smaller. I mean,
maybe falls the third round, but I'd be shocked if
he's there for the Steelers third round pick. Yeah, I mean,
I think that's more trade down or consider moving Pickens
(07:28):
is the only way that you really end up with
any of those guys.
Speaker 3 (07:30):
Yeah, a bunch of defensive linemen. Yeah, JJ Pegee from
Ole Miss No's but an active one, you know, right, Yeah,
I mean it gets gold line carries and.
Speaker 1 (07:40):
Yeah yeah, yaha, Black from Iowa not as active, but
Jaie Glen just a huge, huge human being tested really
well to combine. Derek Harmon, Yeah, that's first round type dude. Yeah.
Last week it was Jared Harrison Hunt from SMU, right right,
more of a maybe a fifth round type guy. Yeah,
(08:02):
he'd be later. Yeah. I wonder if they had a
medical concern or something question they wanted answered. Josh Farmer
from Florida State. We're both pretty good fans there. I mean,
if he's still there in the third round, you have
to strongly consider that. Elijah Roberts from SMU. He's more
of an end turned bump inside you hope. And yeah, traits,
(08:25):
I got a report somebody texted me privately and messaged
me that Darius Alexander is coming in or has already
been in. There's some okay, so he maybe in later
this week.
Speaker 3 (08:36):
We'll see, we'll see when that happens, but they know
all about the mac guys.
Speaker 1 (08:40):
Yeah, but he'd be a good fit too, though, I
mean he would not. He's a Day two pick all
day long, Round two probably all day long. Jamari Calbwell
from Oregon. Okay, the nose tackle another nose kind of
like piggyas. I mean, he's active, you know, nose tackle
body for four, five, six, seven, eight, eight D line
d lineman. Nine running backs. Wow, eats up your thirty
(09:03):
pretty quick. Yeah. Edge rusher Schamar Stewart was in last week.
There's two of them I think are smoke screens and
one him and any Maari. Yeah mmr. They're both potential
first round draft picks. But you're maybe trying to get somebody. Yeah. Oh,
the Steelers brought him in. Maybe they'll take him. Maybe
we need to make a move or whatever. Yeah, Nick
m u or the safety. And then three cornerbacks, Azeri A.
(09:26):
Thomas in Florida State, which at this point where he ran,
you consider him the third, but I think I don't
think any earlier than that. Trey Amos from Ole miss
that's a higher pick. Yeah, I mean that's a top
forty probably pick. And then Justin Wally from Minnesota. It's
kind of an odd one to bring in, but he's
a mid to late sleeper type. There aren't many sleepers.
(09:47):
That aren't many people talking about that. Maybe one the coaches,
you know, the defensive back coaches just said, you know what,
we liked this guy. We didn't get a chance to
talk to him at the combine, right right, he kind
of flew under the radar a little bit or whatever,
and like, man, he's better than we thought. Let's let's
get a take a look at him. So that's the list.
And again, I think if you really start to there's
(10:09):
certainly interested in running back, in defensive tackle or defensive lineman,
however you want to call whatever you want to call that.
I know they brought Wyatt Milliman from w a local visit.
He's a local, but at least he's a he's not
a throw what he's not the kicker from Pitt You.
I mean, like those guys get drafted reasonably high. I'm
a little shocked there's no O line conversations. Well there's conversations,
(10:32):
but there's no visits. I guess. Other than that, though
those are the positions you would you would think, Yeah, sure, yeah,
you know, I just look at the list and I say, okay,
we've done locked drafts. After mocked. You're definitely taking a
running back. You're definitely taking D line D line. And
(10:52):
it may be two picks on the D line. It
could be two picks of running back. It could if
there's wait a little bit right. But then you look
at the four visits at quarterback, the four visits at
wide receiver, the three visits at cornerback, and those those
are kind of like ancillary needs, And I wonder what's
the logic behind those specific players being the ones you pick?
(11:13):
Why Golden and the two Iowa State guys as opposed
to Burden or you know whoever that's in the same range.
Is it just, man, we really want to spend time
with them on the whiteboard? Do we want to you know,
how you used or is there something off the field?
Do you want to get cleared up or you're a
chance to really really like them. You ran out of
(11:33):
visits at the combine. Yeah, there's only so much time.
Speaker 3 (11:35):
They weren't at the Senior Bowl and you didn't get
to talk to them there, and so you know, you
take care of that part of it. Just again, join
your homework on these guys.
Speaker 1 (11:44):
Goldon might be a little bit of a smoke streing too,
like you did with DK me I mean, they didn't
draft DK Metcalf obviously, sure, but a few years later
you're interested in DK Metcalf because you did all your
homework on DK Metcalf leading into the draft process that year,
right right, And then you said, well, now you've got
all this information on him as a pro, and you say, well,
(12:05):
we liked him as a person. I mean because on
the draft process, most of the players you really really
like don't end up on your team, you know, seven
do Yeah, at most basically yeah, And it's really typically
not that.
Speaker 3 (12:19):
And we'll look we'll look back in the next segment
at the last three years, three or four years of
draft visits.
Speaker 1 (12:24):
Ok, and I the last year was heavy.
Speaker 3 (12:27):
You can kind of figure out where this stuff goes.
What's the smoke screen, what's not a smoke screen. And
they do like to I think they like to vary it.
I think they like to change it up every once
in a while, just to I think everybody's trying to.
Everybody's centering in on what we're going to do here.
Now we're going to do this instead.
Speaker 1 (12:42):
Yeah, and you are, and Stuart screamed that you know
that's yeah. You can make the argument that, hey, this
guy's a safety, you can do it all. We like them,
you know, we we're exsited about him, or Stuart's an
amazing athlete as well, but we're going to know how
well both of them know football, and maybe we could
kick him in as a three four or end or
he could be slot. Yeah, right, right right. I mean
(13:04):
you could certainly make a case for why you'd want
the dudes, but deep down, are you really going to
take them at where you'd have to over Walter Nolan
or you know, somebody like that, or Harman or somebody
like that. I have my doubts. I also wonder quarterbacks
you might be eliminating in a way, you know, like
really like them. Didn't love them? I want to love them.
(13:27):
And I wonder if there's any spokescreens going on with
the quarterbacks too, you know, potentially you know, you're crazy
if you don't do all the homework on those guys,
right you have to.
Speaker 3 (13:35):
Yeah, and you know it's obviously they're not bringing in
the top top guys at some of these visions they
didn't bring in. You know, Graham didn't come in at
defensive tackle, right right right? You don't think he fits?
You didn't you know, you didn't bring in.
Speaker 1 (13:50):
I'm a little shocked Nolan hasn't been in a little bit.
But again he maybe it may be a situation where
just because people talk about it in the field and
all that, yeah, you just couldn't make They and Grant
another one I thought might be in. But maybe those
are the part of me thinks Grant, Nolan and Milroe
are guys they really like and didn't bring in on purpose.
Speaker 3 (14:11):
You know, I don't mean maybe unless you give somebody
truth here, Yeah, own up to it.
Speaker 1 (14:17):
Like I got enough information on these dudes. I'm not
gonna quite tip my hand and show. Yeah. So let's
get a look a look at the history here the
last few years of what they've brought in for their
pre draft bhysics. We'll do that when we return. He
is Matt Williamson. I am Dale Lollie.
Speaker 3 (14:32):
You're listening to the Drive on Steelers Nation Radio here
on the Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 1 (14:37):
We'll be back with more right after this.
Speaker 2 (14:43):
At least he's the Drive with Dale Lolly and Matt
Williamson on your twenty four to seven Home of the
Black and Gold Steelers Nation.
Speaker 3 (14:52):
Radio, and welcome back. I am Dale Lolly. He is
the Matti Samson and we're.
Speaker 1 (15:01):
Going to go back and look at the Steelers' free
draft visits here over the last few years.
Speaker 3 (15:06):
And some of these are a little different because some
of it was during COVID.
Speaker 1 (15:12):
Oh right, right, right. You had to do them virtually, Yeah,
you had to. Some of the report him to the
NFL and he might do x amount, but they didn't
actually visit the building. And some were pro day visits
that you could actually do at that time because some
schools had their pro days, others canceled the pro days.
It was a weird time. Yeah, it was just a strange,
strange time.
Speaker 3 (15:29):
But going back to twenty twenty one, they met with
UH did a virtual with Michael Parsons. Okay, they did
a virtual with Jalen Phillips, the edge rusher out of
Miami quitd he pay the edge rusher out the topics, right,
Caleb Farley from Virginia Tech.
Speaker 1 (15:50):
I could see that. I mean he had a lot
of injury stuff, and you know, Christian Darra saw the
offensive tackle from Virginia Tech. Okay, these are good players.
Travel us at In the running back from Clemson. Makes
sense to end up taking nausea that year.
Speaker 3 (16:04):
Eric Stokes, the cornerback from Georgia. First round picks, o'daffe
O Way from Penn State, the edge Russer.
Speaker 1 (16:12):
Well, these are all first round picks. Tyson Campbell, the
cornerback from Georgia. Elijah Moore the wide receiver from Ole,
miss Okay. I think he's still out there. Somebody signed him.
I thought, I'm not sure that. I almost didn't say it.
Liam Eikenberg the offensive tackle from Notre Dame. He was
a second. That's kind of busted. Trayvon Mowrigg, safety from TCU.
(16:37):
Not a huge theme here, I mean except for high picks. Yeah.
Assante Samuel Junior, the cornerback from Florida State. He might
still be out there. I thought he signed somewhere. I'm
not sure. Maybe I don't know. Aziz Ojulari, edge rusher
from Georgia. Again early second.
Speaker 3 (16:55):
Jeremiah Owosu Cormoa from Notre Dame ended up playing against him.
Speaker 1 (16:58):
Yeah. Pat Friarmouth from Penn State. Nick Bolton, linebacker from Missouri.
Second round pick of really good players. Jalen Mayfield, offensive
tackle from Michigan. He was a later one.
Speaker 3 (17:14):
Yeah, and then Baron Browning, the linebacker from Ohio State.
They're also at the Alabama Pro Day and met with
Alex Leatherwood. I think they took these guys at dinner,
Nachie Harris, Landon Dickerson.
Speaker 1 (17:25):
Okay, okay, and obviously it took nausea. So you got
two of those guys, but as you nade, they aimed. Yeah,
this was a fifth rounder out of that group.
Speaker 3 (17:35):
I think because of the way that year worked out
with the virtual stuff. Everything was virtual. You don't want
to waste your time because you weren't going to have
the pro as many pro days.
Speaker 1 (17:45):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, and.
Speaker 3 (17:46):
So hey, we're just going to take what we what
we know we can get here in his first two
rounds and then after that we'll just kind.
Speaker 1 (17:52):
Of maybe that's kind of just a weird group. It's
a weird year. Yeah, but those were all high picks.
The following year, remember this was a heavy quarterback here.
They met with Kyle Are. They brought in Kyle Hamilton
safety had a Notre Dame. Kenny Pickett, quarterback from Pittt
local though. Yeah. Kway Walker from Georgia. They were at
(18:15):
they went to dinner with him and his pro day.
Desmond Ritter from Cincinnati the quarterback. Yeah, you're doing quarterback research.
Marcus Jones cornerback from Houston. Okay, there's some off the
field you want probably want to gi up there, h
Malik Willis, Matt Carral, Sam Howell. Yeah, yeah they are
all THEO got quarterbacks, right. Eric Johnson defensive lineman from
(18:36):
Missouri State. No, what his story is. I don't remember
where he even got drafted. Kyron Johnson, d rusher out
of Kansas. And there's some later guys then Mark Robinson
linebacker from Ole, miss Interesting. Chris Alaticon quarterback from South
Dakota State. H Carson Strong quarterback from Nevada. Yeah, I
(18:57):
forget about him. And he was a big, strong pocket
passer type. They brought in Joey Blunt, a safety from
Virginia he went undrafted, James Skalsky linebacker from Clemson undrafted,
and Nolan Turner safety from Clemson. Wow, there's five or
six names there. I don't know who they are.
Speaker 3 (19:16):
Yeah, twenty twenty three, this one really hits like guys
they brought in they brought it ends up being yeah, yeah,
so Christian Gonzalez, cornerback out of Oregon.
Speaker 1 (19:31):
I got admit whenever they that the card was in
for the trade out. And this when they end up
with Roderick Jones. It was, like I said, Jones or Gonzalez,
I really was fifty to fifty right down the middle
on that.
Speaker 3 (19:42):
But they also brought brought in Darnell Right the offensive
tackle from Tennessee.
Speaker 1 (19:46):
Okay, that adds up. He was off the board by then.
Speaker 3 (19:48):
Yeah, they took Broderick Jones to dinner at his pro day.
Deontay Banks cornerback from.
Speaker 1 (19:55):
Maryland, the first round corner of like Gonzales, Anton Harrison,
offensive tap from Oklahoma, first on tackles and corners.
Speaker 3 (20:02):
Yeah. Brian Bress, defensive lineman from Clemson.
Speaker 1 (20:06):
We took him two or three times in a mock. Yeah. Yeah.
Felix and duque Iszoma ed rusher out of k State
late late first. Joey Porter junior, that's a local visit
still but still two years picks right. Steve Avilla, the
guard from TCU, Okay, good players. Johnny Mingo, wide receiver
(20:28):
from Ole Miss. He walked into Pittsburgh. Julius Brent's cornerback
from k State. Could I understand that he's kind of
a porter body type. Keon White defensive lineman from Georgia Tech.
He's been quite good.
Speaker 3 (20:42):
Cody Match offensive lineman from North Dakota State. Okay, Kean
U Benton defensive lineman from Wisconsin. So the first three
picks were all guys that they brought.
Speaker 1 (20:53):
In, and most of those dudes were brand name guys.
They weren't seventh I means undrafted. Yeah, right? Uh?
Speaker 3 (20:59):
Jaye Read the wide receiver from Michigan State. Tully two,
a polo two ed rusher from USC.
Speaker 1 (21:07):
Tyreek. Stevenson cornerback from Miami. A lot of second round
type guys there.
Speaker 3 (21:13):
John Michael Schmidt's center from Minnesota. Osyrus Torrance guard from Florida.
Speaker 1 (21:21):
A lot of second rounders.
Speaker 3 (21:22):
Cedric Tillman, wide receiver Tennessee. I'm still a fan of
ha Darnell Washington, tight end from Georgia. Remember we walked
by him walking by. It was hard to miss.
Speaker 1 (21:33):
Yeah. Uh. Sika Ika defensive lineman from Baylor. Big nose
end up going to the Browns.
Speaker 3 (21:40):
Chandler Zavalla guard from NC State. Okay, Charlie Jones, wide
receiver from Purdue.
Speaker 1 (21:46):
Yeah, I remember his mid round pick, Darius Rush, cornerback
South Carolina. I didn't draft them, but it wasn't after Yeah,
and give me to him for free. We'll take you.
Clayton too, where he is now? Yeah, he's he?
Speaker 3 (22:00):
Uh they released him last year to try to remember that,
and somebody else signed him.
Speaker 1 (22:04):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (22:04):
Yeah, Clayton Tune quarterback Houston, late pick Daniel Scott safety
at a cal Jerron Hall quarterback from b YU or
Jared Haugas Carl Brooks, a defensive lineman from Bowling Green.
Speaker 1 (22:21):
Yeah, we liked him.
Speaker 3 (22:22):
Yeah, Tanner Ingle safety at a NC State, Bryce Ford Wheaton,
wide receiver from West Virginia. They ended up, I believe,
signing him as a UDFA.
Speaker 1 (22:31):
He may have been a local. Yeah, he was West
Virginia's local.
Speaker 3 (22:35):
And then they also had dinner with Robert Beale ed
rusher out of Georgia mhm.
Speaker 1 (22:40):
But they ended up with several Yeah. Last year, this
one's crazy. Uh. Tulasi Fuaga he was off the boarding,
the offensive tackle from Morgan Stadium. Who knows who they
were take and if they both were available Troyano first
round pick, first round pick Cooper Dejene, cornerback out of Iowa.
(23:00):
I'm sure they liked them a lot. Yeah, you can't
have everything. Nate Wiggins cornerback from Clemson, Okay and playing
against him twice a year.
Speaker 3 (23:08):
Amarius Mims, offensive tackle from close By. A d Mitchell
wide receiver from Texas.
Speaker 1 (23:15):
I'll be honest. When they were on the clock in
the second round, they took Fraser. Fraser would have been
my pick at that minute, but if not, it would
have been Mitchell. Graham Barton, offensive lineman from Duke. Rumor
has it they were very high on him. Obviously they
preferred for a tu but they were really high on Barton.
Jackson Powers Johnson center from Oregon. Yeah, there were three
centers that looked like starters and more turned into starters.
(23:38):
But they hit Alboll Tyler Geiton, offensive tackle from Oklahoma.
I think they were going to rebuild the line. Yeah,
you see a trend there.
Speaker 3 (23:46):
Darius Robinson defensive lineman from Missouri, that first round pick,
Brayden Fiske, defensive tackle from Florida State had a great year.
Peyton Wilson State, Ricky Pearsall w receiver, Florida.
Speaker 1 (24:01):
I'm pretty high first round.
Speaker 3 (24:02):
Yeah, Zach Frasier center from West Virginia. So there's three guys,
three picks, right, Yeah, three guys they brought in.
Speaker 1 (24:08):
Was Roman ahead of Peyton Wilson, I can't remember. I
believe it was Peyton Wilson, then Rome. I can't remember
what order they got to Wilson's Uh. Xavier Lagette wide receiver,
South definitely receiver market. Max Melton cornerback from Rutgers. We
liked him a lot too, so do Malachai Corley, wide receiver,
Western Kentucky. There's some trends there. Massan Smith defensive lineman
(24:34):
Michigan end up going to jackson Y, Yeah, Jackson Blake
Fisher offensive tackle Notre Dame. If you would have got
shut out in round one, you'd have been a nice,
nice fallback. Yeah. Andrew Phillips cornerback Kentucky had a good year. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (24:48):
Mason McCormick, offensive lineman in South Dakota State.
Speaker 1 (24:51):
It's pretty high percentage. Yeah. Uh. Matt Gonclave's from pitt
That was a local visit. Yeah, but he's looks like
he's go become a starter now for this Colts Luke McCaffrey,
wide receiver from Rice, Christian Boy defensive tackle from Northern Iowa.
I like him a lot. I'm not sure what really happened. Yeah,
I don't know. Hunter Norzad center from Penn State. That's
(25:13):
a local visit. Taj Washington wide receiver USC MJ. Devonshire
from pitt That was cornerback. That's a local visit. Jalenkreudi Kremetti,
I should say, defensive lineman from Mississippi State. I don't
remember him.
Speaker 3 (25:29):
Logan Lee lineman from Iowa. Travis Glover offensive tackle from
Georgia State, Daykwon Hardy. Uh, that's a local visit from
Penn State. Cornerback Beanie Bishop. Yeah, yeah, from West Virginia.
Speaker 1 (25:47):
It's a freebie.
Speaker 3 (25:48):
They ended up signing him. Uh and Stephen Jones offensive
lineman from Oregon.
Speaker 1 (25:54):
They've taken a couple of different approaches, Yeah, in terms
of how it's heavy, Yeah, some years not so much.
And there's a lot of top fifty type guys, so
you're not going to have five of them that you
know you draft, of course, and then this one was
pretty spread out and ended up with a high high
percentage of them and.
Speaker 3 (26:09):
In twenty twenty three, knowing that you had the three
picks in the top fifty two or whatever it was,
it makes sense to hammer those early.
Speaker 1 (26:20):
Years, those early guys and still end up with them. Yeah,
you know, and they did. I mean it was top three.
We're all in. Yeah, and then you know, if you
look at what they've done this year, I'm not sure
how that will add up the same. I don't know
if you can get to the same percentage. He definitely
could get a back. It leads me.
Speaker 3 (26:38):
I mean just looking at Okay, you got some first
round guys in there, but then you've got a bunch
of second slash third round guys, and it makes me
believe they really want to trade back or I was
going to acquire something in the second round or in
that early third round. It makes me because there's a
lot of these visits because they've known for quite a
while now, yeah, yeah, that they have they don't have
(26:59):
that second round pick.
Speaker 1 (27:00):
And maybe they don't agree with us, but if they
do and think the tackle is probably our first pick.
But if we trade back pretty heavy and don't, then
there's Hampton or Golden or Mum or Steward or somebody
like that, would we be comfortable doing it? And now
they have a better answer yes or no?
Speaker 3 (27:17):
Yeah, yeah, just again building that twenty one that Okay,
those guys are gone because the edge russ the first
round of edge rushers.
Speaker 1 (27:27):
No, right, right, right, they're not gonna take one of those. Yeah,
they're not their tight end you mentioned no offensive lineman,
no offensive lineman. Right, okay, so they're not doing that,
none of the tight ends. So maybe they'll be interested
in Simmons just to see, you know, conditionings in or whatever.
You know.
Speaker 3 (27:43):
Yeah, so you can almost scratch those three off the
board if if you're building your twenty one. And we'll
yeah that again towards the end of the week or
maybe early next week. And I would think a corner
would Amos be in the twenty one?
Speaker 1 (27:55):
Maybe if you stretched it, if you have to stretch it,
you'd have to stretch it for at least the way
we see him, I can't imagine them taking him at
twenty one. Would they take him at thirty if they
had a wealth of other picks?
Speaker 3 (28:07):
Maybe, Yeah, maybe that's that's what you're looking to build
out there, you know, some of these other you know,
would you you know, we included Darius Alexander in our
twenty one.
Speaker 1 (28:17):
Yeah, like if you traded back then that we were
real heavy on d tackles in twenty one, you know,
but you might get him at forty eight. Yeah, you know.
Speaker 3 (28:27):
So when we rebuild our twenty one, the question I
need to ask, then, do we even put any offensive
lineman or the tight ends or any of those positions
on that?
Speaker 1 (28:36):
I probably yes, But there's also so many there's only
thirty visits, so you're going to bring in Membo and
Campbell and war and when you know they're not going
to be there, you know, yeah, you'd take them, but
you're never going to have that contemplation. But this draft
is so different, it's weird. It's a weird one just
because of the lack of high end, really high end talent.
(28:59):
And exercise we could do is just pick three or
four positions and build a top twenty board out of
that or whatever. You know, if you just eliminate all
the edge, all the tight end, all the O line
and say who would you be comfortable taking in the
top fifty, you know, something like that, which you know,
(29:20):
if Warren's happened to be sitting there at twenty one. Okay,
we'll take him, but he won't be you know right.
Speaker 3 (29:25):
Yeah, I'm just thinking back, like if you're looking at
the big boards from last year, for example, would Caleb
Williams still be the number one overall pick?
Speaker 1 (29:40):
Yes, what do you mean, knowing what we know now?
Speaker 3 (29:43):
Not knowing no, at the time, he Caleb Williams is
considered a better prospect, I think than anybody that's in
this draft.
Speaker 1 (29:49):
Yeah, yeah, a quarterback, I would think, so consensus, you know,
maybe some people like other you know, yeah, I agree.
Speaker 3 (29:57):
Uh, looking at I'm looking at profile all focuses rankings
from last year. A year ago, they had Marvin Harrison
junior number two, Marvin Harrison junior versus Travis Hunter.
Speaker 1 (30:07):
Is he that's a converse that's Hunter is so weird? Yeah,
because he's also the cornerback. But Harrison, he's much better
than make Mille. Harrison would be up here compared to
you know, these other receivers in this draft. I mean,
looking at last year's class, there's so many that would
be would eliminate the guys in our twenty one. Yeah,
I mean it's there's a ton of them if we
(30:28):
build it, and no, this isn't what we're doing. But
if you build a board with last year's draft doll
players and this year's draft will players and you get
twenty one of them, not many would be from this year.
That's why I'm going through this little Yeah, knowing what
we know now, I don't want to talk about their
rookie year. You know what, right, they had Drake May
at three. He's a better prospect than any of the quarterbacks. Yeah,
(30:51):
Molik Neighbors, way better than any Let's just take Hunter
out of the equation. It's not even talk about him anymore.
But Neighbors is way better than all the receivers.
Speaker 3 (30:59):
Joe All would be easily the number one the real
tax offensive tax right easily Rome with Dounez still better
than any number one receivers, Rock Bowers versus literally.
Speaker 1 (31:13):
Tight end one but one conversations conversation, but he would
still go first to the group. You know, he was
pretty rare college player.
Speaker 3 (31:22):
They had Cooper Degene number eight on their list, by
the way, good for them, Yeah, I mean there was
a lot of ambiguity with the corners.
Speaker 1 (31:30):
They also had Qua Mitchell number nine. Okay, so he
had eight and nine right next to each other and
would take both those guys over Will Johnson. Yeah, you know,
I mean just what we thought of them then, not
that they even had great years or even Johnny like
Cooper Dejeene versus Johnny Barron, because I would look at
the Degene. Yeah, I would do it's bigger. Uh.
Speaker 3 (31:51):
This is this is where layout too late to. They
had a ten. There's some edge rushers in this draft on.
Speaker 1 (31:56):
The edges, and the edges better this year. Yeah, I
mean the edges better, but that doesn't affect the Steelers,
but the edge is definitely better this year. They have
jerse On Newton at number eleven at defensive tackle. Okay,
that's a little bit odd. I mean he also had
a foot issue. Yeah, and Bier Murphy right now, Murphy.
I was trying to think who the other one, So
Newton and Murphy for the Steelers. I would rather have
(32:20):
Harmon Grant Nolan. Yeah. I think those guys are kind
of more like like Graham, No, more like Graham. Yeah,
they're a little shorter and upfield guys to Lasi Fluaga, right,
I mean I'm taking Fluago over Membo and in Campbell,
all of them, he'd be the number one tackle in
(32:41):
this draft. I agree Terry and Arnold. They had a
fourteen a cornerback out of Alabama. I didn't love him
at the time. I mean, now we're getting into a conversation. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, agreed,
Like I might rather have Will Johnson maybe maybe. Yeah,
Troy Faltanu, he's right there with he would be the
best offensive tackle in this draft. Yeah. Dallas Turner, the
(33:03):
EDG rusher out of Alabama. We already talking about the
edge rush. Uh Olu Forshanu, the tackle out of Penn State.
He still is too, I mean yeah, a little bit
smaller hands, but I mean he still was a tackle
all day long. J C. Latham out of Alabama. Yeah,
I mean I would he was my number two tackle. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (33:20):
Mims is at twenty like he's now You're probably may
be getting it because he'd only started like fifteen.
Speaker 1 (33:26):
Yeah, there were college concerns and questions, but yeah, he's
a tackle all day long. Yeah, I mean size wise,
they had Jade and Daniels all the way down at
twenty one. Okay, we would have taken that person a
year ago. Daniels would take an over ward. I There
were a lot right up until the end, I had
Jade and Daniels ahead of Caleb Williams. He was my number.
Month was one. I had right against Williams. Two.
Speaker 3 (33:49):
Yeah, Donnie Mitchell, we were fans.
Speaker 1 (33:53):
Yeah, and I think a year ago, if you rewind
I found a drive, you'd say, would take that Mitchell
version over or Will Johnson. Probably Graham Barton.
Speaker 3 (34:03):
Now he got moved to center, but he's better than
any center prospect in this draft.
Speaker 1 (34:07):
I mean the interior line conversation if it's ridiculous without
even narrowing it down to center, Powers Johnson, Fraser Barton,
they're going over all the center. Yeah, times to thousand. Uh.
Brian Thomas Junior, I think he would be ahead of
Ted McMillan two. I think. So he's faster. I mean
(34:27):
I remember he's the same size and has the same
like ability to adjustify, but he's faster. Yeah, like big
And that's just stop because he had a great rookie year.
Because I remember being on the air, just like the
Fraser conversation that when the Steelers were on the clock
in the first round, I'm like, oh yeah, great Filetana.
But Brian Thomas, I remember people saying, well, who would
(34:48):
be your second choice. I'm like, Brian Thomas were Quinny Mitchell,
yeah he would. He was actually third. They actually remember
three really like if they'd have gone any of those directions,
I've been like, oh, I get it, you know. I
said in the second round, it was, well, if it's
not Fraser matt who you like? My god, Donnie Mitchell, Yeah, right.
Nate Wiggins at a Clemson he was a little thinner,
little thinner, but he'd be he'd go earlier in this
(35:10):
draft than he did that draft. Yeah, he wouldn't have
lasted the twenty eight or twenty nine. Yeah, man corner
that can run length. JJ McCarthy to me, I would
probably would take Ward. I would take Ward over McCarthy's
That's where I slotted Ward is after the big three.
Speaker 3 (35:24):
Yeah, they had Peyton Wilson at number thirty. Good for them,
good for them, and good for the Steelers. Tyler Nuban
to safety. I don't think he's.
Speaker 1 (35:34):
As good a prospect as the two top two safety
now in this draft, just looking through her from this
Nick's Pennix were thirty five and thirty six in that list,
and I would take Ward over both those guys.
Speaker 3 (35:47):
But that's that's you know, that's where we're at here.
We're down into the forties and yeah, they had Roam
Wilson at forty two by the way, too, Just you
don't have the spending power in this draft that you
had in previous last year's draft, for sure.
Speaker 1 (36:02):
I mean we knew last year's draft was rich obviously,
with tackles, receivers, and quarterbacks, all which would have interested
Steelers and made sense. But I don't think we even
at the time, how would we have a crystal ball
that our top twenty at the time. They picked twenty
last year, right, yeah, was awesome, you know what I mean,
Like we had twenty. It was like this year was like, man,
(36:25):
how do we get to twenty one? Should we bring
in Alexander or another? And we're last year we're cutting
like bone. I mean, Cooper dejan was on our twenty,
our top twenty list last year. Yeah, Like I'm not
even sure if like Arnold made it, yeah you know
what I mean, Like he easily would have this year.
Yeah easily. Yeah. Let alone, like Brian Thomas just a
dude's a's and right, you know, it's just not probably
Maconkie in our top twenty. We loved him too, Yeah,
(36:46):
I'm sure we did so we were right. Yeah, it's
just a different draft and a different again. I just
don't think you're not getting the bang for your buck
this year in the top ten. No, I I'm not
sure if'd inclue number four in this but definitely five
through twelve. It's water down. Yeah, you know, those guys
are usually the twentieth pick. It seems like we're always
(37:08):
picking on Mason Graham, but I don't know if he
goes in the top ten this year. I don't think
Campbell goes in the top ten, Membo might. I mean,
he's so athletic and at least he's definitely a tackle
for now, but he's not the prototype. He's not six six, Yeah,
would Warren probably not? I mean not with Bowers, you know,
(37:33):
you know what I mean that draft. I mean, how
many guys this year would be top ten picks last year?
That's kind of when we went through that, I know,
I mean, not many, not many at all, right, I
mean it's maybe might be it might be, and the
a couple of the edge rushers, yeah, and Ward might
be the fourth quarterback or fifth. But last year's edge
Rusher group was just it wasn't good. Carter's better than
(37:54):
all those. Yeah. Yeah, he'd gone high just because of
premium position, right, so that's crazy.
Speaker 3 (38:00):
Yeah, let's get through a break. He is the Matt Williamson.
I am Dale Lolly. You're listening to the Drive here
on the Steelers Audio Network. We'll be back with more
right after this.
Speaker 2 (38:13):
At least, he's the Drive with Dale Lolly and Matt
Williamson on your twenty four to seven home of the
Black and Gold Steelers Nation Radio.
Speaker 3 (38:27):
And welcome back. I am Dale LOLLI he is the
Matt Williamson. And news came out this morning that the
Miami Dolphins and Jalen Ramsey have agreed to let him
seek a trade.
Speaker 1 (38:41):
They're a team in flux. I mean Tyreek Hill name
keeps coming up and keeps coming. I'm not considering trading him,
but they can't consider trading him right now because he
just got in trouble last week. Yeah right, like you
would be selling for pennies on the dollars at this point,
I know. And he's coming off of not his great
year years. He a declining players, he's starting to slow down.
(39:01):
Armstead retires. You know, these are like the these are
their corner guys, the guys that went and traded for
They gave a lot of money when they pushed their
chips in and it could be dark times, you know,
like you're paying your quarterback hard time, hard time. I mean,
you're not gonna tank tank, Yeah, you know, I mean,
and maybe it's time to cash out and get draft
(39:22):
picks for those dudes. And your CAP's not in great
shape and they need both lines of scrimmage and every
mock draft we talk about, it's like often's could go
a lot of directions here, and I don't think two
is an elevator. Yeah, you know, like I think they're
in a tough situation. They're in. They're in a tough situation.
You know, who are your building blocks right now? You know? Yeah,
you're gonna get You're gonna move on from. And Ramsey's thirty.
(39:44):
I say, he's been around, you know, and he's making
you know, if you start looking at the cornerback market numbers, yeah,
you know, so real quick on him. Yeah, from what
I I forget who I was listening to a reading
or whatever. They he kind of implied that he's not
necessarily unhappy with the Dolphins, but he wants to get
(40:06):
back to being an outside man to man corner. And
it's such a weird conversation, and it's a deep conversation
about the value of slot and Dejene and branch because
really his Rams time and his Dolphins time, Ramsey's played
near the line of scrimmage as a big nickel star,
you know, whatever you want to call it, but it
(40:28):
beats up your body. And I think he wants to
be outside playing man coverage against Jamar Chase. But now
he's thirty, is he going to be as good at that?
And I never thought he was Reevis to begin with,
but he was great at at one point. It's kind
of just an odd career, you know. And that's the orders.
You see the ring on the wall too, that this
team's going the wrong direction. That might be it.
Speaker 3 (40:49):
It might be he's you know, he's seeing some of
these younger players surpassing his contract value.
Speaker 1 (40:55):
If you start looking at you know, maybe it's financial
and the Miami can't give them more money. They're really
tight agains, you know. I mean, it may not even
be necessary, like his contract is like fully guaranteed. I'd
say I think that you're taking on a pretty decent
contract in trade for.
Speaker 3 (41:11):
His three year ap Y average per year is twenty
four point one million. Well that's been surpassed by Derek
Stingley at thirty million.
Speaker 1 (41:18):
Yeah yeah. J C.
Speaker 3 (41:20):
Horn's making twenty five, and then he's third. Patrick's certain
is rate after him at twenty four, and then Jay
R Alexander at twenty one point.
Speaker 1 (41:27):
Eight, who also could be on the move.
Speaker 3 (41:29):
The problem is is that position is so up and
down a year. It's a little it's more volatile maybe
than any other position in the league.
Speaker 1 (41:39):
And this worries me a little about Sleigh. But over
thirty corners don't have a great history, you know what
I mean. They don't last till they're thirty eight, unless
you're Darryl Green, you know what i mean.
Speaker 3 (41:49):
Going it depends on what you're asking them to do.
You know, are you asking them to be the number
one guy that they were you know when they were
twenty eight? Were you asking them to be a complimentary piece?
Speaker 1 (41:58):
So I'm not suggesting this Dealers should trade for Jalen Ramsey.
I mean they they've I think they've made their big
corner moves and they're probably pretty settled there. Maybe you'll
throw a fourth round pick at the at the equation.
But it's a great example, a boy, what we've talked
about all along. If right now this was a defensive
tackle or a position that you needed, you didn't expect
(42:19):
this guy to be available, and now he is, and
you're one of the few teams that could easily pull
this trade off. I mean financially, you know, you could
send a future pick. I mean, I know you're a
little light on picks, but you could add this guy
if you wanted, you know, I mean not every team could,
you know, and the fully guaranteed money and whoever does
trade for him, assuming he gets traded, it's not going
(42:39):
to be for a first round pick like he's been
traded for in the past, because it's big money and
an aging corner. Yeah, and that's the position. I mean,
we had the discussion about TJ. Wish yesterday. Yeah. Yeah,
cornerback's different than outside linebacker, edge rusher or whatever you
want to consider it. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (42:55):
I mean, you know the same people say who were
saying last year, you don't pay Cam Hayward. That's the
other part, Like everybody assumed Cam Hayward was asking for
the moon last year.
Speaker 1 (43:04):
That may not be the case with either. Nobody knows, right,
nobody knows, But in this situation, the Dolphins might be
just be looking disc going, hey, I think your left
tackle just retired. That's say, right, it might be really,
we're not going to compete this year? Can we get
something for Jalen Ramsey at this point? That? And I
(43:24):
think Tyreek's in the exact same situation.
Speaker 3 (43:27):
But they can't trade Tyreek right now because of the
off the field situation.
Speaker 1 (43:31):
Which you knew when you got him, and the Chiefs
us a volatile guy. Yeah, yeah, yeah, that's a nice
way of putting it. I mean, he was not on
many draft boards and he's not been an angel since
he's been in the league. But he hasn't been you know, criminal,
you know, to that regard. But what are those two
gonna be worth a year from now or even at
the trade deadline less than now? I mean, unless they're
(43:52):
having great years. Maybe Tyreek looks phenomenal on tape before
you know it and looks like the same guy. Maybe,
And quite cornerbacks just don't affec the game like edge rushers.
They just don't, right, I'd rather invest in. I mean,
I can just avoid the cornerback. I don't have to
throw over there. And I don't think it's Ramsey Island
at this point. It is not. I think he's a
really good football player. Frankly, if they added him to
(44:13):
Steelers second and I'd be like, wow, I mean you're
loaded now, you know what I mean? But and same
with any team really, but I'm not giving first one
pick for him. Yeah, he's not. The difference was four
years ago. No Rams gave up a first. I think
the Dolphins gave up a first or something similar. He's
depreciating asset. Yeah, and that's what happens with you go
(44:33):
all in with the dog like the Dolphins approach. Yeah.
So anyways, I just thought that was interesting too.
Speaker 3 (44:39):
Let's get to a break that's going to do it
for our number one of the drive here on the
Steelers Audio Network, Matt and I'll be back with our
number two right after this
At least.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
He's the Drive with Dale Lolly and Matt Williamson on
your twenty four to seven Home of the Black and
Gold Steelers Nation Radio.
Speaker 1 (00:16):
And welcome to the drive.
Speaker 3 (00:18):
I am Dale LOLLI he is the Matt Williamson and
it is a blustering There.
Speaker 1 (00:24):
Was hailing on the way here and when we were
down facility early. Yeah, yeah, the sideways hail. Yeah, it's crazy.
But we're getting closer and close. Almost a week away,
almost a week away. The Steelers having two more visits
today running backs. Surprisingly enough, it's been a lot of them,
a lot of running backs in I think they might
(00:44):
take a running back in this drive. I think they
have some interest in the running back position.
Speaker 3 (00:47):
Yes, tray Von Henderson of Ohio State and RJ. Harvey
of Central Florida the visitors today.
Speaker 1 (00:54):
I like both. Harvey is a all around good player,
kind of a pain them but to play against, hard
to tackle sort of the Steelers mold that way in
terms of competitive now yeah, yeah, yeah, I mean I
guess there's a little war into his game too. Also
a good zone in a four to fourth combine. I
know he can he can scoot too. Like to me,
(01:15):
he screams like him and Neil from Kansas, or guys
that would often be the third or fourth best back
in a class and they're gonna be the eighth best
back in the class and you're gonna get them fifth round,
fourth round. You know, we're usually they're a third round
type guy, where Henderson he might sneak in the end
of the first round. I mean, he is a burner,
(01:38):
he's really good in protection. He's small ish, but he's
stoutly built, one cut and go. Obviously a really good
compliment to Judkins. On a national title team, He's to
be pretty desirable. I mean in a league that's looking
for explosives, he's kind of the poster boy right now.
(01:58):
I'm just looking here.
Speaker 3 (01:59):
According to my little tracker that I've put together, that
is nine running.
Speaker 1 (02:05):
Backs of a possible thirty visit that.
Speaker 3 (02:07):
The Steelers almost a third and they still got a
couple more that they can use. So the running backs
that they've had in we know am Marion Hampton. Yeah,
he's a first round type.
Speaker 1 (02:17):
Say where let's project where these guys would go. I
would say he's gonna be top forty at the latest,
maybe top twenty. I think Henderson is around two at
the latest. Guy I can't believe he gets out of
the top fifty.
Speaker 3 (02:29):
Yeah, you got Dylan Samson from Tennessee. He's probably a
top three round.
Speaker 1 (02:34):
I would think this guy, I kind of get think
that opinions vary on him because it's such a weird offense.
Sometimes they run against like four man boxes and stuff.
It's weird. But he's very explosive. Yeah, Basehall Tuton from
Virginia Tech. I think he kind of counts in that
fifth round, fourth round. Neighbor supreme tester Olie Gordon from
(02:54):
Oklahoma State. He's a little bit later. He's my least
favorite of the guys they've got. I think he's kind
of a plot. But what's interesting about him and maybe
why you have him in for a visit, is what
happened this year, Allie, because a year ago he'd be second,
third round, consider a first round guy made right? Right? Yeah,
And maybe he's like, well, I had a bad ankle
all year and I just wanted to play through it.
(03:16):
I'm a team guy, and like, oh okay, Ollie, that's right,
you know. Uh. They had Jaden Blue in earlier this
week from Texas. Sure Burner. I don't know where he goes. Yeah,
I don't know. That's that's a tough one. That's he
is guy that they've had in It's kind of the
sket that when people say, you know, the pick one
of the dree Archer or whoever, that's who he is.
He's the closest to that. Yeah, I mean, like some
(03:38):
of these guys are shorter and thick and like a
Warren where he's a satellite back, you know what I mean.
I think he's probably sixth round, but someone might just
love the speed and take them a fourth, you know.
Caleb Johnson from Iowa perfect fit. I don't think he
gets out of the second round. I don't either. Maybe
he's the fifth back taken, but that's still could be
(04:00):
late second round and zone teams like the Steelers are
going to like what he does. I mean, he's one
of those guys like you watch his highlight tape and
you're like, all right, yeah, but you watch five games,
You're like, he does the same thing every time. You know,
he's up with one hundred and eighty. Yeah. Professional back
R J.
Speaker 3 (04:18):
Harvey, who he just mentioned again a just a good
all around back.
Speaker 1 (04:23):
Yeah, I'm a fan. I think he's a little older.
I don't care about that. Running back, you're probably get
one right, right, So really, Jayalen Warren was older too,
because Jayalen Warren is the same age as.
Speaker 3 (04:35):
Not he just came into the league a year later. Uh,
I think that's it. So Giddings, I say.
Speaker 1 (04:43):
I don't think we mentioned DJ Giddens from k State
is the other one. Also, great tester, kind of a slasher.
He's a little taller and runs a little higher than
like Bell. Yeah, that's a good competive time by the
time he was down twenty five and maybe Giddings even
puts on five or ten of muscle too. Mixed feelings
(05:05):
on him, but there are certainly some people in his corner.
Yeah he's fast and yeah. Yeah his footwork at the
combine was like, yeah, it's impressive. Yeah, and he can
go too. Yeah. So I mean it's a good group.
It's a good group, and they've they've really canvassed a
lot of different areas in a draft. Absolutely with these guys.
I mean Hampton might be gone, I think everyone else
(05:26):
will be there at twenty one. I must suggest that
they'll take any of those guys at twenty one Hampton aside.
But some of those dudes aren't going to be around
for the third round, that's for sure. They didn't bring
Judkins in though, huh, they did not, but they weren't
at the Ohio State Pro Day. True, Okay, so they
may know. I'm trying to think of the top backs
who has not been in Martinez and the other they're
not the top guys Gadibo Martinez and Neil or the
(05:49):
kind of ones. It's almost like the list of who
isn't is greater than who has been. Yeah, they were
smaller than who has been in there. At quarterback, they've
had four guys in Tyler Shuck. That was early. It
was early.
Speaker 3 (06:03):
Then you had Jackson Dart, Shador Sanders, and then this
week calm accord from Syracuse.
Speaker 1 (06:08):
Okay, they've definitely done a lot of homework on those guys.
They've also been in a lot of the pro days.
For some of those guys, they took dinner. Yeah. Yeah,
so they've been in close contact with all those.
Speaker 3 (06:17):
Dude, but not as many of the quarterbacks as the
running backs for sure.
Speaker 1 (06:22):
No, of course, I mean running backs is I mean,
like you said, it's a third of their visit. It's
you might as well put we are taking a running
back and just put it out on the front of
the building, which isn't even worth hiding in this now,
it's not really you could tell the whole planet and
still get one, you know, and be happy about it.
Wide receivers, they've only brought in four. I don't know
what the plan is there. They brought in both Ohio
(06:44):
I Aloway stay guys, Jalen Knowl and Jayden and Higgins
both are second third round type guys. Yeah, I mean,
they're not gonna come cheap. Save On Williams was an
early early visit. I wonder if they're just trying to
figure out he's doing with them, and maybe he even
could be in the running back category, you know, or
just kind of tall for that, but he's a quarterial Patterson,
(07:04):
That's who he is. And then Matthew Golden from Texas.
So Higgins and Golden are probably top forty guys. I
mean Golden for sure. Knowle's a little smaller. I mean,
maybe falls the third round, but I'd be shocked if
he's there for the Steelers third round pick. Yeah, I mean,
I think that's more trade down or consider moving Pickens
(07:28):
is the only way that you really end up with
any of those guys.
Speaker 3 (07:30):
Yeah, a bunch of defensive linemen. Yeah, JJ Pegee from
Ole Miss No's but an active one, you know, right, Yeah,
I mean it gets gold line carries and.
Speaker 1 (07:40):
Yeah yeah, yaha, Black from Iowa not as active, but
Jaie Glen just a huge, huge human being tested really
well to combine. Derek Harmon, Yeah, that's first round type dude. Yeah.
Last week it was Jared Harrison Hunt from SMU, right right,
more of a maybe a fifth round type guy. Yeah,
(08:02):
he'd be later. Yeah. I wonder if they had a
medical concern or something question they wanted answered. Josh Farmer
from Florida State. We're both pretty good fans there. I mean,
if he's still there in the third round, you have
to strongly consider that. Elijah Roberts from SMU. He's more
of an end turned bump inside you hope. And yeah, traits,
(08:25):
I got a report somebody texted me privately and messaged
me that Darius Alexander is coming in or has already
been in. There's some okay, so he maybe in later
this week.
Speaker 3 (08:36):
We'll see, we'll see when that happens, but they know
all about the mac guys.
Speaker 1 (08:40):
Yeah, but he'd be a good fit too, though, I
mean he would not. He's a Day two pick all
day long, Round two probably all day long. Jamari Calbwell
from Oregon. Okay, the nose tackle another nose kind of
like piggyas. I mean, he's active, you know, nose tackle
body for four, five, six, seven, eight, eight D line
d lineman. Nine running backs. Wow, eats up your thirty
(09:03):
pretty quick. Yeah. Edge rusher Schamar Stewart was in last week.
There's two of them I think are smoke screens and
one him and any Maari. Yeah mmr. They're both potential
first round draft picks. But you're maybe trying to get somebody. Yeah. Oh,
the Steelers brought him in. Maybe they'll take him. Maybe
we need to make a move or whatever. Yeah, Nick
m u or the safety. And then three cornerbacks, Azeri A.
(09:26):
Thomas in Florida State, which at this point where he ran,
you consider him the third, but I think I don't
think any earlier than that. Trey Amos from Ole miss
that's a higher pick. Yeah, I mean that's a top
forty probably pick. And then Justin Wally from Minnesota. It's
kind of an odd one to bring in, but he's
a mid to late sleeper type. There aren't many sleepers.
(09:47):
That aren't many people talking about that. Maybe one the coaches,
you know, the defensive back coaches just said, you know what,
we liked this guy. We didn't get a chance to
talk to him at the combine, right right, he kind
of flew under the radar a little bit or whatever,
and like, man, he's better than we thought. Let's let's
get a take a look at him. So that's the list.
And again, I think if you really start to there's
(10:09):
certainly interested in running back, in defensive tackle or defensive lineman,
however you want to call whatever you want to call that.
I know they brought Wyatt Milliman from w a local visit.
He's a local, but at least he's a he's not
a throw what he's not the kicker from Pitt You.
I mean, like those guys get drafted reasonably high. I'm
a little shocked there's no O line conversations. Well there's conversations,
(10:32):
but there's no visits. I guess. Other than that, though
those are the positions you would you would think, Yeah, sure, yeah,
you know, I just look at the list and I say, okay,
we've done locked drafts. After mocked. You're definitely taking a
running back. You're definitely taking D line D line. And
(10:52):
it may be two picks on the D line. It
could be two picks of running back. It could if
there's wait a little bit right. But then you look
at the four visits at quarterback, the four visits at
wide receiver, the three visits at cornerback, and those those
are kind of like ancillary needs, And I wonder what's
the logic behind those specific players being the ones you pick?
(11:13):
Why Golden and the two Iowa State guys as opposed
to Burden or you know whoever that's in the same range.
Is it just, man, we really want to spend time
with them on the whiteboard? Do we want to you know,
how you used or is there something off the field?
Do you want to get cleared up or you're a
chance to really really like them. You ran out of
(11:33):
visits at the combine. Yeah, there's only so much time.
Speaker 3 (11:35):
They weren't at the Senior Bowl and you didn't get
to talk to them there, and so you know, you
take care of that part of it. Just again, join
your homework on these guys.
Speaker 1 (11:44):
Goldon might be a little bit of a smoke streing too,
like you did with DK me I mean, they didn't
draft DK Metcalf obviously, sure, but a few years later
you're interested in DK Metcalf because you did all your
homework on DK Metcalf leading into the draft process that year,
right right, And then you said, well, now you've got
all this information on him as a pro, and you say, well,
(12:05):
we liked him as a person. I mean because on
the draft process, most of the players you really really
like don't end up on your team, you know, seven
do Yeah, at most basically yeah, And it's really typically
not that.
Speaker 3 (12:19):
And we'll look we'll look back in the next segment
at the last three years, three or four years of
draft visits.
Speaker 1 (12:24):
Ok, and I the last year was heavy.
Speaker 3 (12:27):
You can kind of figure out where this stuff goes.
What's the smoke screen, what's not a smoke screen. And
they do like to I think they like to vary it.
I think they like to change it up every once
in a while, just to I think everybody's trying to.
Everybody's centering in on what we're going to do here.
Now we're going to do this instead.
Speaker 1 (12:42):
Yeah, and you are, and Stuart screamed that you know
that's yeah. You can make the argument that, hey, this
guy's a safety, you can do it all. We like them,
you know, we we're exsited about him, or Stuart's an
amazing athlete as well, but we're going to know how
well both of them know football, and maybe we could
kick him in as a three four or end or
he could be slot. Yeah, right, right right. I mean
(13:04):
you could certainly make a case for why you'd want
the dudes, but deep down, are you really going to
take them at where you'd have to over Walter Nolan
or you know, somebody like that, or Harman or somebody
like that. I have my doubts. I also wonder quarterbacks
you might be eliminating in a way, you know, like
really like them. Didn't love them? I want to love them.
(13:27):
And I wonder if there's any spokescreens going on with
the quarterbacks too, you know, potentially you know, you're crazy
if you don't do all the homework on those guys,
right you have to.
Speaker 3 (13:35):
Yeah, and you know it's obviously they're not bringing in
the top top guys at some of these visions they
didn't bring in. You know, Graham didn't come in at
defensive tackle, right right right? You don't think he fits?
You didn't you know, you didn't bring in.
Speaker 1 (13:50):
I'm a little shocked Nolan hasn't been in a little bit.
But again he maybe it may be a situation where
just because people talk about it in the field and
all that, yeah, you just couldn't make They and Grant
another one I thought might be in. But maybe those
are the part of me thinks Grant, Nolan and Milroe
are guys they really like and didn't bring in on purpose.
Speaker 3 (14:11):
You know, I don't mean maybe unless you give somebody
truth here, Yeah, own up to it.
Speaker 1 (14:17):
Like I got enough information on these dudes. I'm not
gonna quite tip my hand and show. Yeah. So let's
get a look a look at the history here the
last few years of what they've brought in for their
pre draft bhysics. We'll do that when we return. He
is Matt Williamson. I am Dale Lollie.
Speaker 3 (14:32):
You're listening to the Drive on Steelers Nation Radio here
on the Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 1 (14:37):
We'll be back with more right after this.
Speaker 2 (14:43):
At least he's the Drive with Dale Lolly and Matt
Williamson on your twenty four to seven Home of the
Black and Gold Steelers Nation.
Speaker 3 (14:52):
Radio, and welcome back. I am Dale Lolly. He is
the Matti Samson and we're.
Speaker 1 (15:01):
Going to go back and look at the Steelers' free
draft visits here over the last few years.
Speaker 3 (15:06):
And some of these are a little different because some
of it was during COVID.
Speaker 1 (15:12):
Oh right, right, right. You had to do them virtually, Yeah,
you had to. Some of the report him to the
NFL and he might do x amount, but they didn't
actually visit the building. And some were pro day visits
that you could actually do at that time because some
schools had their pro days, others canceled the pro days.
It was a weird time. Yeah, it was just a strange,
strange time.
Speaker 3 (15:29):
But going back to twenty twenty one, they met with
UH did a virtual with Michael Parsons. Okay, they did
a virtual with Jalen Phillips, the edge rusher out of
Miami quitd he pay the edge rusher out the topics, right,
Caleb Farley from Virginia Tech.
Speaker 1 (15:50):
I could see that. I mean he had a lot
of injury stuff, and you know, Christian Darra saw the
offensive tackle from Virginia Tech. Okay, these are good players.
Travel us at In the running back from Clemson. Makes
sense to end up taking nausea that year.
Speaker 3 (16:04):
Eric Stokes, the cornerback from Georgia. First round picks, o'daffe
O Way from Penn State, the edge Russer.
Speaker 1 (16:12):
Well, these are all first round picks. Tyson Campbell, the
cornerback from Georgia. Elijah Moore the wide receiver from Ole,
miss Okay. I think he's still out there. Somebody signed him.
I thought, I'm not sure that. I almost didn't say it.
Liam Eikenberg the offensive tackle from Notre Dame. He was
a second. That's kind of busted. Trayvon Mowrigg, safety from TCU.
(16:37):
Not a huge theme here, I mean except for high picks. Yeah.
Assante Samuel Junior, the cornerback from Florida State. He might
still be out there. I thought he signed somewhere. I'm
not sure. Maybe I don't know. Aziz Ojulari, edge rusher
from Georgia. Again early second.
Speaker 3 (16:55):
Jeremiah Owosu Cormoa from Notre Dame ended up playing against him.
Speaker 1 (16:58):
Yeah. Pat Friarmouth from Penn State. Nick Bolton, linebacker from Missouri.
Second round pick of really good players. Jalen Mayfield, offensive
tackle from Michigan. He was a later one.
Speaker 3 (17:14):
Yeah, and then Baron Browning, the linebacker from Ohio State.
They're also at the Alabama Pro Day and met with
Alex Leatherwood. I think they took these guys at dinner,
Nachie Harris, Landon Dickerson.
Speaker 1 (17:25):
Okay, okay, and obviously it took nausea. So you got
two of those guys, but as you nade, they aimed. Yeah,
this was a fifth rounder out of that group.
Speaker 3 (17:35):
I think because of the way that year worked out
with the virtual stuff. Everything was virtual. You don't want
to waste your time because you weren't going to have
the pro as many pro days.
Speaker 1 (17:45):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, and.
Speaker 3 (17:46):
So hey, we're just going to take what we what
we know we can get here in his first two
rounds and then after that we'll just kind.
Speaker 1 (17:52):
Of maybe that's kind of just a weird group. It's
a weird year. Yeah, but those were all high picks.
The following year, remember this was a heavy quarterback here.
They met with Kyle Are. They brought in Kyle Hamilton
safety had a Notre Dame. Kenny Pickett, quarterback from Pittt
local though. Yeah. Kway Walker from Georgia. They were at
(18:15):
they went to dinner with him and his pro day.
Desmond Ritter from Cincinnati the quarterback. Yeah, you're doing quarterback research.
Marcus Jones cornerback from Houston. Okay, there's some off the
field you want probably want to gi up there, h
Malik Willis, Matt Carral, Sam Howell. Yeah, yeah they are
all THEO got quarterbacks, right. Eric Johnson defensive lineman from
(18:36):
Missouri State. No, what his story is. I don't remember
where he even got drafted. Kyron Johnson, d rusher out
of Kansas. And there's some later guys then Mark Robinson
linebacker from Ole, miss Interesting. Chris Alaticon quarterback from South
Dakota State. H Carson Strong quarterback from Nevada. Yeah, I
(18:57):
forget about him. And he was a big, strong pocket
passer type. They brought in Joey Blunt, a safety from
Virginia he went undrafted, James Skalsky linebacker from Clemson undrafted,
and Nolan Turner safety from Clemson. Wow, there's five or
six names there. I don't know who they are.
Speaker 3 (19:16):
Yeah, twenty twenty three, this one really hits like guys
they brought in they brought it ends up being yeah, yeah,
so Christian Gonzalez, cornerback out of Oregon.
Speaker 1 (19:31):
I got admit whenever they that the card was in
for the trade out. And this when they end up
with Roderick Jones. It was, like I said, Jones or Gonzalez,
I really was fifty to fifty right down the middle
on that.
Speaker 3 (19:42):
But they also brought brought in Darnell Right the offensive
tackle from Tennessee.
Speaker 1 (19:46):
Okay, that adds up. He was off the board by then.
Speaker 3 (19:48):
Yeah, they took Broderick Jones to dinner at his pro day.
Deontay Banks cornerback from.
Speaker 1 (19:55):
Maryland, the first round corner of like Gonzales, Anton Harrison,
offensive tap from Oklahoma, first on tackles and corners.
Speaker 3 (20:02):
Yeah. Brian Bress, defensive lineman from Clemson.
Speaker 1 (20:06):
We took him two or three times in a mock. Yeah. Yeah.
Felix and duque Iszoma ed rusher out of k State
late late first. Joey Porter junior, that's a local visit
still but still two years picks right. Steve Avilla, the
guard from TCU, Okay, good players. Johnny Mingo, wide receiver
(20:28):
from Ole Miss. He walked into Pittsburgh. Julius Brent's cornerback
from k State. Could I understand that he's kind of
a porter body type. Keon White defensive lineman from Georgia Tech.
He's been quite good.
Speaker 3 (20:42):
Cody Match offensive lineman from North Dakota State. Okay, Kean
U Benton defensive lineman from Wisconsin. So the first three
picks were all guys that they brought.
Speaker 1 (20:53):
In, and most of those dudes were brand name guys.
They weren't seventh I means undrafted. Yeah, right? Uh?
Speaker 3 (20:59):
Jaye Read the wide receiver from Michigan State. Tully two,
a polo two ed rusher from USC.
Speaker 1 (21:07):
Tyreek. Stevenson cornerback from Miami. A lot of second round
type guys there.
Speaker 3 (21:13):
John Michael Schmidt's center from Minnesota. Osyrus Torrance guard from Florida.
Speaker 1 (21:21):
A lot of second rounders.
Speaker 3 (21:22):
Cedric Tillman, wide receiver Tennessee. I'm still a fan of
ha Darnell Washington, tight end from Georgia. Remember we walked
by him walking by. It was hard to miss.
Speaker 1 (21:33):
Yeah. Uh. Sika Ika defensive lineman from Baylor. Big nose
end up going to the Browns.
Speaker 3 (21:40):
Chandler Zavalla guard from NC State. Okay, Charlie Jones, wide
receiver from Purdue.
Speaker 1 (21:46):
Yeah, I remember his mid round pick, Darius Rush, cornerback
South Carolina. I didn't draft them, but it wasn't after Yeah,
and give me to him for free. We'll take you.
Clayton too, where he is now? Yeah, he's he?
Speaker 3 (22:00):
Uh they released him last year to try to remember that,
and somebody else signed him.
Speaker 1 (22:04):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (22:04):
Yeah, Clayton Tune quarterback Houston, late pick Daniel Scott safety
at a cal Jerron Hall quarterback from b YU or
Jared Haugas Carl Brooks, a defensive lineman from Bowling Green.
Speaker 1 (22:21):
Yeah, we liked him.
Speaker 3 (22:22):
Yeah, Tanner Ingle safety at a NC State, Bryce Ford Wheaton,
wide receiver from West Virginia. They ended up, I believe,
signing him as a UDFA.
Speaker 1 (22:31):
He may have been a local. Yeah, he was West
Virginia's local.
Speaker 3 (22:35):
And then they also had dinner with Robert Beale ed
rusher out of Georgia mhm.
Speaker 1 (22:40):
But they ended up with several Yeah. Last year, this
one's crazy. Uh. Tulasi Fuaga he was off the boarding,
the offensive tackle from Morgan Stadium. Who knows who they
were take and if they both were available Troyano first
round pick, first round pick Cooper Dejene, cornerback out of Iowa.
(23:00):
I'm sure they liked them a lot. Yeah, you can't
have everything. Nate Wiggins cornerback from Clemson, Okay and playing
against him twice a year.
Speaker 3 (23:08):
Amarius Mims, offensive tackle from close By. A d Mitchell
wide receiver from Texas.
Speaker 1 (23:15):
I'll be honest. When they were on the clock in
the second round, they took Fraser. Fraser would have been
my pick at that minute, but if not, it would
have been Mitchell. Graham Barton, offensive lineman from Duke. Rumor
has it they were very high on him. Obviously they
preferred for a tu but they were really high on Barton.
Jackson Powers Johnson center from Oregon. Yeah, there were three
centers that looked like starters and more turned into starters.
(23:38):
But they hit Alboll Tyler Geiton, offensive tackle from Oklahoma.
I think they were going to rebuild the line. Yeah,
you see a trend there.
Speaker 3 (23:46):
Darius Robinson defensive lineman from Missouri, that first round pick,
Brayden Fiske, defensive tackle from Florida State had a great year.
Peyton Wilson State, Ricky Pearsall w receiver, Florida.
Speaker 1 (24:01):
I'm pretty high first round.
Speaker 3 (24:02):
Yeah, Zach Frasier center from West Virginia. So there's three guys,
three picks, right, Yeah, three guys they brought in.
Speaker 1 (24:08):
Was Roman ahead of Peyton Wilson, I can't remember. I
believe it was Peyton Wilson, then Rome. I can't remember
what order they got to Wilson's Uh. Xavier Lagette wide receiver,
South definitely receiver market. Max Melton cornerback from Rutgers. We
liked him a lot too, so do Malachai Corley, wide receiver,
Western Kentucky. There's some trends there. Massan Smith defensive lineman
(24:34):
Michigan end up going to jackson Y, Yeah, Jackson Blake
Fisher offensive tackle Notre Dame. If you would have got
shut out in round one, you'd have been a nice,
nice fallback. Yeah. Andrew Phillips cornerback Kentucky had a good year. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (24:48):
Mason McCormick, offensive lineman in South Dakota State.
Speaker 1 (24:51):
It's pretty high percentage. Yeah. Uh. Matt Gonclave's from pitt
That was a local visit. Yeah, but he's looks like
he's go become a starter now for this Colts Luke McCaffrey,
wide receiver from Rice, Christian Boy defensive tackle from Northern Iowa.
I like him a lot. I'm not sure what really happened. Yeah,
I don't know. Hunter Norzad center from Penn State. That's
(25:13):
a local visit. Taj Washington wide receiver USC MJ. Devonshire
from pitt That was cornerback. That's a local visit. Jalenkreudi Kremetti,
I should say, defensive lineman from Mississippi State. I don't
remember him.
Speaker 3 (25:29):
Logan Lee lineman from Iowa. Travis Glover offensive tackle from
Georgia State, Daykwon Hardy. Uh, that's a local visit from
Penn State. Cornerback Beanie Bishop. Yeah, yeah, from West Virginia.
Speaker 1 (25:47):
It's a freebie.
Speaker 3 (25:48):
They ended up signing him. Uh and Stephen Jones offensive
lineman from Oregon.
Speaker 1 (25:54):
They've taken a couple of different approaches, Yeah, in terms
of how it's heavy, Yeah, some years not so much.
And there's a lot of top fifty type guys, so
you're not going to have five of them that you
know you draft, of course, and then this one was
pretty spread out and ended up with a high high
percentage of them and.
Speaker 3 (26:09):
In twenty twenty three, knowing that you had the three
picks in the top fifty two or whatever it was,
it makes sense to hammer those early.
Speaker 1 (26:20):
Years, those early guys and still end up with them. Yeah,
you know, and they did. I mean it was top three.
We're all in. Yeah, and then you know, if you
look at what they've done this year, I'm not sure
how that will add up the same. I don't know
if you can get to the same percentage. He definitely
could get a back. It leads me.
Speaker 3 (26:38):
I mean just looking at Okay, you got some first
round guys in there, but then you've got a bunch
of second slash third round guys, and it makes me
believe they really want to trade back or I was
going to acquire something in the second round or in
that early third round. It makes me because there's a
lot of these visits because they've known for quite a
while now, yeah, yeah, that they have they don't have
(26:59):
that second round pick.
Speaker 1 (27:00):
And maybe they don't agree with us, but if they
do and think the tackle is probably our first pick.
But if we trade back pretty heavy and don't, then
there's Hampton or Golden or Mum or Steward or somebody
like that, would we be comfortable doing it? And now
they have a better answer yes or no?
Speaker 3 (27:17):
Yeah, yeah, just again building that twenty one that Okay,
those guys are gone because the edge russ the first
round of edge rushers.
Speaker 1 (27:27):
No, right, right, right, they're not gonna take one of those. Yeah,
they're not their tight end you mentioned no offensive lineman,
no offensive lineman. Right, okay, so they're not doing that,
none of the tight ends. So maybe they'll be interested
in Simmons just to see, you know, conditionings in or whatever.
You know.
Speaker 3 (27:43):
Yeah, so you can almost scratch those three off the
board if if you're building your twenty one. And we'll
yeah that again towards the end of the week or
maybe early next week. And I would think a corner
would Amos be in the twenty one?
Speaker 1 (27:55):
Maybe if you stretched it, if you have to stretch it,
you'd have to stretch it for at least the way
we see him, I can't imagine them taking him at
twenty one. Would they take him at thirty if they
had a wealth of other picks?
Speaker 3 (28:07):
Maybe, Yeah, maybe that's that's what you're looking to build
out there, you know, some of these other you know,
would you you know, we included Darius Alexander in our
twenty one.
Speaker 1 (28:17):
Yeah, like if you traded back then that we were
real heavy on d tackles in twenty one, you know,
but you might get him at forty eight. Yeah, you know.
Speaker 3 (28:27):
So when we rebuild our twenty one, the question I
need to ask, then, do we even put any offensive
lineman or the tight ends or any of those positions
on that?
Speaker 1 (28:36):
I probably yes, But there's also so many there's only
thirty visits, so you're going to bring in Membo and
Campbell and war and when you know they're not going
to be there, you know, yeah, you'd take them, but
you're never going to have that contemplation. But this draft
is so different, it's weird. It's a weird one just
because of the lack of high end, really high end talent.
(28:59):
And exercise we could do is just pick three or
four positions and build a top twenty board out of
that or whatever. You know, if you just eliminate all
the edge, all the tight end, all the O line
and say who would you be comfortable taking in the
top fifty, you know, something like that, which you know,
(29:20):
if Warren's happened to be sitting there at twenty one. Okay,
we'll take him, but he won't be you know right.
Speaker 3 (29:25):
Yeah, I'm just thinking back, like if you're looking at
the big boards from last year, for example, would Caleb
Williams still be the number one overall pick?
Speaker 1 (29:40):
Yes, what do you mean, knowing what we know now?
Speaker 3 (29:43):
Not knowing no, at the time, he Caleb Williams is
considered a better prospect, I think than anybody that's in
this draft.
Speaker 1 (29:49):
Yeah, yeah, a quarterback, I would think, so consensus, you know,
maybe some people like other you know, yeah, I agree.
Speaker 3 (29:57):
Uh, looking at I'm looking at profile all focuses rankings
from last year. A year ago, they had Marvin Harrison
junior number two, Marvin Harrison junior versus Travis Hunter.
Speaker 1 (30:07):
Is he that's a converse that's Hunter is so weird? Yeah,
because he's also the cornerback. But Harrison, he's much better
than make Mille. Harrison would be up here compared to
you know, these other receivers in this draft. I mean,
looking at last year's class, there's so many that would
be would eliminate the guys in our twenty one. Yeah,
I mean it's there's a ton of them if we
(30:28):
build it, and no, this isn't what we're doing. But
if you build a board with last year's draft doll
players and this year's draft will players and you get
twenty one of them, not many would be from this year.
That's why I'm going through this little Yeah, knowing what
we know now, I don't want to talk about their
rookie year. You know what, right, they had Drake May
at three. He's a better prospect than any of the quarterbacks. Yeah,
(30:51):
Molik Neighbors, way better than any Let's just take Hunter
out of the equation. It's not even talk about him anymore.
But Neighbors is way better than all the receivers.
Speaker 3 (30:59):
Joe All would be easily the number one the real
tax offensive tax right easily Rome with Dounez still better
than any number one receivers, Rock Bowers versus literally.
Speaker 1 (31:13):
Tight end one but one conversations conversation, but he would
still go first to the group. You know, he was
pretty rare college player.
Speaker 3 (31:22):
They had Cooper Degene number eight on their list, by
the way, good for them, Yeah, I mean there was
a lot of ambiguity with the corners.
Speaker 1 (31:30):
They also had Qua Mitchell number nine. Okay, so he
had eight and nine right next to each other and
would take both those guys over Will Johnson. Yeah, you know,
I mean just what we thought of them then, not
that they even had great years or even Johnny like
Cooper Dejeene versus Johnny Barron, because I would look at
the Degene. Yeah, I would do it's bigger. Uh.
Speaker 3 (31:51):
This is this is where layout too late to. They
had a ten. There's some edge rushers in this draft on.
Speaker 1 (31:56):
The edges, and the edges better this year. Yeah, I
mean the edges better, but that doesn't affect the Steelers,
but the edge is definitely better this year. They have
jerse On Newton at number eleven at defensive tackle. Okay,
that's a little bit odd. I mean he also had
a foot issue. Yeah, and Bier Murphy right now, Murphy.
I was trying to think who the other one, So
Newton and Murphy for the Steelers. I would rather have
(32:20):
Harmon Grant Nolan. Yeah. I think those guys are kind
of more like like Graham, No, more like Graham. Yeah,
they're a little shorter and upfield guys to Lasi Fluaga, right,
I mean I'm taking Fluago over Membo and in Campbell,
all of them, he'd be the number one tackle in
(32:41):
this draft. I agree Terry and Arnold. They had a
fourteen a cornerback out of Alabama. I didn't love him
at the time. I mean, now we're getting into a conversation. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, agreed,
Like I might rather have Will Johnson maybe maybe. Yeah,
Troy Faltanu, he's right there with he would be the
best offensive tackle in this draft. Yeah. Dallas Turner, the
(33:03):
EDG rusher out of Alabama. We already talking about the
edge rush. Uh Olu Forshanu, the tackle out of Penn State.
He still is too, I mean yeah, a little bit
smaller hands, but I mean he still was a tackle
all day long. J C. Latham out of Alabama. Yeah,
I mean I would he was my number two tackle. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (33:20):
Mims is at twenty like he's now You're probably may
be getting it because he'd only started like fifteen.
Speaker 1 (33:26):
Yeah, there were college concerns and questions, but yeah, he's
a tackle all day long. Yeah, I mean size wise,
they had Jade and Daniels all the way down at
twenty one. Okay, we would have taken that person a
year ago. Daniels would take an over ward. I There
were a lot right up until the end, I had
Jade and Daniels ahead of Caleb Williams. He was my number.
Month was one. I had right against Williams. Two.
Speaker 3 (33:49):
Yeah, Donnie Mitchell, we were fans.
Speaker 1 (33:53):
Yeah, and I think a year ago, if you rewind
I found a drive, you'd say, would take that Mitchell
version over or Will Johnson. Probably Graham Barton.
Speaker 3 (34:03):
Now he got moved to center, but he's better than
any center prospect in this draft.
Speaker 1 (34:07):
I mean the interior line conversation if it's ridiculous without
even narrowing it down to center, Powers Johnson, Fraser Barton,
they're going over all the center. Yeah, times to thousand. Uh.
Brian Thomas Junior, I think he would be ahead of
Ted McMillan two. I think. So he's faster. I mean
(34:27):
I remember he's the same size and has the same
like ability to adjustify, but he's faster. Yeah, like big
And that's just stop because he had a great rookie year.
Because I remember being on the air, just like the
Fraser conversation that when the Steelers were on the clock
in the first round, I'm like, oh yeah, great Filetana.
But Brian Thomas, I remember people saying, well, who would
(34:48):
be your second choice. I'm like, Brian Thomas were Quinny Mitchell,
yeah he would. He was actually third. They actually remember
three really like if they'd have gone any of those directions,
I've been like, oh, I get it, you know. I
said in the second round, it was, well, if it's
not Fraser matt who you like? My god, Donnie Mitchell, Yeah, right.
Nate Wiggins at a Clemson he was a little thinner,
little thinner, but he'd be he'd go earlier in this
(35:10):
draft than he did that draft. Yeah, he wouldn't have
lasted the twenty eight or twenty nine. Yeah, man corner
that can run length. JJ McCarthy to me, I would
probably would take Ward. I would take Ward over McCarthy's
That's where I slotted Ward is after the big three.
Speaker 3 (35:24):
Yeah, they had Peyton Wilson at number thirty. Good for them,
good for them, and good for the Steelers. Tyler Nuban
to safety. I don't think he's.
Speaker 1 (35:34):
As good a prospect as the two top two safety
now in this draft, just looking through her from this
Nick's Pennix were thirty five and thirty six in that list,
and I would take Ward over both those guys.
Speaker 3 (35:47):
But that's that's you know, that's where we're at here.
We're down into the forties and yeah, they had Roam
Wilson at forty two by the way, too, Just you
don't have the spending power in this draft that you
had in previous last year's draft, for sure.
Speaker 1 (36:02):
I mean we knew last year's draft was rich obviously,
with tackles, receivers, and quarterbacks, all which would have interested
Steelers and made sense. But I don't think we even
at the time, how would we have a crystal ball
that our top twenty at the time. They picked twenty
last year, right, yeah, was awesome, you know what I mean,
Like we had twenty. It was like this year was like, man,
(36:25):
how do we get to twenty one? Should we bring
in Alexander or another? And we're last year we're cutting
like bone. I mean, Cooper dejan was on our twenty,
our top twenty list last year. Yeah, Like I'm not
even sure if like Arnold made it, yeah you know
what I mean, Like he easily would have this year.
Yeah easily. Yeah. Let alone, like Brian Thomas just a
dude's a's and right, you know, it's just not probably
Maconkie in our top twenty. We loved him too, Yeah,
(36:46):
I'm sure we did so we were right. Yeah, it's
just a different draft and a different again. I just
don't think you're not getting the bang for your buck
this year in the top ten. No, I I'm not
sure if'd inclue number four in this but definitely five
through twelve. It's water down. Yeah, you know, those guys
are usually the twentieth pick. It seems like we're always
(37:08):
picking on Mason Graham, but I don't know if he
goes in the top ten this year. I don't think
Campbell goes in the top ten, Membo might. I mean,
he's so athletic and at least he's definitely a tackle
for now, but he's not the prototype. He's not six six, Yeah,
would Warren probably not? I mean not with Bowers, you know,
(37:33):
you know what I mean that draft. I mean, how
many guys this year would be top ten picks last year?
That's kind of when we went through that, I know,
I mean, not many, not many at all, right, I
mean it's maybe might be it might be, and the
a couple of the edge rushers, yeah, and Ward might
be the fourth quarterback or fifth. But last year's edge
Rusher group was just it wasn't good. Carter's better than
(37:54):
all those. Yeah. Yeah, he'd gone high just because of
premium position, right, so that's crazy.
Speaker 3 (38:00):
Yeah, let's get through a break. He is the Matt Williamson.
I am Dale Lolly. You're listening to the Drive here
on the Steelers Audio Network. We'll be back with more
right after this.
Speaker 2 (38:13):
At least, he's the Drive with Dale Lolly and Matt
Williamson on your twenty four to seven home of the
Black and Gold Steelers Nation Radio.
Speaker 3 (38:27):
And welcome back. I am Dale LOLLI he is the
Matt Williamson. And news came out this morning that the
Miami Dolphins and Jalen Ramsey have agreed to let him
seek a trade.
Speaker 1 (38:41):
They're a team in flux. I mean Tyreek Hill name
keeps coming up and keeps coming. I'm not considering trading him,
but they can't consider trading him right now because he
just got in trouble last week. Yeah right, like you
would be selling for pennies on the dollars at this point,
I know. And he's coming off of not his great
year years. He a declining players, he's starting to slow down.
(39:01):
Armstead retires. You know, these are like the these are
their corner guys, the guys that went and traded for
They gave a lot of money when they pushed their
chips in and it could be dark times, you know,
like you're paying your quarterback hard time, hard time. I mean,
you're not gonna tank tank, Yeah, you know, I mean,
and maybe it's time to cash out and get draft
(39:22):
picks for those dudes. And your CAP's not in great
shape and they need both lines of scrimmage and every
mock draft we talk about, it's like often's could go
a lot of directions here, and I don't think two
is an elevator. Yeah, you know, like I think they're
in a tough situation. They're in. They're in a tough situation.
You know, who are your building blocks right now? You know? Yeah,
you're gonna get You're gonna move on from. And Ramsey's thirty.
(39:44):
I say, he's been around, you know, and he's making
you know, if you start looking at the cornerback market numbers, yeah,
you know, so real quick on him. Yeah, from what
I I forget who I was listening to a reading
or whatever. They he kind of implied that he's not
necessarily unhappy with the Dolphins, but he wants to get
(40:06):
back to being an outside man to man corner. And
it's such a weird conversation, and it's a deep conversation
about the value of slot and Dejene and branch because
really his Rams time and his Dolphins time, Ramsey's played
near the line of scrimmage as a big nickel star,
you know, whatever you want to call it, but it
(40:28):
beats up your body. And I think he wants to
be outside playing man coverage against Jamar Chase. But now
he's thirty, is he going to be as good at that?
And I never thought he was Reevis to begin with,
but he was great at at one point. It's kind
of just an odd career, you know. And that's the orders.
You see the ring on the wall too, that this
team's going the wrong direction. That might be it.
Speaker 3 (40:49):
It might be he's you know, he's seeing some of
these younger players surpassing his contract value.
Speaker 1 (40:55):
If you start looking at you know, maybe it's financial
and the Miami can't give them more money. They're really
tight agains, you know. I mean, it may not even
be necessary, like his contract is like fully guaranteed. I'd
say I think that you're taking on a pretty decent
contract in trade for.
Speaker 3 (41:11):
His three year ap Y average per year is twenty
four point one million. Well that's been surpassed by Derek
Stingley at thirty million.
Speaker 1 (41:18):
Yeah yeah. J C.
Speaker 3 (41:20):
Horn's making twenty five, and then he's third. Patrick's certain
is rate after him at twenty four, and then Jay
R Alexander at twenty one point.
Speaker 1 (41:27):
Eight, who also could be on the move.
Speaker 3 (41:29):
The problem is is that position is so up and
down a year. It's a little it's more volatile maybe
than any other position in the league.
Speaker 1 (41:39):
And this worries me a little about Sleigh. But over
thirty corners don't have a great history, you know what
I mean. They don't last till they're thirty eight, unless
you're Darryl Green, you know what i mean.
Speaker 3 (41:49):
Going it depends on what you're asking them to do.
You know, are you asking them to be the number
one guy that they were you know when they were
twenty eight? Were you asking them to be a complimentary piece?
Speaker 1 (41:58):
So I'm not suggesting this Dealers should trade for Jalen Ramsey.
I mean they they've I think they've made their big
corner moves and they're probably pretty settled there. Maybe you'll
throw a fourth round pick at the at the equation.
But it's a great example, a boy, what we've talked
about all along. If right now this was a defensive
tackle or a position that you needed, you didn't expect
(42:19):
this guy to be available, and now he is, and
you're one of the few teams that could easily pull
this trade off. I mean financially, you know, you could
send a future pick. I mean, I know you're a
little light on picks, but you could add this guy
if you wanted, you know, I mean not every team could,
you know, and the fully guaranteed money and whoever does
trade for him, assuming he gets traded, it's not going
(42:39):
to be for a first round pick like he's been
traded for in the past, because it's big money and
an aging corner. Yeah, and that's the position. I mean,
we had the discussion about TJ. Wish yesterday. Yeah. Yeah,
cornerback's different than outside linebacker, edge rusher or whatever you
want to consider it. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (42:55):
I mean, you know the same people say who were
saying last year, you don't pay Cam Hayward. That's the
other part, Like everybody assumed Cam Hayward was asking for
the moon last year.
Speaker 1 (43:04):
That may not be the case with either. Nobody knows, right,
nobody knows, But in this situation, the Dolphins might be
just be looking disc going, hey, I think your left
tackle just retired. That's say, right, it might be really,
we're not going to compete this year? Can we get
something for Jalen Ramsey at this point? That? And I
(43:24):
think Tyreek's in the exact same situation.
Speaker 3 (43:27):
But they can't trade Tyreek right now because of the
off the field situation.
Speaker 1 (43:31):
Which you knew when you got him, and the Chiefs
us a volatile guy. Yeah, yeah, yeah, that's a nice
way of putting it. I mean, he was not on
many draft boards and he's not been an angel since
he's been in the league. But he hasn't been you know, criminal,
you know, to that regard. But what are those two
gonna be worth a year from now or even at
the trade deadline less than now? I mean, unless they're
(43:52):
having great years. Maybe Tyreek looks phenomenal on tape before
you know it and looks like the same guy. Maybe,
And quite cornerbacks just don't affec the game like edge rushers.
They just don't, right, I'd rather invest in. I mean,
I can just avoid the cornerback. I don't have to
throw over there. And I don't think it's Ramsey Island
at this point. It is not. I think he's a
really good football player. Frankly, if they added him to
(44:13):
Steelers second and I'd be like, wow, I mean you're
loaded now, you know what I mean? But and same
with any team really, but I'm not giving first one
pick for him. Yeah, he's not. The difference was four
years ago. No Rams gave up a first. I think
the Dolphins gave up a first or something similar. He's
depreciating asset. Yeah, and that's what happens with you go
(44:33):
all in with the dog like the Dolphins approach. Yeah.
So anyways, I just thought that was interesting too.
Speaker 3 (44:39):
Let's get to a break that's going to do it
for our number one of the drive here on the
Steelers Audio Network, Matt and I'll be back with our
number two right after this
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