Looking back at Steelers rookie mini-camp

by Dale Lolley

We got our first look at the Steelers’ draft class on the football field over the weekend, and while there’s not a lot that can be gleaned from watching young players run around in shorts - they’re typically too overwhelmed by everything being thrown at them to stand out too much - you can learn some things.

I had an opportunity to talk to safety Sean Davis and though I knew he was a big defensive back, he’s bigger than advertised - unless I’m shrinking.

I’ve always been 6-0 3/8 tall, even though my high school basketball coach listed me at 6-3 for the papers. He didn’t want a 6-0 center/power forward, but he was stuck with me.

Davis looked considerably taller than me when we spoke in a one-on-one.

He also comes across as a thoughtful young man. He’ll fit in just fine with this team and his size will be a welcome addition to a secondary that was lacking in that aspect.

Same goes for Artie Burns, though he’s pretty much the 6-0 he’s advertised at.

• Third-round pick Javon Hargrave didn’t look that much bigger than Davis. In fact, he is shorter.

Hargrave doesn’t look like a defensive tackle until you see his Casey Hampton-like anchor (read behind).

One of the things that made Hampton so difficult for opponents to block was the fact that he was 6-0 and had what scouts call a bubble butt.

It was huge.

Hargrave has that.

• The Steelers like undrafted rookie receiver Canaan Severin, and he’s an interesting story.

The Steelers gave the Virginia product Heath Miller’s number 83 jersey and the 6-2, 205-pound receiver (he looked bigger than than) does a nice job of filling it out.

Severin also knows all about this good history the Steelers have had recently with Virginia players.

His position coach in college, Marques Haggans, was Miller’s quarterback in college and used to bring Miller in to talk to his group.

He also knew all about James Farrior and what he meant to the Steelers, as well.

Severin’s 40 time is listed at 4.59 and I’ve also seen him listed at 215 pounds, which, having seen him, looks a lot closer to the truth.

He’s a big receiver with decent speed and someone to keep an eye on moving forward.

• Running back Cameron Stingily, who was with the Steelers last offseason and into training camp, looks like he’s dropped some weight from his listed 245 pounds.

Stingily suffered a serious knee injury - along with placekicker Shaun Suisham - in the Hall of Fame Game against the Vikings last July. It was good to see him getting a second chance and also running around at this point.

• Another undrafted guy the Steelers like is defensive lineman Johnny Maxey out of little Mars Hill University in North Carolina.

The school is located in the mountains just north of Asheville and Maxey might have been the tallest building in town.

He’s a 6-5, 283-pound lineman who could turn out to be John Mitchell’s latest project - Hargrave notwithstanding.

• Maxey wasn’t the biggest guy in the rookie camp. That honor went to Brian Mihalik, a 6-9, 302-pound first-year offensive tackle from Boston College.

Mihalik was a defensive end at Boston College and was a seventh-round pick of the Philadelphia Eagles last season. The Steelers are converting the big man to offensive tackle.

Sound familiar?

• I’m now hearing that the Steelers didn’t like my man, WVU safety Karl Joseph, in the first round because they felt his rookie season would be a wash since he’s coming back from a knee injury.

They did have a first-round grade on Florida safety Keanu Neal, who was taken by Atlanta a few picks after Joseph.

The Steelers definitely had a first-round grade on Burns as well. While others might not have had that high a grade on Burns, the Steelers didn’t feel he was a reach at all. He was on their radar all the way.

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