@El-Gonzo
Oh... oh my.
@El-Gonzo
Oh... oh my.
And then there were only 2......??? If he's still a top 10 talent some team is going to grab him in the top 15.
I'm just sayin'.....! I never really considered Parsons within reach on draft day anyway so these reports aren't THAT disappointing. I would still pull the trigger on Bolton at 24. I maybe don't fully appreciate Zaven Collins yet. But who moves like that at that size? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_fgBNv2cr0
Wait until he gets into NFL condition. Collins never played on the edge but with his size why not? He's obviously a monster in the middle. I'm having a difficult time finding game footage for Collins though.You can (Google) 'Nick Bolton vs' and get his defensive snaps against teams in actual game play. But I don't find that for Collins.
Watching Bolton you see he is always around the ball carrier. He does miss on some tackles and can get handled by OL when they get on him. And there are some plays where you wonder what exactly his assignment was. But then he's hitting the QB, getting to the RB for a TFL, making a goal-line/short yardage stop. Always flying to the ball. A little polish and this guy is a Devin Bush twin. I don't think the team need meets position/player value is high enough to trade up for Bolton like Bush, but on the field very similar players.
I the Steelers will draft a RB in R1 or R2 or Tomlin & Colbert will be fired Art II has been harping on the run game since 2009 and his tone over the last month has at least to me confirmed this. Unless, of course, some gem in the top 5 slips down to 24.
If Hannibal Lechter ran a 4.35, he would be diagnosed with an "eating disorder" and signed to a roster.
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I disagree. They already solved half of the problem by getting rid of Fichtner and Sarrett. Still have good linemen like DeCastro, Pouncey, Chukks, Dotson on the roster. I expect Banner to be signed and 1 or 2 O linemen drafted.
Jaylen Samuels averaged 3.1 YPC last season and behind a decent scheme to run the ball I really believe he could average 3.5 YPC if given 7-10 attempts per game. I still have no idea why he was at the end of the depth chart, when Benny Snell was so terrible.
A new RB will be useless without addressing OL. I'm in favor of drafting RB in the first 3 rounds but would rather them draft OL first
How about a TE that's willing to block and do the dirty work in rd 1 and then go for OL in 2 and 3? A great OL can make an average back look great, but there's very few RBs that can run behind a below average OL. Saquon Barkley comes to mind.
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I think that's foolish, but then again I don't own the best franchise in football lol.
So....let everyone make a list of their top 3-5 TEs, and see how much overlap there is in opinion on here and in the general media/mock draft sims.
1. Brevin Jordan
2. Tommy Tremble
3. Kenny Yeboah
4. Hunter Long
No particular order. I prefer the TEs that are above average in-line as well as pass catchers. Not a big fan of the 'big WR' type.
Pitts and Freiermuth will be gone at R1 & early R2. I'd take Long over Pitts & Freiermuth if they were available. Freiermuth & Long are very close in talent imo and are more of a complete TE. Freiermuth had shoulder surgery in October so I don't know how all of that will pan out. There are 3 or 4 good TE talents that decide to return to school in 2021.
I'd take
Hunter Long
Brevin Jordan
Tommy Tremble
Tre McKitty
Kenny Yeboah
In this case, here's how I see it.
1. Pat Freiermuth
2. Brevin Jordan
3. Hunter Long
4. Kenny Yeboah
5. Tommy Tremble
I really think that Freiermuth is the guy who can be that Heath Miller type player we all miss. Good speed, very good route runner, very good hands and a willing blocker.
That said, I'm a little confused as to how TE is finding its way so high up so many Steeler mocks. We just spent money on Ebron last off season. I get it that McDonald just retired, but how much did he play this year? I see TE as a need, but not a first or second day need.
I'm seeing a similar thing on a lot of the mock draft sites; several have S as a top three need for the Steelers. I don't know where that is coming from with Fitz and Edmunds under contract.
I think if you flip 2 with 3 and 5 with 6. That is how it could likely shake out.
And in 2020, the #6 TE (Harrison Bryant) didnt come off the board until the 4th round. So possibly a good chance that somebody like Tremble is there in the 3rd or 4th when the Steelers pick.
I mocked that the Steelers didnt select TE until I think end of the 4th in Tre McKitty and instead went DE in the 3rd and OG in the first pick of the 4th, but they could easily go TE in the 3rd and go looking for linemen in the 4th round.
1. Pat Freirmuth- Not the most athletic out of the bunch, but he is the most well rounded and most physical. Heath Miller is a good comparison, but I do believe Freirmuth offers more in YAC. He has the most potential as a blocker as well.
2. Kenny Yeboah- The more I watch on this guy the more I like. He has great speed and can really get vertical. He makes the acrobatic catches and will do well in the yac department. What surprised me most about him is that he's a solid blocker. He may have the most upside out of this list.
3. Hunter Long- Reminds me a lot of Jesse James. He's a stiff runner and doesn't offer much in YAC. He has reliable hands and is a decent security blanket option. Could develop into a solid blocker and a solid #2 TE.
I watched highlights on the top 7 or 8 TEs and left a majority of them off this list because I didn't feel they were what the Steelers would be looking for at the TE position in this draft, not because they were less talented.
Edit...I'll throw Tremble in there at 4. I couldn't find much video on him, but I read that blocking is his strength and he was used a lot as a fullback. He could be a nice addition in the 6th or 7th round if we don't draft a TE sooner.
Last edited by RunNGun; 02-11-2021 at 09:12 PM.
I like your prospect descriptions. I watched Ole Miss play most of their games in 2020 and maybe I was looking for something else, but never really thought that TE is awesome. But when he made plays for the Rebels they were 'wow-like' plays.
I liked Tremble over Long though because I thought he was more position flexible with near the same offensive skillset/talent.
And Brevin Jordan, How can you not like a Miami TE?
This is what sold me on Yeboah... https://youtu.be/8oLmFlkhNdw
In this game, not only does he torch Alabama, but there's 2 different occasions where he handled an edge blitzer by himself. He also held up very well in run blocking. Of course this short highlight doesn't show any of the bad, but I liked what I saw against an elite defense.
I don't really know much about Tremble. It sounds like he may have been underutilized. They used him to block a lot which is what I like about him, but he's also very athletic. He may have more upside than Long, but Long is more pro ready, IMO.
If I had a 5th TE it would have been Jordan. He's short for the position at 6'3in. and I had him pegged as more of a big WR, although he did show the will to block. My thinking is that they will stay away from those types in this draft since they already have Ebron and Gentry hasn't proved he can do anything at this point, so blocking is a necessity.
Last edited by RunNGun; 02-12-2021 at 02:25 AM.
24: R1 P24 RB Najee Harris - Alabama
55: R2 P23 C Creed Humphrey - Oklahoma
87: R3 P23 OT Spencer Brown - Northern Iowa
127: R4 P23 LB Dylan Moses - Alabama
140: R4 P36 TE Kenny Yeboah - Ole Miss
216: R6 P31 WR Josh Imatorbhebhe - Illinois
243: R7 P18 S James Wiggins - Cincinnati
252: R7 P27 P Max Duffy - Kentucky
Now I think Creed Humphrey will be the pic...And I'm ok with that...The next great Steelers Center!
While I'm probably in the minority here, I do think Benny Snell can be productive behind a good Oline, but I agree if we can get Harris in RD1 and get a T and C in RD2 and 3 it will improve the run game. However, a TE like Freirmuth would benefit the running game almost as much as a RB would, IMO. Having a guy like Ebron makes the offense a little more predictable. You can't set up in a run package with Ebron as your sole TE and be able to run the ball, but with a guy like Freirmuth you can keep linebackers and safeties honest, because he is a much better run blocker, as well as a solid receiving option.
Updated mock...
1. Pat Freirmuth TE, Penn State
2. Liam Eichenberg OT, Notre Dame
3. Quinn Meinerz C, Wisconsin
4. Brian Robinson Jr. RB, Alabama
4. Joshua Kaindoh Edge, Florida State
6. Frank Darby WR, Arizona State
7. O'Bryan Goodson NT, Memphis
7. Erroll Thompson ILB, Mississippi State
PFF simulator
Shoes' official mock draft:
24: R1 P24 TE Pat Freiermuth - Penn St
55: R2 P23 TE Hunter Long - Boston College
87: R3 P23 TE Tommy Tremble - Notre Dame
127: R4 P23 TE Kenny Yeboah - Ole Miss
140: R4 P36 TE Trey McKitty - Georgia
216: R6 P31 TE Quintin Morris - Bowling Green
243: R7 P18 TE Nick Eubanks - Michigan
252: R7 P27 TE John Bates - Boise St