The Steelers are permitted to host 30 prospects for pre-draft visits. With less than a month until the draft, visits have begun and are in full swing. Pre-Draft Visits are a good indicator of the Steelers draft priorities as they have selected 27 players in the last 6 years that came on a pre-draft visit (and signed a handful more as undrafted free agents). While the Steelers have a history of using about half of their picks each year on prospects who have visited, the Steelers have also used these visits to bring in players that might have some question marks on their resume to gather more information in creating their draft board. These question marks range from double-checking medical evaluations (which could come into play for guys like Myles Jack and Jaylon Smith) or to have the opportunity to sit down one-on-one with players that have had off-the-field issues (like Dak Prescott or Robert Nkemdiche). The Steelers will also use pre-draft visits to do some extra scouting on players that will likely be undrafted free agents that they may have on their radar. Last year, the Steelers signed Tyler Murphy and Cameron Clear as UDFA’s after hosting them for pre-draft visits.
For each prospect, I added Rankings from some of the more reliable draft analysts around – Rob Rang of CBS Sports, Jon Ledyard of The Draft Wire, Dan Kadar of Mocking the Draft, Eric Galko of Optimum Scouting, and Scott Carasik of Sportsnaut (and other outlets) who publishes an all-encompassing spreadsheet. Additionally, I listed the SPARQ rankings from 3 Sigma Athlete which is a measure of explosiveness and athleticism. Over the past few seasons, the Steelers have targeted players in the draft with high SPARQ rankings.
Jeremy Cash
S – Duke
Measurables:
6’0-3/8″ 212 lbs
Rankings:
CBS Sports: #2 SS (#53 Overall)
Draft Wire: #5 ILB (#44 Overall)
Mocking The Draft: #3 S (#58 Overall)
Optimum Scouting: #11 S (Not in Top 100)
Scott Carasik: #3 S
SPARQ: Unranked due to lack of data
Scouting Reports:
NFL.com
The Draft Wire
Analysis: Cash did not work out at the NFL Combine due to rehabbing an injury suffered in Duke’s final regular season game that also kept him out of the Pinstripe Bowl. Cash is a physical safety that excels playing down in the the box against the run. He isn’t the greatest pass defender, which has led some scouts to think that his future may be as a versatile inside linebacker (similar to how Arizona uses Deone Bucannon). Cash’s production speaks for itself, finishing with over 100 tackles in each of the last three seasons and winning the 2015 ACC Defensive Player of the Year award. Cash is a downhill player that can close on the ball with speed and is one of the best tacklers in the draft – at any position. Duke used him all over the field, lining him up on the line of scrimmage in blitz packages or playing him as the single deep safety.
Deon Bush
S – Miami
Measurables:
6’0-3/8″ 199 lbs
4.52 40-yard dash
Rankings:
CBS Sports: #16 FS (#348 Overall)
Draft Wire: Not in Top 100
Mocking The Draft: Not in Top 100
Optimum Scouting: #7 S (#97 Overall)
Scott Carasik: #27 S
SPARQ: #14 S
Scouting Reports
NFL.com
Analysis: Opinions in the scouting community seem to vary on Bush, but what he put on tape doesn’t lie. Bush is a physical safety that isn’t afraid to deliver a big hit at any time. Unfortunately, that can lead to him being out of position and getting too focused on one receiver/target rather than reading and reacting to the play. He got absolutely torched in the Florida State game, though as a mid-to-late round safety he has the physicality that teams look for to contribute immediately on special teams. His best defensive role is as an in-the-box strong safety where he isn’t forced to play in space and diagnose the play in front of him.
DJ White
CB – Georgia Tech
Measurables:
5’10-7/8″ 193 lbs
4.49 40-yard dash
Rankings:
CBS Sports: #12 CB (#118 Overall)
Draft Wire: Not in Top 100
Mocking The Draft: Not in Top 100
Optimum Scouting: #52 CB (Not in Top 100)
Scott Carasik: #12 CB
SPARQ: #34 CB
Scouting Report
NFL.com
Analysis: White’s profile reads like that of a typical mid-round corner. He is a bit light and isn’t a great tackler, but he makes up for that with good coverage skills and the short-area quickness to close on the ball. He had 8 passes defended each of his last two seasons, along with 4 interceptions as a junior and 2 as a senior. His weaknesses seem to be in his tackling technique (ducking his head, arm-tackling) but he is not afraid of physicality. Pitt fans will remember him for his hustle, chasing down James Conner on a 74-yard run in 2014 and forcing a fumble right before the goal line.
Jerald Hawkins
OT – LSU
Measurables:
6’5-5/8″ 305 lbs
5.23 40-yard dash
Rankings:
CBS Sports: #9 OT (#78 Overall)
Draft Wire: Not in Top 100
Mocking The Draft: #9 OT (#68 Overall)
Optimum Scouting: #9 OT (Not in Top 100)
Scott Carasik: #9 OT
SPARQ: #75 OL
Scouting Report
NFL.com
Analysis: It is rare that scouts agree on rankings – each scout has their own likes and dislikes, which shape how they view prospects. That being said, it is a unique situation that Hawkins seems to be the unanimous 9th best tackle prospect. Hawkins is a redshirt junior who has been starting the last 3 seasons on LSU’s line since earning a job in his redshirt freshman season. He has played multiple positions along LSU’s line including both tackle spots. His flaws seem to be below the waist, in his footwork and knee bend. Hawkins has the size and arm length to make a prototypical NFL tackle, but he would probably be best served to have a year or two as a reserve to refine his technique before being asked to step into a starting role.
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