Steelers: Senior bowl standouts

Player projections and mock drafts are abundant here are some standouts from the Senior bowl who could help the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The 2015 NFL season is not yet over and one can find an infinite number of player projections, mock drafts and so on all over the internet as fans of 30 other NFL teams are already hopeful for the 2016 season.

Before team signings and free agency, predicting draft picks is almost futile so the list below are simply four players who stood out during the Senior bowl that I wouldn’t mind see playing for the Pittsburgh Steelers in the future.

Darian Thompson FS (Boise State) Projected Round: 2

Everyone is crying for the Steelers to draft a cornerback. It is known everywhere that the secondary needs to improve for the team to improve and while of course cornerback is vital, the need for safety is pretty much as important.

The majority of defensive packages now involve five defensive backs, whether that player is a designated corner or not is less relevant than their abilities. Thompson is big (6’2), looks strong and closes quick on the ball. He had 14 interceptions in his last three seasons at Boise State (5 in 2015).

He was playing deep middle when Dak Prescott and the south drove down the field to close out the first half and he did a pretty good job of keeping things in front of him despite the defensive collapse.

The Steelers would have to probably get him with their first round pick so he will have to have a very strong combine and be higher than any of the cornerbacks available on their draft board.

Tyler Matakevich ILB (Temple) Projected Round: 2-3

This player does not necessarily have the size and speed one comes to expect from your typical NFL inside linebacker but he is very instinctive. In the Senior bowl as in his collegiate career he was a tackling machine. He has never had less than 100 total tackles in his four years including 106 solo in 2013.

He may not have the speed sideline to sideline speed but the fact that he takes smart angles and would be paired up with speedy Ryan Shazier he would be a very nice fit. If he is there for the team’s second round pick I hope he is on the team’s board.

Brandon Allen QB (Arkansas) Projected Round: 6-7

Allen started the second half for the south squad and was very efficient. He was quick to avoid pressure and very decisive with his throws. The knock on him is his size being just over 6’1 with small hands that many scouts would think does not work at the NFL level.

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His collegiate statistics show steady and considerable improvement in his three years as a starter and would definitely be worth a flyer in the later rounds. The team may already have three quarterbacks they want to see in play in 2016 but Allen could be a good value pick in the draft to bring into training camp.