Breaking down Steelers NFL Combine numbers over the past decade
How did AB stack up against JuJu?
First, I compared Steelers players to each other and was surprised at what I found. Let’s look at an example, Antonio Brown vs. JuJu Smith-Schuster… Oops. Um, awkward? Oh well. The numbers are pretty interesting.
As a matter of fact, just for fun, let’s look at every WR drafted by Pittsburgh since 2010.
Steeler Wide Receivers Drafted 2010 through 2019 |
||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PLAYER | Position | 40 Time | Vertical Jump | Broad Jump | Bench Press | 3 Cone Drill | 20 Yd Shuttle | 10 yard split |
| D. Johnson | WR | 4.53 | 33.50 | 123.00 | 15.00 | 7.09 | 4.45 | 1.59 |
| J.Washington | WR | 4.54 | 34.50 | 120.00 | 14.00 | 7.11 | 4.32 | 1.59 |
| JuJu | WR | 4.54 | 32.50 | 120.00 | 15.00 | NA | 4.18 | 1.55 |
| D. Ayers | WR | 4.66 | 35.00 | 10.00 | NA | 7.00 | 4.33 | 1.60 |
| S. Coates | WR | 4.43 | 41.00 | 131.00 | 23.00 | 6.98 | 4.06 | 1.55 |
| M. Bryant | WR | 4.42 | 39.00 | 124.00 | 16.00 | 7.18 | 4.15 | 1.57 |
| M. Wheaton | WR | 4.45 | 37.00 | 120.00 | 20.00 | 6.80 | 4.02 | 1.60 |
| J. Brown | WR | 4.60 | 30.50 | 117.00 | NA | NA | 4.31 | 1.55 |
| T. Clemons | WR | 4.40 | 36.00 | 128.00 | 11.00 | 6.93 | 4.33 | 1.53 |
| E. Sanders | WR | 4.41 | 39.50 | 126.00 | NA | 6.60 | 4.10 | 1.49 |
| A. Brown | WR | 4.56 | 33.50 | 105.00 | 13.00 | 6.98 | 4.18 | 1.56 |
If we drill into the Smith-Schuster vs. Brown comparison, the similarities are eerie. For those still suffering from #40yarddasheritus, the quick and easy assumption is that neither player is worthy of a #1 WR role since they are both in the 4.55-second range. From a speed perspective, they’re practically the same guy. One, one-hundredth of a second separates them on the 10 yard split, with JuJu being barely quicker.
When it comes to the drills that supposedly suggest whether or not a player is an “explosive” athlete, JuJu is a much better broad jumper, while AB has him by an inch on the vertical jump. After reviewing the traits of all Steelers drafted in the past decade, I feel comfortable in stating that they are not concerned about a player’s ability to jump upward or forward when it comes to their evaluation.
But wait, there’s more. Let’s have a look at the 3 cone and 20 yard shuttle. JuJu did not participate in the 3 cone at the combine, nor did he at his pro day. Both players posted identical scores in the short shuttle, with 4.18 seconds. This is much better than the average for all wide receivers at the combine.
The takeaway from all this? The Steelers prototype for a pro-bowl caliber wide receiver has nothing to do with sub-4.5 speed in the 40-yard dash, but the ability to quickly and efficiently change direction and get back up to full speed is a very important trait.
Beyond that, look at other WR’s the Steelers drafted this past decade. Emmanuel Sanders has become a special player and balled-out last year even though he was coming off an achilles injury. It’s no wonder. His 3 cone, short shuttle, and 10 yard split times are eye-popping.
At the other end of the spectrum, Sammie Coates… What happened, man? Sammie’s speed and change of direction abilities were/are elite. It hurts a little to realize after a couple of years he left the league having accomplished very little. Why would Sammie bust while Emmanuel became a star? Natural catching ability. Hard work. Confidence. Football acumen. All the things a scout notices but that no stopwatch will ever capture.
That said, if you look at the Steelers’ profile for wide receivers in the draft, the 40 time matters very little compared to a player’s ability to change direction, under control, in space.