Steelers Draft: 5 under the radar prospects on offense

What under the radar tight ends could the Steelers select?

When I broke down athletic traits that the Steelers seem to value more than others, change of direction in drills like the 3 cone or 20-yard short shuttle seemed to be at a premium. Because of this, I’ve identified two potential late-round picks who profile as the type of athlete Kevin Colbert and co. tend to target.

Dalton Keene, TE, Virginia Tech: Round 6

I may be out of the loop, but I’ve not heard Keene’s name mentioned much when draft pundits wax prolific about this year’s crop of tight ends. I think I get it. The ACC was down this year as was Keene’s production and game film shows a raw prospect who will need to learn NFL concepts and routes.

That said the 6′ 4″, 253 lb. junior performed well at the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine. While a 4.71-second 40-yard dash was solid, Keene turned in a very respectable 7.01 in the 3 cone drill and a tantalizing 4.19 in the short shuttle.

Measurables are all well and good, but when you turn on the tape it is apparent that #29 enjoys blocking. Some might even accuse him of loving it. I saw no evidence of the “dropsies” when watching Keene’s tape but did make note of a consistently high motor.  I could see Keene making the team and contributing on special teams right away and who knows? There’s a chance he could become something more as he gets into an NFL strength program.

Juwan Johnson, WR, Oregon: Round 6

Wait a minute! You said this was the tight end section! Correct. I did. And I meant it. Some may remember Johnson from a stint at Penn State before transferring to Oregon his senior year. So what the heck am I talking about?

At 6′ 4″ and 230 lbs, Johnson is built like a move tight end. At the combine, #6 put together a very respectable athletic profile. His 40 time of 4.58 seconds will make the speed crowd cheer, but it was his 3 cone that caught my attention at 6.94 seconds.

The Steelers have made a living finding athletes who profile well in this drill. He backed that up with a 4.37-second short shuttle, which indicates he has the short-area quickness to give linebackers fits in coverage. So what is the downside with Johnson? He’s had some issues with drops. I’m not expert enough to determine if they’re fixable, but in round 7, he’d be an intriguing developmental prospect.