Steelers Scouting Report: Michigan EDGE/LB Josh Uche

The Pittsburgh Steelers may have interest in adding defensive help with the 49th pick in the NFL Draft. Here’s why Josh Uche is certainly a possibility.

While many have pointed to players on the offensive side of the ball for the Steelers with the 49th overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, that may not be the direction Pittsburgh plans to go. Bud Dupree is returning on the franchise tag, and the Steelers lost a key contributor in Javon Hargrave.

Josh Uche is a tender the Steelers are rumored to have a lot of interest in. Though at first glance, this notion may leave you scratching your head, it’s not hard to see why Mike Tomlin and Kevin Colbert would consider him in the second round. Here is my Steelers scouting report on Michigan hybrid edge defender and linebacker, Josh Uche:

OLB Josh Uche, Michigan

Strengths:

• Quick and bendy with an explosive first step off the line of scrimmage
• Can dip the edge and accelerate to the quarterback
• Smooth mover in space with a solid change of direction skills
• Ability to rush the passer standing up and in any gap
• Athleticism is evident on film
• Good range as an off-ball linebacker, with excellent closing speed
• Does some of his best work when blitzing from the B-gap
• Can turn and run with tight ends and running backs

Weaknesses:

• Stuck in between two positions at the next level
• Not a lot of power as a pass rusher
• Despite long arms, often doesn’t use them to his advantage
• Instincts at linebacker are questionable – looks lost at times
• Gets engulfed by good tackles if he doesn’t win early in the rep
• Injury history includes torn meniscus and stress fracture in foot

Josh Uche’s role in Pittsburgh

According to an unnamed source, no teams have talked about playing Uche as a full-time edge defender in the NFL. Instead, many teams view him as an off the ball linebacker with the ability to rush from the outside.

For the Steelers, Uche wouldn’t be a replacement for Bud Dupree, rather, Vince Williams. Uche does a lot of his damage close to the line of scrimmage. He can run and chase and is an excellent blitzer. Uche is a surprisingly good mover for his size (6’1”, 245 pounds), and possesses some upside in coverage. However, most of what he offers will come near the line of scrimmage.

Pro Comparison: Jarrad Davis

Jarrad Davis has had a disappointing first three seasons to his NFL career, but it’s not hard to draw comparisons between him and Josh Uche. Davis was a big, downhill off-the-ball linebacker coming out of Florida. Though he possesses ideal size and athleticism, his football instincts were in question.

Davis has been a solid blitzer in his first three NFL seasons – earning 10.0 sacks and 18 tackles for a loss. However, he often gets fooled in the run game and has been a liability against the pass. Josh Uche is a projection, but he could end up being a less flawed version of Jarrad Davis.

Game film:

We still don’t know exactly how Pittsburgh would use Josh Uche if they drafted him, but he probably won’t be pigeonholed into doing just one thing. Uche is an athletic versatile linebacker who projects best as a Buck next to Devin Bush on Pittsburgh’s defense.