Steelers scouting profile: Asante Samuel Jr. is a pass at 24

Samuel’s Pros

Watching Samuel in man coverage is a lot of fun. He plays physical at the line of scrimmage as well as having the awareness to play off coverage as well. While he looks smaller on tape, he certainly throws himself at receivers when tasked with playing press. At the NFL level, there would be a concern given the fact that receivers are bigger, but you have to give him credit for not simply backing off given his smaller size.

As well, Samuel can be a feisty tackler. While there was some tape of him lazily running to the ball, there were quite a few solid tackles/tackle attempts that show off his physical side. Against Georgia Tech and North Carolina specifically, I saw numerous times that Samuel threw himself in attempting to make a tackle. While his technique needs some improvement, seeing him being so willing to try and tackle is a good sign for him.

Samuel didn’t play on a great Florida St. team, but he was one of the few key bright spots on the defense. He was tasked with shutting down some of the top opposing receivers, and more often than not, quarterbacks would target other defenders over him. Samuel made them pay when they targeted him though, as he had a knack for making some impressive interceptions. Overall, Samuel has the ability and instincts to be a starter in the NFL.