With the Senior Bowl now wrapped up, these six prospects’ impressive play should make them prime draft targets for the Steelers.
The Steelers were once again actively scouting the Senior Bowl for top talent, and this crop of players left a lot of people leaving Mobile impressed. While the team won’t draft only seniors this season, there is a history of players from this game making their way to Pittsburgh in the mid and later rounds of the draft.
With so many impressive players from this group, don’t expect that fact to change in 2022. Here are six Senior Bowl participants who must be on the Steelers’ radar now.
Steelers should target Pitre
It was a relatively quiet year for the defensive backs, as both the cornerbacks and safeties struggled to make a huge impact both on the practice field and in the actual game. One of the lone expectations was Baylor’s safety Jalen Pitre, as he built off an already good college resume down in Mobile.
Pitre is a versatile defender that should find a natural home at strong safety in the league. Baylor used him in a variety of ways, ranging from both safety spots to down in the box as a linebacker, and there he flashed his physical nature as a defender.
Despite not being the biggest guy on the field, Pitre likes to be the hardest hitter. He has an intense game style that seeks to punish the runner. That physicality would be well received with the Steelers.
His biggest issue was actually something that he improved upon at the Senior Bowl. His man coverage left a lot to be desired, but he at least appeared to have taken some steps in that regard at the Senior Bowl. With the safety class relatively weak this year, Pitre should be viewed as a third-round prospect that is now rising. A good combine can easily launch him into the second round. No matter where he is projected though he has to be on the Steelers target list following the Senior Bowl.
The Steelers should target Jones
The hype started early for Travis Jones, and it never really went away. The former Connecticut linemen was throwing his weight around effectively down in Mobile and he left the week as one of the biggest winners as a whole. He has long arms, great size for a nose tackle, and he has the versatility to be on the field at all times if need be.
Evaluating and giving value to a traditional nose tackle is hard with the NFL geared toward sub-package football. While having a big run stuffer is nice, a guy like that only plays a third of the time, making it hard to justify selecting him in the first round. Jones is a different breed though, as he can serve as an effective run stuffer and pass rusher. He should have a home as both a traditional nose tackle and a versatile sub-package pass rusher.
His style of game is reminiscent of former Steelers nose tackle Javon Hargrave. Both are capable of taking up space and blockers on running plays while also providing value as pass rushers on the line. His stock has easily shot him into the second round, which would be a heavy investment if the team wanted him. That said, Jones was a man amongst boys at the Senior Bowl, and the Steelers at the bare minimum need to consider him in the second round.
Steelers should consider Watson
A receiver may quietly be one of the Steelers’ biggest needs this offseason, as they are set to lose two of their top options in the offseason. While finding a natural slot receiver is important, so is adding another deep threat. Christian Watson is more of the latter than the former, but the traits he flashed at the Senior Bowl should have him squarely in the team’s sights.
While many will gawk at his 6’5, 210-pound body, he runs the routes with the fluidity of a small receiver. His footwork and sharp routes made him nearly uncoverable in college and he seemed to follow that up by remaining uncoverable in Mobile. He would serve as a natural Z receiver based on his speed and ability to win deep, but with some development, he could even become a more precise X receiver.
That kind of flexibility will make him an attractive option in the pros. While he certainly boosted his draft stock, the receiver class is once again deep. Add in the fact he never dominated at a small school and Watson should be a fourth-round target right now. The Steelers should have him circled though, as adding him as a versatile reserve with long-term starting potential has to be appealing based on what the team will lose this offseason.
Steelers should consider Muma
One of the bigger needs on this Steelers roster is at the off-ball linebacker position. What was perceived as a strength heading into the season quickly fell apart as Joe Schobert and Devin Bush both struggled to consistently play well. The team needs to get better there if they want to improve their run defense and drafting Chad Muma would be a start.
Muma was productive in his four seasons with Wyoming. Early on he used his blend of size and speed to become a fierce run defender. While not his strong suit, Muma has made some strides in coverage now as well. He is more than capable enough to take on running backs out of the backfield and keep up with them on passing downs. He has the potential to be the complete package.
Being billed from Wyoming will keep his stock down a bit, but his strong showing at the Senior Bowl likely locks him into day two of the draft assuming he doesn’t fail at the combine. If the Steelers were to draft him, he could work his way onto the field early as a run defender in hopes of his pass coverage skills getting up to speed. Long-term, Muma should be a three-down starter. Given the team’s need at linebacker, Muma has to be considered in the draft.
Steelers should consider Willis
A name every Steelers fan has heard far too much about in recent weeks, the team made their interest in Malik Willis very known. Multiple conversations and reports of most of the team members in attendance constantly watching the Liberty product have made their rounds. No matter your personal opinion on him, he is squarely in the conversation for the team’s top pick in this draft right now.
Willis is known for his big arm and ability to take off and run. He is still extremely raw as a passer though, struggling to progress through reads and taking off to run when his first option is covered. That won’t work against NFL defenses. As well, Willis never truly dominated despite playing at Liberty. He has obvious talent, but he possesses just as many questions right now as solutions for a potential team.
His draft assessment seems mixed as well. Some have him locked as a top-five pick while others don’t even have him in the first round of the draft. The Draft Network has him listed as their 49th best prospect as of this writing. That all said, after a solid Senior Bowl, Willis is a first-round candidate while the combine and Pro Days will likely sort out just how high he goes. The team is clearly interested, and he will likely be a first-round target come May.
Steelers should target Johnson
A player who showcased consistency, versatility, and just pure blocking talent, Zion Johnson did a great job of improving his draft stock down in Mobile. The former Boston College guard wasn’t an unknown by any means, but he was seen as a probable day two pick with some limitations. Now, he is squarely on the first-round bubble after his solid job during the Senior Bowl.
Johnson was an athletic college guard that could open running lanes as well as block in space. At the Senior Bowl, he got some work in at center, further adding to his overall talent and skillset. He should be able to start from week one for any team and provide quality play early in his career. He is only listed at 6’3, meaning his measured size may be a concern, but outside of that, there are few holes in Johnson’s game.
With Johnson being on the bubble of a first-round pick right now, the Steelers would likely have to take him at 20 to get him. As well, the team could explore a trade back and land him a few picks back in the draft. He had a great week in Mobile and it should pay dividends for him. Expect to see him moving up boards as a result.
The Steelers got to witness a litany of draft-eligible players practice and show themselves off at the Senior Bowl last week. While there is still plenty of time to evaluate other draft prospects, these players should have put themselves on the team’s radar due to their impressive play. Keep these six names in mind as draft day gets closer.