Senior Bowl practices are in the books and some of the best players will soon be suiting up for the 2024 Senior Bowl Game. To no surprise, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin and GM Omar Khan were in Mobile this week to scout some of the nation's best talent set to enter the 2024 NFL Draft. The pre-draft process always brings prospects that rise and fall on draft boards. Each team has its way of evaluating, but the Senior Bowl performances matter.
Depending on how these select prospects perform this week in practice and the game itself, it could cause them to drop or rise a couple of rounds. We did an article earlier describing which offensive players to keep an eye on during this event. Defense has a lot of talent on its side of the ball too and the Steelers love to bring in quality defensive players.
Cam Hart is having a quality week during the Senior Bowl event
One of the better showings thus far in the Senior Bowl has been Cam Hart. He plays cornerback and is coming out of the Notre Dame program. Overall, it was a disappointing year for that program, but Hart had a quality season. He is a fifth-year Senior coming out of college after having a down season the year prior. Returning to school for this past season was a great choice for him.
He has started for Notre Dame for three seasons and started hot. He then followed that up by having a down year and picked things back up again this season. One of the biggest knocks against Hart is the lack of turnovers. That won't scare away the Steelers as they took Joey Porter Jr. last year knowing he had little turnover numbers and that worked out nicely for them.
Hart makes a lot of sense as a prospect for Pittsburgh in the upcoming NFL Draft. He is probably going to go anywhere from late third round to early on day three of the draft. If he has a great week of practice and caps it off with a solid game then he could finish in the second round. Hart would be a great option to jump onto the team and challenge for the starting spot opposite of Porter on day one.
Cedric Gray is an interesting mid-round option for the Steelers
The inside linebacker played well when they had a full bill of health. Once Cole Holcomb and Kwon Alexander were lost for the season due to injury in back-to-back weeks, things took a turn for the worst. Elandon Roberts did a quality job filling in as the top linebacker on defense, but the second options behind him were practice squad-level guys.
Expect Holcomb to return to health right before the regular season starts, and Alexander should be an option to re-sign with the Steelers. He played quality ball and exceeded the expectations put on him. As long as his health returns, Pittsburgh should offer him a short-term deal like last year. If Alexander doesn't return, then inside linebacker could be a position of need.
Cedric Gray is someone who could be of interest to the Steelers if they feel they cannot fill out their linebacker depth in free agency. If Alexander is not brought back, then expect someone like Gray to be a target during the draft process. He is a player who can play in most instances on defense and could be a reliable player if someone like Holcomb missed significant time.
Gray got better as the years went by at North Carolina. He had a down year in coverage in 2022, but he recovered nicely this past campaign. He has routinely found ways to be a reliable tackler, make plays in coverage, and rush the passer when called upon. This guy has Steelers linebacker written all over him and it would be shocking if the black and gold didn't show interest in him. Gray is likely a day-two prospect.
Tykee Smith provides attractive position flexibility to the NFL Draft
One of the more intriguing options in the secondary down at the Senior Bowl is Tykee Smith of Georgia. He hails from Philadelphia and was at West Virginia for the first two years of his collegiate career before transferring over to the Bulldogs program. It was a smart move as he gained the starting role for Georgia, which routinely has one of the best defenses in college.
Smith doesn't have a scary frame or size, but he plays big and is not afraid to apply his skills to different areas of the field. He played the "star" role during his time in West Virginia and Georgia. He played all over the field and that allowed his versatility to show. That role demands the player to be in the box, slot, and covering the open field too.
Getting an upgrade in the slot is something that the Steelers have been searching for. Since Mike Hilton left in free agency a couple of years ago, Pittsburgh has not been able to find a long-term sustainable answer. Drafting someone like Smith should be able to provide that and give Minkah Fitzpatrick a potential partner for a while.
Going safety with one of the top two picks is something many don't expect the Steelers to do. They have a need there, so it is not out of the realm of possibility. There are a lot of other pressing needs that they will need to address in the draft. Smith is a guy who can fix a couple of issues on defense, so the value of him in the second round would be justified by the Steelers.
Michael Hall Jr. could help the Steelers resupply their trenches
Ohio State is a close powerhouse college program that the Steelers normally like to visit during their Pro Day. During Senior Bowl week, a couple of Ohio State guys could stand out and bring interest from the Steelers come draft day. One name to keep an eye on is Michael Hall Jr. as the defensive tackle tries to show some things during the event.
We know that Mike Tomlin has been watching the offensive and defensive lines closely this week. That should mean that the Steelers will be potentially investing in the trenches on both sides of the ball again early. Hall is just one option for Pittsburgh at the event, but the Junior coming out looks to have a high ceiling coming into the NFL.
You are not going to find quality numbers from Hall, but his potential is something that will intrigue NFL teams. Tomlin even monitored Hall closely during his sessions, which is something he hasn't singled out for anyone else yet. That doesn't mean Hall is a lock to be wearing the black and gold, but it means he is on their radar.
He has great leverage and motor that should allow him to be an every-down lineman. The biggest concern with him will be the lack of numbers he didn't produce at Ohio State, most notably as a pass rusher. Hall never logged a significant amount of snaps during his time with the program, which could also be the talent around him. Hall is an interesting prospect that will have to test well in the pre-draft process.
Quinyon Mitchell might be a first round pick based off the Senior Bowl
Not many other prospects are having a better Senior Bowl than Quinyon Mitchell of Toledo. It is crazy that a great cornerback prospect is coming out of the MAC conference. Mitchell has been the best defensive player at the Senior Bowl thus far and there seems to be little competition for him. He has been able to shut down the opposing receivers at the event.
Many projected him as a day-two prospect heading into this event, but with his current performance, his draft stock is skyrocketing. As long as he tests well and finishes the pre-draft process in a positive light, Mitchell will lock himself into the first-round conversation. He deserves a selection with the first 32 picks of the upcoming draft based on his play.
Playing in the MAC will be a knock on him, but that does not mean that the conference can't produce quality NFL players. Players like Ben Roethlisberger and Diontae Johnson all come from that conference. Mitchell has good size for a cornerback, but not great. That could be another knock on him, but his play speaks louder than words.
The Steelers might not need a top cornerback since they have Porter, but they need another cover guy on the outside. Mitchell at pick 20 might be too rich for Pittsburgh. Maybe they can trade back and take him. This corner is getting himself into the conversation with that first-round pick for the black and gold. We also know that the club has met with Mitchell during the Senior Bowl.