ROUND 2 #48
STEDMAN BAILEY
WIDE RECIEVER
WEST VIRGINIA
5'10" 193lbs
Attachment 786
The Steelers attended the WVU Pro Day en masse the other day, checking in with both WR's Austin & Bailey. While Austin is the homerun threat, Bailey is the better WR, and a better fit for the Offense Todd Haley wants to run. Best word to describe Bailey might be... playmaker. With Wallace gone, and Sanders no guarentee of being a success, having a guy like Bailey makes a lot of sense. Again, like Vaccaro, Bailey played in the BIG 12, which meets the Steelers 'big school/big production' division requirements.
STRENGTHS: Bailey tracks the ball very well and shows outstanding body control and timing on deep passes. He has excellent hand/eye coordination and is a natural hands-catcher, snatching it away from his body with strong hands and making tough catches look easy.
Bailey is a balanced athlete with quick feet in/out of his breaks and the agility in the open field to make defenders miss. He is a smart route-runner and knows how to bait defenders and attract defensive pass interference penalties. Bailey shows excellent patience and burst in his routes with good stop-and-go motions to release at the line of scrimmage and gain a step or work back to the ball. He does a nice job gaining inside position and uses his body well, doing a nice job catching the ball in stride.
Bailey has a RB-like build with a little bit of power for the position and strength to pick up yards after contact. He has some wiggle after the catch and is not always easy to bring down with his slippery run style.
Bailey was extremely productive over his career, setting several school records including career touchdown catches (39). He has good starting experience with 35 career starts the past three seasons, lining up all over the offense.
WEAKNESSES: Bailey lacks ideal height, length and leaping ability, lacking the large catching radius of other receivers. He doesn't have great explosiveness to beat defenders with speed alone, lacking the same suddenness as his teammate Tavon Austin.
Bailey doesn't always appear invested in the play when it isn't designed to go his way.
He has limited experience and production on special teams (11 career kick returns).
He needs to play smarter, drawing a celebration penalty after a touchdown against Baylor (2012). He battled a gimpy left ankle much of the 2012 season and has some minor durability concerns. Bailey has some character concerns after he was cited for stealing over-the-counter cold medication in Jan. 2012.
NFL Comparison: Mix of Steve Smith, Carolina Panthers and Golden Tate, Seattle Seahawks - Bailey has the build and athleticism of Tate, but shows the toughness and downfield playmaking ability of Smith
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