Page 1 of 5 123 ... LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 50

Thread: Alex Kozora: 2020 Steelers’ Mock Draft

  1. #1
    Legend

    User Info Menu

    Alex Kozora: 2020 Steelers’ Mock Draft

    Kozora: 2020 Steelers’ Mock Draft (Version 1.0)

    By Alex Kozora
    Posted on January 29, 2020

    It’s finally here. My first Pittsburgh Steelers’ mock draft of 2020. In past years, my first mock strictly used only Senior Bowl players but I’m expanding things to the entire draft class this time around. Still, my focus has been on those in Mobile and I’ll learn more about the underclassmen throughout draft season.

    I am, by the way, giving a 3rd round comp pick to Pittsburgh for this mock. Know it’s not official but it can be safely assumed and to conduct one without it seems pedantic.

    I’ll likely unveil my next mock right before or after the Combine.

    Round Two (49th Overall): Brycen Hopkins/TE Purdue – 6’3/6 241

    Analysis: Hopkins is a senior and I know, the Steelers typically kick things off with an underclassmen. Then again, this is a second round pick, not a first, at a position of need and he checks several other boxes. Power 5 with tremendous football bloodlines. Father Brad Hopkins was an NFL offensive tackle for 13 seasons with the Oilers/Titans.

    Hopkins had a productive career with the Boilermakers. He’s physical after the catch, one of the more explosive players at his position, with enough in-line and run blocking work to make me feel comfortable about projecting him to that role in the NFL.

    He’s a little on the small side, his weigh-in was a touch disappointing coming in under 6’4, but the Steelers need a tight end in the worst way even if Vance McDonald is retained and returns to 2018 form, two major question marks.

    Plus, and I know this is a super minor connection, Randy Fichtner is a Purdue alum, even if that was well before Hopkins’ time there.

    Others Considered: DT Ross Blacklock, TE Thadd Moss, DT Neville Gallimore

    Round Three (~100th Overall): James Proche/WR Southern Methodist – 5’10/5 196

    Analysis: The Steelers need a much bigger and better middle of the field presence. Here’s some numbers to put that into context.

    In 2018, 33.2% of the Steelers’ completions came from the middle of the field. 33.3% of their yards came from there.

    In 2019, only 24.6% of the Steelers’ completions came from the middle of the field. And just 25.1% of their yards came from there.

    Those numbers are relative too, removing the QB play element out of the equation as much as possible. They simply didn’t have the assets worth targeting between the numbers. McDonald and JuJu Smith-Schuster’s injuries played a role but McDonald’s future is up in the air and JuJu still spends much of his time on the outside.

    So adding Hopkins and now Proche will be that shot in the arm to the MOF. Proche is a sure-handed slot receiver with tons of production, those are normally the type of receivers this team likes to target, with kick and punt return value too. The new Emmanuel Sanders.

    Others Considered: FS Jalen Elliott, OL Jonah Jackson, TE Jared Pinkney

    Round Four: Davon Hamilton/NT Ohio State – 6’3/6 327

    Analysis: Finally get their nose tackle in the middle. Hamilton is a hybrid between old school and new. A decent athlete who wins with power but isn’t an immobile giant a la Daniel McCullers. Hamilton impressed at the Senior Bowl and you know the Steelers love their Buckeyes. Javon Hargrave is as good as gone and there aren’t any in-house options to replace.

    Hamilton can be the two-down plugger, though can’t replicate Hargrave’s pass rush ability. That will be done with a healthy Stephon Tuitt and Isaiah Buggs taking a step forward in his sophomore season.

    Others Considered: OL Calvin Throckmorton, C Matt Hennessy, TE Mitchell Wilcox

    Round Four: Saahdiq Charles/OG LSU – 6’4 295

    Analysis: Can’t go too far in a Steelers’ mock without linking them to an underclassmen. Charles was one of the many Tigers who left school early. He played left tackle at LSU but with those measurables, probably will kick inside at the NFL. Maybe even ends up getting work at center.

    But his tape is impressive and the Steelers need interior offensive line help and someone who can be a chess piece. No team knows the value of investing in offensive linemen better than the Steelers, who rebuilt their front five in the early 2010s and have continued to add even when it surprised some, like taking Chukwuma Okorafor in the 3rd round of the 2018 draft. I think Charles could end up going higher with a strong pre-draft process. For now, I’ll put him in the fourth round.

    Others Considered: S Brandon Jones, RB/WR Lynn Bowden Jr, TE Sean McKeon

    Round Six: Geno Stone/S Iowa – 5’10 210

    Analysis: Throwing in another underclassmen because even with just six selections, it’s hard to see them drafting five seniors. Bit of a Ryan Mundy feel with this one. Went to Iowa but he’s a local product from New Castle, PA passed over by most big schools.

    Average to below average athlete which, full disclosure, doesn’t generally mesh with what the team looks for at the position, but Iowa players are always tough and he picked off four passes in 2018. Finished his Hawkeyes career with six of them. Steelers have zero safety depth. Not even Jordan Dangerfield is under contract and Kameron Kelly showed he doesn’t have a home on the defense. Marcus Allen’s struggled to make the team, let alone see the field in any meaningful way.

    A sixth round pick doesn’t move the needle significantly, if you’re counting on him, you’ve got problems, but these are the ills of a team with limited cap space and draft capital. Pittsburgh should strongly consider trading back from #49 on draft day.

    Others Considered: RB/WR Antonio Gibson, WR Joe Reed, LB Khaleke Hudson

    Round Seven: Adrian Magee/OL LSU – 6’4 343

    Analysis: Another offensive linemen but again, no team knows the value of addressing the position more than Pittsburgh. And depth is thin, assuming Ramon Foster and BJ Finney aren’t Steelers in 2020. Magee has started at both tackle spots but his most extensive time has come at left guard and that’s probably where he profiles best in the NFL.

    Magee is one of the most physical linemen in the draft who caught national attention for these two vicious blocks during the season. He’s #73, the left guard in this clip versus Vanderbilt.

    Magee had some maturity issues in college but got out of the doghouse, a testament to him growing up and earning the trust and confidence in the coaching staff. But he’s still known as a prankster and source of levity in the locker room and reminds me of Zach Banner. When the Steelers’ draft linemen, they come big, and Magee fits that description at 6’4 343.

    Valid concern about drafting two linemen, neither of which have much of a center resume, but I think you’re getting two LSU linemen who can round out team depth and make the bottom of the roster much better. You need several guys to compete for jobs with so much youth among the backups as opposed to past years when there may have only been one spot available that naturally created competition.

    Others Considered: RB Sewo Olonilua, P Joseph Charlton, ILB Evan Weaver

    https://steelersdepot.com/2020/01/ko...t-version-1-0/

  2. #2
    Hall of Famer

    User Info Menu

    Interesting mock,

    I never thought of a need to draft a slot WR, especially so early, unless they don't want to pay JuJu...

    I would have thought that they would go after a deep threat WR, later in the draft, to compete with Washington. If they pay JuJu, Washington's contract is due the next year, and after that it is Dionte's contract year. And out of the three, Washington to me seems the one with the lowest ceiling.

    He has two OL from LSU, we never draft from LSU, and the two he chose are not the favorites like Cushenberry or Davis (?... drew a blank here, the G)

    And his other players to consider are not what I would expect from a good source. ( I am not calling him an insider, but Alex does well in evaluating and having Steeler insight)

    It is kind of funny seeing these mocks, the same names keep on reappearing.


  3. #3
    Legend

    User Info Menu

    Pavelle Steelers’ Mock Draft: Version 1.0

    By Scott Pavelle
    Posted on January 20, 2020

    2:17 RB J.K. Dobbins.

    HV 1:25 RB J.K. Dobbins, Ohio St. (Junior). 5’10”, 217 lbs. Dobbins is probably the most likely RB target for Pittsburgh in Round 2, and no one should complain if they land him. Nick Farabaugh’s gif-supported January scouting report gives a good overview: smaller and less of a load than James Conner, but possessing an equally rounded skill set with the addition of breakaway speed, better acceleration, more quickness in space, and no history of health problems. Bulk him up just a little and you’d get a Maurice Jones-Drew vibe: the classic bowling ball with good moves and acceptable hands. One can question his ceiling in pass protection due to the lack of size, or raise doubts because he played behind a great college OL, but the same is true for the other top backs in this draft. Almost no RB succeeds when the line allows penetration.

    Dobbins is a Round 1 talent with all the assets you want for a bell cow back, and his running style fits the blocking schemes already in place. He’s a different back than the bigger and stronger Conner, but won’t require a different set of plays. Sold!

    3:35 (Estimated Compensatory Pick) TE Albert Okwuegbunam

    HV 3:24 TE Albert Okwuegbunam, Missouri. (RS Junior). 6’5”, 255 lbs. He looks the part showed marvelous hands in 2018 with Drew Lock as his Quarterback. Great things were expected for 2019 and… they simply didn’t happen. Was it the step down in QB quality? The rumored clash with that new QB on a personal level? Or limitations in his abilities that Lock’s high-end play had disguised? We do not know, and that makes for a hard evaluation. At this point he appears to be more of a steady athlete in the old fashioned TE mold than a mismatch guy for the modern era, but he is also one of the players where a good Combine could be in the cards. Back in the day he’d be viewed as a poor in-line blocker, but that’s pretty good for this particular class. Here is a Dave Bryan “contextualization” piece on A-OK’s 2019 catches.

    4:18 BPA at Offensive Line? That’s my instinct but let’s go with… DL Leki Fotu

    “Need” is a tiebreaker. If Leki Fotu falls to Round 4 – unlikely, but possible – he would almost certainly be the best talent around and there will be no tie to break. Here is the current Big Board description:

    HV 3:12 NT Leki Fotu, Utah. (Senior). 6’5″, 335 lbs. Probably the best semi-possible target for a NT after Round 2, Fotu has been described as a “versatile wrecking ball” with all the natural assets you want from a two-gap defender with pass rushing potential. Good motor, good effort, wonderful strength… He could rank even higher but for a serious need for coaching to make use of his natural leverage, understand his duties, and make tackles in addition to blowing up blocking schemes.

    Mike Tomlin once described 1990’s-era, immovable-object Nose Tackles as the Blockbuster Video of defensive positions. No doubt that has a lot of truth. But the Titans’ success in this year’s playoff run, and the Jaguars’ in 2017, proves to me that powerful running attacks can still gut any NFL defense that does not have that particular VHS tape waiting on the shelf. Leki Fotu should be able to replace Hargrave with no decline in run stuffing ability. That is Round 5 value all on its own. The hope that he can do it with only a small decline as a pass rush is enough to raise his grade significantly.

    Look folks: Javon Hargrave was a fringe-1st talent. Getting him in Round 3 was a world class steal! Leki Fotu in Round 4 would also be highway robbery, just at the truck-of-iPhones level rather than an armored car of jewels. I’ll take it.

    4:29 Our pick from Tennessee-via-Miami turns into… Guard Michael Owenu

    HV 4:01 G Michael Onwenu, Michigan. (Senior). 6’3”, 362 lbs. with long 34½” arms. Sleeper alert! Owenwu was a defensive NT who moved to Guard, and he is every bit as big, wide, strong, and long as that suggests. The question marks obviously go to his mastery of OL technique versus all the parallel bits that are Trenches-In-General, and his ability to pull and/or to reach and pin linebackers on the second level. He jumped up the Board after impressing all watchers with his movement at the Shrine Bowl practices; a trend that continued and led TDN’s Benjamin Solak to call him, “clearly the best offensive lineman here on either team.” Could he climb to the second level and pin the likes of Devin Bush? That’s a big ask, but he’d be a hell of an obstacle even for someone with that kind of mobility. Ask Devin. They did play on the same team.

    6:19 BPA at WR, Safety, ILB, or Center. Let’s go with… Safety Tanner Muse, Clemson.

    Here is the current Big Board entry:

    HV 6:01 SAF Tanner Muse, Clemson. (RS Senior). 6’2”, 230 lbs. A fine Day 3 target who will have a long NFL career on special teams if nothing else. Turns 24 as a rookie, which reduces his value a bit from the Pittsburgh perspective. He’s also something of a straight line athlete comparable to a bigger and faster version of the Steelers’ Marcus Allen. But the size, savvy, and speed are real. Tanner Muse ran down Ohio State’s J.K. Dobbins, a late-1st prospect, for a game saving, shoestring tackle in their Bowl game! And isn’t straight line speed the essential characteristic for a backup who might have to play single-high if Fitzpatrick gets hurt, with this kind of size as the ideal for a backup to Edmunds? Muse has played both roles for Clemson, and could for Pittsburgh too. That adds real value despite his flaws in the COD department, and the concomitant issues in coverage.

    7:18 WR James Proche, SMU.


    Let’s be real, people. It’s January! There is zero chance that anyone can get a good take on what is likely to happen twenty-something picks before Mr. Irrelevant is chosen in April. I’m only throwing out a name because it’s required to play the game fair. So why Proche (pronounced “pro-SHAY”)? It’s because I actually watched the film snippets in Daniel Valente’s gif-supported scouting report and I came away impressed.

    This is a player with a skill set in the mold of Antonio Brown and Diontae Johnson. Pittsburgh’s offense has made better use of that skill set than anyone this side of Tom Brady, so why not reinforce success? Yes, I would prefer a genuine deep threat. Yes, I would prefer a titan-sized jump ball specialist. But at this point in the draft there isn’t going to be a speedster or a basketball Center more promising than the team’s current depth in WR’s Deon Cain, Amara Darboh, and Johnny Holton, combined with the 6’8” TE Zach Gentry (f/k/a “Lurch”) and the 6’9” TE Christian Scotland-Williamson.

    Proche has as good a chance to stick with the team as any other Day 3 pick, and might be able to free up some cap room by replacing Ryan Switzer (who I like more than most, but not enough to protect him from rookie competition). Good enough for me.

    https://steelersdepot.com/2020/01/pa...t-version-1-0/

  4. #4
    Hall of Famer

    User Info Menu

    It amazes me, when I do a mock or see a mock all the same names line up...

    1st time I seen Okauaabcdefghijklm... to us.

    That clemson safet too.!

    I need a life... I love these mock drafts/offseason.


  5. #5
    Legend

    User Info Menu

    Funny how Hopkins height is listed as 6'3", 6'4", and Purdue's roster says 6'5" (the least reliable). Guess we have to wait for the combine to get the truth.

    Wouldn't love this as our first pick. He's more of a big WR than traditional TE. Has shown issues with blocking and being physical. He would get limited reps b/c of his inability to be an effective blocker. I'd say he could be coached up but without Munchak this year the line regressed.

  6. #6
    Legend

    User Info Menu

    Quote Originally Posted by hawaiiansteel View Post
    Pavelle Steelers’ Mock Draft: Version 1.0

    By Scott Pavelle
    Posted on January 20, 2020

    2:17 RB J.K. Dobbins.

    HV 1:25 RB J.K. Dobbins, Ohio St. (Junior). 5’10”, 217 lbs. Dobbins is probably the most likely RB target for Pittsburgh in Round 2, and no one should complain if they land him. Nick Farabaugh’s gif-supported January scouting report gives a good overview: smaller and less of a load than James Conner, but possessing an equally rounded skill set with the addition of breakaway speed, better acceleration, more quickness in space, and no history of health problems. Bulk him up just a little and you’d get a Maurice Jones-Drew vibe: the classic bowling ball with good moves and acceptable hands. One can question his ceiling in pass protection due to the lack of size, or raise doubts because he played behind a great college OL, but the same is true for the other top backs in this draft. Almost no RB succeeds when the line allows penetration.

    Dobbins is a Round 1 talent with all the assets you want for a bell cow back, and his running style fits the blocking schemes already in place. He’s a different back than the bigger and stronger Conner, but won’t require a different set of plays. Sold!

    3:35 (Estimated Compensatory Pick) TE Albert Okwuegbunam

    HV 3:24 TE Albert Okwuegbunam, Missouri. (RS Junior). 6’5”, 255 lbs. He looks the part showed marvelous hands in 2018 with Drew Lock as his Quarterback. Great things were expected for 2019 and… they simply didn’t happen. Was it the step down in QB quality? The rumored clash with that new QB on a personal level? Or limitations in his abilities that Lock’s high-end play had disguised? We do not know, and that makes for a hard evaluation. At this point he appears to be more of a steady athlete in the old fashioned TE mold than a mismatch guy for the modern era, but he is also one of the players where a good Combine could be in the cards. Back in the day he’d be viewed as a poor in-line blocker, but that’s pretty good for this particular class. Here is a Dave Bryan “contextualization” piece on A-OK’s 2019 catches.

    4:18 BPA at Offensive Line? That’s my instinct but let’s go with… DL Leki Fotu

    “Need” is a tiebreaker. If Leki Fotu falls to Round 4 – unlikely, but possible – he would almost certainly be the best talent around and there will be no tie to break. Here is the current Big Board description:

    HV 3:12 NT Leki Fotu, Utah. (Senior). 6’5″, 335 lbs. Probably the best semi-possible target for a NT after Round 2, Fotu has been described as a “versatile wrecking ball” with all the natural assets you want from a two-gap defender with pass rushing potential. Good motor, good effort, wonderful strength… He could rank even higher but for a serious need for coaching to make use of his natural leverage, understand his duties, and make tackles in addition to blowing up blocking schemes.

    Mike Tomlin once described 1990’s-era, immovable-object Nose Tackles as the Blockbuster Video of defensive positions. No doubt that has a lot of truth. But the Titans’ success in this year’s playoff run, and the Jaguars’ in 2017, proves to me that powerful running attacks can still gut any NFL defense that does not have that particular VHS tape waiting on the shelf. Leki Fotu should be able to replace Hargrave with no decline in run stuffing ability. That is Round 5 value all on its own. The hope that he can do it with only a small decline as a pass rush is enough to raise his grade significantly.

    Look folks: Javon Hargrave was a fringe-1st talent. Getting him in Round 3 was a world class steal! Leki Fotu in Round 4 would also be highway robbery, just at the truck-of-iPhones level rather than an armored car of jewels. I’ll take it.

    4:29 Our pick from Tennessee-via-Miami turns into… Guard Michael Owenu

    HV 4:01 G Michael Onwenu, Michigan. (Senior). 6’3”, 362 lbs. with long 34½” arms. Sleeper alert! Owenwu was a defensive NT who moved to Guard, and he is every bit as big, wide, strong, and long as that suggests. The question marks obviously go to his mastery of OL technique versus all the parallel bits that are Trenches-In-General, and his ability to pull and/or to reach and pin linebackers on the second level. He jumped up the Board after impressing all watchers with his movement at the Shrine Bowl practices; a trend that continued and led TDN’s Benjamin Solak to call him, “clearly the best offensive lineman here on either team.” Could he climb to the second level and pin the likes of Devin Bush? That’s a big ask, but he’d be a hell of an obstacle even for someone with that kind of mobility. Ask Devin. They did play on the same team.

    6:19 BPA at WR, Safety, ILB, or Center. Let’s go with… Safety Tanner Muse, Clemson.

    Here is the current Big Board entry:

    HV 6:01 SAF Tanner Muse, Clemson. (RS Senior). 6’2”, 230 lbs. A fine Day 3 target who will have a long NFL career on special teams if nothing else. Turns 24 as a rookie, which reduces his value a bit from the Pittsburgh perspective. He’s also something of a straight line athlete comparable to a bigger and faster version of the Steelers’ Marcus Allen. But the size, savvy, and speed are real. Tanner Muse ran down Ohio State’s J.K. Dobbins, a late-1st prospect, for a game saving, shoestring tackle in their Bowl game! And isn’t straight line speed the essential characteristic for a backup who might have to play single-high if Fitzpatrick gets hurt, with this kind of size as the ideal for a backup to Edmunds? Muse has played both roles for Clemson, and could for Pittsburgh too. That adds real value despite his flaws in the COD department, and the concomitant issues in coverage.

    7:18 WR James Proche, SMU.


    Let’s be real, people. It’s January! There is zero chance that anyone can get a good take on what is likely to happen twenty-something picks before Mr. Irrelevant is chosen in April. I’m only throwing out a name because it’s required to play the game fair. So why Proche (pronounced “pro-SHAY”)? It’s because I actually watched the film snippets in Daniel Valente’s gif-supported scouting report and I came away impressed.

    This is a player with a skill set in the mold of Antonio Brown and Diontae Johnson. Pittsburgh’s offense has made better use of that skill set than anyone this side of Tom Brady, so why not reinforce success? Yes, I would prefer a genuine deep threat. Yes, I would prefer a titan-sized jump ball specialist. But at this point in the draft there isn’t going to be a speedster or a basketball Center more promising than the team’s current depth in WR’s Deon Cain, Amara Darboh, and Johnny Holton, combined with the 6’8” TE Zach Gentry (f/k/a “Lurch”) and the 6’9” TE Christian Scotland-Williamson.

    Proche has as good a chance to stick with the team as any other Day 3 pick, and might be able to free up some cap room by replacing Ryan Switzer (who I like more than most, but not enough to protect him from rookie competition). Good enough for me.

    https://steelersdepot.com/2020/01/pa...t-version-1-0/
    Love your picks, except I'd go another OL with 6.19 versus a Safety

  7. #7
    Banned

    User Info Menu

    Quote Originally Posted by Ghost View Post
    Funny how Hopkins height is listed as 6'3", 6'4", and Purdue's roster says 6'5" (the least reliable). Guess we have to wait for the combine to get the truth.

    Wouldn't love this as our first pick. He's more of a big WR than traditional TE. Has shown issues with blocking and being physical. He would get limited reps b/c of his inability to be an effective blocker. I'd say he could be coached up but without Munchak this year the line regressed.
    I agree with you Ghost; the line regressed the way it did because of Munchak leaving. But right now , everyone wants to say the WHOLE
    O-line got old all at once. If we don’t get good O-line coaching, it won’t matter who we draft. There isn’t enough talk about this. But it should be a real concern to everyone.

  8. #8
    Starter

    User Info Menu

    Quote Originally Posted by Steel Maniac View Post
    I agree with you Ghost; the line regressed the way it did because of Munchak leaving. But right now , everyone wants to say the WHOLE
    O-line got old all at once. If we don’t get good O-line coaching, it won’t matter who we draft. There isn’t enough talk about this. But it should be a real concern to everyone.
    I too believe the loss of Munchak was huge. I’m not going to crap on Sarrett, it’s just that Munch was probably the best in the game, a HOF quality assistant. Tough act to follow.

    I also feel that the OL suffered from one player getting old and one being consistently overrated. I think Foster is a great teammate and leader, but he was not good this year, and I am a firm believer that in football, when either the DB group or the OL has a weak link, the other guys often cheat a step or so trying to help out. I also think both AV and MP tried to help the weak link next to them out too much, our inexperienced QBs held the ball way too long and didn’t hang in the pocket, and all these things made the OL regress. With 8 in the box and these other factors, it was a mess. Foster got old, Pouncey was Pouncey, and the other guys were okay. If Ben had played this year, these guys would have looked much better.

    And yeah, if we want a TE that blocks, too, Hopkins is just a WR masquerading as a TE.

  9. #9
    Starter

    User Info Menu

    ...and so, I’m adding interior OL this year in the draft, early and often

  10. #10
    Banned

    User Info Menu

    Quote Originally Posted by SteelerMaine83 View Post
    I too believe the loss of Munchak was huge. I’m not going to crap on Sarrett, it’s just that Munch was probably the best in the game, a HOF quality assistant. Tough act to follow.

    I also feel that the OL suffered from one player getting old and one being consistently overrated. I think Foster is a great teammate and leader, but he was not good this year, and I am a firm believer that in football, when either the DB group or the OL has a weak link, the other guys often cheat a step or so trying to help out. I also think both AV and MP tried to help the weak link next to them out too much, our inexperienced QBs held the ball way too long and didn’t hang in the pocket, and all these things made the OL regress. With 8 in the box and these other factors, it was a mess. Foster got old, Pouncey was Pouncey, and the other guys were okay. If Ben had played this year, these guys would have looked much better.

    And yeah, if we want a TE that blocks, too, Hopkins is just a WR masquerading as a TE.
    Underline "often" because of our quality depth issues.

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •