Players the Steelers have met or have shown interest in.....

[Jooser]

Bailey led FBS in TD's with 24 and is very reliable. He's not a speedster (4.5 range) but could be a workhorse in the Hines mold. Austin posses much more talent than Rainey, he's fast like Rainey, but he runs with the football much better. His agility and shiftiness are incredible. He makes people miss with ease, while Rainey seemed to run right into them. There's fast, then there's Tavon Austin fast.

[hawaiiansteel]

Penn State's Mauti making strides, drawing interest after 3rd ACL tear

April 16, 2013

Penn State linebacker Mike Mauti, recovering from his latest ACL surgery, continues to make strides in his recovery.

He vows to be ready for training camp no matter where he is drafted and, in video supplied by his agent Mike McCarthy, recently was timed running a 40-yard dash in the 4.6 range -- while wearing sneakers -- and his bench-press numbers continue to impress.

Mauti's repeated injuries give teams pause, while his character and dedication continue to win clubs over. Mauti first tore his ACL in 2009, making him a medical resdshirt that year. He suffered a shoulder injury the following season that caused him to miss time. Mauti was poised for a breakout season in 2011, but tore his other (left) ACL and is now recovering from a third ACL tear.

No one discounts Mauti's motor and love for the game, and if not for the repeated injuries he could be someone who would normally be selected on the second day of the draft. He comes from a strong football background -- a father who played in the league and the pedigree of Penn State linebackers over the years.

The Saints and the Steelers hosted Mauti for visits, and his video from his latest workouts should help his cause. He was considered by many to be one of the top 50 prospects in the draft if not for the injury concerns, and he should be in play during the middle rounds as someone teams could project for special teams and spot duty as a rookie before more regular playing time on defense in 2014.

[URL]http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/blog/jason-la-canfora/22084152/penn-states-mauti-making-strides-still-drawing-interest-after-3rd-acl-tear-[/URL]

[Rara]

Third ACL tear....that's a HUGE red flag. But would take the risk with a 5th or 6th.

[Mister Pittsburgh]

Players like Simon from OSU and Mauti have the leadership qualities we could use.

[thor75]

I'm sure Austin is a good prospect but how would he fit into Haley's offense when they couldn't utilize Rainey? Austin could be a much better player but you have to find plays for talent like that something they fell short in with Rainey.

I agree, I thought Rainey was going to have a much bigger impact on the offense. He did well on special teams imo, penalties on those units hurt that impact though.

[Chadman]

That WR from Oklahoma they had in- Brown- he had some nice ST plays.

That said, in the world of connect-the-dots... the Steelers talk to the Oklahoma QB Landry Jones at the combine/ pro day, they host the #2 Oklahoma WR..... and they chat with Kenny Stills at the Combine.

Which one is the real target?

[Oviedo]

Below is a list of prospects the Steelers have met with at the combine or who they are linked to by a source....feel free to add more if you hear the information...

OG Jonathan Cooper NC
RB Montee Ball Wisconsin
WR Robert Woods USC
DT Jordan Hill PSU (He told reporter Steelers are interested in him)
LB Michael Mauti PSU (Wexell says Steelers are interested in him)
DE/OLB Ezekial Ansah BYU (As previously mentioned on this site)
FS Kenny Vacaro Texas (Wexell reports Steelers will meet with him)
OLB Jarvis Jones Georgia (Dulac speculates Steelers are interested in him (no kidding))
WR Keenan Allen California (Dulac speculates Steelers are interested in him)

All the info I have seen so far.

Any potential 1st Round pick the Steelers publicly meet with WILL NOT be the pick. Mark it down.

[B&GinNC]

Bailey led FBS in TD's with 24 and is very reliable. He's not a speedster (4.5 range) but could be a workhorse in the Hines mold. Austin posses much more talent than Rainey, he's fast like Rainey, but he runs with the football much better. His agility and shiftiness are incredible. He makes people miss with ease, while Rainey seemed to run right into them. There's fast, then there's Tavon Austin fast.

They thought Rainey could be another Dexter McCluster... and also drafted him despite character red flags because he was friends with Maurkice Pouncey going back to high school.

Rainey, though, was the classic underwear Olympic champion. Incredible broad jump, cone shuttle, 10 yard times that didn't for whatever reason translate well to the football field. Just because they missed on him - and they did, make no mistake about it... he'd still be on the roster despite the legal troubles if they thought he could play...doesn't mean they quit trying to find a player with that type of ability

[calmkiller]

Any potential 1st Round pick the Steelers publicly meet with WILL NOT be the pick. Mark it down.

Based on what information? I am just curious. They did me bring in Pouncey for a visit and they drafted him. Or is it just the specific players they have brought in this year?