Mike Tomlin attends pro day workout of OT Taylor Lewan

[hawaiiansteel]

Mike Tomlin attends pro day workout of OT Taylor Lewan

By Neal Coolong on Mar 15 2014



After having been seen at Michigan State's pro day, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin returned the favor to Michigan, along with offensive line coach Mike Munchak to watch, among others, Taylor Lewan.

The notion of taking an offensive tackle with the 15th overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft isn't extinguished quite yet.

It may just be a burning ember, but Steelers coach Mike Tomlin, along with offensive line coach Mike Munchak, were in Ann Arbor, Mich., this week to watch the Wolverines' pro day, which included top 15 prospect Taylor Lewan.

Lewan had a fantastic Combine, eliminating any questions about his athleticism - initially there were some concerns, but Lewan did enough to establish himself firmly as a top half of the first round pick.

Lewan may not be available at 15 (probably won't be, judging by most projections) but it's worth the Steelers doing their due diligence anyway. Considering the kind of zone running Munchak has employed in the past, both he and Tomlin have to love his strength and quickness.

The Steelers got solid production over the second half of the season from left tackle Kelvin Beachum and right tackle Marcus Gilbert - who is in a contract year. Tackle isn't expected to be a priority early in the draft.

[URL]http://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/2014-nfl-draft/2014/3/15/5513104/nfl-draft-rumors-steelers-taylor-lewan[/URL]

[Shawn]

Nooooooooooooooooo!

[grotonsteel]

Interesting...Mike Tomlin and Co. have attended Pro Day of all the top OT...

OT in Rd 1 is not out of question. It seems Munchak is not convinced that Adams or Gilbert can play LT.

I think Lewan can play...not sure about his off field issues.

[The Man of Steel]

Left tackle is the most overrated and overvalued position on a football field.

[grotonsteel]

Left tackle is the most overrated and overvalued position on a football field.

Big Ben disagrees.

Big ben struggled when Jonathan Scott and Mike Adams were starters.

[Shawn]

Interesting...Mike Tomlin and Co. have attended Pro Day of all the top OT...

OT in Rd 1 is not out of question. It seems Munchak is not convinced that Adams or Gilbert can play LT.

I think Lewan can play...not sure about his outfield issues.

I believe you are very wrong. Lewan at best will be an average RT.

[feltdizz]

Big Ben disagrees.

Big ben struggled when Jonathan Scott and Mike Adams were starters.

Bingo... not sure what MOS is talking about.

[birtikidis]

Interesting...Mike Tomlin and Co. have attended Pro Day of all the top OT...

OT in Rd 1 is not out of question. It seems Munchak is not convinced that Adams or Gilbert can play LT.

I think Lewan can play...not sure about his outfield issues.

I heard he has trouble tracking a fly ball

[grotonsteel]

I heard he has trouble tracking a fly ball

Hahaha...edited my post..

[SteelBucks]

Avoid at all costs!!!!

[grotonsteel]

I believe you are very wrong. Lewan at best will be an average RT.

Maybe his college games tape says he is only RT.. My opinion was based on his combine and few highlight reels on YT. I have not seen him play much.

[hawaiiansteel]

Taylor Lewan is not the only Michigan OT they might have been looking at.

Michael Schofield is "position flexible" which Tomlin loves, having played both guard and tackle and should still be available on the 3rd day of the draft...

[SteelerOfDeVille]

Relax guys. The team is doing it's due dilligence. They need to make sure whoever they settle on is worthy. The interior of the line is solid, but, there are question marks at tackle. I'd have more of a problem if they DIDN'T go to a pro day for a potential top 20 selection.

[Oviedo]

Relax guys. The team is doing it's due dilligence. They need to make sure whoever they settle on is worthy. The interior of the line is solid, but, there are question marks at tackle. I'd have more of a problem if they DIDN'T go to a pro day for a potential top 20 selection.

On the mark. This is all about having the most information possible to make the best INFORMED decision. Also, keep in mind that many times they talk to a player to not only get insights into that player but also to find out things about other players on his team or a player he played against.

[RuthlessBurgher]

Relax guys. The team is doing it's due dilligence. They need to make sure whoever they settle on is worthy. The interior of the line is solid, but, there are question marks at tackle. I'd have more of a problem if they DIDN'T go to a pro day for a potential top 20 selection.

Yup yup. I'm sure the team expects Lewan to be off the board by #15 (can't see how the Giants pass on his at #12), but a first round pick is so important that you should get to know the personalities of all of the top guys, just in case one happens to fall unexpectedly.

Consider what happened with Mendenhall a few years back. Our scouts loved what they saw on the field, and even though we had a big need at RB, we didn't bother meeting with the guy because they thought would be LONG GONE by the time we were drafting. When an uber-talented player at a position of need fell into their laps, they pounced. Perhaps if they had met with him beforehand, they might have realized that football wasn't of primary importance to him. Maybe some "this is the kind of guy who might retire by age 26" red flags might have gone up. Just a thought.