Steelers.com "What's Exciting About" each of our 2018 draft picks

[RuthlessBurgher]

What's exciting about Edmunds

Posted May 2, 2018

By Mike Prisuta

No. 1 pick offers physicality, versatility.

Why you should be excited about first-round safety Terrell Edmunds:

-He started games at cornerback, nickel cornerback, free safety and rover safety, and also played special teams at Virginia Tech.

-He comes from a football family. Edmunds’ father Ferrell was an NFL tight end for seven seasons, his brother Trey signed with the Saints as an undrafted rookie in 2017 and his brother Tremaine was selected by the Bills with the 16th-overall pick in this year’s first round.

-Edmunds (6-foot, 217 pounds) played 10 games through a shoulder injury that eventually required surgery in 2017. He missed the final three games but displayed “innate toughness,” in the estimation of Steelers General Manager Kevin Colbert, by fighting through the injury for as long as he had.

-Edmunds demonstrated ball skills with four interceptions and seven passes defensed when healthy in 2016, when he was deployed more in the secondary and less frequently in the box than he had been last season, according to Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin.

-Tomlin mentioned sub-package linebacker as a position at which Edmunds could contribute with the Steelers.

-Dane Brugler’s 2018 Draft Guide characterized Edmunds as “a sound run defender with the tackling appetite and physical nature required for the next level.”

-Edmunds made the defensive secondary calls at Virginia Tech and has been described as a vocal player with natural leadership traits.

-He started 31 games and played in 37 in three seasons with the Hokies.

http://www.steelers.com/news/article-4/Whats-exciting-about-Edmunds/0296be06-a208-4038-9947-64304f4f04d5

[RuthlessBurgher]

What's exciting about Washington

Posted May 3, 2018

By Mike Prisuta

Second-round wide receiver competitive, productive.

Why you should be excited about second-round wide receiver James Washington:

-Offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner’s assessment of Washington was as succinct as it was complimentary: “Tough guy, runs fast, scores touchdowns.”

-Washington led FBS schools in catches (74), receiving yards (1,549) and receiving TDs (13) on the way to winning the Biletnikoff Award, given annually to the nation’s top wide receiver, in 2017.

-Washington had more receiving yards the last three seasons than any other college player (4,016) and left Oklahoma State as the most prolific wide receiver in school history (226 catches for 4,472 yards, a 19.8-yard average per catch and 39 touchdowns). Oklahoma State has produced three wide receivers who became No. 1 picks since 2004 (Rashaun Woods, Dez Bryant and Justin Blackmon).

-Washington is one of two wide receivers in Big XII history to surpass 1,000 yards receiving in three different seasons (Ryan Broyles).

-Washington didn’t miss a game in four seasons and was a two-time team captain.

-At 5-foot-11 and 213 pounds, Washington is built more like a running back, and he brings a running back’s toughness to the wide receiver position. “He competes for that 50-50 ball,” NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock observed.

-Washington doesn’t possess blazing speed (he ran a 4.54 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine) but he’s fast enough on the field. “I think he plays bigger and faster than he times,” Mayock said. Added Fichtner: “He runs 4.54 every play,” a nod to Washington’s conditioning and competitiveness.

-Washington decided to stay in school following his junior season because he wanted to become the first person in his family to earn a college degree.

http://www.steelers.com/news/article-4/Whats-exciting-about-Washington/3ad77cb3-2a89-40f0-9157-8773ab0e4755

[RuthlessBurgher]

What's exciting about Rudolph

Posted May 4, 2018

By Mike Prisuta

Steelers rated third-round quarterback among the best.

Why you should be excited about third-round quarterback Mason Rudolph:

-At 6-foot-45/8 and 235 pounds, Rudolph has the prototypical NFL size for the position.

-He’s coming off a senior season that saw Rudolph lead FBS schools with an Oklahoma State-record 4,904 passing yards and complete a career-high 65 percent of his passes with a career-high 37 touchdown passes.

-Rudolph’s career numbers include 915 completions on 1,447 attempts (63.2 percent) for 13,618 yards, with 92 touchdowns and 26 interceptions.

-He became Oklahoma State’s starter during his freshman season and started every game he played in but one through four seasons (41 of 42).

-NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock characterized Rudolph’s arm as “good” but not “great,” but added, “I think he might be the most accurate deep-ball thrower in the draft. He has an outstanding deep-ball touch.”

-Mayock also said of Rudolph: “People love his knowledge of the game.”

-Rudolph went 32-9 as a starter and is the winningest quarterback in Oklahoma State history.

-General Manager Kevin Colbert said the Steelers had Rudolph rated “with the group of the top quarterbacks,” available in the draft. “To be able to get one of those guys in our situation; this kid was available at a very easy selection point, and that’s a critical position.”

-Rudolph said having to wait for a chance to start with Ben Roethlisberger still established as the Steelers’ quarterback might prove advantageous in his development in the long run. “You may cut out a little of the growing pains, learn by watching and learn by learning without learning by mistakes,” he said.

http://www.steelers.com/news/article-4/Whats-exciting-about-Rudolph/24ccadec-59de-4e87-9639-40335c3532e9

[RuthlessBurgher]

What's exciting about Okorafor

Posted May 4, 2018

By Mike Prisuta

Third-round tackle far from a finished product.

Why you should be excited about third-round offensive tackle Chukwuma Okorafor:

-At 6-foot-6 and 320 pounds, Okorafor looks like he belongs on an NFL offensive line. “You draw it up, this is what a right tackle looks like,” NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock observed.

-Dane Brugler’s 2018 NFL Draft Guide was also impressed with Okorafor’s potential: “Overall, Okorafor has remarkable physical ability with his size and movement skills.”

-Okorafor started for three seasons at Western Michigan, including the last two at left tackle. He started 39 of 51 career games played for the Broncos.

-Okorafor is a two-time, first-team All-Mid-American Conference selection and was a semifinalist for the 2017 Outland Trophy, given annually to the nation’s top interior lineman.

-He’s a native of Nigeria and arrived in the United States from Botswana in 2010 and didn’t start playing football until his sophomore year at Southfield High School in suburban Detroit (initially he was a kicker and a punter). Okorafor has only played offensive line for six years, which means he’s far from a developed, finished product. “You see him get better each year, each time out there playing because it’s new to him and that’s kind of exciting for me because you get a guy that doesn’t have a whole lot of bad habits,” Steelers offensive line coach Mike Munchak said.

-Okorafor arrives in the wake of offensive lineman Chris Hubbard’s departure to Cleveland via free agency. “We lost one of our tackles this year, so ‘Chuks,’ I think, is a guy who will fit kind of what we’re looking for, a guy that can play left and right tackle,” Munchak said.

http://www.steelers.com/news/article-4/Whats-exciting-about-Okorafor/ed36fbf3-80f7-4187-80da-d579e3bfc43d

[RuthlessBurgher]

What's exciting about Allen

Posted May 5, 2018

By Mike Prisuta

Safety piled up tackles at Penn State.

Why you should be excited about fifth-round safety Marcus Allen:

-Allen, 6-foot-2, 215 pounds, finished his Penn State career fifth in program history in tackles with 321.

-Allen became the first safety to lead Penn State in tackles since 2002 when he registered a career-high 110 in 2016.

-Allen doesn’t pile up tackles by accident. Dane Brugler’s 2018 NFL Draft Guide assessed his ability in that department as follows: “Fearless competitor and seeks out physical contact … forceful striker, but also a smart striker, lowering his pads to create leverage and power … squares the ballcarrier and uses sound wrap-up technique.”

-Allen’s hitting ability resulted in five forced fumbles over the last three seasons.

-He started 46 of 52 career games played at Penn State, including 39 in a row over his final three seasons.

-Allen was named first-team All-Big Ten and was Penn State’s MVP in 2017 as well as a team captain.

-The Steelers envision Allen as another player with the versatility to fulfill a variety of roles. “They moved him around a lot,” Steelers defensive backs coach Tom Bradley said of how Allen was deployed at Penn State. “If he needs to play ‘dime’ (linebacker) or do some other things in our scheme, he should be able to do it. He certainly has the physical tools to get it done.”

-Bradley also sees the potential for Allen to contribute in the kicking game. “I would imagine he’s a heck of a special teams player,” Bradley said.

http://www.steelers.com/news/article-4/Whats-exciting-about-Allen/e71ea275-b6f0-4384-b104-19faf42bca5c

[RuthlessBurgher]

What's exciting about Samuels

Posted May 5, 2018

By Mike Prisuta

NC State H-back catches, runs, scores touchdowns.

Why you should be excited about fifth-round running back Jaylen Samuels:

-Samuels was listed as an H-back at N.C. State and finished his career with the Wolfpack No. 1 in program history in receptions (202), No. 2 in total touchdowns (47), No. 4 in receiving touchdowns (19) and No. 6 in rushing touchdowns (2. His 47 total TDs rank third all-time in Atlantic Coast Conference history.

-Samuels’ versatility was on display in 2017. He tied Torry Holt’s school record with 15 receptions in the season opener, finished the season with 12 rushing touchdowns, the seventh-best total in N.C. State history, and amassed 1,214 all-purpose yards.

-Samuels, 6-foot, 225 pounds, had more receptions than any tight end in the nation in 2015 with 65.

-Samuels was named MVP of the Independence Bowl in 2016 after a three-touchdown performance.

-Samuels was the only player who finished the 2017 season with at least15 rushing and 15 receiving TDs for his career and the first since 2004.

-Steelers running backs coach James Saxon said the intent initially will be “finding different ways to get him the ball.”

-Saxon sees Samuels as a fit for the way offense is evolving in the NFL. “He’ll be able to play on third down,” Saxon said. ”He’ll be able to catch the ball and create some matchup problems for linebackers. In this game today, third downs, a lot of teams are using a sixth DB to come in the box and cover an athlete, and that’s what he is.”

http://www.steelers.com/news/article-4/Whats-exciting-about-Samuels/d4135b5f-a8f1-4d47-92d4-ee0d85edb4b7

[RuthlessBurgher]

What's exciting about Frazier

Posted May 6, 2018

By Mike Prisuta

Assistant Dunbar knows seventh-round tackle from 'Bama.

Why you should be excited about seventh-round defensive tackle Joshua Frazier:

-Frazier, 6-foot-3, 321 pounds, played in 40 career games at Alabama.

-Frazier’s defensive line coach the past two seasons with the Crimson Tide was Karl Dunbar, the new defensive line coach for the Steelers. “He coached me up so well,” Frazier said. “Then I also had coach Bo (Davis), who’s with the Detroit Lions. I’m just super blessed that it worked out and one of my former coaches got me.”

-Dunbar appreciates his familiarity with Frazier as much as Frazier does his association with Dunbar. “I tried to watch the film and the good thing about it, I had already seen the film for the last two years,” Dunbar said. “I got to know the kid intimately, know what he can do and know what I think he’s capable of. I just think the things that we’re going to teach him an going to emphasize to him are going to help him be a better football player.”

-Frazier has an uncommon physical skill set Dunbar finds appealing. “He’s a big, strong kid,” Dunbar said. “He’s a big, athletic kid who you can’t find a lot of, and when you do you’ve got to take advantage of it.”

-Frazier played behind Da’Ron Payne, who was selected No. 13 overall by the Redskins, at Alabama. “I feel like I have some of the same traits that he brings to the table,” Frazier said.

http://www.steelers.com/news/article-4/Whats-exciting-about-Frazier/6dc7a9d9-358a-4993-a96d-2d86359a3204

[Steel Maniac]

Frazier has a ton of potential. And Samuels is really, really intriguing.

[SanAntonioSteelerFan]

Frazier - If we had him to help when Tuitt and Hargrave were injured against the Jags last year we might have made just one more stop, and walked away with a victory.

I guess my point being we did several things to beef up the D in the draft. Shazier 's clone wasn't available at 1.28, so we made rationale decisions with what was available.

[steeler_fan_in_t.o.]

The intriguing thing here is trying to find the hidden gem. It's easy to evaluate and draft a Saquon Barkley when the entire league sees what you see but you have to be drafting in the top two in order to pick him.

Reading these profiles (which were mostly just biographies) there is one player who seems very interesting: Joshua Frazier

Most of the NFL has very little game tape to go on because he sat behind a legitimate first rounder while at 'bama. However, the Steelers have a man on the inside who knows the man, watched him every day, and highly thought of enough by the team that they hired him as a DL coach.

He looks like a prototypical DL, he sounds like a gracious kid who will take well to further coaching, and plays a position in which we have several youngish types who will have to fight to carve out their place on the Dline.

[Ernie]

I never really considered Frazier's situation when we drafted him...
didn't start... Steelers coach used to coach him...
Undoubtedly the kid would have been drafted higher, had he played on a lesser team than Bama. If the kid starts all year, perhaps he is a top 2-3 round pick.

[Buzz]

I never really considered Frazier's situation when we drafted him...
didn't start... Steelers coach used to coach him...
Undoubtedly the kid would have been drafted higher, had he played on a lesser team than Bama. If the kid starts all year, perhaps he is a top 2-3 round pick.

I'm optimistic he can knock Big Dan off the roster, and turns into a gem at DT.

[Steel Maniac]

Big Dan hasn't made a lot of friends on this website. LOL

[Buzz]

Big Dan hasn't made a lot of friends on this website. LOL

I was excited about his potential when he first joined the team. Now, several years later, it's mostly still just potential. Time to find somebody with a bit of fire in his belly to replace McCullers.

[SanAntonioSteelerFan]

What's exciting about Samuels

...

Do we know anything about his pass pro blocking skills?