NFL Draft primer: Steelers thin at outside linebacker, but ‘zillion’ prospects await
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One of the few position groups the Pittsburgh Steelers didn’t reinforce in the offseason was outside linebacker.
They brought in or retained players on the offensive line, wide receiver, tight end, defensive line, inside linebacker, safety and cornerback. Heck, they even claimed a punter off waivers.
Nary a pass rusher was acquired to complement starters T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith and erase the loss of last year’s top backup, Malik Reed.
It’s not like the Steelers didn’t try to add to the group. They brought in Bud Dupree for a visit, but he spurned a chance at a reunion by signing with the Atlanta Falcons.
But as the NFL Draft approaches, they are down two outside linebackers from last season, counting the release of little-used Jamir Jones. Which means a pass rusher is likely to be added among the Steelers’ seven draft picks, particularly on the second day when they hold picks Nos. 32, 49 and 80.
The good news for the Steelers is they shouldn’t have difficulty identifying one in this year’s outside linebacker class.
“These edge rushers, there’s a zillion of them,” NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah said. “Talking to GMs and coaches around the league, there are a lot of different opinions. The order of these edge rushers coming off the board is another one that’s going to be pretty fun to follow.”
The only certainty among scouts and analysts is that Alabama’s Will Anderson will go in the first five picks and Texas Tech’s Tyree Wilson will go soon thereafter. The next wave includes Iowa’s Lukas Van Ness, Georgia’s Nolan Smith and Clemson’s Myles Murphy.
In all, Pro Football Focus named 10 edge rushers among its top 50 overall prospects. Jeremiah’s most recent list counted nine.
“I think there is value at the bottom of the first round,” Jeremiah said. “We’ll see where some of these edge rushers go like Myles Murphy. (Iowa State’s) Will McDonald would be another one that I think is interesting.
“Felix Anudike-Uzomah from Kansas State, I think you’ll get one of those guys. Maybe (LSU’s) B.J. Ojulari would be one you could consider. There’s a good group of edge rushers there that you could pick from.”
Anudike-Uzomah was one of the three outside linebackers to have an official top-30 visit with the Steelers. The others were USC’s Tuli Tuipulotu and Georgia’s Robert Beal.
Anudike-Uzomah measured 6-foot-3, 255 pounds at the NFL Combine. He was named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year in 2022 after recording team-highs of 11 tackles for loss and 8 1/2 sacks.
The 6-3, 266-pound Tuipulotu was named Pac 12 Defensive Player of the Year in 2022 and was a first-team All-American after leading the nation with 13 1/2 sacks and finishing second with 22 tackles for loss.
Beal didn’t quite have the same success at Georgia, but he has grabbed the attention of scouts and analysts with his postseason workouts.
NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein was complimentary of the 6-4, 247-pound Beal, writing that he “walks off the bus looking like an NFL 3-4 outside ‘backer” while citing a wingspan of nearly 7 feet.
ESPN’s Todd McShay also views Beal as a potential second-day steal because of his 4.44 speed.
“You don’t get that with a lot of guys,” McShay said. “The versatility he brings and the ability to stack against blocks and disengage. He has good transition quickness, his instincts at times. As a pass rusher, he flashes. He’s a hard worker who puts in time in the weight room.
“If you turn him loose, he can out-play his draft position.”
Given the Steelers’ penchant for drafting brothers of NFL players, they could take a flier on Wisconsin’s Nick Herbig on the third day. The younger brother of new Steelers guard Nate Herbig, he declared for the draft after his junior season as a three-year starter at outside linebacker.
Nick Herbig left Wisconsin and would like nothing more than to follow former Badgers pass rusher Watt onto the Steelers roster.
“Yeah, me and T.J. are pretty close, actually,” Herbig said at the NFL Combine. “I reach out to him when I need advice, and he’s always there for me. He always answers me. He’s always a call away, a text away.”
One drawback for Herbig is his size. He checked in at 6-2, 240 pounds at the combine, making him a little undersized for the position.
That doesn’t matter to Herbig.
“Dynamite comes in small packages,” he said.