UPDATED 4/15 Steelers In House Workouts Grades/Short Descriptions

Pittsburgh Steelers

Ohio State offensive tackle Mike Adams 33 overall grade.  Boom or bust.  Late 1st-2nd round.

Miami (Ohio) guard Brandon Brooks 61 overall grade. Small school, 1st player to be drafted that wasnt invited to the Combine.  Can play both OGs, and maybe RT?  2nd-3rd round.

Colorado receiver Toney Clemons 576 overall grade.  Michigan transfer with size and speed. 7th round-UDFA  UPDATE- I recently discovered Toney grew up in New Kensington, PA.  he's a local boy, and Tomlin likes to draft the locals.  He also had a terrific pro day.

Missouri tight end Michael Egnew 116 overall grade.  His junior year at Mizzou was stellar as  the primary target for Gabbert.  But last year he seemed to fall off the map.  He's a very athletic pass receiving TE.  Not much on blocking.  

BYU defensive tackle Hebron Fangupo  168 overall grade.  here's our safety net at NT.  He's a USC transfer and played both the 5 tech and the 0 tech at BYU.  He's said to be a little rough and will need a year or so before starting.  If Casey hadnt had the ACL injury Id be ok with waiting another 2 years for an heir, but McLendon isnt a 0 tech, and we have nothing else.  Mike Martin 79 ovr and Josh Chapman 108 are our primary targets in the 2nd/3rd rounds.  "Loni" as he's called, is our last hope.  5th-6th round.

Louisiana-Lafayette tight end Ladarius Green  96 overall grade.  Here is the athletic pass catching TE everyone wants, but this kid takes it 1 step further- he loves to block.  And he knows he needs to work at getting better at it.  I heard an interview he had with Pat Kirwin on Sirius last week and was floored.  A 3rd round grade though seems high for a backup TE.  We have other needs that are of a much higher concern.  But if he falls... somehow.  I wouldnt blink twice.

Alabama linebacker Jerrell Harris 294 overall grade.  Position flexible OLB and ILB.  has the size Tomlin likes at ILB. Former starting ILB.  Personally, I like him over Hightower.  7th round-UDFA

Regina defensive tackle Akiem Hicks 218 overall grade.  Could be a tweener DT/DE.  Might be best as a 1 tech in a 4-3, or maybe an enormous 5 tech.  6th round-UDFA

Alabama linebacker Dont’a Hightower  41 overall grade.  Ill pass.  He cant cover.  We're not drafting him.  Ive recently broken down Tomlin's probable thought process when it comes to the Farrior's "Buck" ILB spot.  His name is Stevenson Sylvester.  We may not even draft an ILB.   Actually, scratch that, we're targeting the more athletic LB from Bama Jerrell Harris, the former ILB moved to OLB.  He'll be the late rounder that takes Sly's spot on Special Teams.  Dont'a is a waste of a pick.  Im glad he'll be a Jet or a Raven.

Florida International receiver T.Y. Hilton 147 overall grade.  As a Pitt Panther fan I hate to write this but- speed, speed, speed.  Also kick and punt returner.  3rd to 5th round


Oregon running back LaMichael James  69 overall grade.  Much like the DBs we've shown interest in, the same can be said of the RBs.  See Pead below.  2nd,-3rd round.

Virginia defensive end Cam Johnson 106 overall grade. His best fit is 4-3 DE.  Too light for a 5 tech, too tall and stiff for a 3-4 OLB.  Is this a hint were changing to a 4-3? 2nd-4th round.

Wayne State defensive back Jeremy Jones  439 overall grade.  And like the RBs all be scat back, speed backs with hands, the DBs (like Jones) are shorter CBs that can also play both of  the safety spots.  UDFA

Ole Miss offensive tackle Bobby Massie 55 overall grade. Position flexibilty, both OT & RG.  I strongly prefer him to Adams.  He's a much better fit.  2nd-3rd round.

Stanford long snapper Zach Nolan unknown.  He was available in the 2011 draft.

Oregon tight end David Paulson  336 overall grade.  Just like Tomlin has a type of OL, Todd Haley has a type of TE.  Haley wants another Tony Moeaki, a dynamic pass catcher that can inline block.  Paulson isnt him.  He has the height/weight, and can catch, but after that theres nothing.  The recent signing of Pope would allow us to wait on a TE, then maybe have a more pressing need for a younger backup in 2013.  If anything Paulson could compete with Wes and DJ.  7th round-UDFA.

Cincinnati running back Isaiah Pead  62 overall grade.  Pure scat back, can run inside. Excellent catch out of backfield.  Also kick & punt returner. 2nd-3rd round.

USC defensive end Nick Perry  23 overall grade.  If Tomlin drafts a DE/OLB tweener in the 1st round Mr. Rooney should reconsider his contract extension.  This kid is a faster Woodley, but we dont have a LG and we might not have a NT among other issues that are far more pressing than OLB.  He's probably a Jet.  1st round.

Midwestern State guard Amini Silatolu  44 overall grade.  Here's the annual small school, Division II draftee.  He was abusive at LT, but is best suited inside.  He does seem to have a dark cloud over his head.  Academics kept him from Boise State and Nevada. He was invited to the Senior Bowl, but pulled a hammy.  And at the Combine he looked more like a "really good DivII OL, but not much more".  If he can show what he did a MSU in the NFL at LG, then its great news.  But if that dark cloud keeps following him, he may be boom or bust.  2nd-3rd round.

West Virginia cornerback Keith Tandy 208 overall grade.  Fast, great tackler, heavy hitter. Position flexible to FS.  6th round-UDFA

Miami defensive end Olivier Vernon  210 overall grade.  we sent everybody to the Miami pro day.  Vernon is a poor mans Woodley.  Actually, to be honest, hes a poor mans Worilds.  Or even less.  Thats why he's graded 7th round-UDFA.  

Cincinnati defensive end Derek Wolfe 137 overall grade. A pure 5 tech.  See Cameron Heyward.  4th-5th round.