https://theathletic.com/2438148/2021/03 ... n-offense/
and some tidbits on players frequently connected to the Steelers:
Rondale Moore, Purdue (5-foot-9, 180 pounds): Third-year junior. “Fun little guy to watch,” said one scout. “Just not special for being that small. The injuries are very, very concerning for a guy that small. Lower leg injuries. To be that small, you better be magical, and he’s not that.” Broke out with 114 receptions, 1,258 receiving yards and 12 TDs as a freshman in 2018. Had 64 catches for 657 and two TDs in seven games over the past two seasons.
“He’s a wild card,” said another scout. “He’s small but really strong. His speed and quickness are wows. He’s really hard to man-cover. His tape from 2018 was out of this world. For a team that wants a slot receiver, he is dynamic. Maybe he is a first-rounder. It would kind of be a luxury pick. I saw him more as a really good second-round pick.” Added a third scout: “You have to go back and watch him when he was a freshman because he really hasn’t done that much since. I don’t know what happened with him. When he played, he wasn’t as good.”
Elijah Moore, Mississippi (5-foot-9, 198 pounds): Compared by some scouts to Hill and Antonio Brown. “He has the skills that will make him better in the pros,” said one scout. “Guys like Alvin Kamara and Stefon Diggs went later in the draft. The college game can only show so much they can do. He’s tough. Some people, with the size, think he can only be a slot receiver. I think he can play inside or outside. He’s strong.” Improved each of his three seasons.
“Ja’Marr (Chase) is on another level, but this guy is my favorite guy to watch,” another scout said. “They line him up everywhere. He’s not explosive speed, but he has such pace on his routes and stop-start quickness that he gets everybody off balance. Ball skills are natural, fluid. He’s slick with his run after catch. Love him as a player.” Returned 39 kicks but never scored a TD. “He runs a lot of short routes, but I don’t really see top speed,” a third scout said. “I don’t see explosion from the small guy. He had the one big game against Florida. He’s not like a Tyreek Hill or Waddle.”
Pat Freiermuth, Penn State (6-foot-5, 258 pounds): Compared by scouts to conventional tight ends Zach Miller, Drew Sample and Heath Miller. “If you want a traditional, solid, blocking, that kind of guy, he’s your guy,” said one scout. “He grew on me. Not a nifty athlete. He’s an inline-type, zone route runner. He’s not going to athletically, speed-wise, beat people in man-to-man with routes, but he knows how to settle in a zone and catch the ball. He’s the best blocker of the group. He works, attacks, can bury guys.” Played just four games in 2020.
“He’s a good player, but I just don’t think he can run,” another scout said. “You watch the Ohio State games two straight years and the linebacker, No. 20 (Pete Werner), had no problem at all covering him. That’s what got me disappointed in him. He’s a productive receiver and blocker, but he lacks top speed. He’s your old-time tight end. He’s a much better blocker than Hockenson, but he’s not the receiver Hockenson was.”
Christian Darrisaw, Virginia Tech (6-foot-5, 314 pounds): Three-year starter at left tackle. “Super light on his feet,” said one scout. “Just effortless with everything he does. That kind of plays into his negatives a little bit. It’s always been easy for him. Does this guy have the drive, the competitiveness? He’s, like, too cool for school. Part of it is, it’s easy for him. Part of it is, get your ass moving. He has every bit as much talent as the top guys. It’s if you can marry yourself to the kid.”
His play tempo was described as “so casual” by a second scout, who added, “He’s got all the talent in the world.” A third scout said: “I don’t get it with him. He’s a really, really good short-area athlete, but this guy has no effort, no finish. I haven’t seen a guy in a while that’s such a play-watcher. If you have an offensive lineman that’s always watching the play, there’s a problem. He just doesn’t show the effort. He doesn’t play strong. Just a major disappointment.”
Jackson Carman, Clemson (6-foot-5, 335 pounds): Played 209 snaps off the bench as a true freshman in 2018 before starting at left tackle for two years. “He’s athletic, he’s mean, just really strong,” said one scout. “You can’t power-rush the guy at all, plus he’s a really good bender. He could play any of the four positions other than center. He can be a really good starting left tackle. Little bit of a loner, an independent contractor. Will he be a culture fit?”
Top player in the state of Ohio at Fairfield Senior High. “Everybody talks about him, but I think he’s been reading his press clippings,” a second scout said. “He doesn’t work to finish. He’ll work in pass (protection). He does do that pretty well. And he’s got back issues.” Carman’s talent warrants a high selection, according to a third scout, but not his performance level. “His issue is focus,” the scout said.
Jalen Mayfield, Michigan (6-foot-5, 320 pounds): Played three games off the bench as a true freshman in 2018, started 13 games at right tackle in ’19 and the first two games in ’20 before an injury led him to conclude his collegiate career. “The longer I kept watching him, I thought this guy can be a really good guard,” one scout said. “Somebody will try to make him a tackle. I’m not sure somebody won’t try to make him a left tackle because he has enough athletic ability. He’s got great bend. He did the pulling and movement in space stuff really good. For all his immaturity, I thought he played pretty smart. He’s only 20. He’s got a bad body and hasn’t been a very committed guy for the majority of his career, but I thought he was tough on the field.”
Compared by two scouts to 49ers right tackle Mike McGlinchey, the No. 9 pick in 2018. “He’s not as long as McGlinchey,” said a second scout. “Short arms will create issues for him. He needs to work on his body a little bit. Needs a little stronger base. You’re betting on potential. Has good toughness. He’s got power on his combos. He competes.”
Alex Leatherwood, Alabama (6-4½, 312): Started 41 of 48 games, including 2018 at right guard and ’19 and ’20 at left tackle. “He’ll play,” one scout said. “He’s solid. You love his length. But he’s not really gifted athletically, and he doesn’t play that strong. He doesn’t have a lot of grit to him. He just kind of does everything OK, OK, OK, just nothing elite. Someone may fall in love just because it’s an Alabama offensive lineman. Every year they don’t do anything, but every year we keep taking ’em. He just kind of falls in line with a lot of those ’Bama guys of the past.”
Graduated in 2½ years. All-Academic honoree in the Southeastern Conference. “During games he seems to lose concentration and has all these penalties,” said another scout. “He does something really good and then something stupid. More talented than (Cincinnati’s) Jonah Williams. Really a nice athlete.”
Liam Eichenberg, Notre Dame (6-foot-5½, 305 pounds): Three-year starter at left tackle after two seasons as a reserve. “Is he ever going to be a Pro Bowler?” said one scout. “Probably not. But I think he’s going to be a really good pro for a long time. He’s a really good second-round pick. I’m not sure he couldn’t play every position. He’s not a dynamic left-tackle athlete. I’d rather have him at right tackle, but he can play left tackle. He doesn’t do anything great, but he does everything really well. His level of consistency improved this year.”
On the quiet side. Not a vocal presence. Dedicated to football. “Just really productive and steady,” a second scout said. “For a big guy, he can bend. He’s got balance and good feet. He really can position. He works to stay on blocks. He’s patient in pass (protection). He’s not elite athletically but he’s good for his size. He’s going to start soon and be one of those guys that plays a long time.”
Samuel Cosmi, Texas (6-foot-7, 309 pounds): Started 34 of 35 games from 2018 through ’20, lining up at right tackle as a redshirt freshman and at left tackle the past two seasons. “He is a good athlete and he has some feet,” said one scout. “Athletic zone type. Needs to play stronger and be more physical. He reminded me of that Jonah Williams guy.”
Two personnel men graded him in the third round. “He tries to be physical, I’ll give him that,” said a second scout. “That’s one thing he does. But he can’t bend his hips. He doesn’t know how to use his hands. His pad level is always so high.” Listed as a guard by at least one team. “I can’t get on his wagon right now,” said a third scout. “He’s not very long, and I didn’t see a (top) competitor. He’s not nearly the athlete that Darrisaw is. I saw bust potential based on talent. His character is really good. I just didn’t see it in his (play).”
Dillon Radunz, North Dakota State (6-foot-5½, 304 pounds): Packers OT/G Billy Turner, the 67th player selected in 2014, is the Bison’s highest-drafted offensive lineman. “He’s better than Turner,” one scout said. “Got a little nasty demeanor to him. He’s got room to put strength on. He loves to practice football. Longer defenders give him some problems around the edge. He’s got a degree of tightness in his lower body that really hurts him.”
Told an interviewer he hasn’t been on a team that lost a game in six years. “Turner was a much more athletic, quicker-twitch type player than this guy,” said a second scout. “He’s just a dime-a-dozen player. He’s OK. Played left tackle, but this guy has to be a guard. Maybe a couple-years-down-the-line developmental type.” All 32 of his starts were at left tackle. Suffered a torn ACL on the 15th play of his redshirt freshman season.
Teven Jenkins, Oklahoma State (6-foot-6½, 320 pounds): Started 34 games over four seasons, including 25 at right tackle, seven at left tackle and two at right guard. “He’s a big, athletic kid,” said one scout. “He’s got really good feet. Arms are a little short, so he may end up having to play guard.” Josh Sills, a guard and grad transfer in 2020 from West Virginia, took Jenkins under his wing and got him playing harder. “This year, he played mean,” said another scout. “In 2019, there were times you scratched your head and said, ‘What the hell are you doing, man? Get after it.’ He’s got kind of a soft personality, but if you watch the 2020 film, he’s not soft. Talent-wise, it’s there.”
Said a third scout: “He’s gigantic, slow feet, marginal athlete. Just very limited with his feet and athletic ability to survive.” A fourth scout didn’t like his strength or feet and graded him as a free agent. “He can’t take hard coaching, but he’s very smart and has a mauler’s mentality,” said a fifth scout. “He’s a 20-to-40 (draft) guy. He’s got size. Plays nasty. He gets a little inconsistent, but not bad.”
Landon Dickerson, Alabama (6-foot-6, 326 pounds): Played three years at Florida State and two at Alabama. His only full season was 2019. The other four ended with either knee or ankle operations. “Love him,” said one scout. “Nothing I don’t like about him except he’s got an ACL (injury). Big, powerful, great guy. Really mature. Undisputed leader of the team. He’s tough. He can maul you. Biggest question will always be durability.” Started as a true freshman for the Seminoles in 2016 but blew out his right ACL in Game 7. In ’17, he played four games before undergoing right ankle surgery. In ’18, he played one game before undergoing left ankle surgery. In ’20, he suffered a torn left ACL in the SEC Championship Game.
“Dickerson is one nasty person,” a second scout said. “Gives 100 percent on every play. He just wants to knock people around. This guy isn’t a good athlete. He’s a stiff, straight-line guy. He’s on the ground all the time.” Won numerous awards. Weighed 344 in March 2020. Large hands (10 5/8 inches) but short arms (32 3/4). “It’s a wonderful story, and that’s why I think he’s getting all the hype,” said a third scout. “Hurt his knee, still wanted to play (in the college football championship game), took the last snap, all that. But he’s not that good. He’s been hurt his whole life, and he’s limited athletically. Does the guy have any talent? No. Just a guy.” At Alabama, he generally started at center but did make four starts at right guard in 2019.
Justin Fields, Ohio State (6-foot-3, 228 pounds): Spent his freshman season at Georgia before transferring and becoming a two-year starter. “He’s a modern-day RPO quarterback,” said one scout. “He’s a naturally accurate ball thrower and the ball gets out of his hands, too. He’s not a runner like Lamar (Jackson), but he’s way better than Jalen Hurts was. He will have to learn progressions. Very athletic. Very cool demeanor. Plus, he’s sturdy.”
Led the Buckeyes to a 1-2 record in the College Football Playoff. “Love his makeup, the playmaking, his competitiveness, the movement,” a second scout said. “He’s poised. He stepped up in the big games. He’s just not a quick processor in the pocket. He’s more methodical. That’s a worry. He had the streak in the Indiana game: ‘What is this guy doing?’” Passed for 67 TDs and ran for another 19. “He is one of the top athletes (at quarterback) of all time,” a third scout said. “Best thing Fields does is throw the deep ball. But is he Jameis Winston? That’s who I see. I see the best quarterback in the draft on one play, and on the next play, I see a guy that makes stupid mistakes. Throws off his back foot a lot. Has a lot of balls tipped. He’s a first-rounder, but I wouldn’t take him until the bottom (of the round).”
Passer rating was 127.6. “He played his worst game in the Big Ten Championship (game) against Northwestern, yet they still found a way to win,” said a fourth scout. “People are saying they don’t even belong there (in the playoff), and he plays a damn near perfect game against Clemson. In the national championship, he carried them. What would be ideal for him would be to go somewhere and not have to play the first year. But the physical talent is so wow, they’re going to see that in practice and say, ‘This guy has to play.’ There needs to be a tremendous amount of growth, which I think he is capable of.”
Mac Jones, Alabama (6-foot-2½, 217 pounds): Started the final four games of 2019 for an injured Tua Tagovailoa, then went all the way in ’20 for the national champions. “They may have had the best offense this year in the history of college football, but Joe Burrow had a great supporting cast, too,” said one scout. “He is totally amazing when you break him down. Disciplined person, excellent work ethic, goal-oriented. He has a feel (for the rush). The great ones are not big-time runners. Poised, confident. I think he’ll probably go middle of the first.”
Completed a record 77.4 percent of his passes in 2020. “He could be the steal of the bunch,” said a second scout. “Nobody’s saying, ‘Hey, he’s this guy,’ but there are some Tom Brady comparisons.” Countered a third scout: “How can anyone compare him to Brady? I wouldn’t compare anybody to Tom Brady. Ever. How many guys with similar tools failed? If this guy’s the next Brady, trade your next seven first-round picks. Give up your head coach. Trade your owner.” His passer rating of 143.1 in 2020 left his career mark at 138.2. “When I watched him, I said this was A.J. McCarron all over again,” a fourth scout said. “The offense. The players around him. He’s got a slow delivery. He labors in his movements. If he’s in rhythm and everything is working for him, he’s a machine. I just question everything about his natural talent, his playmaking, his ability to face pressure and make plays.”
Practiced at the Senior Bowl but missed the game because of an ankle injury. “Honestly, I wasn’t very impressed with him at the Senior Bowl,” said a fifth scout. “I just didn’t think he stood out at all. He stood out in a bad way. He didn’t look very strong. He didn’t look very athletic. He just didn’t look like a starter you want in the NFL.”
Trey Lance, North Dakota State (6-foot-4, 226 pounds): Redshirted in 2018, started 16 games for the FCS national champions in ’19 and started the Bison’s only game in ’20. “He’s really talented,” one scout said. “I’m not going to say he throws it better than Trevor Lawrence, but he definitely throws it better than Zach Wilson and as well as (Justin) Fields arm strength-wise. Josh Allen was more talented, but a year ago Lance was a much more efficient player. Josh threw interceptions in college, especially against good defenses. Lance definitely fits the mold of what you want to look for. The natural, God-given ability, he has it.”
Posted a passer rating of 130.1 in 2019 while running for 1,100 yards and 14 TDs. “He’s a better runner than Lawrence and the same level as Fields,” said a second scout. “He’s an aggressive runner. That’s the problem. He takes on people all the time. Physically, he’s gifted. He’s a myth, a one-year-and-one-game starter.” Playing in Fargo Oct. 3 against a Central Arkansas team that finished 5-4, Lance was 15-of-30 for 149 yards, two TDs and one interception. He did rush 15 times for 143 yards. Declared for the draft three days later. “He should not have played that game,” said a third scout. “He looked awful. Looked like a fourth-round pick. No accuracy. No pocket poise. He fumbled the ball. He looked like a developmental backup guy. Straight-line type athlete. He reminded me of Jameis Winston where it’s not really a fluid, natural motion or natural movement in the pocket. He kind of has to gather his whole body to throw.”
Two scouts said they’d take him over Jordan Love. “You like the taste, but it’s a small sample,” a fourth scout said. “I like his tools. I think he can be good, but would I bank on it? There’s not enough information for me. A lot of unknowns there that would give me pause.”
Kyle Trask, Florida (6-foot-4½, 240 pounds): High-school backup in Manvel, Texas, who was offered by the Gators based on his showing at a camp. “He didn’t even start in high school,” said one scout. “He’s lucky to be a starting quarterback. He has numbers, but I think there’s better out there.” Redshirted in 2016, broke his left foot in August 2017 and broke his right foot in September 2018. Took over the starting job in 2019. “Reminds me of Jared Goff,” said a second scout. “Pocket quarterback with height, arm strength, accuracy. High three-quarters release, quick release. Tight ball. Throws well in and outside the numbers. He can move around the pocket, but he doesn’t have quickness. He does have good pocket awareness. I think he’s a first-rounder.”
Posted a passer rating of 117.1. Improved each year. “Similar to (Mac) Jones,” a third scout said. “He’s got a little more moxie than Mac. He’s a game manager. Average arm. He’s gets in rhythm good, but if he has to reset and throw, it’s over with. He’s a backup type. If he ends up starting, you’ve got a bad team.” Tossed three interceptions for the Gators’ depleted offense in their first three possessions of the Cotton Bowl, his final game. Said a fourth scout: “We see him as a backup. He can’t move. Totally immobile.”
Najee Harris, Alabama (6-foot-2, 232 pounds): According to one scout, he’s the best player in the draft, and another said he would be a strong candidate for No. 1. “Full-time player,” said one scout. “Reminds me of Derrick Henry. I have a feeling he’ll run in the 4.5 (in the 40) because he runs away from people in that league (the SEC), and that league I know has speed. Only negative I had was he absorbs punishment because he likes to run through tacklers instead of going around them.”
Led the nation in yards from scrimmage (1,891) and rushing touchdowns (26) in 2020. “He’s what you want,” said a second scout. “He’s quick. Got natural run vision and feel. Hands are good. Maximizes his runs. He’s a better Matt Forte is what I described him as. He doesn’t get hit (hard). He slip-slides.” One of 11 children from Antioch, Calif. “He does have a little bit of ‘I’m more important,’ and that could hold him back a little bit,” said a third scout. “You need to stroke him a little bit. He’s a little bit selfish. He doesn’t seem interested in pass (protection). He’s going to have to learn to do it. But he’s got exceptional hands coming out of the backfield and can move in space for a big man.”
Travis Etienne, Clemson (5-foot-10, 212 pounds): Ranks seventh all-time in NCAA career rushing average (7.2). “I think he might be (the first running back drafted) just for the explosive ability,” one scout said. “People will be enamored with his home-run ability and the change of pace. He can press the defense, stick his foot in the ground and haul ass.” From Jennings, La., he was the Tigers’ final recruit in their class of 2017. “He maybe runs a little bit like Melvin Gordon,” said another scout. “He’s got a little bit of Jamaal Charles in him with the acceleration. He’s tough, got great production and is an explosive inside runner. He had a few fumbles this year, which is a little concerning. Small-town kid. His FBI (football intelligence) early will be a fight. He’s the type of guy that will take it to the defense.”
His four-season totals included 70 rushing TDs and eight receiving TDs. “A lot of his production is more system-based than talent-based,” a third scout said. “He benefits from big holes. (Clemson used) him well in the passing game. His feet and body control, he’s kind of all over the place. He doesn’t play big.”
Javonte Williams, North Carolina (5-foot-10, 220 pounds): Combined with Michael Carter to give the Tar Heels one of the nation’s top 1-2 rushing combinations. Voted team’s offensive MVP. “I have him as my second back over Najee (Harris) and behind Etienne,” said one scout. “He’ll be top 50. Josh Jacobs (of the Raiders) is a good comparison. He’s not as violent (as Jacobs). Jacobs plays mean, like with an edge. Javonte definitely has the same level of strength and contact balance.”
In final season, he averaged 7.3 yards per rush and 12.2 yards per reception. “He’s a workhorse,” said another scout. “Really knows how to run the ball. He’s just a one-gear, grind-it-out runner. You’d like to have him in a rotation.” Third-year junior whose production increased each season. “He’s not going to be the fastest guy on the field, but he can break tackles and can get big chunks,” said a third scout. “Got toughness in his running style. Maybe one of the strongest guys you’ve been around in the weight room for his size. It’s his strength and physical passion. Guys just bounce off this guy. He’s got to work on his receiving.”
