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Steelers hoping trio of ILBs fall to pick 28

By Jim Wexell for The 6 min read

Analyzing the safety crop for the Pittsburgh Steelers meant finding the high second-rounder worthy of a first-round reach.

The opposite must be done with the inside linebackers in finding a first-rounder who’ll fall to pick 28.

The Steelers could trade up for Roquan Smith, the way they did with Troy Polamalu 15 years ago. The Georgia linebacker is worthy of such a respectful sentiment. But there are too many holes to fill with the Steelers’ mid and late-round picks.

But one of the trio of Tremaine Edmunds, Leighton Vander Esch and Rashaan Evans just might fall.

Evans (6-1 7/8, 232) is an obvious possibility since he, for a third time, refused to run a 40 for scouts.

Evans runs well on tape, but then again it’s almost all downhill. He doesn’t drop into coverage because on third downs Alabama used him as an edge rusher, as they’ve done with their ILBs throughout the Nick Saban years.

Dont’a Hightower could do it.

Evans, according to renowned analyst Greg Cosell, also projects as an NFL edge on third down. Evans had 10 sacks the last two seasons, but on the down side he lacks length and too often looks like Lawrence Timmons as a pass-rusher.

The comparison of Evans to Timmons as ILBs has often been made as well. Timmons had similar size (6-0 7/8, 234) coming out of Florida State. His 3-cone time (6.89) was similar to Evans’ (6.95). That agility helps both players stand out on film as downhill players. But Timmons put plenty of coverage on tape at Florida State. He also ran his 40 — 4.7 at the NFL Combine and 4.63 at his pro day.

Evans, on the other hand, played last season with two injured groins. He told Combine reporters he was ready to run in early March, but he didn’t, and then passed on two subsequent pro days to frustrate (and anger) scouts who made the trip(s).

The rest of Evans’ workout numbers are pedestrian — a 30-inch vertical jump and a 4.36 shuttle time aren’t going to provide cover for his lack of a 40 time.

Is Evans slow in the open field? Is he a two-down linebacker?

Those are the questions that could force this impact player to fall to pick 28, where the Steelers would no doubt pounce, since their run-stuffing buck linebacker, Vince Williams, played so poorly in the last playoff game and is entering the final year of his contract.

Will Evans fall? That doesn’t seem to be the mindset of Mike Mayock, whom research shows is the best mock-draftor among major draft media.

Mayock does only one mock draft per year, and it comes out the night before the first round. He’s obviously privy to inside information, so when he makes late changes in his rankings — particularly of players who’ve performed poorly in workouts, as Evans has — you take notice. And Mayock recently moved Evans ahead of Leighton Vander Esch.

That might be good news for Steelers fans who’ve studied Vander Esch. The first-year starter looked like a young Brian Urlacher in his final two games — and then put up Urlacher-like Combine numbers:

n Vander Esch 6-4 1/4, 256, 34 arms, 4.65 40, 20 reps, 39.5 vertical, 10-4 broad, 6.88 3-cone, 4.15 shuttle.

n Urlacher 6-3 7/8, 258, 33-inch arms, 4.61 40, 27 reps, 34 vertical, 10-2 broad, 6.94 3-cone, 4.18 shuttle.

Both players look similar when turning and running in coverage. Both are similar playing the run between the tackles and in getting from sideline to sideline. And both played in the Mountain West Conference.

Vander Esch turned 22 in February (three months younger than Evans) and lacks experience. He would no doubt need time in the Steelers’ system before becoming a starter, and that might be the reason he could fall to pick 28. But Vander Esch’s athleticism and coverage skills leave little doubt he’ll one day be an all-downs linebacker.

The long shot to fall is Tremaine Edmunds, whom some rank as THE best inside linebacker, even ahead of Smith.

But Edmunds is raw. He won’t turn 20 until May 2, which is four months younger than last year’s youngest draft prospect, JuJu Smith-Schuster, was at draft time.

Edmunds is 6-4 1/2, 253 with the longest arms (34 1/2) of any linebacker prospect. He ran his 40 in 4.54 with 19 reps. In 29 starts, the son of former Pro Bowl tight end Ferrell Edmunds recorded 10 sacks and 35 tackles for loss.

But why would such a young stud fall to pick 28?

Here’s what Cosell, the aforementioned NFL savant, said on a recent podcast:

“Edmunds, I struggled with. And when I say struggled I don’t mean I didn’t think he was any good. I just think you’re drafting what you think he’ll become, because I don’t think his tape shows him to be a top-10 player. So you’re drafting for what you think he could become because of his age and his pure athleticism, which is obvious. I mean, everybody can see that. But I think as a player right now he doesn’t play to his athleticism with any kind of regularity. I don’t think he sees things very well, and therefore he doesn’t react to his movement skills.”

Could Edmunds be the guy who falls into the Steelers’ lap?

Seems to be a common occurrence that a top player does fall their way. Edmunds might not help as quickly as, say, Evans, but that’s what gives Edmunds a puncher’s chance of ending up in Pittsburgh.

My take

There haven’t been four off-the-ball linebackers drafted in the first round since five were selected in 2000. The position has become analogous to running back in terms of value these days. It’s what offers hope that one of the four top linebackers, perhaps even a huge surprise, will fall to pick 28. Otherwise, the Steelers have closely scouted a group of second- and third-rounders, as well as a cluster of later-round coverage backers. The Steelers already have a backup run-stuffer in Tyler Matakevich, so converted safeties Dorian O’Daniel, Travin Howard and Chris Worley should receive more consideration than traditional mid-round thumpers.

Value board

First Round — Tremaine Edmunds, Virginia Tech; Leighton Vander Esch, Boise State; Rashaan Evans, Alabama.

Second Round — Fred Warner, BYU; Darius Leonard, South Carolina State; Genard Avery, Memphis.

Third Round — Malik Jefferson, Texas; Jerome Baker, Ohio State.

Fourth Round — Dorian O’Daniel, Clemson.

Fifth Round — Jermaine Carter, Maryland.

Sixth Round — Joel Iyieybuniwe, Western Kentucky; Travin Howard, TCU.

Seventh Round — Chris Worley, Ohio State.

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