Steelers interview WR trio at NFL Combine
INDIANAPOLIS — Let’s consider Antonio Brown gone.
Let’s also consider his cousin, Marquise “Hollywood” Brown, he of the 4.3 speed from Oklahoma, gone, too. And not just because he’s Antonio’s cousin, but because he’s nursing the dreaded Lisfranc foot injury.
Let’s also rule out D.K. Metcalf because the Steelers are unlikely to draft their replacement wide receiver at pick 20.
And let’s also rule out big men Hakeem Butler (drops) and N’Keal Harry (lack of separation) from being picked in the organization’s sweet spot for drafting receivers, the second round.
JuJu Smith-Schuster was a second-rounder. So was James Washington. Those two are likely to be the Steelers’ starters this coming season. And another second-rounder makes so much sense that the Steelers met with three such candidates here at the NFL Combine:
KELVIN HARMON (6-2½, 221, North Carolina State)
Jaylen Samuels still has more receptions (202) than anyone in N.C. State history, but Harmon (177) would give the Steelers the first and the fourth.
Harmon caught 81 passes for 1,186 yards last season and was generally considered the best receiver in college football — until the thinking inevitably turned into overthinking. Harmon has since become a bit forgotten.
“Yeah, I would say so. I would say I’m underrated,” Harmon said. “But I’m used to it. I’m used to coming in and having to prove myself. I had to do it in college, so this is just another step to come in and prove myself this weekend. And if a team picks me up, I’ll definitely prove myself again.”
Born in civil war-torn Liberia, Harmon and his family scrambled to Palmyra, New Jersey, when he was four. He originally committed to South Carolina, but Steve Spurrier retired so Harmon went a bit north and became Ryan Finley’s go-to guy with the Wolfpack.
“The first time I ever met Kelvin he was a true freshman and we were playing Madden on the couch,” said the N.C. State QB from the podium right next to Harmon’s. “He was running three plays, literally just three plays, and he was letting me look at which ones he was picking. And he was just torching me. It was torture. It literally was. And he was talking smack the whole time, and I was thinking, ‘I hate this kid.’ I mean, he was getting after me. But, that’s Kelvin, and that’s his competitive nature and he’ll let you know when he’s getting after you.
“Obviously, Kelvin’s very confident in his abilities. For me it was a tremendous experience just being able to throw to him.”
The two mastered back-shoulder fades and sideline routes, and at times seemed to toy with ACC defenses.
“I take pride in that,” Harmon said. “My receiver coach prepares us in different drills for that, and then me and Finley were always on the same page, getting a feel for each other, where he wants to throw the ball and the good sweet spot for me to catch it.”
Harmon had a formal sitdown scheduled with the Steelers on Friday night, and today he expects to run a 4.5 40. It’s not blazing fast, but it’s the reason one of the best, natural pass-catchers in the nation could fall into the mid to late portion of the second round.
A.J. BROWN (6-½, 226, Ole Miss)
A brutalizing slot receiver, Brown has been with the San Diego Padres baseball organization the last three years. But he’s put that sport on hold because, as he tells it, “I’m the best receiver in the draft — by far. I’m versatile. I can play inside and outside. I run great routes. I have strong hands and I’m a man after the catch. A lot of guys aren’t like that. I’m very different.”
Here’s a personal one-on-one interview condensed from the mob that gathered around the all-time receiving yardage leader at Ole Miss.
Q: For a wide receiver you look like you enjoy and seek out contact?
AB: “Yeah. I’m a physical guy. I’m real tough. I like to really bully DBs.”
Q: Do you have something against them?
AB: “I don’t know. They just in the way.”
Q: You had said you left Starkville, your hometown and home of Mississippi State, for Ole Miss because you didn’t feel wanted. Were there any bad feelings in your hometown?
AB: “Oh, of course. I was getting death threats and everything, so it was real serious.”
Q: How did you handle the first death threat?
AB: “I was OK. I was fine. My dad didn’t really like it at all, so he went to the police about it.”
Q: Did they catch the guy?
AB: “No.”
Q: Who do you look up to as a receiver?
AB: “I watch Julio Jones almost every day, just the physicality he plays with and the little things that get him out of his routes. I thrive on that every day.”
Q: Your teammate, Metcalf, is getting more respect from draft experts. Does that bug you?
AB: “No, not at all. Me and D.K. go way back. We train together. His success is my success, so that’s not a problem at all. I’m really happy for him.”
Q: Does it bother you to be underrated?
AB: “No. Everybody wakes up soon. It’s cool.”
Q: What baseball position did you play?
AB: “Center field. I was a hitter. I was a triples guy, but I hit bombs from time to time.”
Q: Do you remember watching Hines Ward and the way he played?
AB: “Not really.”
Q: He hated DBs too.
AB: (Laughs.)
DEEBO SAMUEL (5-11¼, 214, South Carolina)
If Harmon is the polished split end, and Brown is the Hines Ward-like DB-hunting flanker, Samuel is the slot receiver/return specialist with a thick, running back-like torso who can also play outside.
And while Harmon talked about mastering the sideline and the back-shoulder fade game, and Brown called himself a film junkie, Samuel was almost professorial in talking about the route tree. Of course, the reporters at his podium couldn’t enjoin that level of conversation, which was better left for his formal meeting with the Steelers on Friday night.
“Separation is key as a receiver, because you don’t always want to catch a contested ball,” Samuel explained. “An easy ball is a great ball.”
Samuel was asked if his thick trunk and ability to run after the catch are what distinguish him in this class.
“Yes, sir,” he said. “And also just playing on special teams. I was the kick returner for three years there, and gunner on punt, and things like that. I’m not only just a receiver, I’m a very versatile guy.”
At South Carolina, Samuel caught 16 touchdown passes, rushed for seven other touchdowns, and returned four kickoffs for touchdowns. He said he models his game after Golden Tate. And, while he hasn’t heard of any other Deebos, Samuel has more James Harrison in him than he realizes. “I got the nickname from the movie, ‘Friday,'” Samuel said. “My dad named me that. When I was a kid, he said, I used to be a bully and take kids’ toys and stuff at a young age.”
Is he still a bully?
“Nah,” he said. “On the field I am.”