Steelers 2015 Draft Prospects: Updated list of all visits and invites

Steelers 2015 Draft Prospects: Updated list of all visits and invites

By Simon Chester

With the draft prospect visits to the South Side facility in full swing we take a look at the names that have been linked to the Steelers in the up coming draft either via a meeting at the Senior Bowl, the Combine, their Pro Day or a Visit to Pittsburgh.

Over the years the Steelers pre-draft interest haven’t been the easiest to track when compared to other NFL teams. The team was allowed as many as 60 meetings at the NFL Combine and there is little doubt they met with their full allocation. At both the Senior Bowl and Shine Game the Steelers staff meet with many prospects, the specific information on who is less forth coming and names have not been added to the list without significant confirmation from respected reporters or the players themselves.

The names associated with the team prior to the draft, particularly those invited to Pittsburgh to meet the staff, have often featured heavily come draft day in recent years. Last year six of the nine players ultimately drafted were invited to town – Ryan Shazier, Stephon Tuitt, Martavis Bryant, Shaquille Richardson, Jordan Zumwalt and Rob Blanchflower. Wesley Johnson was also noted as a Pro Day meeting with only Dri Archer and Daniel McCullers not appearing on the teams radar ahead of time to outsiders.

In 2013 Jarvis Jones, Shamarko Thomas and Vince Williams all had visits to the Steelers home while Le’Veon Bell was a noted as a Pro Day meeting who also had a dinner with Tomlin along with a Private Workout. Landry Jones was seen at a Pro Day meeting with the team that year too. The list also identified Nic Embernate, who had a visit and Chris Hubbard, who had a Pro Day meeting, both of whom went on to be undrafted free agents that were signed by the Steelers after the draft. B.W. Webb was another player invited to town that year and although drafted by the Cowboys originally is now on the Steelers’ roster.

2012 saw Mike Adams, Kelvin Beachum, and David Paulson as Pre Draft visitors who went on to be drafted. Hebron Fangupo was another visitor who ultimately became a Steelers as was Michael Egnew who was signed this off season having been drafted in the third round by the Dolphins.

The 2011 Pre Draft visit list saw the Steelers entertain Marcus Gilbert, Curtis Brown, Cortez Allen and Keith Williams who became draft picks along with Weslye Saunders who was picked up as an UDFA.

In 2010 Maurkice Pouncey, Emmanuel Sanders and Antonio Brown were the notable names from the list of visitors – Clifton Geathers, LeGarrett Blount were two more invitees that year who ended up in Pittsburgh eventually … albeit briefly in the case of Blount.

Pre Draft Prospect Meetings 2015

Cornerback

Alex Carter – Stanford @ Visit
Bryce Callahan – Rice @ Visit
Charles Gaines – Louisville @ Combine, Pro Day & Dinner with Tomlin
Darryl Roberts – Marshall @ Visit
Doran Grant – Ohio State @ Visit
Eric Rowe CB/S – Utah @ Combine, Pro Day, Visit
Jalen Collins – LSU @ Combine, Pro Day & Diner with Tomlin
Kevin Johnson – Wake Forest @ Combine, Pro Day & Diner with Colbert, Visit*
Kevin White – TCU @ Combine
Marcus Peters – Washington @ Combine, Pro Day, Visit
PJ Williams – Florida State @ Pro Day
Quandre Diggs – Texas @ Combine
Quinten Rollins – Miami @ Combine, Pro Day
Ron Darby – Florida State @ Pro Day
Steven Nelson – Oregon State @ Visit
Senquez Golson – Ole Miss @ Senior Bowl, Visit
Trae Waynes – Michigan State @ Pro Day
Travis Lee – Miles College @ Visit*

Linebacker

Alvin ‘Bud’ Dupree – Kentucky @ Combine, Pro Day & Dinner with Tomlin
Danielle Hunter – LSU @ Pro Day & Diner with Tomlin
Davis Tull – Tennessee-Chattanooga @ Combine
Eli Harold – Virginia @ Combine Pro Day, Visit
Hau’oli Kikaha – Washington @ Combine, Pro Day
Kyle Emmanuel – North Dakota State @ Visit
Lorenzo Maudlin – Louisville @ Combine, Pro Day & Dinner with Tomlin
Marcus Golden – Mizzou @ Pro Day & Dinner with Tomlin
Max Valles – Virginia @ Visit
Nate Orchard – Utah @ Visit
Owamagbe Odighizuwa – UCLA @ Combine, Pro Day
Randy Gregory – Nebraska @ Pro Day, Visit
Shane Ray – Mizzou @ Combine, Pro Day & Dinner with Tomlin, Visit*
Tavarus Dantzier – Bethune-Cookman @ Visit*
Trey Flowers – Arkansas @ Combine
Vic Beasley – Clemson @ Pro Day

Tight End

Alen Derby – Arkansas @ Combine
Blake Bell – Oklahoma @ Combine
Ben Koyack – Notre Dame @ Combine
Cameron Clear – Texas A&M @ Visit
Clive Walford – Miami @ Combine, Pro Day & Private Meeting
CJ Uzomah – Auburn @ Visit
Jeff Heuerman – Ohio State @ Combine, Visit
Jesse James – Penn State @ Combine, Pro Day, Visit**
Kennard Backman – UAB @ Visit
Maxx Williams – Minnesota @ Combine
Nick O’Leary – FSU @ Combine
Wes Saxton – South Alabama @ Visit

Offensive Line

Ali Marpet C – Hobart & William Smith @ Pro Day Private Workout
Donovan Smith OG – Penn State @ Senior Bowl
Ereck Flowers OT – Miami @ Combine
La’El Collins OG/T – LSU @ Combine
Laken Tomlinson OG – Duke @ Pro Day
Matt Rotherham OG – Pittsburgh @ Visit**
Max Garcia C/G/T – Florida @ Pro Day & Dinner with Tomlin
Quentin Spain OG – WVU @ Visit
Sean Hickey OG/T – Syracuse @ Combine
T.J Clemmings OT – Pittsburgh @ Pro Day, Visit**

Safety

Cody Prewitt – Mississippi @ Combine
Durell Eskridge – Syracuse @ Pro Day
Gerod Holliman – Louisville @ Pro Day & Diner with Tomlin
Jermaine Whitehead S – Auburn @ Pro Day
Justin Cox FS – Mississippi State @ Pro Day
Nick Marshall FS/QB/CB – Auburn @ Pro Day

Running Back

David Cobb – Minnesota @ Combine
David Johnson – Northern Iowa @ Combine
Duke Johnson – Miami @ Combine
Jeremy Langford – Michigan State @ Combine
Matt Jones – Florida @ Pro Day & Dinner with Colbert & Tomlin, Visit*
Tevin Coleman – Indiana @ Combine
T.J Yeldon – Alabama @ Combine

Wide Receiver

Breshad Perriman – UCF @ Visit
DeVante Parker – Louisville @ Pro Day & Dinner with Tomlin, Private Workout, Visit*
Devin Gardner – Michigan @ Visit
Jaelen Strong – Arizona State @ Visit
Sammy Coates – Auburn @ Pro Day, Visit
Tre McBride – Willam & Mary @ Combine

Defensive Line

Gabe Wright DT – Auburn @ Pro Day
Grady Jarrett NT – Clemson @ Combine
Michael Bennett DT – Ohio State @ Combine
Preston Smith DE – Mississippi State @ Pro Day
Xavier Cooper DT – Washington State @ Visit

Quarterbacks

Chris Bonner – CSU-Pueblo @ Pro Day
Garrett Grayson – Colorado State @ Pro Day
Tyler Murphy – Boston College @ Visit

Pro Days with significant attendances by Steeler staff

Auburn – Colbert
Colorado State – Fichtner
Clemson – Colbert, Porter
Duke – Sarrett
Florida – Colbert, Tomlin, Munchak, Porter
Florida State – Colbert, Tomlin, Haley, Lake, Smith
Kentucky – Tomlin, Haley, Porter
Louisville – Tomlin, Butler, Porter
LSU – Colbert. Tomlin
Miami – Colbert, Tomlin
Michigan State – Colbert, Tomlin, Lake
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri – Colbert, Tomlin, Butler, Porter
Nebraska – Olsavsky
Ohio State – Colbert, Tomlin, Shazier
Penn State – Haley, Munchak
Pittsburgh – Butler, Mitchell, Mann, Fichtner, Olsavsky, Porter, Saxon, Munchak
Syracuse
Virginia – Porter
Wake Forest – Colbert, Lake
Washington – Lake
West Virginia – Munchak

* – Prospect has a visit scheduled but it has not happened at this stage.
** – Local Prospect so visit does not count against teams allocation of 30 players.

http://steelerswire.usatoday.com/2015/04/21/steelers-2015-draft-prospects-list-of-all-visits-and-invites/

Alabama safety Landon Collins is visiting today and he just might be the #1 pick of the Steelers.

think about it, do we really want to go all season long with Mike Mitchell and Shamarko Thomas as our starting safeties? not to mention, what are the odds of Shamarko staying healthy?

James C Wexell @jimwexell -

Preston Smith visits the #Steelers. Finally, an asskicker who can play OLB in their "base" and DE in their nickel.

Smith also played one-gap nose on passing downs. An underrated player.” -- yes, saw him sack LSU as NT.

https://twitter.com/jimwexell

Tomlin and Colbert didn't go to Mississippi?

Slackers.

Fire 'em!

Hawaii 5-0 wrote:

Alabama safety Landon Collins is visiting today and he just might be the #1 pick of the Steelers.

think about it, do we really want to go all season long with Mike Mitchell and Shamarko Thomas as our starting safeties? not to mention, what are the odds of Shamarko staying healthy?

about the same as Daniel sepulveda staying healthy?



Can sharknado puntnado?

It wouldn't shock me if Collins is there and they pick him. Shazier shocked me last year but when really thinking about it hard, ti did not shock me. The Steelers pick is a hard bet since we do BPA and BPA is determined on how in this case the other 21 teams ahead of us pick or trade. If Colbert had a track record of picking need, I think the pick would be easier to predict. That said, the visits, pro day attendances, and etc are a good read to get a feeling for who they like. Cannot wait for draft day to see who we get. I think we'll get a good player. I trust Colbert, Tomlin, and our scouts given their track record.

I posted this in the draft thread, but it bears iteration...


The more & more I think about it, Landon Collins is the pick that needs to happen at 22.

My gut tells me that the OLBs will all be gone by 22, and the value just isn't there for CB.

Simply, the drop-off from the CBs available at 22, and the ones likely there at 56, is minimal. Whereas, the drop-off from Collins to the rest of the safeties is significant.

If Shamarko is ready, then Collins isn't needed. Then again, Shamarko is always injured. In other words, who really knows whether Shamarko is going to be the starting SS of the future (or, if he's just a good back-up).

Shane Ray needs surgery on his toe and could miss 5 months so he'll fall on draft day.

Could be an option a #22 if they want to take a chance on him.

Edit: Now report is that he doesn't need surgery

#Mizzou DE Shane Ray saw a foot specialist today. Source said doc’s recommendation was not surgery. Big news for potential 1st rounder.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 23, 2015

#Mizzou DE Shane Ray had an injury, like turf toe, discovered during a team visit. Thought surgery was his reality. Instead, simply rest.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 23, 2015

If it is indeed turf toe: PASS!!!

One season, Steve McNair had a cracked rib, bruised sternum, swollen knee, and a broken finger... and still played.

The next season, he was healthy, except for his turf toe... and missed multiple games.

SUMMATION:
Turf toe is a killer.

Report: Missouri DE Shane Ray might need surgery, could be out 5 months

By Eric Edholm

Lance Zierlein, who writes for NFL.com, reported Thursday morning that Missouri pass rusher Shane Ray might need toe surgery and could be out as much as five months.

That would put the start of Ray's rookie season in doubt and could make him a PUP (Physically Unable to Perform) list candidate. Might that drop Ray, who had been talked about as a top-10 pickm, from first-round consideration?

Shutdown Corner received texts back from two teams on Ray — one was concerned, one was not. The concerned team called Ray's toe "a major concern," and the one that didn't said their team doctors thought Ray could wear an orthotic shoe to help correct the problem, which could speed up his timetable.

Ray had a monster junior season for the Tigers, collecting 14.5 sacks and 22.5 tackles for loss in being named SEC Defensive Player of the Year. He declared early for the draft after setting the Mizzou single-season sack record but has been able to showcase his skills this offseason — including at the NFL scouting combine — because of the injury in his foot.

Although he worked out at his pro day, Ray turned in some sub-par running times. He might not be considered until the middle of the first round, and it's possible this injury and Ray's limitations as a 245-pound edge player could even cause a slide out of Round 1.

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-shutdown-corner/report--missouri-de-shane-ray-might-need-surgery--could-be-out-5-months-152508744.html;_ylt=A0SO8yULQzlVqiYArnpXNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTEzcmsxOTJzBGNvbG8DZ3ExBHBvcwMxBHZ0aWQDVklQNTk0XzEEc2VjA3Nj

18 of the 29 pre-draft visitors to the Steelers play on the defensive side of the ball.

and of those 18, 10 were defensive backs.

and of those 10, only Landon Collins and Marcus Peters are expected to be first round picks...

Gerry Dulac retweeted
Dom Rinelli @drinelli -

Former @steelers & @ProFootballHOF'er Mel Blount is scheduled to announce the team's selection in Round 2 of the 2015 NFL Draft from Chicago

https://twitter.com/gerrydulac

tony hipchest wrote:

Hawaii 5-0 wrote:

Alabama safety Landon Collins is visiting today and he just might be the #1 pick of the Steelers.

think about it, do we really want to go all season long with Mike Mitchell and Shamarko Thomas as our starting safeties? not to mention, what are the odds of Shamarko staying healthy?

about the same as Daniel sepulveda staying healthy?



Can sharknado puntnado?

Probably about as well as James Harrison can long snap, so we have options.

BlackAndGold wrote:

Shane Ray needs surgery on his toe and could miss 5 months so he'll fall on draft day.

Could be an option a #22 if they want to take a chance on him.

Edit: Now report is that he doesn't need surgery

#Mizzou DE Shane Ray saw a foot specialist today. Source said doc’s recommendation was not surgery. Big news for potential 1st rounder.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 23, 2015

#Mizzou DE Shane Ray had an injury, like turf toe, discovered during a team visit. Thought surgery was his reality. Instead, simply rest.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 23, 2015

After seeing who was responsible for these Tweets, I'm going all-in on him needing surgery.

Buddha Bus wrote:

BlackAndGold wrote:

Shane Ray needs surgery on his toe and could miss 5 months so he'll fall on draft day.

Could be an option a #22 if they want to take a chance on him.

Edit: Now report is that he doesn't need surgery

#Mizzou DE Shane Ray saw a foot specialist today. Source said doc’s recommendation was not surgery. Big news for potential 1st rounder.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 23, 2015

#Mizzou DE Shane Ray had an injury, like turf toe, discovered during a team visit. Thought surgery was his reality. Instead, simply rest.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 23, 2015

After seeing who was responsible for these Tweets, I'm going all-in on him needing surgery.

Ain't that the truth.

STEELERS DRAFT '15: FIRST ROUND ODDS

Jim Wexell
Publisher SteelCityInsider.net
Apr 26, 2015



Any of several troubled top prospects could slip to the Steelers at pick 22.

One after another the troubles of those who had been Top-10 prospects have caused a shift in this year's draft rankings.

The draft's best cornerback was kicked off his team last November.

The best running back went down with a torn ACL a week later.

The best safety hurt his shoulder in December, didn't lift at the Combine and looked out of shape at his pro day.

The most sudden pass-rusher smoked so much weed late last year that even stopping for two months didn't help him pass the Combine drug test.

And the pass-rusher with the best motor has a foot injury that caused at least one team to strike him recently from its board.

Forgotten in this wave of trouble is Jameis Winston, the perpetual bad-boy quarterback who's come full circle and is back at the top of the draft board, tucked safely away from the Pittsburgh Steelers. Not that he was ever a question.

But who will the Steelers take at pick 22? Well, here are my odds with less than a week to go:

to read rest of article, please click on link below:

http://pit.scout.com/story/1540982-steelers-draft-15-first-round-odds?s=68

so according to Wexell, odds are one of the following two 1st round scenarios unfolds:

OLB - Eli Harold, Shane Ray, Randy Grgory or

CB - Marcus Peters, Eric Rowe, Kevin Johnson, Jalen Collins, Byron Jones

So basically.... Ray(If falls) Harold, KJ, Rowe OR maybe a offensive lineman(Like Ray*, if one falls) will be the pick at 22.


I hate wishing time away but...Thursday hurry TF up!!!

Welp Shane Ray can be taken off the board.

He was arrested for possession of marijuana.

BlackAndGold wrote:

Welp Shane Ray can be taken off the board.

He was arrested for possession of marijuana.

Man what an idiot. I mean no one's a bigger legalization advocate than me but what the hell was he thinking? Anyhow. I'm thinking it will be Dupree, Kevin Johnson, or perhaps Peters if they are sold that he's a solid guy but the trouble with BPA is we have to see who the other teams pick before us.

James C Wexell retweeted
Chad Jensen @ChadNJensen -

Dave-Te Thomas' best CB in this draft?
"Marcus Peters-next Charles Woodson.
My favorite-Eric Rowe-hits like Rodney Harrison." #NFLDraft

https://twitter.com/jimwexell

I sure as hell hope we don't pass on Ray because of this.  We can't afford to pass on guys like Ray, Gregory, or Peters for significantly lesser talent just because of minor character concerns.  We could afford to do that 10 years ago but not now.

If this coaching staff and organization is as good as we all say they are, they should be able to keep them in line.  These guys have time to learn and mature and smarten up anyway.  As long as they're not significantly troubled (like Dorial Green-Beckham) they shouldn't be off our board.

Ray in particular doesn't seem like a bad guy at all.  Just did something incredibly stupid but forgive-able. Up until this morning he seemed as high-character as they come.  Guess what, Le'Veon Bell did (and still is) too, and did the exact same thing.

ImmaculateGreenePolamalu wrote:

BlackAndGold wrote:

Welp Shane Ray can be taken off the board.

He was arrested for possession of marijuana.

Man what an idiot. I mean no one's a bigger legalization advocate than me but what the hell was he thinking? Anyhow. I'm thinking it will be Dupree, Kevin Johnson, or perhaps Peters if they are sold that he's a solid guy but the trouble with BPA is we have to see who the other teams pick before us.

He was smoking it for his turf toe.

lipps83 wrote:

He was smoking it for his turf toe.

and to prevent cancer

I had a dream, not sure why I'm dreaming about the draft, but in the dream we picked Peters. I think I'm good with that.

CB/OLB/Safety most important needs in that order in my opinion