Steelers host three defensive prospects to top 30 visits
With three picks in the top 50 of the 2023 NFL Draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers are likely to use some combination of the three selections to draft defensive prospects. Having needs at all three levels, the Steelers have used most of their top 30 visits on defenders thus far, playing host to Joey Porter Jr. […]
With three picks in the top 50 of the 2023 NFL Draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers are likely to use some combination of the three selections to draft defensive prospects.
Having needs at all three levels, the Steelers have used most of their top 30 visits on defenders thus far, playing host to Joey Porter Jr. over the weekend.
Per Brooke Pryor of ESPN, Pittsburgh brought in three more defensive prospects today, (April 3rd) including:
Tuli Tuipulotu, Edge, USC
Tuipulotu is a heavy defensive end that would be a tweener in the Pittsburgh 3-4 defense.
A certified 6'3 and 266 pounds, Tuipulotu doesn't have the frame to play as a defensive end in the Steelers system but he lacks some of the "juice" to be a premier edge.
If Pittsburgh were to select him, I think he would do best to drop 5-10 pounds and work off the exterior as a pass rusher with staunch support in the run game.
Sitting at 56 on the consensus board, if Pittsburgh really wanted to use a top 50 pick on Tulipulotu its feasible he's there at 49.
Keeanu Benton, DL, Wisconsin
As the above clip suggests, Benton stole the show at the 2023 Senior Bowl, winning the majority of his one-on-one battles against the nation's top offensive line prospects.
With a confirmed height and weight of 6'4 and 309 pounds, Benton is the perfect body type to provide support behind Cam Heyward, with the potential to take over the role when Heyward retires.
Sitting at 61 on the consensus board, I would have no issue with the Steelers selecting Benton at 49. His quickness and body type are seldom mixed, making him a considerable prospect in round 2 of the draft.
Julius "Juju" Brents, Corner, Kansas State
Brents is one of my favorite prospects in the entire draft class. He has go-go gadget limbs, the ability to cover vertically, and a physical play style.
Brents measured in at 6'3 and just under 200lbs with 34 inch arms at the 2023 NFL Combine, making him one of the biggest corners if not the biggest in the class.
But it isn't just size with Brents, he recorded a 4.53 40-yard dash, 41.5 inch vertical and an 11'6 broad jump.
Brent's defies the size and explosiveness scale, one that usually sees a decrease in athleticism as the graph trends towards size.
He may only be 59th on the consensus board, but there are a litany of corners and prospects in front of him whom I believe he will surpass come the actual draft.
To be quite honest, I would be fine if Pittsburgh selected Brents with pick 32, potentially addressing tackle in the first round.
And hey, the last time Pittsburgh took a prospect in the second round named "Juju" that worked it for a while now didn't it?
