5 Hidden Gems the Pittsburgh Steelers Should Have Noticed at the Combine

The NFL Scouting Combine concluded on Monday, with teams taking away key data from the invitees' drills and workouts to help round out their pictures of the prospects.

The combine may not change teams' opinions on the draft's better-known players, but it does present an opportunity for the more obscure players to get their names in the minds of NFL decision-makers. 

The Pittsburgh Steelers have myriad needs but just one pick in every round of the 2015 draft. They will need to find sleepers and hidden gems to help build a roster that needs not just starting-quality talent but also high-level depth. 

Here are five combine gems that could now be on the Steelers' radar thanks to their performances.

All NFL Scouting Combine data via NFL.com unless otherwise noted.

CB Byron Jones, Connecticut

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Pittsburgh Steelers first-round draft target cornerback Trae Waynes may be out of reach now that he's had an even better scouting combine appearance than anticipated. But that doesn't mean they are out of luck at the position, even in the later rounds. Connecticut's Byron Jones could be a good option for them in the middle of the draft.

Jones had a total of 222 tackles in college, along with eight interceptions (one returned for a touchdown), 21 passes defensed and a fumble recovery for a touchdown. NFL.com's Lance Zierlein says that Jones "[s]hows above-average anticipation of routes," and "[i]s able to sniff out rub routes and works to avoid them." He "[f]lashes recovery speed downfield and gets head around to find ball and make a play on it" and "[u]ses instincts and adequate closing burst to disrupt the catch."

Jones showed off incredible athleticism at the scouting combine, obliterating the broad-jump record by leaping for 147 inches. He also impressed with his 44.5-inch vertical leap, 6.78-second three-cone drill, 3.49-second 20-yard shuttle and 10.98-second 60-yard shuttle.

Man coverage and the season-ending shoulder injury he suffered in 2014 are concerns. But there should be no question that Jones' draft stock saw a huge boost with a good combine performance. He fits the mold of a Steelers cornerback and could be had at great value in the middle rounds of the draft.

S Jaquiski Tartt, Samford

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It's possible that the Steelers move on from longtime starting safety Troy Polamalu this year, and fellow safety Will Allen is an unrestricted free agent. So it's looking likely that the Steelers will address the position at some point in the 2015 draft.

A later-round prospect who performed well at the scouting combine is Samford's Jaquiski Tartt, who ran a 4.53-second 40-yard dash and had a 124-inch broad jump.

NFL.com's Lance Zierlein describes Tartt as able to get "downhill quickly from high safety to mix it up in run support." He "[t]akes good angles to ball-carriers and is an aggressive tackler, and is a "[f]ierce competitor" who "[p]lays with confident, clear eyes to diagnose and handle his responsibilities" and "[a]ttacks the ball at point of catch to disrupt wide receiver and dislodge the pass."

Zierlein goes on to say that Tartt "[b]ecomes over-aggressive in space and will overrun tackles" and has [l]imited man-cover ability," but the same could be said about Polamalu. Tartt's plus speed and aggressiveness sure makes him seem like the type of safety the Steelers covet.

LB Davis Tull, Tennessee-Chattanooga

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Pass-rushing outside linebacker is a position the Steelers could address multiple times in the 2015 draft, because their depth is so poor. Considering how crucial the pass-rush is to the Steelers defense, it's not hard to imagine the team selecting outside linebackers in both early and late rounds.

For the latter, Tennessee-Chattanooga's Davis Tull could be an option. Tull had 10.5 sacks and 18 tackles for a loss in his senior season, then impressed at the scouting combine with a position-best 42.5" vertical jump and a 132" broad jump. A hamstring injury kept him from completing the full workout.

Tull was a four-year starter in college. NFL.com's Lance Zierlein says that Tull has "[o]utstanding production and works as hard from snap to snap as any defensive lineman in this draft," and that he "[h]as what scouts call 'snap-winning' hand usage against run or pass." He "[h]as power and toughness to set the edge and turn plays back inside," while also being a "[l]everage rusher who can dip shoulder and turn corner as well as bull-rush weaker tackles."

Still, Zierlein has concerns about his arm length and calls Tull an "[a]verage athlete with average size." However, his two good jumps at the scouting combine prove that Tull has an explosiveness necessary for an edge-rusher. Zierlein concludes, also, that "his relentless nature and ability to outplay expectations could make him an NFL surprise." That sounds like the perfect draft gem for the Steelers.

TE Jean Sifrin, Massachusetts

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The scouting combine was made for players like Massachusetts tight end Jean Sifrin—he played just one year at Massachusetts after a year in junior college, he's 27 years old and he is a former basketball player.

All of those things can be red flags, but Sifrin clearly impressed enough in 2014 to warrant a combine invite. He had 42 catches in his final season in Massachusetts, for 642 yards and six touchdowns. Sifrin might not be the heir apparent to current Steelers starter Heath Miller, but he would add an intriguing red-zone layer to Pittsburgh's offense once the rawness is worked away.

NFL.com's Lance Zierlein says that Sifrin is a "[r]aw but athletic tight end with above-average leaping ability and open-field talent to stress defenses vertically" and has "explosive leaping ability to go up top and get throws other tight ends can't," with a "[c]atch radius [that] goes on for days." 

His inexperience is evident, however: "On tape, looks like he’s thinking too much during route, which slows his play speed and separation ability." And Zierlein notes that Sifrin also "has a very limited career window due to his age." However, the Steelers could easily use a seventh-round pick on Sifrin just to see how he develops, much as they did in 2014 with Rob Blanchflower.

DE/OLB Zack Wagenmann, Montana

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Small-school pass-rushers might be of interest to the Steelers this year, namely because they may have to spend a late-round pick on the position, which means they have to take a deep dive into the outside linebacker prospects into 2015. 

That puts Montana's Zack Wagenmann squarely in their crosshairs. Wagenmann was the Big Sky Conference's defensive player of the year for 2014, after notching 74 tackles, 22.5 tackles for a loss and 17.5 sacks on the season. He had a strong scouting combine showing, with the 6'3", 247-pound edge-rusher running a 4.82-second 40-yard dash, and impressive 7.07-second three-cone, 4-26-second 20-yard shuttle and 12-second 60-yard shuttle drills.

NGSC Sports' Joshua Zimmer says that Wagenmann "has a high motor" with "almost flawless" technique and "a great first step off the ball which is a key to much of his success as a pass-rusher." He also "displays great gap discipline vs. the run, rarely being driven off the ball."

Wagenmann could serve to add weight to play outside linebacker in the NFL and may only pan out as a situational pass-rusher. Still, that is something the Steelers need right now. He is certainly athletic enough to play in the NFL, and if he displays prowess on special teams, he could catch onto the Steelers' 53-man roster even as a late-round pick.