Deep Sleepers Pittsburgh Steelers Should Target in 2017 NFL Draft
Though the first two or three rounds of a typical NFL Draft are considered the most exciting, what teams do in the middle and later rounds also affect their fortunes, both immediately and short-term.
This is where the sleepers are found—hidden gems, small-school players and the relatively unknown collegiate contributors who, with a bit of NFL-level coaching, sometimes develop into notable NFL starters.
For the Pittsburgh Steelers, these players have included receiver Antonio Brown (2010, Round 6), linebacker Vince Williams (2013, Round 6) and former starting left tackle Kelvin Beachum (2012, Round 7).
So who are some sleeper-style prospects the Steelers should target in the 2017 NFL Draft? Read on to find out.
LB Carroll Phillips, Illinois
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Illinois outside linebacker Carroll Phillips has a number of reasons why he'll likely be drafted no earlier than Round 4 this year. He's small for his position and thus lacks the prototypical strength of a pass-rushing linebacker. He had only one year as a starter and therefore only one year of impact at Illinois. He may never be a full-time starter in the NFL. But all of this doesn't mean the Steelers should avoid Phillips entirely.
As NFL.com's Lance Zierlein pointed out, "[Phillips'] flexibility and agility could be viewed as moldable rush traits with the right position coach working the clay," and in Pittsburgh, that position coach is former Steelers linebacker Joey Porter. Zierlein also noted that Phillips, "didn't look out of place when asked to play in space at the Senior Bowl," and has been a consistent tackler in the course of his (albeit brief) career.
The Steelers need depth at outside linebacker. Phillips can provide it, and if he can do more than that for the team down the line, that would be icing on the cake. As a Day 3 draft selection, Phillips would be a nice fit in Pittsburgh.
TE Cole Hikutini, Louisville
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With a draft class studded with talented tight ends, it's inevitable that some will fall through the cracks. One of these could be Louisville's Cole Hikutini, a pass-catcher who is good-but-not-great, something that in this particular draft year makes him a later-round pick than he would be in years where the tight end position is more lean.
Hikutini transferred from the City College of San Francisco to Louisville in 2015 and made an instant impact as a receiver, with 19 catches for 348 yards and three scores. His role increased further in 2016, where he finished with 50 catches for 668 yards and eight touchdowns.
But, as CBS Sports' Rob Rang pointed out, "Hikutini may be more than the sum of his parts, lacking any one facet to his game that really stands out," which makes him less attractive to teams in earlier rounds. He's also not much of a blocker, and his routes remain raw.
Still, the 6'4" tight end could be a useful red-zone passing target even as a rookie and would provide depth at a position for the Steelers that remains in flux. Hikutini can learn the nuances of blocking and, if he masters them, could see more playing time in the years to come.
S Kai Nacua, Brigham Young
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BYU's Kai Nacua has two traits the Steelers covet in their safeties—ball-hawking and hard-hitting. Nacua totaled six interceptions apiece in his final two seasons and had 14 over four seasons (including two returned for touchdowns). He's also had 165 combined tackles in four years, eight tackles for a loss and 12 passes defensed.
Speed, though, is a weakness, and it's something that could cause his draft stock to slip next week. But everything else checks out, including his size (6'2", 211 pounds). He's also athletic, and it doesn't seem like his ability to get to the football was a fluke, as he managed to do so throughout his collegiate career.
Pittsburgh could certainly be willing to overlook Nacua's relative lack of speed (he ran a 4.5-second 40-yard dash) because of the other traits he brings to the table. The Steelers don't have many safeties on the roster at present—only five—and while they may target the position early in the draft, they could dip back into the well for Nacua in a later round.
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QB Alek Torgersen, Penn
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If the Steelers want to be quiet about their search for their eventual replacement for long-time starting quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, there may be no better late-round selection for them in 2017 than Penn's Alek Torgersen.
Accurate, efficient and possessing a big arm, Torgersen completed 66.9 percent of his passes in 2016, for 2,231 yards and 17 touchdowns to only four interceptions. He threw 19 touchdowns to three interceptions the season before and has also made plays using his legs, with 516 career rushing yards and 18 rushing scores.
But Torgersen was not in a pro-style system at Penn, and NFL.com's Zierlein noted that his "[o]ffense [was] filled with one-and-done reads" and he "[w]asn't asked to be a full-field reader."
Still, Zierlein sees professional ability in Torgersen, adding, "his accuracy and arm strength will also benefit his growth when he's throwing to NFL-caliber targets."
This makes him an intriguing developmental prospect for the Steelers; Torgersen seems moldable and could well be a quarterback of the future for Pittsburgh.
WR Kenny Golladay, Northern Illinois
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NFL.com's Zierlein said that Northern Illinois receiver Kenny Golladay "could be targeted by teams looking for a field-stretcher with size who has the potential to become a matchup problem in the redzone." And that certainly sounds like what the Steelers should be in the market for this year, especially with the fate of suspended wideout Martavis Bryant still hanging in the balance.
Golladay, who transferred to Northern Illinois from North Dakota (and had to sit out in 2014 as a result) had two solid years of production, with 87 catches for 1,156 yards and eight scores in 2016 and 73 catches for 1,129 yards and 10 scores in 2015.
His 6'4" height and long arms, combined with being a "[l]ong-strider who, if unaccosted, can eat up cushion and work over top of cornerbacks," per Zierlein, means he has the potential to work all over the field.
However, Golladay has some traits that make him a late-round selection, including poor route-running and struggles to stay in-bounds on outside throws. He also needs better blocking skills. With some time and honing, though, the Steelers could have a gem in Golladay—perhaps their next Antonio Brown.
CB Rasul Douglas, West Virginia
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The cornerback position is one of the strongest, if not the strongest, position group in the 2017 Draft, which means that inevitably talented players will fall into the middle and late rounds. This would present a good opportunity for the Steelers, who would likely be in the market to snag more than one cornerback if the draft board falls just so.
West Virginia's Rasul Douglas is a strong late-round candidate for the Steelers. The main knock against him is his lack of experience, with only one good, starting season to his name.
Of his 77 tackles, 3.5 tackles for a loss, nine interceptions and nine pass breakups on his two-year career, 70, 3.5, eight and eight, respectively, came in 2016.
There are other issues, too. NFL.com's Zierlein praised "Douglas' ability to make plays on the ball when he's in position, but his lack of long speed and closing burst could make his big senior season an anomaly."
That lack of speed showed up at the Scouting Combine, where he ran a 4.59-second 40-yard dash. And his "[a]thletic and coverage limitations could limit his scheme fits," because of that lack of speed.
But Douglas would be a change of pace when it comes to size for the Steelers, at 6'2", and he does have upside in zone coverage schemes. Further, his ability to affect the football cannot be ignored, even if it flashed for just one year.
Douglas could at least help round out Pittsburgh's crop of cornerbacks and perhaps have an early special-teams impact.
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