February began with college football’s top prospects descending on Mobile, Ala., to take part in the Senior Bowl. It will end with another congregation in a confined environment, this time the annual NFL Combine in Indianapolis.
Prospects begin meeting with NFL coaches and executives as early as Tuesday, with on-field events beginning Thursday and unfolding over four consecutive days. NFL Network will provide more than 50 hours of coverage.
The Pittsburgh Steelers will be well represented in Indianapolis. Here are five storylines that could develop as the week unfolds:
1. Staying local
For the past three years, the Steelers have used the combine to evaluate players from area colleges that they eventually took with a high-round draft pick.
The run began with Penn State tight end Pat Freiermuth in 2021, continued with Pitt quarterback Kenny Pickett in 2022 and detoured back to Happy Valley last year with cornerback Joey Porter Jr.
If that trend makes it to a fourth year, chances are the Steelers will be looking south at West Virginia and center Zach Frazier.
One of the top three centers in the draft, Frazier sustained a leg injury on the final drive of the Mountaineers’ regular-season finale. He couldn’t work out at the Senior Bowl but has a chance to participate in some drills in Indianapolis.
The position was one the Steelers figured to address in the draft before they released two-year starter Mason Cole on Friday. With no established starting center on the roster, the Steelers could sign someone in free agency. Even if they do, finding someone to follow in the footsteps of Maurkice Pouncey, Dermontti Dawson and Mike Webster surely is high atop the team’s wish list.
NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah has Frazier rated as his No. 32 overall player in this year’s class. That means he could be a reach for the Steelers at No. 20, and it’s not a given he will still be on the board when they draft again at No. 52.
2. More familiar names
It’s not as eye-popping as the record 18 prospects that national champion Michigan will be sending to the combine. Still, Penn State will have an impressive 10 players attending the event.
The Nittany Lions could have two players selected in the first round: tackle Olu Fashanu and defensive lineman Chop Robinson. Jeremiah has Fashanu listed as his No. 12 overall prospect. Among players from local colleges, Robinson sits at No. 24. Frazier, at 32, is the only other player to crack Jeremiah’s top 50.
One tight end to watch is Penn State’s Theo Johnson, who is included in NFL.com analyst Bucky Brooks’ top 5 players at the position. Defensive lineman Adisa Isaac and defensive back Kalen King and Johnny Dixon, like Johnson, also attended the Senior Bowl.
Pitt will have three players in Indianapolis: wide receiver Bub Means, offensive lineman Matt Goncalves and defensive back M.J. Devonshire of Aliquippa.
3. Passing the time
Of the four days of events, the most anticipated will take place Saturday starting at 1 p.m. That’s when quarterbacks join the running backs and receivers on the field at Lucas Oil Stadium.
After Pickett was the only quarterback taken in the first round in 2022, the position regained its prestige last year as three passes were taken among the top four picks (Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud, Anthony Richardson), and a fourth was taken with the second selection of the second round (Will Levis).
It figures to be more of the same this year. Jeremiah has USC’s Caleb Williams and North Carolina’s Drake Maye going 1-2. LSU’s Jayden Daniels is viewed as a potential top-5 pick, and Jeremiah also has Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy going in his top 10.
Pickett is the only quarterback the Steelers have under contract so they will pay close attention to the QB workouts. Oregon’s Bo Nix and Washington’s Michael Penix are among the second wave of quarterbacks that could be early-round picks. South Carolina’s Spencer Rattler, an Oklahoma transfer, is another intriguing option among the 14 passers invited to Indianapolis.
4. Wide open field
From 2017-22, the Steelers used a second-day draft pick on a wide receiver five times. After a hiatus last year when the new regime of GM Omar Khan and assistant Andy Weidl focused on retooling other positions, wide receiver could be back in play.
The cream of the crop is Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison Jr., who could go as high as No. 3. Washington’s Rome Odunze and LSU’s Malik Nabers represent other potential top-10 selections.
LSU’s Brian Thomas Jr and Texas’ Adonai Mitchell also could go in the first round of another deep group of pass catchers. Jeremiah has seven other receivers included in his top 50 prospects, leaving the Steelers with options if they choose to go that route in the first or second round.
5. Unanswered questions
The combine represents the first time a Steelers executive speaks publicly since team president Art Rooney II holds his gathering with reporters a few weeks after the end of the season. Since then, the Steelers have hired an offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, shifted Mike Sullivan’s role, released a handful of veteran players and reconfigured the strength and conditioning staff.
Khan was scheduled to brief the media Tuesday, but his arrival in Indianapolis may not come until later in the week because of a death in his family. When Khan speaks, he’ll have a chance to provide insight on recent moves within the organization and what may be in store heading into free agency next month and the draft in April.