Steelers Welcome Four Pre-Draft Visitors on Tuesday
The Pittsburgh Steelers are hosting four pre-draft visitors on Tuesday to kick off the critical stretch for their draft evaluation.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are hosting defensive lineman Braden Fiske, cornerbacks Andru Phillips and Daequan Hardy, and wide receiver Malachi Corley for pre-draft visits on Tuesday.
Hardy was just a ball-hawking nickel cornerback. He became a dynamic punt returner in 2023, returning two to the house. His value shot up just by doing that, and he hopes to parlay that part of his game into more looks. But in reality, the aggressive kid in the slot is who he is known as now. Teams are craving more and more physical slot cornerbacks. And Hardy thinks he could be similar to Hilton.
Fiske tested like a freak at the NFL Combine, dazzling everyone with a 4.78 40-yard dash and looking like the best athlete on the field.
After running that 40-yard dash, Fiske even pumped himself up with a ceremonious https://twitter.com/PFF_College/status/1763297572095987954″>‘Oh
yeah!’ to celebrate the run. All in all, he measured in at 6-foot-3, 292 pounds, and jumped 33.5 inches on the vertical with an accompanying 9-foot-9-inch broad. Those numbers were first among all defensive linemen.
In addition, his drills, specifically his hoop drill, showcased Fiske’s fantastic bend and fluidity, allowing him to pop on tape. His athletic testing is backing up a strong season at Florida State.
Phillips ran a 4.48 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine, showcasing solid speed. And at the Senior Bowl, he proved to be someone who could walk up in press coverage and compete with his level of tenacity. There are levels of interest that the Steelers will like, and guys from the Senior Bowl have remained an integral part of Pittsburgh’s draft philosophy over the years, just as much as their pro day tracking has in general.
Over the past three seasons, there have only been a handful of guys at the position that have been more productive. With over 250 catches for nearly 3,000 yards and 29 touchdown grabs, his resume on paper is really impressive. Corley’s unique play style and physical profile has drawn comparisons to another former Senior Bowl standout: current San Francisco 49ers playmaker Deebo Samuel. As we all know, Samuel is a true unicorn at the position but there are certainly some similarities between the two players, most notably their indistinguishable builds.
Corley’s dense frame shows up in the play strength department, with him showcasing the ability to consistently fall forward or maintain balance upon contact with potential tacklers. Corley is built like a running back with plus vision for the position who shows a good understanding of reading blocks and angles in space. After the catch, there is very little wasted motion in his transition from receiver to runner. He can make guys miss or just straight run through you instead.
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