The Steelers sent assistant general manager Andy Weidl to State College to watch Penn State take on Michigan. There are plenty of top-rated players in the game, but the two that will catch the most attention are Penn State tackle Olu Fashanu and Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy. Weidl was seen along the sidelines looking at players, including some that could end up in Pittsburgh’s draft range.
In early September, the Steelers saw top tackle prospect Olu Fashanu for the Nittany Lions for their home opener against the West Virginia Mountaineers. Penn State also has a handful of well-regarded defenders in cornerback Kalen King, edge rushers Chop Robinson and Aidsa Isaac, and linebacker Curtis Jacobs.
However, the player who might stand out from that group the most is King. Pittsburgh native Daequan Hardy could also be a future NFL player, but King is a likely Top-50 pick at cornerback, a place that the Steelers will inherently look to address in the draft potentially.
McCarthy is the obvious headliner for Michigan, but he only threw eight passes for 60 yards as running backs Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards ran the ball well for most of the game. McCarthy has experienced a renaissance of sorts, and if the Steelers decide they want to get into the quarterback market, they could look in his direction, but his stock is soaring. Defensive lineman Kris Jenkins has NFL bloodlines and should be highly picked. Many others will fit into that puzzle, too, but Michigan is loaded with several talented players.
Weidl is on hand and shows some serious interest in these players, even if he did not have to go far. The Steelers have dipped into the pool from Penn State recently, drafting Joey Porter Jr. and Pat Freiermuth out of James Franklin’s program in recent seasons.