Steelers Scout Report: Backyard Brawl, Carolina Draw Attention

With the college football season getting started this week, that also means it’s the start of the scouting season for the Pittsburgh Steelers front office as the team prepares for the 2023 NFL Draft.

Steelers scouts were in attendance at the Backyard Brawl at Acrisure Stadium on Thursday night. After taking Pitt quarterback Kenny Pickett in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft, the Steelers are still looking at their Pittsburgh neighbors, and the Panthers have a number of players that could fit Pitt’s needs.

Pitt: QB Kedon Slovis, DE Habakkuk Baldonado, DT Calijah Kancey, OT Carter Warren, DE Deslin Alexandre, MLB SirVocea Dennis, WR Jared Wayne, DE John Morgan

West Virginia: QB JT Daniels, DT Dante Stills, C Zach Frazier, WR Bryce Ford-Wheaton, G Doug Nester, DT Jordan Jefferson

The Steelers got two games in during a trip to Carolina, Temple at Duke on Friday and Saturday’s UNC-Appalachian State barnburner on Sunday. In addition to the 2023 prospects for those two teams, the Steelers scout got a good look at UNC freshman quarterback Drake Maye, who threw for 352 yards and four touchdowns. 

Duke: OT Graham Barton, WR Jake Bobo

UNC: WR Josh Downs, CB Tony Grimes, OLB Desmond Evans, S Ja’Qurious Conley, CB Storm Duck, LB Noah Taylor, C Corey Gaynor

App St: OLB Nick Hampton, RB Camerun Peoples, OT Cooper Hodges, QB Chase Brice

The Steelers didn’t draft from the West Coast all that often under Kevin Colbert, and we will have to see if that will change under Omar Khan. But the team has always scouted out west, usually headed by Mark Bruener, and did so again on Saturday, with Fresno State hosting Cal Poly.

Fresno: WR Jalen Cropper, QB Jake Haener, OT Dontae Bull, DB Evan Williams

The Steelers love scouting the Big Ten and have several Notre Dame alumni on their active roster, but chose not to attend the big game between the Irish and Buckeyes at the Horseshoe (though Ryan Shazier and Jerome Bettis were there).

Instead, the Steelers scouted less-heralded Big Ten member Minnesota in a non-conference game against New Mexico.

Minnesota: RB Mohamed Ibrahim, C John Michael Schmitz, LB Braelen Oliver, DT Darnell Jeffries, WR Chris Autman-Bell, QB Tanner Morgan

Finally, though not a scout, head coach Mike Tomlin took in the Boston College vs. Rutgers game to watch his son Dino Tomlin play. The Steelers have taken looks the younger Tomlin’s teammates before, including drafting running back Anthony McFarland.

Boston College: QB Phil Jurkovec, WR Zay Flowers, OG Christian Mahogany, DE Marcus Valdez, CB Josh DeBerry, DB Elijah Jones

Rutgers: S Avery Young, DL Ifeanyi Maijeh, WR Taj Harris