Pre-Draft Visits: Why You Should Watch the Later Round Guys

It is the off-season and the Steelers like every other team  in the National Football League are allow to bring in 30 prospects for workouts. How much do these visits matter? If a guy visits is it a lock that they are going to be picked by the Steelers in the draft? To answer this I have provided a list of players who visited the Steelers and were either drafted or signed as an undrafted free agent. I have also included the round in which they were drafted.

2008:

Ryan Mundy, S (6th)

Dennis Dixon, QB, Oregon (5th)

2009:

A.Q. Shipley, C, Penn State (7th)

Ra'Shon Harris, DT, Oregon (6th)

Joe Burnett, CB, Central Florida (5th)

Frank Summers, FB, UNLV (5th)

2010:

Florida C Maurkice Pouncey (1st)

SMU WR Emmanuel Sanders (3rd)

Central Michigan WR Antonio Brown (6th)

 Only Maurkice Pouncey was a first round draft choice. The rest of these prospects were drafted in the fifth round or fewer. Also everyone of these prospects filled a need for the Steelers. The Steelers are also averaging three prospects a year that visited and were drafted. So who will it be this year? Here is  the list of prospects who will be visiting or have visited, along with projected rounds.

Edmund Gates, WR, Abilene Christian (Rd 3-4)
- Phil Taylor, DT, Baylor ( Rd 1-2)

- Cortez Allen, CB, Citadel  (Rd 4-5)
- Ras-I Dowling, CB, Virginia ( Rd 2)
- Austin Pettis, WR, Boise State ( Rd4-5)
- Da’rel Scott, RB, Maryland (Rd 5-6)

- James Carpenter, T, Alabama ( Rd 2-3)
- Marcus Gilbert, T, Florida (Rd 3-4)
- Jarriel King, T, South Carolina ( Rd 7-FA)

- Kenrick Ellis, DT, Hampton (Rd 2-3)

- Jon Baldwin, WR (Rd 2)
- Jason Pinkston, T ( Rd 3-4)
- Dion Lewis, RB (Rd 6-7)
- Henry Hynoski, FB (Rd 5-6)
- Jabaal Sheard, DE ( Rd 1-2)
- Greg Romeus, DE (Rd 4)
- Dom DiCicco, SS (Rd 7)

Essentially throw out the first and second round prospects and here is the list;

Da’rel Scott, RB, Maryland (Rd 5-6)                               Greg Romeus, DE (Rd 4)

Jarriel King, T, South Carolina ( Rd 7-FA)                      Edmund Gates, WR, Abilene Christian (Rd 3-4)

Dion Lewis, RB (Rd 6-7)                                                 Cortez Allen, CB, Citadel  (Rd 4-5)

Henry Hynoski, FB (Rd 5-6)                                            Austin Pettis, WR, Boise State ( Rd4-5)

Dom DiCicco, SS (Rd 7)                                                 Marcus Gilbert, T, Florida (Rd 3-4)

Jason Pinkston, T ( Rd 3-4)

Take a good look. If the patter keeps up any where from 2-4 of these guy could be wearing the Black and Gold in the fall.

If I had to choose the three, I think that will be chosen ( either drafted or signed) I would say:

Cortez Allen CB, Da'rell Scott RB, Marcus Gilbert OT