Thursday was a busy day for the Steelers front office as not only did they announce the signing of backup defensive end Nick Eason but they also hosted 5 draft prospects. The group was headlined by Boston College offensive tackle Gosder Cherilus, who has been projected as a first- or second-round pick, but also included Texas A&M defensive tackle Joseph "Red" Bryant, Michigan State running back Jehuu Caulcrick, Hampton defensive end Kendall Langford and Kansas fullback Brandon McAnderson.
Gosder Cherilus: We've already previewed Cherilus' future prospects here.
Joseph "Red" Bryant: If you don't know much about this guy just consider this stat: during the 2006 season the A&M defense allowed just 75.35 yards per game in the eight games he played but allowed 229.2 yards per game in the five games that he missed due to injury. The 6'5 328 pound defensive tackle has been a team captain since his redshirt freshman season and during his senior season allowed 43 yards on 42 plays directed at him.
Jehuu Caulcrick: I've been touting Caulcrick for a while now and his poor postseason performance to this point means he'll likely be available very late in the draft or maybe even as an undrafted free agent. He did run a surprising 4.69 at the combine, which is pretty impressive for a RB/FB over 250 pounds. He excelled as a short yardage and goal line back at Michigan State scoring over 20 touchdowns his senior season.
Kendall Langford: Here's another guy that I've been touting since the end of the college season, Langford is the perfect size (6'5 287) for a 3-4 DE. He played well enough in the East West Shrine game that he was a late addition to the Senior Bowl roster and opened some eyes in both practice and during the game. The small school prospect is projected somewhere around the third round.
Brandon McAnderson: McAnderson was a tailback at Kansas but he'll likely have to switch to fullback at the next level or be confined to a power back role. He wasn't invited to the combine but ran a 4.91 at Kansas' pro day while weighing in at 240 pounds. He'll likely be a free agent after the draft.
It might be a bad sign for Najeh that the Steelers are looking at big tailbacks whose role in the NFL might be restricted to short yardage situations. With the addition of Moore, Najeh can't expect to keep his job if another tailback is added. Bryant and Langford are both guys who would fit in well to the Steelers DL and both have the size to contribute immediately, even if on a limited basis. So what do you guys think about these prospects? Anyone you'd like to see in Black and Gold next year?