:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/45808286/usa-today-8230454.0.jpg)
Most scouts likely went to the University of Pittsburgh's Pro Day to see offensive tackle T.J. Clemmings, who is considered a top-20 draft pick. While the Steelers may not be in position to draft Clemmings, they do have the potential to select some home-grown talent later in the draft.
An interesting candidate who is reportedly having an excellent Pro Day is S Ray Vinopal. The senior safety ran his 40-yard dash in under 4.6 seconds, has a 35 inch vertical leap and finished with 26 reps on the bench press. Vinopal is 5-foot-10 and weighs just over 200 pounds, but those are measurables similar to Sharmarko Thomas and the legendary Troy Polamalu.
Obviously, a Polamalu comparison (or even Thomas) is extraordinarily premature, as Vinopal grades out extremely low in scouting reports, so much so that many pundits don't even have him slated as a selection in the draft.
Must Reads
In fact, the Steelers have made it abundantly clear they won't draft a player based solely on athletic measurements. Either way, Vinopal's 40 time would've placed him right in the middle of what the safeties at the Combine ran, while his 26 bench press reps were far more than the Combine's leader at the safety position.
At the very least, the Steelers could take a late-round flier on Vinopal, even choosing to take a greater look at him as an undrafted free agent if he escapes the draft. The Steelers secondary depth is relatively thin, and the team can do worse than taking a closer look at some local talent.