The NCAA Pro Day schedule is slowing down, but this means NFL teams are ramping up their official pre-draft visits for potential prospects. Teams can have around 30 pre-draft visits, and rumors are starting to swirl regarding players teams will be bringing in.
The latest rumor surrounding the Pittsburgh Steelers is how they will be hosting cornerback Duke Dawson of Florida for one of those 30 pre-draft visits.
.@GatorsFB DB Duke Dawson has private meetings and/or workouts scheduled with the #Steelers, #Panthers, #Saints and #Buccaneers.#NFLDraft2018 #GoGators
— Justin M (@JustinM_NFL) March 25, 2018
Many people believe the Steelers, for once, don’t need to look at cornerback in the upcoming NFL Draft. After all, with Joe Haden, Artie Burns, Mike Hilton, Cameron Sutton, Coty Sensabaugh and Brian Allen all slated to return next season, you have to wonder where they would fit.
Then again, the Steelers never abide by the ‘too much talent’ philosophy when it comes to the draft. They stick by their ‘Best Player Available’ guns as much as possible.
One aspect of Dawson’s game which probably intrigued the Steelers is his versatility. Dawson played both inside and outside for the Gators, and while his combine results don’t jump off the page at you, he is more than capable of playing at the NFL level.
He is projected to be a 3rd or 4th round prospect, and Lance Zierlein of NFL.com had this to say about Dawson as a prospect:
Compact, strong slot corner who can beat up finesse receivers when he’s allowed to crowd and disrupt the route release. Dawson can match and blanket underneath, but hip tightness shows up when he’s forced to turn and run from a backpedal. Dawson can handle himself in man or zone coverage and is ready to work when run support calls. He has some length and speed limitations, but he has the instincts and cover talent to become a starting nickel cornerback.
Stay tuned to BTSC for the latest on the news, and rumors, surrounding the black-and-gold as they continue to press on towards the NFL Draft.