As we delve into the Pittsburgh Steelers offseason, our attention has now shifted to the 2016 NFL Draft as it relates to the prospects. From now until the draft takes place, we hope to profile as many draft prospects as we possibly can for you. Most of these player profiles will be centered around prospects the Steelers are likely to have interest in.
A breakdown of perhaps the top edge prospect in this year’s draft and one many Steelers’ fans have been asking for. Eastern Kentucky OLB Noah Spence.
#9 Noah Spence/OLB Eastern Kentucky: 6’2/5 254
The Good
– A+ athlete with an excellent get off, times the snap well and explosive first step
– Uses his hands well against the run, proper placement and capable of shedding
– Can win with his athleticism off the edge, flexibility to flatten and get upfield
– Aggressive, hungry player who attacks the football, looks for strip sack
– Versatile, played both sides, hand up and down, has experienced rushing out of left and right hand stance, appears to be left hand dominant
– Shows ability to counter, see it the more you watch, though still needs work on ability to set up his rushes
– Tons of upside and may only be scratching the surface of his potential
– Productive at FBS and FCS levels
The Bad
– Height/weight is fine but lacks length (31 inches, 74 inch wingspan), very much below average metrics
– Don’t have a ton of confidence in his ability to hold the point of attack or set physical edge in the run game
– Has to keep working on his counters, see speed rush too often and causes him to get run up the arc more than I’d like to see
– Hand use overall as a pass rusher is underdeveloped and he can get stuck on blocks,
– Needs to work on little things, become more detail-oriented, get hands up in throwing lanes as a pass rusher
– Didn’t drop a ton in college and will have to make position switch that requires it in the NFL
– Serious drug history, will have to be screened heavily, likely will be off some team’s boards
Bio
– 2015, lone year with EKU: 22.