Steelers hoping pass-catching TE could help red zone woes
It became a topic of conversation whenever Chris Hubbard took practice reps as the Steelers鈥� third tight end.
Reporters knew that a backup tackle practicing there meant a Le鈥橵eon Bell-heavy game plan was forthcoming, but it was a chance to tease Hubbard about his pass-catching skills. After all, Hubbard had to at least be a minimal receiving threat, and he promised that he was.
Well, the test finally came during the practice week of the playoff game. Ben Roethlisberger threw Hubbard a short pass, and 鈥� CLANG!
The ball fell to the ground and Hubbard never did get another pass thrown his way. In fact, he鈥檚 out of Pittsburgh, banished to Cleveland as an opposing right tackle. The Steelers are left looking for a replacement as a swing tackle as much as they are a true blocking tight end.
Of course, the Steelers could fool everyone and tap an explosive threat to satisfy Art Rooney II鈥檚 wish that 鈥淲e could be better on third-down conversions and red-zone conversions.鈥�
To that end, who hasn鈥檛 watched Mike Gesicki the last couple of years and wondered whether he, the 6-5 1/2, 247-pounder from Penn State, could be the answer to all of the Steelers鈥� mediocrity in the red zone the last few years?
Gesicki has outstanding athleticism. At the NFL Combine, he ran a 4.54 40 with a 41.5-inch vertical, 6.76 3-cone and 4.10 short shuttle. And Gesicki鈥檚 nine touchdowns last season puts Jimmy Graham-like cache behind his name.
Then again, Gesicki is more receiver than blocker. Way, way more.
Reports are that Dallas Goedert of South Dakota State would provide similar offensive firepower. Tight ends coach James Daniel found his way to Brookings, South Dakota, to watch Goedert鈥檚 pro day. Daniel watched the 6-4 1/2, 256-pounder with long, 34-inch arms drop only one pass as Goedert 鈥渟howed good burst and explosion in blocking drills,鈥� according to the Argus Leader.
As a three-year starter for the Jackrabbits, Goedert caught 198 passes (15.1 average) and scored 21 touchdowns. Last season he caught 72 passes for 1,111 yards and seven touchdowns as he worked his way into first-round consideration.
But, Goedert鈥檚 blocking isn鈥檛 close to what鈥檚 needed out of a Steelers tight end, particularly for an organization that focuses on Power 5 conference athletes in the first round.
Tyler Conklin (6-3, 254) might be the best tight end with pro blocking skills. Out of Central Michigan, the two-year starter caught 83 passes at 14.0 yards per catch and 11 touchdowns and is regarded as a fourth-round candidate.
Marcus Baugh (6-3 1/2, 247) comes out of Ohio State where he had to block in-line. The fifth-round prospect ran a 4.77 40 at his pro day and caught 28 passes last season at 10.9 per catch with five touchdowns.
One of the more intriguing prospects is North Carolina State鈥檚 Jaylen Samuels. He鈥檚 not even 6 feet tall (5-11 1/2, 225) but was an effective short-yardage runner in addition to his H-back blocking and catching duties. But Samuels is more of a luxury item for teams in the third or fourth round.
The Steelers are likely to focus on a blocker, and one of a trio of late-round candidates 鈥� Durham Smythe (6-5 3/8, 253) of Notre Dame, Will Dissly (6-3 3/4, 262) of Washington and Ryan Izzo (6-4 5/8, 256) of Florida State 鈥� is more apt to wind up in Pittsburgh.
Smythe could go anywhere from the fourth to seventh round after starting the last two seasons for the Irish. He鈥檚 a polished blocker but has short (31 3/4) arms, ran a 4.81 40 and caught only 15 passes last season.
Dissly is a converted defensive lineman whose aggressive blocking caught the eye of Steelers scout 鈥� and a former brutalizing blocker in his own right 鈥� Mark Bruener, who also went to Washington. Dissly is a late-rounder with 4.87 speed, but he has long (33 1/4) arms and hauled in 21 passes (13.8 avg.) last season as a novice at the position.
Izzo fell off the face of the prospect list with a 4.94 Combine 40, but he鈥檚 an impressive blocker who鈥檚 played against a high level of competition as a three-year starter. He鈥檚 caught 54 career passes and averaged 14.1 yards per catch, and did improve that 40 time to 4.86 at FSU鈥檚 pro day.
A potential steal after the draft might be Wake Forest鈥檚 Cam Serigne (6-2 1/8, 240), who caught 174 passes (11.9 avg.) and scored 21 touchdowns as a four-year starter. He wasn鈥檛 invited to the Combine and ran a slow 4.97 40 at his pro day.
My take
My personal favorite is South Carolina鈥檚 Hayden Hurst, but he鈥檚 an unlikely candidate for the Steelers because he鈥檒l turn 25 before the season begins. He came to the game late after developing 鈥淪teve Blass disease鈥� as a Pirates pitching prospect. I can鈥檛 see the Steelers drafting Gesicki or Goedert in the first rounds because of their limited and/or weak blocking skills, but I do anticipate them drafting a blocker late at this position.
Value board
Fifth Round 鈥� Durham Smythe, Notre Dame.
Sixth Round 鈥� Will Dissly, Washington; Ryan Izzo, Florida State.