Tomlin's keeping close eye on needs at Senior Bowl

MOBILE, Ala. -- It was no surprise that Mike Tomlin followed the quarterbacks around during last year's Senior Bowl practices. That made it even less surprising when Kenny Pickett was selected in the first round of the draft just a couple months later.

This time around, Tomlin isn't following around the quarterbacks. He's much more focused on the trenches, which is good for the Steelers for multiple reasons.

The Senior Bowl is a great place for NFL prospects to showcase their ability and elevate their draft stock. And so far, offensive linemen have been one of the talking points around Hancock Whitney Stadium through two days of practices. 

As good as the Steelers' running game was in the second half of the 2022 season, the offensive line could use some reinforcements to possibly become one of the better units in the league. Tomlin spent nearly the entirety of Tuesday's practices zeroing in on the linemen, and spent a good chunk of Wednesday's practices following them around again.

Ohio State's Dawand Jones stole the show on Tuesday with not only his impressive size at 6-8 and 350 pounds or his Senior Bowl record 89.5-inch wingspan, but for mauling defenders during one-on-one drills. And, you can safely bet that Tomlin had his nose right in the mix.

Jones came into Senior Bowl week as a projected third-round pick, but a standout first impression could have done wonders for his draft stock. However, Jones did not practice Wednesday for some sort of health issue. It's not yet been decided whether or not he will have to sit out of Saturday's game. If the health issue is minor, he still stands a chance to be an early-round draft pick and could be on the Steelers' radar.

But, Jones isn't the only tackle making an impression. There's some second-round hype around Tennessee's Darnell Wright, who could be a great fit at right tackle if the Steelers decide Chukwuma Okorafor's contract is too much. Wright told me Wednesday morning that he wants to 'show consistency' more than anything this week, and had some very good reps during pass rush drills later in the day.

However, no offensive lineman wins 100% of the reps during Senior Bowl week, and that was also the case with Wright. In particular, Iowa State's Will McDonald IV beat Wright on two consecutive reps, including this one with a ferocious spin move:

Either way, Wright is gaining some valuable experience, and having a coach with Tomlin's pedigree being right there in the players' ears is only a benefit for them.

"It was cool watching him enjoy some O-line play," Wright told me Wednesday morning. "He showed a lot of love. It was pretty enjoyable."

Even ahead of the Senior Bowl, there has been some attention on North Dakota State tackle Cody Mauch. His run-blocking prowess already makes him an intriguing prospect for the Steelers' running scheme which relies a bit more on zone and not as many gap schemes. As mentioned in our setup for this week, Mauch admitted he's being pursued more as a guard and even possibly a center by most NFL teams. Because of that, Mauch worked out at guard on Tuesday and went back and forth between guard and center on Wednesday.

No matter what he's asked to do, Mauch is confident his game can translate well to the NFL.

"I think I'm a smart player," Mauch told me Wednesday morning. "I can pick up a playbook pretty well. But also, not even looking at what scheme I could fit because I could fit into a gap scheme or a zone scheme. If you have the mentality of just finishing all the time, I think it's going to pay off for any team."

Part of that finishing is getting to the second and third levels of the defense, which Mauch stressed during morning meetings with reporters. Here's a rep during team play where Mauch was lined up at left guard and quickly chipped his first assignment then drew a defensive holding penalty with his quickness getting to the second level:

But, with as much time as Tomlin spent focusing on the offensive linemen, he spent some time watching the cornerbacks on Wednesday -- even during National Team practice in which secondary coach Grady Brown is the defensive coordinator. Of course, Tomlin made sure Brown was sent to Mobile to help evaluate players for the Steelers, but the head coach is going to do his due diligence as well.

And, Wednesday was a good day to check out the cornerbacks because Stanford's Kyu Blu Kelly had himself a day. In fact, if Jones was the talk of the town on Tuesday, Kelly earned that right on Wednesday. 

Kelly picked off two passes during Wednesday's practice, and nearly reeled in a third while jumping a route with exceptional timing. His second interception of the day closed out a team session in which he ripped the ball from his Stanford teammate, Elijah Higgins (the play happens on the far side of the field). That earned quite the reaction from Brown's National Team defense:

Kelly is ranked No. 122 on Pro Football Focus' big board, which would put him as a potential fourth-round pick. However, this is why weeks like these are so important for prospects and teams alike. It's a chance to get their eyes up close on players. It's invaluable to have Tomlin there, saying words here and there to players.

Specifically for Kelly, his father, Brian Kelly, won a Super Bowl while playing under Tomlin when he served as the Buccaneers' secondary coach. Brian had an 11-year career and led the NFL with eight interceptions in 2002. So, there's definitely some history there. And, cornerback is one of the deepest positions in this year's draft, which gives Pittsburgh a chance to address the position in just about any round.

Going back to the trenches, Tomlin's also been seen chatting it up with some defensive linemen, including Georgia Tech's Keion White. While he's listed as an edge rusher, White has the size at 6-5 and 280 pounds to play inside in the Steelers' sub-packages or as a defensive end in their base 3-4. White's a projected second-round pick, and his versatility could be a nice addition to the roster.

"That's what I've showcased throughout my career," White told me Wednesday morning. "I feel like I've always shown I can be adaptable and learn new schemes."

Wisconsin's Keeanu Benton also been quite impressive during the first two days of practice, and from some rumblings I've heard in Mobile, he's on the Steelers' radar. At 6-3, 312 pounds, Benton is a traditional nose tackle that can eat some space in the running game. But, he's showing on the practice field that he can add another level to his pass rush.

With more NFL teams transitioning back to more run-heavy offenses, having a space-eater such as Benton could be a way for the Steelers to get ahead of the curve. And, if Benton can show the tools for a pass rush at the NFL level, he could be more than just a nose tackle in the Steelers' defense.

Last year, the Steelers had one main focus at the Senior Bowl, and it was blatantly obvious. This year, watching Tomlin really focus on the trenches, but also making his way over to the cornerbacks really shows what the Steelers are prioritizing with the draft coming up in April. And it's very good for the Steelers that most of the players that are showing well in practice play positions of need.

No team ever gets all of their "guys" in a draft. But, having Tomlin, Brown, Brian Flores and assistant outside linebackers coach Denzel Martin all on the field to observe these players bodes very well for how they construct their big board when April comes around.