First, tell me how you got started as a draft analyst?
Well, I was always a football fan, even as a small child. The Post Cereal Company use to have a contest to see who could guess the offensive and defensive rookies of the year. I guessed one of the two when I was five years old, in 1972. They sent me two LeRoy Neiman posters. The only help I got from my parents was with the postage.
I was taking notes on football since I was four-and-a-half years old. I’d write-up scouting reports in my notebook and my mother would look at them and wonder what they were. Later on I got a job at the Answer Newspaper covering local sports. But I’d put in my predictions for college football games and the draft. It was very different then than it is today. Draftniks was a new term – there weren’t many draftniks then. My hero was the late great Joel Buchsbaum. He had a show on KMOX in St. Louis with a young Bob Costas then and talked about the draft. Mel Kiper is a guy everyone knows but he just timed it right. But he can’t hold a candle to what Joel did. not to be disrespectful. Joel was like a savant. He knew something about every player in the world it seems.
I started reading Pro Football Weekly and decided to write to every team in the NFL. Only one got back to me – that was the Steelers – from Bill Nunn. He was the son of the founder of the Black-owned newspaper, the Pittsburgh Courier. He and I talked on and off over the years. He’s a guy who should be in the Hall of Fame. There’s been no one in the Hall of Fame who made it strictly as a career scout. Non one even nominated. But he should be – that should be rectified. There’s no Steelers dynasty without Bill Nunn. Take away five or six of those guys he brought…
What do you focus on most as a scout?
The closest I ever ended up getting to being in the NFL was as a grad assistant to Mackovic in Illinois. I worked with Lou Tepper too who knew so much about linebacker play- he had incredible experience.
So now I had to get a real job, but still go to pro days and the combine and focus on the under-or-miss evaluated player. Who needs a guy writing another report about Dwayne Haskins! I focus on the guys who should get more attention than they are. I’m not focused on the top 100. Not the ones there will be a million stories on.
Any thoughts on the Steelers draft and some of those guys that may align to the Steelers’ needs?
I think it’s multi-layered. The could use a running back. Benny Snell out of Kentucky just looks like a Steeler to me. He’s tough and just loves, loves football. It’s like it radiates out of him. That kind of player is what this team used to be built on. He loves football and is tough as hell. He’s early to practice and leaves late, not because he’s supposed to do that, but because he wants to. I think coaches will fall in love with him.
At inside linebacker a guy I really like is Khalil Hodge from Buffalo. I started paying more attention after Khalil Mack of course who was ridiculous. You don’t get that in Hodge but he’d be a terrific Steeler – what they look for at linebacker.
Zuril Hendrick at defensive back is another guy I like out of Edinboro. He’s 6’1″, 189 pounds and has long arms. He breaks up a ridiculous number of passes. He just feels like a Steeler to me too. You just get that feeling sometimes.
Another guy to help the pass rush is Oshane Ximines out of Old Dominion. Many had him around the fifth round but the word is out and I think he’s moved up to the bottom of the third right now. He’s a defensive end but at 248 pounds will most likely be an outside linebacker in a 3-4 defense in the NFL. But on this the Steelers really need to figure out what they want to be on defense. Tomlin is from the Dungy tree but they are a blitzing defense. They have to figure out what they want to be.
And if they happen to need a wide receiver, depending on how things shake out, Alex Wesley at Northern Colorado is a big, fast guy they may like. He was a track standout who got offers from D1 schools for track and broke records in high school. He’ll need a year or two to develop, but the Steelers develop wide receivers well. Just not defensive backs!
A couple of other guys. The Steelers are probably good at tight end but one I think would be an upgrade is Donald Parnham out of Stetson. He’s a big kid – a former basket player who cold be the next power forward to play tight end in the NFL. He also needs a year or two – he’s raw. I try to stay away from wild statements, but I think he can become one of the best tight ends in this class.
And at offensive line if the Steelers want some depth, I think there are some guys day two they may like. I don’t like the top of this class at offensive line – some people will overpay. A guy like Chris Lindstrom from Boston College would give you good value in the fourth or fifth round, as would Conner McGovern out of Penn State, who could fall and give you good value and be a solid pro.
Lastly, at defensive line, Gerald Willis III out of Miami can play the five and three technique – he can play all three positions on the line well. Another guy who really wants to play football and has fun when he plays. And that matters – you want those guys that really like and want to play football.
Talk to me a bit about the Steelers approach to drafting – what needs to change?
The Steelers used to be innovative, now they’re playing catch-up to other teams somewhat. They’re awakening to the use of analytics – they just haven’t figured out what to do with it yet.
They just recently hired an analytics guy right?
They did yes. Now they need to develop a framework for historical and longitudinal analysis on physical, productivity and even psychological data. They are working towards that process now. You have to work through the process. Sometimes you find that one test that says more about a player than what you think he is otherwise. They are two or three years away from solidifying a new way to do things. Right now it’s been a rollercoaster. They go from bust to hit.
The change will show when they don’t just take the next guy on the list. Instead of taking the next highest positional player, taking the next highest rated player. And being more strategic about using the draft board – better understanding valuation and maximizing value. They need to stop overpaying value to get a guy and miss out on opportunities for key players, instead of reaching for guys.