无毛视频

Apr 11, 2018 By Jim Wexell for The 5 min read

It became a topic of conversation whenever Chris Hubbard took practice reps as the Steelers无毛视频� third tight end.

Reporters knew that a backup tackle practicing there meant a Le无毛视频橵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 无毛视频� CLANG!

The ball fell to the ground and Hubbard never did get another pass thrown his way. In fact, he无毛视频檚 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无毛视频檚 wish that 无毛视频淲e could be better on third-down conversions and red-zone conversions.无毛视频�

To that end, who hasn无毛视频檛 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无毛视频� 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无毛视频檚 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无毛视频檚 pro day. Daniel watched the 6-4 1/2, 256-pounder with long, 34-inch arms drop only one pass as Goedert 无毛视频渟howed good burst and explosion in blocking drills,无毛视频� 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无毛视频檚 blocking isn无毛视频檛 close to what无毛视频檚 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无毛视频檚 Jaylen Samuels. He无毛视频檚 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 无毛视频� 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 无毛视频� 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无毛视频檚 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 无毛视频� and a former brutalizing blocker in his own right 无毛视频� 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无毛视频檚 an impressive blocker who无毛视频檚 played against a high level of competition as a three-year starter. He无毛视频檚 caught 54 career passes and averaged 14.1 yards per catch, and did improve that 40 time to 4.86 at FSU无毛视频檚 pro day.

A potential steal after the draft might be Wake Forest无毛视频檚 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无毛视频檛 invited to the Combine and ran a slow 4.97 40 at his pro day.

My take

My personal favorite is South Carolina无毛视频檚 Hayden Hurst, but he无毛视频檚 an unlikely candidate for the Steelers because he无毛视频檒l turn 25 before the season begins. He came to the game late after developing 无毛视频淪teve Blass disease无毛视频� as a Pirates pitching prospect. I can无毛视频檛 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 无毛视频� Durham Smythe, Notre Dame.

Sixth Round 无毛视频� Will Dissly, Washington; Ryan Izzo, Florida State.