Mobile, Alabama. – It’s so beautiful here. If you’ve never been to Mobile, Alabama, it’s one of my favorite small towns in America. There’s history, there’s culture, there’s Mardi Gras, and we’ll be in town for the entire NFL Senior Bowl for one week in February. This was my fourth senior box and I’m looking forward to being back here in 2025.
I love the people, the food and chatting with the best and brightest footballers from around the country. Nick Farabaugh and I have written a lot and will continue to do so in the coming days and weeks leading up to the 2024 NFL Draft. But I wanted to end the weekend here with some final thoughts on the Steelers in the Senior Bowl.People love to hire
Arthur Smith.My approach to Tuesday’s second practice session was severely limited by the news that the Steelers had hired offensive coordinator Arthur Smith midway through the year. Smith’s hiring doesn’t appear to have been widely approved in Pittsburgh, but when I spoke to some of the smartest people in mobile gaming, most seemed to think it would be a move that would work well for the Steelers. .
Smith is highly regarded in coaching circles, so he can relate. But I think there’s a general feeling that the team’s roster and Smith’s style work well together, bringing out the best in each other.Steelers HC Mike Tomlin is still a top rock star.I know there is a significant percentage of people in the 412 or 724 area codes who want someone else to coach the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2024.
But my appreciation for Tomlin is on a whole other level when he leaves town. Even after a few flashy years, he’s still treated like one of the celebrities whenever he’s around the league. We asked several Senior Bowl attendees if there was a moment when they were truly shocked that they were one step closer to pursuing a lifelong dream and playing in the NFL. The unanimous answer to that question was that they met for the first time this week, meeting at the table with Steelers coach Mike Tomlin.
No NFL coach is as involved in the Senior Bowl process as Tomlin. As you know, he will take center stage at the combine and pro games as well. In his own words, he is a “football fan” and the fact that he has spent more time on the pitch and in meetings this week than any other manager shows how absurd it is for us to accept his ideas. Seriously out of the game.
Senior Bowl quarterbacks stink and it’s bad news for the Steelers.I’m not a scout, but I’m fully aware that what we’ve seen from the quarterback position this week is not good. I talked to several scouts a week and didn’t hear a good word about the game from almost every quarterback.Spencer Rattler may be an exception as I believe he has increased his draft stock from mid-day 3 to early day. Michael Pratt is someone I respect more than anyone and he lived up to my expectations. You could count Florida State’s Jordan Travis among those players, but that doesn’t give the Steelers many options at quarterback in this draft class. I’ve been waiting this week to hear the Steelers’ plans to trade Mitch Trubisky and sign a veteran in the draft. Now I’m not sure. The offensive line has real depth.There were also many good attackers who were not on mobile.
Top 10 picks Joe Alt and Olu Fashanu were waived. Later, probably in the first round, JC Latham, Amarius Mims went over Mobile. Tackle Troy Fautanou and centers Cedric Van Pram and Graham Barton were injured and unable to play. If you see a group on mobile, add that group. WHEW. This is a deep, deep offensive line class. Even the guards the Steelers don’t need look good to me. Omar Khan and Andy Weld seem to want to build from within. This could be a big year for your strategy.Overall, the Steelers should do well with the strengths of this class, with the likely exceptions being quarterback and quarterback. Pay attention to the negotiationThe general consensus on this draft class is that there is depth at certain positions, but not overall, and the trade implications, always favored by analytically minded draft experts, could be a tougher sell this year.
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