The Pittsburgh Steelers fell short of their goal of hoisting a Lombardi Trophy again in 2023, and while other teams might be headed to the Super Bowl, Head Coach Mike Tomlin (like 29 other NFL coaches) is working on his 2024 rebuild. One of the first things head coaches and their staff do during the offseason is attend the Reese's Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama.
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Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin.
The Reese's Senior Bowl is the largest scouting event of the offseason except for the NFL Combine. Since arriving at the event, Tomlin has had a chance to witness some of the best players in college football. The young draft prospects are hoping to increase their stock by performing well during the game and the practices the week prior. The practices give the coaches a chance to interact a bit with the players and see who they are as humans, as well as football players.
Social media talk surrounding the Steelers has been filled with two items: the hiring of new Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith, and speculation on what Tomlin thinks of the players he sees in Mobile. Tomlin has shown a lot of love to the defensive linemen he has seen, knowing this is a definite need for the team moving forward, but the offense made sure they got the attention of the Super Bowl-winning coach too.
Steelers' Mike Tomlin Had A Request For A Michigan Star
According to a video from DK Pittsburgh Sports, Tomlin made a request of Roman Wilson, the superstar wide receiver who just helped the University of Michigan win a CFP National Championship.
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Michigan wide receiver Roman Wilson was a stand out for the Wolverines.
Wilson, who is originally from Hawaii, led the Wolverines in receiving yards (789) and in touchdowns (12) during the 2023 season. He spent four years at Michigan and declared for the draft shortly after their season ended. When the Pittsburgh reporter from DK stopped Wilson, he asked him about his interaction with Tomlin.
"I was coming through the Steelers and he was leaving and Mike Tomlin pulled both of us aside and was like, 'Make sure y'all go against each other' and [Quinyon] Mitchell definitely took that too serious," said Wilson. "We pretty much did every single one-on-one rep together. He's a very, very good player, very competitive, wants to win. I want to win. We were going at it. As soon as I saw him step up in that practice, I knew he was going to call me out. I think he's a great guy, he's a tempo setter."
That great guy is the exceptional cornerback out of the University of Toledo, Quinyon Mitchell. Mitchell is currently projected to be a first round draft pick in 2024. Mitchell's stock has been on the rise in Mobile, with reports saying he is locking down everyone he goes up against, proving to be the kind of ball-hawk NFL teams covet.
Tomlin, who is a big fan of saying, 'Iron sharpens iron,' clearly saw an opportunity to have two of the best go up against each other.
The reporter asked Wilson if his former head coach, Jim Harbaugh (who recently left Michigan to take the head coaching job with the Los Angeles Chargers), had indicated if he plans to try to draft him. Wilson said that he believes they are interested in him. Wilson went on to say how much he enjoyed his interactions with Tomlin.
"I met him a couple of times when I was younger. It's kind of like, I didn't feel like he's a coach. I feel like he's just like a dude out there, like a guy I can go up and talk to and kind of just have a conversation with. So it was very casual."
He added that he has had the opportunity to meet with the Steelers since the practices kicked off in Mobile. As for what it is like to have a coach as revered as Tomlin asking you to go get after it with another player, you just heed what the man tells you and be grateful for the advice.
"A guy like that gives you advice and you know he's not just saying that, because as of right now, you know that's a DB that's doing really good, I'm a receiver that's doing really good, we're just making each other better," said Wilson.
The Steelers have been put all over the board in the early mock drafts that have come out so far. This includes them taking a quarterback such as Caleb Williams or Michael Penix. However, the most common positions that the media seem to agree that the Steelers need to focus on are defensive line, cornerback, and offensive tackle.
The organization is well known for considering the best player available, because like a lot of teams, the Steelers have a lot of needs. Wilson is certainly an exciting prospect and is projected to go in the second or third round.
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The Steelers could target first round project Quinyon Mitchell out of Toledo.
All this just means is that the Steelers could look at both Wilson and Mitchell. Mitchell has obviously also gotten the Steelers' attention and could possibly be available when the Steelers pick at 20.
Who do you want to see the Steelers take in the draft? Click to comment below.
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