UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- The Steelers' new defensive backs coach, Tom Bradley, was back on Penn State's campus on Tuesday for pro day, his first time back in Holuba Hall since his days as Penn State's interim head coach in 2011.
Bradley was among a large contingent of Steelers representatives on hand to watch Penn State's NFL hopefuls work out. It was a group that also included general manager Kevin Colbert. The Steelers typically have been at Penn State pro day in years past given the proximity, but I can't recall them having as many people there as they did this year. With at least three representatives on hand, they scribbled down notes, chatted with prospects and mingled with other team's scouts.
At one point, Colbert pulled middle linebacker Jason Cabinda aside and earlier in the day chatted between drills with safety Marcus Allen. While this was among Penn State's largest crop of combine participants -- both in quality and quantity -- the Steelers didn't look like they were there simply just to be there.
"When you go through this process you hear from almost every team and some teams you hear from more than others," said wide receiver DaeSean Hamilton who posted a 4.52-second 40-yard dash. "There's a good mix of guys I've talked to over and over again, like the Colts, the Giants and the Steelers," Hamilton said. "At the end of the day, though, a whole different team could come and get me."
Of course they could, and that's what makes the draft an emotional roller coaster for all involved. But Hamilton, a projected fourth-round pick, had his stock rise since he performed well at the Senior Bowl after being a late addition to the game. He didn't run at the combine but turned in his fastest time ever on pro day, checking off the biggest question that teams had about him. Hamilton's senior season was sneaky good, so much so that his numbers were very similar to those posted by Tampa Bay's Chris Godwin during his junior season that catapulted him to the league a year early.
Pitt fans will remember Hamilton as the guy whose worst career drop will haunt him for years to come. Still, wouldn't that be a weird turn of events should his NFL career start in the stadium where his college career hit its lowest point?
Representatives from all 32 NFL teams were in Holuba Hall on Tuesday and Penn State's performance at the NFL Scouting Combine, one where the team took home the most medals among all college football teams -- with first, second and third place finishes in all the combine events all getting a medal -- makes for good reason why there was so much interest. Of course, Saquon Barkley is the headliner in this Penn State draft class, but Barkley didn't do anything on Tuesday other than watch his teammates.
Still, all the scouts stayed to get a closer look at rangy cornerback Christian Campbell, explosive tight end Mike Gesicki and Hamilton, among others. Colbert pulled Allen aside, the player who blocked the field goal that Grant Haley returned for a touchdown against Ohio State. With 3.5 years of starting experience under his belt and family ties to Pittsburgh, what did Allen have to say about his brief chat with the Steelers' GM?
"He's a really good guy," Allen, a projected fourth-round pick, said. "He's humble and I like him a lot."
While the always enthusiastic Allen was giddy about visiting Gatorland in Florida with Barkley for the filming of the popular show "Hey Rookie," we'll find out soon enough whether the Steelers like the hard-hitting safety enough to take a gamble on him in the draft. They'd likely know what they're in for, too, since Allen trained back home in Maryland since his high school days with Steelers safety Sean Davis. The two are still in contact, and have been since Allen was the young kid getting thrown into the workouts with Davis at the training complex in Maryland.
Cabinda, the middle linebacker who likely will need to make a name for himself on special teams to stick in the league, is a projected seventh-rounder who could become an undrafted free agent. Teams are always looking to get as familiar as possible with potential undrafted guys, trying to see if just maybe they'd impress enough to earn an invite to rookie minicamp.
Whether or not that invitation for some of these guys comes in the form of a quick drive down the road to the Rooney Sports Complex remains to be seen.
• The Steelers upgraded the secondary with the addition of versatile safety Morgan Burnett to the tune of a three-year, $14.5-million contract. Burnett was a mainstay on a Green Bay defense that more often than not during his time there often left him hung out to dry. The lack of a pass rush was usually the issue there and Burnett showed that when healthy -- which is a big if, as he hasn't played a full season since 2012 -- he is reliable on the back end. Still, the former third-round pick has to stay healthy, which has been the biggest knock on his time in the league.
• Keep an eye on how Baker Mayfield does in the NFL Draft and of course during his rookie season because that very well could be an indicator of how Trace McSorley is viewed during next year's NFL Draft. They're similar-style quarterbacks, with McSorley's big arm likely going to put him in the Heisman race -- at least from the get-go -- next season. Should Mayfield thrive, then don't worry much about McSorley's measurables. McSorley watched Penn State's pro day from the side and it should be very interesting to see what his NFL stock is following his senior season.
• The film that NFL scouts have wanted to go over most with Campbell, a Penn State cornerback, was from this past year's Pitt game. It's an interesting choice considering they have a full Big Ten slate of games to choose from and film against speedster Dante Pettis in the Fiesta Bowl.
"That's the footage that kept popping up," Campbell said of the Pitt game. "(They ask) why did we do this? Why did we do that? They were asking me about other people and our responsibilities like what the linebacker is doing and stuff like that."
• I've been asking around this same question because I don't have the answer to it and I'm curious to hear your take on it. Where does Penn State's wrestling dynasty -- seven national titles in eight years -- rank in the record books of all-time great college sports achievements? It's a remarkable dynasty that's approaching UCLA-level stuff. I guess we'd have to try and separate the difference between perennial contenders and a dynasty, but in an individual sport, this wrestling run has to be right up there.
• My bracket has been ripped to shreds -- with the exception of the DKPittsburghSports one where I picked Villanova -- and I couldn't be happier about it. This tournament has already been among the most entertaining, if not the most entertaining, that I can remember. And, kudos to Virginia's Tony Bennett who gracefully explained why his team was bounced. Rather than vowing to check the film or picking any other coaching cliche under the sun, he owned up to the loss in a way that should be a teaching tool for coaches at all levels.
"We got our butts whipped," Bennett said in his TV interview immediately following the historic defeat. "That was not even close. That’s first a credit to the job Ryan did, Coach Odom. Their offense was very hard to guard. They shot it well. We kept getting broken down and did a poor job. I told our guys, we had a historic season. A historic season in terms of most wins in the ACC. A week ago we’re cutting down the nets and the confetti is falling. And then we make history by being the first one-seed to lose. I’m sure a lot of people will be happy about that. And it stings. I told the guys, this is life. It can’t define you. You enjoyed the good times and you gotta be able to take the bad times. When you step into the arena, the consequences can be historic losses, tough losses, great wins, and you have to deal with it. That’s the job."
That's refreshing.