Steelers Draft Watch: QB Pat Mahomes and CB Chidobe Awuzie
Let’s check out two Pittsburgh Steeler NFL Draft prospects: Texas Tech QB Pat Mahomes and Colorado CB Chidobe Awuzie.
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
In our next edition of Steeler NFL Draft Watch, we will be analyzing two prospects who have gotten off to rapid starts in 2016. Both Texas Tech’s Pat Mahomes and Colorado’s Chidobe Awuzie have had some spectacular performances that have caught the eye of NFL scouts. With both players sure to fly up draft boards in 2016, let’s analyze how these prospects would potentially fit on the Steelers’ roster.
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QB Pat Mahomes, Texas Tech
Ever heard of Pat Mahomes? If not, I would suggest a quick search on YouTube because he is one of the most exciting players to watch in College Football. With the potential to score from anywhere on the field, Pat Mahomes leads one of the most electric offenses in College Football, running head coach Kliff Kingsbury’s Air Raid attack.
Strengths
Some quarterbacks just have a special talent for creating plays that simply aren’t there. Johnny Manziel at Texas A&M, Brett Favre in Green Bay, Russell Wilson in Seattle, and Big Ben in Pittsburgh are recent examples. Having a quarterback with the ability to extend plays opens up so many additional dimensions for a team’s offense.
If you think you’ve seen Big Ben make some miraculous escapes from pressure, I guarantee you that none will compare to some of the Houdini-esque escapes that Mahomes has made in his short college career. Mahomes excels at feeling the pressure around him and making subtle movements to cleanly navigate throughout the pocket. Then, when the play breaks down, Mahomes has the ability to evade multiple defenders and escape the pocket. It is amazing how composed Mahomes remains despite the heaviest of pressures, as he somehow always keeps his eyes downfield while he is running for his life.
Additionally, Mahomes has an uncanny ability to throw accurate bullets while on the move. With his mesmerizing arm talent Mahomes can attack all levels of the defense even while on the run. Mahomes can execute throws while off-balance, on the run, and 15 yards behind the line of scrimmage unlike any quarterback I’ve ever seen.
Furthermore, due to his unique arm talent Mahomes can fit the ball into extremely small windows. Mahomes delivers his passes with exceptional velocity from an effortless and quick release. While many NFL evaluators may be initially put off by Mahomes quirky, side-armed throwing motion that he developed from his baseball career, it allows Mahomes to release the ball from a multitude of different angles.
With his cannon of an arm, remarkable pocket mobility, and ability to stretch the field, Mahomes has plenty of attributes to be excited about.
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Weaknesses
While Mahomes may dazzle you with his unique arm talent and pocket mobility, he has a plethora of holes in his game that cause concern. First of all, Mahomes needs to fix his accuracy across the board. Mahomes is inconsistent with his ball placement and touch on all levels of the field. While Mahomes may execute plays that other quarterback’s wouldn’t even dare to attempt, he also will miss throws that many average quarterbacks would easily execute.
Additionally, Mahomes will often get into trouble due to his refusal to quit on plays. This may remind you of a certain QB (looking at you Ben), as Mahomes rarely throws the ball away. Instead, Mahomes will force throws that aren’t there, often resulting in turnovers.
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Lastly, Mahomes has plenty of issues as far as mechanics and footwork are concerned. While I am not as discouraged by his unusual throwing motion as other evaluators are, his poor footwork is a huge red-flag. Mahomes will need to improve his balance and eradicate his poor habit of throwing off of his back foot. If Mahomes can shore up his technique and footwork issues, I believe his accuracy will drastically improve.
Fit
Mahomes is definitely a high risk-high reward prospect. However, he has never had a full offseason of football and NFL coaches may believe they can create a star out of his untapped potential. Mahomes is simply not in an ideal environment for his development due to Texas Tech’s Air Raid offense.
Because Mahomes has some of the same strengths and weaknesses that Roethlisberger had coming out of Miami (OH), I could definitely see the Steelers having interest in Mahomes. He has an enormous amount of potential, and with proper development he could be a middle round steal who develops into a star in Pittsburgh’s prolific offense.
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CB Chidobe Awuzie, Colorado
While Colorado hasn’t had a winning football season since 2005, the Buffaloes are off to a 2-0 start in 2016 behind the play of a strong senior class. Perhaps the leader of this Colorado squad is standout corner Chidobe Awuzie. Heading into his senior season, Awuzie started off with a bang, totaling 8 tackles, a pass deflection, and an interception in Colorado’s 44-7 blowout of rival Colorado State in their opener.
Strengths
Similar to both Desmond King and Jourdan Lewis, whom I previewed in early Draft Watch articles, Chidobe Awuzie can more than stand his ground in run support. In fact, Awuzie packs a punch and can deliver some jarring hits in run support. Awuzie takes fantastic angles in pursuit, and as a result he is an extremely reliable open field tackler. Additionally, Awuzie has no problem getting off blocks due to his physicality.
In coverage, Awuzie excels at multiple positions on the field. Awuzie does it all for Colorado, locking down receivers as an outside corner, from the slot, and as a safety. Awuzie thrives at these positions due to his quickness and footwork. As a corner Awuzie mirrors his target’s movements and rarely allows separation. Perhaps what is most impressive about Awuzie’s coverage abilities is his excellent eye discipline. Awuzie always has his eyes in the backfield, which allows him to read the quarterback and break on passes. This allows him to anticipate throws and jump routes on a consistent basis, making Awuzie a legitimate turnover threat.
Another fantastic aspect of Awuzie’s coverage ability is how he uses his hands to disrupt WR’s timing. From press coverage Awuzie routinely delivers a strong jam off the snap, and redirects his target to the sideline. Overall, Awuzie uses his physicality in coverage to frustrate opposing wide outs and lock down his targets.
Weaknesses
There is not much to dislike about Awuzie’s game. Awuzie is an experienced, hard working prospect who has improved each year at Colorado. However, Awuzie’s stock may be negatively affected by his program. Colorado is by no means a College Football powerhouse or yearly producer of NFL talent.
Therefore, Awuzie will have to prove to evaluators that his production is no fluke. Many NFL scouts will be closely watching how Awuzie defends these three WRs: Michigan’s Jehu Chesson, USC’s Juju Smith-Schuster, and Washington State’s Gabe Marks.
Fit
Awuzie’s fit is fairly obvious on the Steelers’ roster due to his physicality and coverage skills. Awuzie could help fix two of Pittsburgh’s biggest defensive issues: missed tackles in the secondary and defending premier WRs. Awuzie will surely be on the Steelers radar in the 2017 NFL Draft.
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