Behind the Steel Curtain
The black and gold need speed - could they target the fastest player in the class?
The stakes will be high for 329 prospects as the NFL Combine gets underway from Indianapolis this week. The annual event will take place from February 24 through March 3rd. Scales, measuring tape, and each blade of grass will significantly impact where each prospect is selected. Here are five polarizing players I’m excited to watch.
Bond has had one of the strangest college careers in recent memory.
In 2023, he led Alabama in receiving, hauling in 48 passes for 668 yards. He decided to take his talents to Austin, transferring to the Texas Longhorns in the offseason, likely due to NIL. But his production fell off significantly. Just 34 receptions are hard to digest for such a talented player with above-average quarterback play. He was rumored to be playing through an injury towards the end of the year, but didn’t miss time.
But the reason he has scouts salivating is because of his speed.
He has his sights set on another former Texas wideout, Xavier Worthy’s forty-time record, one of the most electric moments in combine history - a performance that likely vaulted him into the first round:
An NFL scout recently texted ESPN’s Matt Miller, writing “I think (Bond) might be faster than Worthy.”
Woah, baby.
But Worthy had 192 catches over three years compared to just 92 for Bond. That translated quickly to the NFL, as he led the Kansas City Chiefs receivers in yards, catches, and TDs.
If Bond does run the fastest recorded forty-yard dash, could he vault into the late first round, just like his predecessor?
Milroe will likely be the most talked about prospect at this event. Whenever you turn on your television, you’re likely to get a heavy dosage of the Alabama signal-caller. I’ve seen him mocked anywhere from the first to the third round.
He’s very erratic - tossing 11 INTs on just 319 attempts in his final season. For comparison, former Michigan QB JJ McCarthy, who Milroe went head-to-head against in the CFB playoff last season, threw 11 in 38 games.
There’s already concerning news out of his camp. At the senior bowl we learned that Milroe has 8 3/4-inch hands. No starting NFL quarterback last season had hands smaller than 9 inches.
The only smaller hands in recent memory? Hmm. That would be former Steelers starter and first-round pick, Kenny Pickett, who measured at 8- 1/2 inches.
But unlike Pickett, Milroe has game-breaking speed and a strong arm.
Does hand size matter as much when that’s the case?
By now I’m sure you’ve read plenty about Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty, or Ohio State’s TreyVeon Henderson, who could both be first-round picks. But Harvey is someone who is gaining steam in the mid-rounds, a spot where the Steelers should focus on adding another back.
He’s a smaller back, standing...
