Former Penn State RB Miles Sanders 1 of 5 players to visit Steelers | TribLIVE.com
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Former Penn State RB Miles Sanders 1 of 5 players to visit Steelers

Joe Rutter
| Monday, April 1, 2019 12:38 p.m.
AP
Penn State running back Miles Sanders runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Friday, March 1, 2019.

For a team that is expected to focus heavily on defense in the early rounds of the NFL Draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers started their pre-draft visitor process Monday by hosting five players from the offensive side of the ball.

Visiting the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex were running backs Miles Sanders (Woodland Hills/Penn State) and Damien Harris (Alabama), tight end Alize Mack (Notre Dame) and wide receivers Andy Isabella (Massachusetts) and Dillon Mitchell (Oregon).

The Steelers can host up to 30 players in this three-week process prior to the draft.

Although the Steelers lost Le’Veon Bell in free agency, they drafted James Conner in 2017 and Jaylen Samuels in 2018. Conner will enter training camp as a starter, with Samuels serving as his backup. Still, the Steelers brought in two of the nation’s top-rated running backs for a visit.

According to CBS Sports, Harris is the No. 2-ranked running back in the class, trailing only Crimson Tide teammate Josh Jacobs.

Harris was a three-year starter at Alabama and led the Crimson Tide with 876 rushing yards as a senior while scoring nine touchdowns and catching 22 passes for 204 yards.

Sanders is the sixth-rated running back on CBS Sports’ list. The Woodland Hills graduate left Penn State after his junior season, following in the footsteps of Nittany Lions teammate Saquon Barkley, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2018 class.

As a junior, Sanders rushed for 1,274 yards and nine touchdowns on 220 carries. He also caught 24 passes for 139 yards and was named Penn State’s most valuable offensive player.

With the trade of Antonio Brown to the Oakland Raiders, the Steelers are seeking depth at receiver. Isabella is a 5-foot-9, 188-pound slot receiver who ran the 40-yard dash in 4.31 seconds at the NFL Combine. His only Division I offer was from Massachusetts after he won the Ohio state title in the 100-yard dash and ran the top time in the nation with a 6.72-seconds time in the 60.

As a college senior, Isabella led all FBS receivers with 141.5 yards per game, totaling 1,698 yards. He had 102 catches and 13 touchdowns in 12 games. He also was used as a runner and punt returner.

Mitchell, at 6-1, 197 pounds, is more of a prototypical outside receiver. He ran a 4.46 40 at the NFL Combine. Mitchell exited college after his junior year when he led the Pac 12 with a school-record 1,184 receiving yards. He caught 75 passes and had 10 touchdowns.

CBS Sports ranks Isabella as the No. 12 receiver in the draft and Mitchell at No. 23.

The Steelers could be in the market for a tight end in the middle rounds of the draft as a result of backup Jesse James signing with the Detroit Lions.

The 6-4, 249-pound Mack is considered the No. 12 tight end, according to CBS Sports. Mack produced modest numbers in his final year at Notre Dame, catching 36 passes for 360 yards and three touchdowns.


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