Steelers take look at tight end, guard as predraft visits continue
For the second day in a row, the Pittsburgh Steelers met with a tight end who could fit into their plans as a second-day NFL Draft pick.
San Jose State’s Josh Oliver, a potential third-round selection, was one of two players to visit with the Steelers on Wednesday at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex. The Steelers also hosted LSU guard Garrett Brumfield.
The Steelers hosted LSU tight end Foster Moreau one day earlier and have visited with three tights ends — Notre Dame’s Alize Mack was the other — in the predraft process.
With Jesse James signing with the Detroit Lions, the Steelers are targeting a player to fill the backup spot.
Oliver is 6-foot-5, 249 pounds and on his NFL draft profile, he was compared to Steelers starter Vance McDonald.
Oliver had a team-high 56 catches as a senior and totaled 709 yards with four touchdowns. He had 35 catches as a junior and started nine games as a sophomore.
Brumfield (6-4, 303) missed four games last season with a knee injury. He returned and started the final five games of the year. In 45 career games, he made 22 starts. He was not invited to the NFL Combine.
The Steelers have hosted 27 players in the predraft process, including three local visitors that don’t count against their 30-player allotment.
Of the 27 visitors, the Steelers have hosted six linebackers, five running backs, five cornerbacks, three wide receivers, three safeties, three tight ends, one defensive end and one offensive lineman.
Here is the list of players the Steelers previously hosted:
APRIL 1: RB Miles Sanders (Penn State), RB Damien Harris (Alabama), TE Alize Mack (Notre Dame), WR Andy Isabella (UMass), WR Dillon Mitchell (Oregon)
APRIL 2: RB Mike Weber (Ohio State), RB Jordan Scarlett (Florida), RB Travis Homer (Miami), WR Miles Boykin (Notre Dame), LB David Long (West Virginia)
APRIL 3: S Ugo Amadi (Oregon), S Darnell Savage (Maryland), LB Jordan Brailford (Oklahoma State), LB Ben Burr-Kirven (Washington)
APRIL 4: S Dravon Henry (West Virginia), CB Sean Bunting (Central Michigan), LB Ulysses Gilbert III (Akron), LB Gary Johnson (Texas)
APRIL 5: CB Justin Laynes (Michigan State), CB Rock Ya-Sin (Temple)
APRIL 8: CB Deandre Baker (Georgia), CB Byron Murphy (Washington), OLB Ben Banogu (TCU)
APRIL 9: TE Foster Moreau (LSU); DE Charles Omenihu (Texas).
Joe Rutter is a TribLive reporter who has covered the Pittsburgh Steelers since the 2016 season. A graduate of Greensburg Salem High School and Point Park, he is in his fifth decade covering sports for the Trib. He can be reached at jrutter@triblive.com.
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