After five months of waiting, Pittsburgh Steelers week has finally arrived. Friday night’s game may not count in the standings, but it means everything to rookies like linebacker Keion Adams. Don’t tell rookie cornerback Brian Allen it’s a meaningless game either. For both Adams and Allen, these games are equivalent to a job interview. Their performances will determine how long they get to live out their dreams.
Pittsburgh Steelers Preseason Week One What to Watch for: Keion Adams and Brian Allen
Despite all of their potential, the margin of error for later round picks is minimal at best. Friday night, the focus will be on rookies like T.J. Watt, James Conner, and Josh Dobbs, but it’s Allen and Adams you need to be watching. Why is that? Because they both are capable of making an impact on defense.
Had Adams gone to a big school like Georgia, he may have gone higher in the draft. He was projected by NFL.com draft analyst Lance Zeirlein to possibly go in the fifth round. Keith Butler and Joey Porter are pleased that the Western Michigan product fell to them in the seventh round. Both coaches are impressed with his work ethic, motor, and how much he has progressed.
Keion Adams Shadows A Legend
Upon his arrival in Pittsburgh, Adams quickly struck up a friendship with Watt. Everyday they have studied and pushed each other to get better. They constantly ask each other questions to stay on top of their assignments. When Adams isn’t with Watt, he is learning all he can from James Harrison. Friday night, Keion will finally get to apply what he has learned against the Giants.
With their fifth round pick last May, the Steelers went with a cornerback out of Utah. Brian Allen isn’t your typical cornerback either. He is fast, athletic, and just happens to be a 6’3″, 215 pound former wide receiver. It’s rare that you come across one of these, especially in the fifth round. Understandably, Carnell Lake is very happy to have him.
Carnell Lake On Brian Allen
Talking about Allen after the draft, Lake said that he was particularly impressed with his tackling and overall physical play.
“He’s shown the ability to get up in a receiver’s face and he’s done a good job of pressing the receivers, disrupting receivers at the line of scrimmage,” Lake said. “A guy that’s got a 35 inch vertical, and he’s 6’3″, he’s a good jumper with good ball skills — it’s going to be tough for guys to throw over his head.”
Keion Adams and Brian Allen are much more than camp bodies. Adams has the talent of a higher draft pick, and the tools to be a quality pass rusher. Allen, a very raw prospect, has superior size and ball skills. If he can develop his technique, there is a lot of potential for Allen to become a legitimate shutdown corner. Friday night will be the first opportunity to see the Steelers newest draft class in a game situation. Make sure to keep a close eye on these two players because both are capable of making a splash play. The odds may be against them, but ultimately they are going to help make this one of the Steelers best overall draft classes in 20 years.
