The Pittsburgh Steelers liked two Georgia Tech draft prospects enough to bring them in for visits.
Defensive linemen Patrick Gamble and Francis Kallon both traveled to Pittsburgh last week to visit the Steelers headquarters, visits that typically include interviews with coaches and draft decision makers. Both Gamble and Kallon figure to either be signed as undrafted free agents or possibly selected late in the draft, which begins Thursday evening.
A pre-draft visit is an indication of interest, as teams are permitted to bring in only 30 prospects.
“Atlanta’s interested, Tampa’s been high on him, so I think he’s going to have a chance to go late,” said Chris Martin, Gamble’s agent.
Gamble is recovering from surgery to repair a torn labrum that he played with last season, Martin said.
Likewise, Markeeth Taylor, the agent for Kallon, said that he has fielded calls from about 12 to 15 teams who are interested in him. He said he thought Kallon could go in a late round.
Gamble started 27 games at both defensive tackle and defensive end. This past season, he finished with 54 tackles despite the shoulder injury. His 10.5 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks and three forced fumbles were team highs. He has played through injury and was voted a team captain for this past season, evidence of his toughness and motivation, two critical intangibles that every NFL team seeks. He would seem a fit as a tackle in a 4-3 and an end in a 3-4 defense.
Gamble’s post-season surgery prevented him for working out for scouts at Tech’s pro day. Martin said that he is close to 100 percent in his recovery.
Kallon is an intriguing prospect because of his agility. Kallon ran the 40-yard dash in the 4.9-second range and had a 31-inch vertical jump, solid scores for someone his size (6-foot-5, 295 pounds). Kallon’s productivity never materialized at Tech – he finished with 15 tackles this season in 12 games this past season – but his potential continues to tempt, particularly given his limited experience in the game.
“There’s only so many big people that can move the way he can,” Taylor said of the Central Gwinnett High grad.
Like Gamble, Kallon could play in the interior or play end in a 3-4 scheme. Gil Brandt, the longtime Dallas Cowboys scout who now writes for the NFL website, wrote that Kallon, with his long arms, is a “good candidate to switch to offensive tackle.”
The website draftanalyst.com gives both player undrafted free agent grades.
