The Steelers are a peculiar 11-1. They've played defense like the Pittsburgh teams of the early 2000s. That's good. Really good. But they've been mostly mediocre offensively. And in today's NFL, clearly ruled by offense, that's not good. And their young corps of receivers haven't exactly helped Ben Roethlisberger this season.
The grizzled veteran is tied with Daniel Jones for the third-highest drop rate in the NFL at 6.6%. Diontae Johnson, the team leader in targets with 105, has five drops in the last two games, seven over the past five outings, and 10 on the season. That 13.3% drop rate is the third-highest among all receivers with at least 50 targets this season.
Chase Claypool and James Washington have each dropped three balls on their combined 113 targets. Juju Smith-Schuster has three drops of his own. Tight end Eric Ebron has let six catchable passes hit the turf on 74 targets.
Now, an 11-1 record would indicate no shakeups are needed, but the Steelers are currently 17th in Football Outsiders' offensive DVOA and Big Ben averages just 6.4 yards per attempt. He's never finished a full season (so I'm discounting 2019) with a YPA under 7.0. It's better to do lineup or target-share tinkering now than in the playoffs, right?
Which is exactly why I'm throwing both of Pittsburgh's practice squad wideouts -- Deon Cain and Anthony Johnson into the PSPR this week. Now's the time for them to get a shot. Actually, Cain received The Call in Week 6's destruction of the Browns but ran just two routes and wasn't targeted. He was a big-play creator with Deshaun Watson at Clemson, ran 4.43 along with a lightning-quick 6.71 three-cone at the combine but lasted until Round 6 in the 2018 draft. Last year with the Colts and Steelers, Cain caught nine passes for 124 yards.
As for Johnson, he was unstoppable in the MAC at Buffalo for two seasons and went undrafted likely due to an average-at-best combine effort that did not include a 40-yard dash due to injury. He's yet to make an impact in the NFL but skill-wise is very well-rounded at nearly 6-2 and 210 pounds.
We had a call up in Week 13 -- the Saints elevated center Will Clapp for the second-consecutive week. He's being used as New Orleans extra blocker in jumbo packages, formations more likely to be utilized with Tayson Hill at quarterback than Drew Brees. For those keeping score at home, the PSPR tracker now reads 34 call-ups, and we very well could see more call-ups over the weekend.
This year, I'm only including practice squadders who are rookies, second-year players, or third-year players. That's it. And it aligns perfectly with my niche area of expertise because the 2018 draft class is the first I fully evaluated as CBS Sports' NFL Draft analyst.
And as you'll see below, I couldn't resist ranking more players, given the increase in practice squad sizes this season. To run parallel with the league's figure, I hope to write about 16 individuals every Friday, 10 officially in the rankings and six honorable mentions.
1. Deandre Baker, CB, Chiefs
Last week's PSPR cover guy may take another week or two to learn the nuances of the Chiefs' scheme, but he's as talented as anyone in Kansas City's cornerback room and will be fresh for the latter part of the regular season and playoffs, a nice boost for Steve Spagnuolo's defense if the coordinator decides he needs it.
2. Dane Jackson, CB, Bills
Jackson's back on Buffalo's practice squad and deserves this high ranking due to the solid play he turned in for the Bills during his stint on the active roster. In four games -- two starts -- the 2020 seventh-round selection had 12 tackles, one fumble recovery, a pick and three pass breakups. He can play outside or in the slot and only missed one tackle.
3. Jaleel Scott, WR, Jets
The Jets should completely be in play-young-players mode, and Scott is only in his third season. He really hasn't gotten a chance to play much in the regular season either. Originally a fourth-round pick by the Ravens, he essentially had a redshirt year to get stronger as a rookie, then in Year 2 led the Ravens in receiving during the preseason. Scott is nearly 6-5 and 218 pounds and excels when he needs to extend to make a catch outside his frame.
4. Hakeem Butler, TE, Eagles
Mr. Butler is back on the Eagles practice squad after two weeks on the 53-man roster and just one target to show for it. He's a tight end now, so there should be better matchups for him against linebackers and safeties inside of ultra-twitchy corners who can stay in his hip pocket. Philadelphia's getting healthier now at receiver and tight end, but I still believe Butler can make plays after the catch and when Carson Wentz simply throws it up to him.
5. Will Clapp, C, Saints
Clapp was my No. 107 prospect in the 2018 class after a long and reliable career at LSU with the Tigers. A mostly poor combine led to a drop to the seventh round. His film was clean as a whistle. I gave New Orleans an "A" for grabbing him as offensive line depth at No. 245 overall, writing the following in my live draft grades: "Very experienced, more of a technician than spectacular athlete. Sturdy against bull rushes. Can be susceptible to counters. Accurate at the second level."
6. Alex Taylor, OT, Browns
Football talent runs in Taylor's family. One of his uncles is former NFL defensive back Pierson Prioleau. Another is Joe Hamilton, a former Davey O'Brien award winning quarterback at Georgia Tech who was picked in the seventh round of the 2000 draft. In a strange genetic twist, Hamilton is only 5-10.
7. Saquan Hampton, S, Jets
After Saquon Barkley went No. 2 overall to the Giants in 2018 another Saquan went No. 177 overall to the Saints. Hampton enjoyed a productive career as a do-everything safety at Rutgers that largely went unnoticed because it coincided with the program's entry into the Big 10. He had 13 pass breakups, three picks and 64 tackles in his final season with the Scarlet Knights before rocking at the 2019 Senior Bowl en route to winning Player of the Week down in Mobile, Alabama. Then, at the combine, he ran 4.48 at just over 6-1 and 207 pounds. He deserves a shot on the Jets defense down the stretch.
8. Sewo Olonilua, RB, Cowboys
Zeke Elliott should be a little healthier now, and Tony Pollard proved he can shoulder the load in Dallas' lead back isn't 100%, but I'm throwing Olonilua here because he's a large, athletic back who deserves some burn down the stretch for the Cowboys. At 6-3 and 232 pounds, he had a vertical in the 70th percentile and a broad jump in the 80th percentile at the combine. While never a star at TCU, he demonstrated the ability to make defenders miss well for a big back when he wasn't running through them. I'd like to see him be the hammer to lighten the workload for Elliott over the next two months.
9. Deon Cain, WR, Steelers
Will the Steelers suddenly give a former late-round pick who's been on the practice squad most of the season a chance to show he can catch a football as the team tries to get the No. 1 seed in the AFC? Probably not. But, heck, it wouldn't be the worst idea, and Cain is an explosive player who tracks it well and can play on the perimeter.
10. Mike Love, EDGE, Bills
I remember watching Love late in the 2018 pre-draft process and loving what I saw. The summary of my evaluation of him was as follows "strong, well-built defensive end with good suddenness but not the ability to sustain speed chasing from the backside. Uses his relatively heavy hands well as a pass-rusher and when shedding against the run." And Love had seven pressures in three preseason games in Buffalo last year. Buffalo has a collection of edge rushers in front of him who play in a heavy rotation, but if there's ever a need at the position, Love can produce in a limited role.
Honorable Mentions
John Molchon, OG, Buccaneers
The Buccaneers just aren't the same when Ali Marpet isn't on the field. The veteran guard is one of the better players at his position and Tampa's depth behind him has been disastrous in relief appearances this season. I'm not insinuating Molchon absolutely would be better than the previous Marpet replacements, but it might be worth it giving him a shot at this point.
Rodney Clemons, S, Chiefs
Clemons was a late watch for me and instantly found himself inside my Top 175. Talk about coverage range and ball skill as a safety, Clemons has both, and they were on full display in a very productive career at SMU. After three interceptions and 18 pass breakups in his first three years with the Mustangs, Clemons hauled in four picks and defended nine passes as a senior. In my notes I wrote "keenly aware of route concepts and where the next progression may be, so he routinely finds the football."
Duke Williams, WR, Bills
Williams was signed by the Bills in early January of 2019 to one of those futures contracts that are almost always overlooked and lead nowhere. But the physical rebounder made the team, scored a game-winning touchdown in a vital win over the Titans in Tennessee and had four catches for 49 yards in Buffalo's playoff defeat at the hands of the Texans. He can play and saw his first action -- albeit very limited -- in Buffalo's Week 7 win over the Jets. But no targets.
Parnell Motley, CB, 49ers
Motley was my No. 249 prospect on my 2020 Big Board, and while I obviously didn't love him as a prospect, I felt he deserved to be included in my Top 250. Truthfully, he was a very difficult evaluation. All Motley did was make plays on an otherwise brutal Oklahoma defense in his career with the Sooners. He registered 33 pass breakups over his last three seasons in Norman and snagged six picks. In 2019, he forced five fumbles. Incredible. But he's small and tested very poorly at the Oklahoma Pro Day. I don't know if he has the physical tools to contribute on a steady basis in the NFL. But I know Motley's instincts and ball skills can translate.
Anthony Johnson, WR, Steelers
Johnson went from the completely-loaded-at-receiver Buccaneers to the super-deep-at-receiver Steelers, circumstances that haven't helped him get an opportunity to see the field in an NFL team. Now's the time. As for his college career at Buffalo -- Johnson caught 133 passes in two seasons with a 17.8 yards-per-catch average and scored 25 touchdowns.
Prince Tega-Wanogho, OL, Eagles
Early in the 2020 pre-draft process, there was an early-round buzz for Wanogho. Injuries led to a precipitous fall to the sixth round, but the tools are there for the Nigeria-born former Auburn star to ultimately be the bookend tackle to Andre Dillard in Philadelphia, a club that's been outstanding at the tackle positions for a while now. Wanogho plays with requisite knee bend, so he's not easily fork-lifted by smaller rushers, and he's explosive off the snap and in the screen game. With better punch timing and added weight, he can be a consistent pass-protecting tackle in the NFL. This season, he'd mostly be useful getting to the second level in the run game.
