Gridiron Heroics partners with Draft Scout to give each school’s Top 5 NFL Draft prospects in the SEC.
Welcome to a list of Pittsburgh’s Top 5 NFL Draft prospects, as seen by Draft Scout.
Each week brings us closer and closer to one of the most anticipated days on the sports calendar — the NFL Draft. This year’s draft will be held in Kansas City, Mo., from April 27-29.
Our ACC Draft prospect series will run beginning Nov. 7 and will run for the next week, with three schools running per day in alphabetical order.
A master conference list of the ACC’s Top 20 NFL draft prospects will wrap things up on Monday, Nov. 14. Please check the team links below frequently so you can check out the other schools’ top prospects as the week progresses.
ACC TOP 20 PROSPECTS: Overall ACC Top Prospect List
ACC ATLANTIC PROSPECTS: Boston College | Clemson | Florida State | Louisville | N.C. State | Syracuse | Wake Forest
ACC COASTAL PROSPECTS: Duke | Georgia Tech | Miami | North Carolina | Pittsburgh | Virginia | Virginia Tech
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So we all know that not every team in the country has five surefire draft picks on it. Some programs do, especially in some of the more elite conferences. But the vast majority don’t have that many top-flight prospects. But we also know that the definition “top-flight” doesn’t always pan out. And at the same time, that strong undrafted free agent everybody forgot? He ends up making the NFL and flourishing.
Below is a look at Pittsburgh’s Top 5 Draft Prospects and how they project in the eyes of Draft Scout. For now we’ll go strictly with seniors , as no underclassmen have been allowed to declare earlier yet. When they do, we’ll update the lists below.
Pittsburgh’s TOP 5 NFL DRAFT PROSPECTS
NO. 1 PROSPECT
NAME: Carter Warren (OT)
DRAFTSCOUT PROJECTION: 3rd round
CAREER STATISTICS: 2021 started all games at Left Tackle and named to the All-ACC Second Team.
THE TRUTH: He is your perfect build of a body to play left tackle at 6’5, 325 lbs, and is very quick on his feet. Warren’s pass blocking is almost perfect. He has a great kick and his first punch lands every time. He can bend at the hips and has length as well. For any passing offense, he is the perfect tackle candidate. No one is perfect and he has a third round grade for a reason. He needs the killer instinct while run blocking. The ability to put defenders on the ground while run blocking is there, but hasn’t been seen on tape.
NO. 2 PROSPECT
NAME:
Habakkuk Baldonado (DE)
DRAFTSCOUT PROJECTION: 3rd round
CAREER STATISTICS: The Italian native has 95 career tackles with 46 of them being solo. He also has 14 career sacks, 3 pass deflections, and a forced fumble.
THE TRUTH: When you create a player on Madden to play Defensive End you create him. He has perfect size and length to hold the edge of a defense. He also has the motor and the speed to get around the end and create havoc in the backfield. Baldonado needs to get stronger and be more consistent in stopping the run. A team will definitely take him in the mid rounds for a situational pass rusher and can work on his skills to be a three down player. The want is there and the skills can be taught.
NO. 3 PROSPECT
NAME: Erick Hallett II (FS)
DRAFTSCOUT PROJECTION: 7th round
CAREER STATISTICS: Erick has 142 career tackles with 97 of them being solo in his four years at Pitt. He also has 8 career interceptions, 20 pass deflections, 2 forced fumbles and a touchdown return.
THE TRUTH: He is a little undersized at only 5’11, 175 lbs, and ran an average forty at 4.5 seconds. The tape will show you that he competes and he is consistent. Hallett will not jump off the screen with his size, but if you look deeper into the tape, you will see a football player. That is what he is. He is not afraid to tackle and can lock up most wide receivers one-on-one all game. I think he would be perfect as a slot defender and a steal late round pick.
NO. 4 PROSPECT
NAME: Marquis Williams (CB)
DRAFTSCOUT PROJECTION: High Priority Free Agent
CAREER STATISTICS: Marquis has 75 career tackles with 62 of them being solo. He also has 4 career interceptions, 8 pass deflections, one forced fumble and one return touchdown.
THE TRUTH: Maquis is undersized at 5’8, 165lbs, and has average speed. He does have great instincts playing man-to-man. I just don’t see the production when he is on the field. I think he will get a camp invite, but just don’t see him on a roster.
NO. 5 PROSPECT
NAME: Kedon Slovis (QB)
DRAFTSCOUT PROJECTION: High Priority Free Agent
CAREER STATISTICS: In his 4 years playing college football at USC and Pitt, Slovis has 9,313 yards, 63 touchdowns with 30 interceptions. His career completion percentage is 66.6%
THE TRUTH: To be honest, I don’t see it anymore for Slovis. His completion percentage has gone done each year in college. He doesn’t wow me at all with his arm strength, leadership, or decision making. His accuracy is very worrisome and the decision making is just not there. He is a momentum QB, and if he does get confidence he can get on a roll. I think a team will take a shot at the 6’3 QB, but I think he is a long shot to stay on a team.
