2014 NFL Draft: Grading each and every Pittsburgh Steelers draft picks
By Matt Shetler
Round 6, Pick 215: Daniel McCullers, DT, Tennessee
Oct 19, 2013; Knoxville, TN, USA; Tennessee Volunteers defensive lineman Daniel McCullers (98) reacts after defeating the South Carolina Gamecocks on a last second field goal at Neyland Stadium. Tennessee won 23 to 21. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports
McCullers is huge and the Steelers need quality depth on the defensive line.
But while there is no doubting his size, there is plenty of doubts about his ability.
McCullers is huge at 6’7”, 352 pounds and an enormous wingspan. Naturally he can occupy a lot of space and hold up multiple blockers.
He’s a two-gap guy that just plugs up short areas effectively. McCullers is also very durable, never missing a career game in college.
The Steelers need depth on the defensive line badly so he’s worth a look here.
However he has a lot of holes to work on, most notably using his hands and getting off blocks as he stays engaged for ages.
McCullers also lacks the power that his size would suggest.
To this point, given his raw makeup, McCullers has been an underachiever, but he has the raw tools that could become special if he could harness all of that talent out and improve his mechanics.
Needless to say he is a project and one that may not help this team for a while, if at all.
Grade: C-