There’s a real possibility the Pittsburgh Steelers will be spending an early pick on a pass rusher. One of those edge rushers who would love to come back to Pennsylvania and play for the Steelers is former Michigan standout Chase Winovich.
Winovich is from Jefferson Hills PA and attended Thomas Jefferson high school. Winovich turned into a very good player at Michigan with 18.5 career sacks and 43 tackles for loss.
At the scouting combine, Winovich was among the top performers in several categories. He posted a 4.59-second 40-yard dash with a 1.55-second 10-yard split. At 6-foot-3 and 256 pounds, Winovich certainly fits the mold of a Steelers outside linebacker. You’d like to see a little more production in terms of sacks but it Pittsburgh could land him in the third round he’d be an excellent value pick.
Pittsburgh is eyeing outside linebacker primarily because the future of Bud Dupree is still uncertain. Dupree is due just north of $9 million this season as part of his fifth-year option. But if the Steelers think they can upgrade the position without paying it, they can pull it back and not be on the hook for all that money.
