Sutton Smith created havoc as an edge defender at Northern Illinois, where he had 29 sacks and 57 tackles for a loss over the past two seasons. That’s crazy production for a player at any level of college football, but it’s especially impressive to achieve at an Football Bowl Subdivision school.
The Steelers are hoping Smith’s playmaking ability translates to the NFL, but he’s unlike any outside linebacker they’ve had on their roster since they switched to the 3-4 defense in the 1980s. At 6 feet and 233 pounds, Smith is about 5 inches shorter and 20 pounds lighter than the prototypes the Steelers usually acquire.
In fact, he’s about the size of Devin Bush, the Steelers No. 1 pick, who enters the league with the label of being undersized for an inside linebacker.
It’s a sign of the times in the NFL. As the Steelers continue to morph in order to keep up with the short, quick passing games that are dominating the NFL, it might be best to forget the inside and outside labels for Steelers linebackers.
“Well, you know what’s going on, how many true linebackers have been drafted in this draft?” defensive coordinator Keith Butler said. “The true linebacker when I played, or five or six years ago, was a lot bigger body. There are several of them still on the board in there. Why’s that? Because the game is changing, the game is changing to a little bit quicker game. People are keeping three wide receivers on the field a lot more than they used to. So, we have to adapt as a defense. Sometimes adapting to the defenses means you graduate to guys who can move. Sutton can move.”
The Steelers got caught off guard by opposing offensive coordinators in the 2018 season when they didn’t have the necessary personnel to match up with their receivers and running backs. The game against Los Angeles Chargers most readily comes to mind, but they were exposed in other games, too.
In addition to Bush and Smith, the Steelers also drafted linebacker Ulysees Gilbert III later in the sixth round. In March, they signed Mark Barron to a two-year, $12 million contract.
The four new linebackers are all smaller in stature, possess the speed and athleticism to play in pass coverage and offer versatility. Gilbert (6-0, 224) is small for a linebacker, but he ran a 4.48 at the NFL Scouting Combine. And like Smith, he was an effective playmaker in the Mid-American Conference.
“We think Ulysees can compete for special teams play, as well as give us the new type of athleticism that you look for,” said general manager Kevin Colbert, who also noted Gilbert might be able to play inside and outside.
“That’s where the game is going,” inside linebackers coach Jerry Olsavsky said.
Smith didn’t run quite as well as Gilbert at the combine. His 4.69 is below average for a linebacker, but he did the three-cone drill in 6.75 seconds, a testament to his quickness and ability to change direction. It was the best time for any defensive end at the combine and much better than Bush, who posted a 6.93 in the the same drill.
That athleticism helped Smith beat offensive tackles in the MAC, but he likely will have to add off-the-ball linebacker duties to his resume if he’s going to make it in the NFL. He worked as an inside linebacker at the Senior Bowl, and the Steelers will take a look at him there at some point as well.
“We thought at the time that we looked at him that he was going to be a good player for us on the outside until he gets used to what we’re going to ask him to do,” Butler said. “We’re going to see what he can do after that. Now he’s probably going to help [special teams coach] Danny Smith more than he helps me early. The way linebackers make NFL teams, is they come in and make themselves very valuable on special teams and build themselves another year to try and learn what’s going on with the defense. Once they do that, then they compete for starting jobs. You know what the NFL does. People get older and you always have to have a sea of competition coming in behind guys.”
Smith’s experience in college should help him as he tries to find a niche in the NFL. Northern Illinois played a 3-5-3 defensive alignment, which allowed Smith to gain experience not only on the edge but off the ball as well.
Butler said Smith reminds him of Genard Avery of the Cleveland Browns, who had 4½ sacks as a rookie last season after a standout college career at Memphis.
“That 3-5-3, two of those five on the front line are usually walked out on wide receivers and stuff like that,” Butler said. “Sometimes you bring them in and you bring off the edge and rush off the edge, and that’s what everyone in college is doing now. So he’s kind of a little bit of both. I think the kid from Memphis last year did the same thing. He acclimated very well into the NFL. We need guys that can play in space.”
Ray Fittipaldo: rfittipaldo@post-gazette.com and Twitter @rayfitt1.
First Published: April 28, 2019, 8:50 p.m.