The Pittsburgh Steelers have a penchant for developing undrafted front-seven talent; ask 2008 Defensive Player of the Year James Harrison. Now, 17 years after the Steelers found Harrison, a new, young, undrafted pass rusher is turning heads: Toledo product Tuzar Skipper.
Former Steelers offensive tackle Tunch Ilkin, a current broadcast and radio analyst for the team, broke down Pittsburgh's pass-rushing group. He mentioned Skipper as a player who caught his eye in training camp.
Ilkin said this on Skipper via Steelers.com;
He is really quick upfield, and he's got a great change of direction. He doesn't waste steps. He's a guy that's very, very efficient in his pass rush. He's got a nice body lean, so he'll get the edge. He's quick enough to get the edge. And he just has an uncanny anticipation of the snap count. That's what makes him so effective to me.
At Toledo, Skipper tallied 9.5 sacks in three seasons of play, with 8.5 of them coming in his last year. In 2018, he added 32 total tackles, 11.5 for a loss, and two forced fumbles to his sack totals. Skipper measures in at 6-foot-3 and 246-pounds; at his pro day, he recorded a 4.89 40-time, 30 225-pound bench press reps, and a 4.42 30-yard short shuttle time.
Tuzar Skipper is listed as an outside linebacker in the Steelers' 3-4 scheme. With T.J. Watt, Bud Dupree, and Anthony Chickilo set to rotate through outside linebacking duties, Skipper faces an uphill battle to make the team. Yet, indications so far suggest that he may be up to the task; he needs to continue his excellent play throughout training camp.
Follow Us
Subscribe