The Pittsburgh Steelers are hosting Memphis offensive tackle Travis Burke for a pre-draft visit on Friday. Burke is a rising candidate in this year's draft. Burke has up to eight pre-draft visits with NFL teams.
Burke turned heads at the NFL Combine and at his pro day. NFL teams are intrigued by his size and athleticism. Standing at 6-foot-9, 325 pounds, Burke is a massive human being. He has an arm length of 34 1/4-inches and a 10 1/8-inch hand size.
"Burke is a tall tackle with plus drive-blocking talent for his body type. He uses flexible hips and ankles, along with well-placed hands, to create leverage at the point of attack. He finishes blocks with good aggression when the opportunity arises," Lance Zierlein of NFL.com wrote in his scouting report. "A lack of short-area quickness limits his range as a run blocker and in pass protection. He's scheme-dependent in the run game and will need help managing NFL edge speed, but strong hands allow for longer sustained control when he lands cleanly. There are areas of concern that might not be coachable, but Burke's length and demeanor work in his favor."
Burke started 33 games over his collegiate career, which included stops at Gardner-Webb, Florida International University and Memphis. Burke played both tackles spots in college and even a little bit of guard.
Offensive tackle could be a major need for the Steelers in the draft, especially considering Broderick Jones' season-ending neck injury last year. Steelers general manager Omar Khan must choose whether to pick up Jones' fifth-year option by May 1. Jones, a first-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, suffered the neck injury against the Chicago Bears in Week 12, which sidelined him for the rest of the season. It sounds like that's a factor Khan is considering as he weighs whether to secure Jones past next season.
Khan provided a positive update on Jones at the NFL Owners Meetings in Phoenix, however.
"Broderick's starting to do more and more," Khan said. "I talked to him a couple times over the last couple weeks. He's in a good place and ready to work hard and do whatever he can to be ready to go."
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now : Steelers Bring in Behemoth Offensive Lineman for Pre-Draft Visit
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