The Pittsburgh Steelers are hosting Michigan tight end Marlin Klein for a pre-draft visit on Thursday. Klein received honorable mention All-Big Ten Conference honors last year. He played in 11 games with six starts, recording 24 receptions for 248 yards (10.3 average) and a touchdown. He was also named a team captain for the Wolverines.
Klein is a massive tight end, standing at 6-foot-6, 248 pounds with a 32 3/8″ arm length and 9 1/4 hand size. Klein turned heads at the NFL Combine, running a 4.61 in the 40-yard dash, 1.64 in the 10-yard split, a 36″ vertical jump and a 9'9″ broad jump.
He scored a 9.04 Relative Athletic Score (RAS) out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 141 out of 1456 TE from 1987 to 2026.
Klein is projected to be a Day 3 selection in the draft.
"German-born prospect with average athleticism in space but above-average grit at the point. Klein's tape shouldn't be viewed as a finished product considering his relative lack of game experience in the sport. He needs to block with inside hands but displays a sturdy core and strong hands to do his job in-line," Lance Zierlein of NFL.com wrote in a scouting report. "He builds speed with long strides and will catch what is provided. More muscle mass is needed, but Klein has a chance to become a Day 3 pick as a backup "Y" tight end."
The Steelers released Jonnu Smith and Connor Heyward signed with the Las Vegas Raiders in free agency, so Pittsburgh is in need of a depth tight end. Perhaps Klein could fill that role as a late round selection.
In addition to Klein, the Steelers also hosted Toledo safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren and USC wide receiver Makai Lemon on Thursday.
The Steelers have hosted 23 players for pre-draft visits so far, including three local visits which don't count against the 30 allowed pre-draft visitors.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now : Steelers Bring in Massive Michigan Tight End for Pre-Draft Visit
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