NFL analyst Bucky Brooks highlighted Cincinnati linebacker Jake Golday as a 'classic Pittsburgh Steelers-type' player due to his physicality and versatility. Brooks made the comments on his Move the Sticks podcast, pointing to Golday's background and impressive testing numbers. The Pittsburgh Steelers showed interest with a formal Combine interview.
Bucky Brooks identified Jake Golday from Cincinnati as a strong match for the Steelers' linebacker needs. 'When I look at him, he strikes me as a classic Pittsburgh Steelers-type. Heavy-handed,' Brooks said on Monday's Move the Sticks podcast. He noted Golday's experience playing with his hand in the dirt on the edges before transitioning to linebacker, along with 'really impressive' testing numbers in movement skills. Golday played five college seasons, starting three at Central Arkansas and finishing two at Cincinnati. He switched to linebacker after a 2021 meniscus tear and posted 105 tackles, six tackles for loss, and 3.5 sacks last season, showing a violent style rooted in his edge-rusher origins. Patrick Queen and Payton Wilson are set as starters for Pittsburgh, but depth remains thin, especially with Queen entering free agency next year amid trade talks. Golday's run-stopping prowess could address weaknesses there. Former NFL player Leger Douzable echoed the versatility on X, calling Golday the draft's most versatile defender who can play multiple linebacker spots and even as a Jack in a 3-4 scheme. The Steelers have precedent with Lawrence Timmons, who shifted from outside to inside linebacker and thrived. Golday, a projected Day 2 pick, had a formal interview with Pittsburgh at the Combine.
