With the Pittsburgh Steelers needing to improve their defensive line depth and start planning for the future on the line, Texas product Keondre Coburn could be on the team’s radar. Coburn not only was a productive college player at a Power Five school, but also he has a connection to Steelers defensive line coach Karl Dunbar.
Meeting with reporters today at the NFL Combine, Coburn was asked if he met with the Steelers and talked about his connection with Dunbar.
“Oh yeah, I have met with the Steelers, Coburn said. “Actually coach Bo Davis best friend is the d-line coach for the Steelers. So we kind of had a history because when he was at Bama he gave me my first scholarship at Bama. So we kind of have a relationship.”
Coburn and Dunbar first crossed paths in 2017 when Coburn was a senior in high school and Dunbar, then the defensive line coach for Alabama, offered him a scholarship to play for the Crimson Tide. Ultimately, Coburn chose Texas where he eventually met and played under Bo Davis, a good friend of Dunbar.
Davis coached Coburn for two seasons, 2021 and 2022 which saw Coburn total 42 tackles, 3.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles over the two years. These two seasons played a big part in why the 6’1″ 344-pound defensive lineman has a chance to play in the NFL.
Davis and Coburn go back years, both former defensive linemen who are also LSU alums and coached together at LSU in 2005 when Dunbar was the defensive line coach and Davis was team’s assistant strength and conditioning coach.
Given the relationship Dunbar has with Coburn, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Steelers show consistent interest in him during this draft season. Pittsburgh loves connections, and the fact Dunbar offered him a scholarship in college shows that there has already been past interest in Coburn, even if it was at the college level. When you factor in that Dunbar may be getting some inside information that others don’t have about Coburn due to the relationship he and Davis it may be even more likely that the Steelers are interested.
With the connections to Dunbar and his college production that saw him named to the Second Team All Big-12, Coburn will have to be a name to watch to see if the Steelers draft on Day Two or Three of the NFL Draft.
If you would like to read more about Coburn, our own Josh Carney did a player profile on him a little more than a week ago.
