UPDATE: Steelers defensive coordinator Teryl Austin, Vice President of Player Personnel Dan Rooney Jr., and Director of College Scouting Dan Colbert are also in attendance at Clemson’s Pro Day alongside head coach Mike Tomlin, GM Omar Khan, and special teams coordinator Danny Smith.
The Pro Day grind has started for Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin and GM Omar Khan, along with special-teams coordinator Danny Smith.
Tomlin, who has stated time and time again that he loves the NFL Draft process and simply loves being around the game of football, is in Clemson, S.C., Tuesday for the Clemson Tigers’ Pro Day. It is stop he makes seemingly every year thanks to the talent that coach Dabo Swinney churns out every season.
Along with Tomlin, Khan is there, marking the first Pro Day he’s attended as the GM. Smith has also tagged along, getting a look at some potential special-teams players.
According to David Hood, who covers Clemson for TigerNet.com, Tomlin is the only NFL head coach in attendance Tuesday.
Clemson has a number of intriguing prospects, including defensive lineman Bryan Bresee, who was been linked to the Steelers the most during the pre-draft process. Bresee could be a first-round option for Pittsburgh but is likely more of a target with the No. 32 overall selection, should he remain on the board.
Bresee, a former five-star recruit, dealt with injuries and off-the-field adversity, including the death of his sister, during his time with Clemson. Though he had his struggles on the field, including in 2022, from a production standpoint, Bresee’s character, football IQ, and athleticism make him a guy the Steelers could covet.
The Steelers have shown interest so far, holding a formal meeting with Bresee at the Combine, where he talked about his relationship with Tomlin. It wouldn’t be surprising if Tomlin took some of the Tigers’ top prospects out for dinner as he’s done in the past when attending Pro Days.
Along with Bresee, guys like linebacker Trenton Simpson, EDGE K.J. Henry, wide receiver Joseph Ngata and offensive lineman Jordan McFadden could be on the Steelers’ radar as well.
It’s rather significant that Tomlin and Khan are in attendance at Clemson’s Pro Day. For the last 22 years under former GM Kevin Colbert, if Tomlin and/or Colbert was at a Pro Day, it was a sign of clear interest. Though things might not be the same in the Omar Khan/Andy Weidl regime, it’s still of major significance that Tomlin and Khan are at Clemson’s Pro Day.
UPDATE:
As expected, Tomlin and Khan had a long conversation with Bresee, according to a photo from WYFF News’ Marc Whiteman. Bresee has spoken highly of Tomlin in previous interviews.
Kicker B.T. Potter says he met with the Steelers during their trip to Clemson. He went 20/26 on field goals last season and had a career 75.3% field goal mark.
