Over the next few weeks, I plan to go through the Steelers’ position groups to identify the areas of want and need, with some quick descriptions of targets that draftniks should start to consider. The tables are organized by my initial grades and then my too-early-to-reveal uncertain grades. Ties go alphabetically. Please feel free – invited! – to sound off with your opinions on the listed prospects and with names you think are missing. I know they’re out there because I’m still finding new ones almost every day. Today, we look at EDGE and DL.
EDGE
- T.J. Watt
- Alex Highsmith
- Nick Herbig
- Markus Golden
- DeMarvin Leal (?)
VERDICT: Don’t bother. The cupboard is full.
DRAFT CLASS OVERVIEW: Oh, drat. There’s a lot of EDGE talent this year that would have been around in Rounds 1-3 if only we had room. Oh well. I suppose it’s better to have no need in the first place.
Here are some names. I don’t offer them as targets, so much as general knowledge about what other teams will be staring at. No grades because (a) I haven’t studied the position well enough, and (b) it causes me trauma to list great prospects with stupidly low grades because this is a Steelers-specific board. You’ll see that last problem again down below.
| TOP 100-120 EDGE RUSHERS |
| EDGE Dallas Turner, Alabama (Junior). 6-4, 240 lbs. with ___” arms and ___” hands. Turns 21 in February. A model 3-4 OLB with the burst, bend, hands, strength, length, and technique to be a pro. Notably good in coverage too. Just not a perfect model because it’s all A- instead of A+. |
| EDGE Laiatu Latu, UCLA (RS Junior). 6-5, 265 lbs. with ___” arms and ___” hands. Turned 23 in January. Started in Washington where he was medically retired due to a neck injury, but came back to play in UCLA all through 2023 until opting out of his bowl game. Played well enough to win both the Hendricks Award and the Lombardi Award as the nation’s best defensive lineman. One of those players who catches every eye because he’s just different. |
| EDGE Chop Robinson, Penn St. (Junior). 6-3, 253 lbs. with ___” arms and ___” hands. Turned 21 in January. Top-notch burst, bend, and sophistication at the pass-rushing craft. Profiles as a true 3-4 OLB. Will get even better as he adds grown-man strength to his repertoire. |
| EDGE Jared Verse, Florida St. by way of Albany (Junior). 6-4, 250 lbs. with ___” arms and ___” hands. Turns 24 in November. Burst and bend; length and strength; quick and fast; and a self-made football player who clawed his way up. Everything starts with a totally dominant bull rush. You often read some variation on, “when he plays, it’s like watching a bomb go off.” Top 10 stuff. |
| EDGE Chris Braswell, Alabama (Senior). 6-3¼, 257 lbs. with 32⅞” arms and 9⅜” hands. Turns __ in ___. Talk about relentless! It’s exhausting to even watch him flying around the field forever and ever, and… Very good speed-to-power with heavy hands. |
| EDGE Bralen Trice, Washington (Junior). 6-4, 274 lbs. with ___” arms and ___” hands. Turns 23 in February. Has everything you want short of superpower athleticism, and he may be more of a 4-3 DE. Fated to be a long-time starter, but can he be a star? |
| EDGE J.T. Tuimoloau, Ohio St. (Soph). 6-4, 270 lbs. with ___” arms and ___” hands. Turns 21 in May. A tremendous 4-3 DE with great initial burst and a nasty spin move counter, plus a good motor to finish plays off. |
| EDGE Adisa Isaac, Penn St. (Senior). 6-4, 245 lbs. with ___” arms and ___” hands. Turns 23 in October. Fits the model of a 3-4 OLB who can rush from either a 2- or 3-point stance. Surprisingly good in coverage, with the motor, burst, bend, and athleticism to become a good pass rusher. At present, he lives more off being a relentless, high-quality athlete who understands team defense and schemes. Gets a down-check on run support, as he’s shown constant trouble getting off blocks, but the assets are there to get significantly better. A strong Round 3-4 bet with a high floor because of a well-known work ethic, top-notch study habits, and an all-but-certain ability to excel on special teams. Held back by the fact that unrealized potential is not the same as future production. |
| EDGE/DT Brandon Dorlus, Oregon. (Senior). 6-3⅛, 272 lbs. with 33⅜” arms and 9¼” hands. Turns 23 in March. DeMarvin Leal 2.0, leaning more towards being an oversized 4-3 DE than an extremely athletic but undersized DT. Discounted here for lack of fit, and because Leal is still on the team. |
| EDGE Jonah Elliss, Utah (Junior). 6-2, 247 lbs. with ___” arms and ___” hands. Turns __ in ___. |
| EDGE Marshawn Kneeland, W. Michigan (RS Junior). 6’3”, 275 lbs. with ___” arms and ___” hands. Turns __ in ___. |
| EDGE Gabriel Murphy, UCLA (RS Junior). 6-3, 260 lbs. with ___” arms and ___” hands. Turns __ in ___. |
| EDGE Javon Solomon, Troy (Junior). 6-2, 245 lbs. with ___” arms and ___” hands. Turns __ in ___. |
Defensive Linemen
The modern Pittsburgh defense is, and for a solid decade has been, a hybrid defense that constantly shifts from one type of formation to another. There are:
- The 3-4 “Eagle,” which asks the three linemen to penetrate into gaps;
- The 3-4 “Okie,” which asks the three DLs to occupy five OLs so the linebackers can penetrate;
- The classic 4-3, 4-3 Over, and 4-3 Under looks, which use only two DTs and ask the nominal OLBs to act as DEs (This is why everyone has started to call them EDGE players instead of either of those older titles, just in case you were wondering);
- A multitude of “Nickel” (5 DB) personnel that vary from four CBs and one Safety all the way through two CBs and three Safeties vary again with the number of DTs versus ILBs, and then morph to the third power depending on which of a dozen coverage schemes gets used for that particular play;
- “Dime” personnel, which uses six DBs, the two EDGE players, and then some version of DT/DT/ILB, DT/ILB/ILB, DT/ILB/EDGE3, or ILB/ILB/EDGE3
- A few more obscure personnel/formation mixes.
In other words, if you have the old LeBeau defense in your head – two DEs and a monster NT in between – drop it. You are out of date. Nowadays the team requires d-linemen with a different set of skills. The main starters have to combine the talents of both a 3-4 DE and a 4-3 DT (“DE/DTs”). The supporting players are the situational NTs, who see the field for no more than a few hundred snaps per year. It ends up with a room that looks like this:
- The team must have two (2) star DE/DTs as its starters. Anything less, and the defense starts to cough and hiccup like an engine with water in the line;
- The team really should have one (1) other high-quality DE/DT who can rotate in without any significant drop in quality;
- Then comes one (1) extra DE/DT for depth and extra rotation duties;
- One (1) penetration-oriented NT (a 1-tech) who can hold up against run-heavy formations while still being useful if the offense shifts to a pass play and
- One (1) backup NT, who can be either the old-fashioned immovable object (0-tech) or a second 1-tech penetrator.
Four DE/DTs, a 1-tech NT, and an extra NT who can be a penetrator or an immovable object. Six (6) in all. The current roster has:
- DE/DT Cam Heyward
- DE/DT Larry Ogunjobi
- DE/DT/NT Keeanu Benton
- DE/DT Isaiah Loudermilk
- NT Armon Watts
- NT Montravius Adams
- DE (?) DeMarvin Leal
That’s seven (7) instead of six, with Leal as the one of these things that’s not like the others. That’s an excellent lineup for the 2024 season, so there is no short-term hole to worry about. But there is a very serious problem looming on the horizon because other is an unavoidable 2-4 year learning curve for the frontline DE/DT types. And I mean “unavoidable” because every rookie will have some difficult techniques to master while also maturing into his grown-man strength. D-line is one of those positions that you must pick in 2024 for how things will be in 2026 or even 2027.
And that means we have a problem.
Issue #1 – Cam Heyward had a down year in 2023, but it was caused by an injury and we have no reason to believe he won’t be back as good as ever in 2024. Except one. He will turn 35 around ten days after the draft. How many years are left in even Heyward’s enormous gas tank? I can see him playing in 2025 too. Call it 50/50. But 2026? Probably not. So, this is a hole that needs to be filled ASAP due to that learning curve.
Issue #2 – Larry Ogunjobi has played like a good, solid NFL lineman – but he’s getting paid at the rate charged for very good linemen. I have heard a few interviews with Ogunjobi. He has always impressed me, and so I have a bias in his favor. I would wish him success even if he played for another team. But I’m not blind. Larry Ogunjobi is not Cam Heyward and he may not have anything like Heyward’s extended career. He’s only 30, not 35, but it would not surprise me if he also hung up the cleats in the 2025-2026 range. A second hole to fill.
Last year’s Round 2 pick, Keeanu Benton, adds some comfort. He’s the DE/DT3 and NT1 in a single body. Optimists could even hope that he will grow into a suitable heir for Captain Cam. But even if he can, that would merely move him from the #3 spot up to #1. There would still be a pair of oncoming holes that need to be addressed ASAP.
VERDICT: The situation at DE/DT is not an emergency because the danger lies two years ahead, and there’s always free agency to fall back on. But it is definitely a position of serious interest that should be addressed with a Round 1-2 pick unless some dark horse develops from the roster depth.
DRAFT CLASS OVERVIEW: Oh boy. I am NOT looking forward to the flak I’m going to get for this part of the article.
Here’s the issue. Pittsburgh has extremely strict guidelines for the physical prototype they want because of all those multiple duties. The team needs generalists who are also experts, which is no easier to find in football than anywhere else. The bottom line is this: Rounds 1-3 DLs have to be 6-4 or taller, weigh around 300 lbs., have arms that are at least 33” long (preferably more), and have the ability to rush the passer in addition to holding firm against the run. It’s a rare body type, and there are no Top 50 talents who fit those parameters in the 2024 class. There be no Top 75 guys either, and there are only a few who belong in the Top 100. There is no Captain Cam to be had, and there may be no Larry Ogunjobi either.
Not that it’s a bad DT class from an all-teams perspective. It isn’t. There’s a ton of 3-tech specialists (undersized penetration experts) who will win even in the NFL with their combination of pure burst and agility off the line. And there are also a few behemoth, immovable object NTs with a good chance to stick. But all of those prospects may as well be off the board from a Pittsburgh POV until Round 4.
A Look At The Draft Class
The summary’s just above. Now comes the part that’s going to make people scream.
This is a Steelers-specific Big Board. Players who don’t fit the Steelers need to either (a) be removed from the Board completely, which would deprive you all of valuable information, or (b) have an absurdly discounted grade to reflect the difference between their all-teams grade and their Steelers-specific grade.
In the spirit of pure self-defense I have split the table into two different lists for this article. That way the Round 4-5 Steelers-grades for Round 1-2 all-teams talents won’t look as harsh. But all those players will appear on the full board with those silly looking unless the group can figure out some other way to reflect this distinction. I am at a loss.
Viable Pittsburgh DL Targets in the 2024 NFL Draft
REMINDER: These grades are in flux, based on other people’s film study, and could really use your input – especially for the group in the Round 3-5 range. Gabe Hall, Jordan Jefferson, Myles Cole, and Jaden Crumedy: have you seen their work? If so, please let everyone know down in the comments.
| Steelers HV | Description | ||
| 2:12 | DT Darius Robinson, Missouri (RS Senior). 6-5, 295 lbs. with 34¾” arms and big 10½” hands. Turns __ in ___. Two year captain. Hurray! A player who fits the Steelers mold, at least on paper. Robinson has played Edge in college, but he’s built much more like a long and versatile DT. Exactly what Pittsburgh could use. Note the extremely long arms, and the underlying power to turn that length into a weapon. Stacks and sheds with the best of them. Excellent bull rush, with some moves to use as counters. Would grade higher if he had better burst off the line, or the flexibility to twist around in addition to going through. Alex Kozora’s gif-supported Depot scouting report highlights the “almost there…” aspect of this prospect: “Robinson doesn’t have the high-end athleticism of a Stephon Tuitt or the burst and hips of him or Keeanu Benton and he’s not as built [] or quite as strong as Cam Heyward. But he is a solid player… [and] his scheme [] makes him an easier projection.” Came in at #32 on Daniel Jeremiah’s initial Top 50. | ||
| 2:24 | DT Maason Smith, LSU (RS Soph). 6-6, 292 lbs. with ___” arms and ___” hands. Turns 22 in October. A pass-rushing DT with length, strength, anchor, motor, and some surprisingly good hands, offset by problems with his pad level that will go away after 2-3 years of dedicated work. Sounds good for one of the rare players who fits the Steelers’ mold. Maason Smith tore an ACL in September 2022 but played through the recovery in 2023. I choose to take that as a good sign that he’s probably a little better than his most recent year of film would show – and that film was still pretty darned good. OTOH, it also means he’s had many fewer snaps than one would prefer. Add 10-15 pounds of good, grown man muscle – which he should be able to do – and the young man would look a lot like Stephon Tuitt. Color me intrigued. | ||
| 3:01 | DT Ruke Orhorhoro, Clemson (Senior). 6-4, 290 lbs. with ___” arms and ___” hands. Turns 23 in October. Big, strong, long, fast, and quick enough to mount an inside pass rush, while also excelling at run defense despite his lack of size. Are the arms long enough to climb into the Steelers’ profile? And can he add enough good weight to hold up in the middle against AFC North running attacks? If so, he could be a very serious Day 2 target. The tools and omens look very good from an all-teams pov, with plenty of impressive flashes to show what he might become. If only he wasn’t so danged raw, and in so many ways, with only his three years of college starting to draw on. He grew up in Nigeria and only began to play football in his Junior year at High School. Probably a good 2 years away from having the technique (particularly the hand technique) he will need to succeed in the NFL, but the team who shows that patience could be very well rewarded for many years to come. Jonathan Heitritter’s gif-supported Depot scouting report (Round 3 grade) describes a classic Steelers-type DT who can take on double teams, mount a strong bull rush with a counter or two, and always plays with a very hot motor. But he “isn’t overly twitchy as an athlete” and has many areas that need to improve because he is “still pretty raw when it comes to fundamentals at the position.” Has experience from NT out to DE. Is a better run defender than pass rusher. | ||
| 3:24 | EDGE/DT Brandon Dorlus, Oregon. (Senior). 6-3, 290 lbs. with ___” arms and ___” hands. Turns 23 in March. DeMarvin Leal 2.0, leaning more towards being an oversized 4-3 DE than an extremely athletic but undersized DT. Discounted here for lack of fit, and because Leal is still on the team. | ||
| 4:01 | DT Gabe Hall, Baylor (RS Senior). 6-5¾, 298 lbs. with 34⅜” arms and 9⅜” hands. Turns 24 in ___. Has the rare body type that Pittsburgh covets, including long, very strong arms that he uses effectively to create space and disengage from blockers. #17 on the Feldman Freaks lift, with feats such as a 650 lb. squat and a 500 lb. bench (with that arm length!). The flexibility isn’t bad either, and the motor is excellent. What’s missing is the desired burst off the ball and the knack for splitting double teams. The Steelers showed some interest at the Senior Bowl. We need to dig a lot deeper. | ||
| 4:16 | DT/NT Jordan Jefferson, LSU by way of WVU (Senior). 6-4, 317 lbs. with ___” arms and ___” hands. Turns __ in ___. An effective run stuffer with good experience, great power, and acceptable burst. Wrestled in H.S., and it shows in his overall athleticism and balance. Very good motor for someone his size. Should be better against double teams than he is, and isn’t much of a pass rusher despite an elegant spin move. | ||
| 5:01 | DT Myles Cole, Texas Tech (RS Senior). 6-5⅞, 272 lbs. with staggering 36⅜” arms and 9⅞” hands. Turns 25 in ___. A taller, longer, but lighter player in the DeMarvin Leal mold, except Leal is a far better athlete in general. There is plenty of room on that frame to add good weight, however. Again, we need to dig deeper. | ||
| 5:01 | DT Jaden Crumedy, Miss. St. (RS Senior). 6-4¼. 309 lbs. with 32⅞” arms and 9¾” hands. Turns 24 in July. He looks the part even by Pittsburgh’s strict standards, and he is supposed to be quite athletic, with good explosion and run defense. The issue? He doesn’t seem to “get it” and either disappears for long periods or (worse) appears in the wrong gaps, or just out of reach. Definitely on the radar as a developmental prospect. Requires deeper study. | ||
| 6:01 | DT Jamree Kromah, James Madison (RS Senior). 6-3⅛, 271 lbs. with amazing 35¼” arms and 9¼” hands. Turns __ in ___. Again, we need to know more. A lot more. His paper measurements look almost perfect with all that length, a lot of reported strength, and great tackling numbers against his lower LOC. So why is he universally viewed as a Day 3 flier? | ||
| 6:01 | DT Leonard Taylor, Miami (Junior). 6-3⅛, 304 lbs. with 33⅜” arms and 9½” hands. Turns __ in ___. Supposed to be a good athlete with decent pass-rushing chops. Need to know more. | ||
| 6:01 | DT Eric Watts, U. Conn. (___). 6-5½, 277 lbs. with crazy long 35¾” arms and 9⅞” hands. Turns __ in ___. Look at that length! This is the physical model that Pittsburgh loves, and Watts has a tremendous burst off the line that has made him a successful pass rusher on the inside – against limited competition. A high ceiling, Day 3 bet. | ||
| 6:16 | DT Fabien Lovett, Florida St. (RS Senior). 6-3⅜, 307 lbs. with long 34⅝” arms and big 10⅜” hands. Turns __ in ___. He fits the Steelers model, which earns extra attention right out of the gate. After that, things stall. Known to be a good, experienced run stuffer who uses his length and strength to lock OLs out and then toss them off. Basically, no pass rush, however, and has never been particularly good at holding up vs. double teams. | ||
| 6:16 | DT Myles Murphy, N. Carolina (Senior). 6-3⅞, 312 lbs. with 33½” arms and 9⅜” hands. Turns __ in ___. Looked really good at the Shrine Bowl, relying on surprising quickness off the ball. Need to know more. | ||
| 6:16 | DT Nate Pickering, Miss. St. (RS Senior). 6-2¾, 300 lbs. with 33⅛” arms and big 10⅛” hands. Turns __ in ___. Uses his length well, with enough strength to back it up. Good, violent hand fighting. Moves well but has never managed to be much of a pass rusher. Can get stuck on blocks. Very good motor. The measurements aren’t quite up to what the Steelers really want, but they are close enough to justify a late-round experiment. | ||
| 6:16 | DT Keith Randolph Jr., Illinois (Junior). 6-3⅜, 296 lbs. with 32½” arms and 9¾” hands. Turns __ in ___. The measurements are almost there, and you could call him a nice run stuffer with good strength. But he lacks the burst and quickness that Pittsburgh looks for. | ||
| 7:01 | DT Zion Logue, Georgia (RS Senior). 6-5⅛, 308 lbs. with 33¼” arms and 9¾” hands. Turns __ in ___. A rotational DT on national championship teams who has the sort of body type Pittsburgh adores. Someone we need to know more about. Why is his grade so low on the all-reams boards? | ||
| 7:01 | DT Logan Lee, Iowa (RS Senior). 6-5, 286 lbs. with 32⅜” arms and 9⅞” hands. Turns __ in ___. He’s got no physical superpower to fall back on but does have a renowned competitive fire that leads to overachieving. Not much pass rush, but good against the run. | ||
Prospects Who Do Not Fit The Pittsburgh Defense
| All-Teams Grade | Name |
| 1-2 | DT Byron Murphy II, Miami. (Junior). 6-1, 308 lbs. with ___” arms and ___” hands. Turns 22 in September. Severely discounted because the defense would have to be revamped to use his talents. Super explosive and super quick, but limited to particular schemes by his lack of length and size. Pittsburgh does not play that scheme, so he would, at best, be a 2-down specialist despite having a red-hot motor that runs for days. A Round 1 option for any 4-3 team looking for a potentially special 3-tech (#22 on Daniel Jeremiah’s initial Top 50), but not worth overhauling the Steelers’ entire d-line philosophy – especially when he still has a lot of hard, technical work to do before he can achieve his potential. |
| 1 | DT Jer’Zhan Newton, Illinois. (Junior). 6-2, 295 lbs. with ___” arms and ___” hands. Turns 22 in August. Severely discounted because the defense would have to be revamped to use his talents. Another Round 1 (#25 on Daniel Jeremiah’s initial Top 50) 3-tech who couldn’t be more than a 2-down specialist in the Pittsburgh scheme. He can hold the line and also penetrate but has a tendency to play high (a teachable flaw). |
| 4 | DT Justin Eboigbe, Alabama (RS Senior). 6-4⅛, 292 lbs. with 32⅞” arms and 9⅝” hands. Turns 23 in April. Severely discounted because the defense would have to be revamped to use his talents. An experienced, highly athletic, well-trained technician who could have theoretically dropped some weight and become a huge 4-3 DE but instead looks more like an undersized DT. One gets DeMarvin Leal vibes with more run-defending chops and fewer options as a pass rusher. |
| 2-3 | DT Michael Hall Jr., Ohio St. (Soph). 6-2⅜, 280 lbs. with 33¼” arms and 10⅛” hands. Turns 24 in June. Severely discounted because the defense would have to be revamped to use his talents. A 4-3 DT who is short, strong, extremely athletic, and knows how to use his natural leverage. Good range, burst and excellent motor, but lacks the length and mass to fight off double teams if he doesn’t win off the snap. |
| 2-3 | NT McKinnley Jackson, Texas A&M (RS Senior). 6-1⅝, 331 lbs. with 33” arms and 9⅞” hands. Turns 2_ in ___. A 4-year starter with some decent pass-rush moves but inadequate length. Not a fit for the Steelers system except as a NT. Moves better than you’d expect. |
| 2 | DT Kris Jenkins, Michigan. (RS Junior). 6-3, 304 lbs. with ___” arms and ___” hands. Turns 23 in October. Severely discounted because the defense would have to be revamped to use his talents. His father is that other Kris Jenkins, the monster NT who earned all-pro nods while playing for the Panthers and Jets in the early 2000s. The son is 60 pounds lighter and much more explosive. A magnificent, freakish athlete who has somehow managed to very rarely show it on the field. The get-off, e.g., is highly erratic, and his feet will occasionally stall for no apparent reason. But he does have all-pro in his genes, and could easily have it in his future if the right coaching can help him to “get it.” Length will be the huge question for Pittsburgh, which has a defined body type the F.O. looks for. |
| 2 | DT Leonard Taylor III, Miami. (Junior). 6-3, 315 lbs. with ___” arms and ___” hands. Turns 22 in May. Severely discounted because the defense would have to be revamped to use his talents. Tremendous burst off the line, which he can sustain through quickness as he moves. Strong too. Some Geno Atkins to his game? The questions go to his fit for Pittsburgh’s defensive scheme. Is he only a promising 3-tech? |
| 2-3 | DT Mekhi Wingo, LSU (Junior). 6-1, 295 lbs. with ___” arms and ___” hands. Turns 21 in April. Severely discounted because the defense would have to be revamped to use his talents. Note that age because DTs tend to be 2-3 years older, and pair it with being a team captain and the proud wearer of the #18 jersey as the player who best exemplified what it meant to be an LSU Tiger. A high-motor 3-tech for a 4-3 team. Wins on energy, penetration, and a wrestler’s understanding of balance and leverage. Downgraded because he doesn’t fit the Pittsburgh profile for d-linemen. |
| 2-5 | NT T’Vondre Sweat, Texas (RS Senior). 6-4, 362 lbs. (reported – refused to weigh in) with 33⅝” arms and 9¼” hands. Turns 23 in July. Discounted because he refused to weigh in at the Senior Bowl, which suggests that his weight has gotten even further out of control. Do you lust for a genuine immovable object for the center of the defense, who may not go forward but darned well won’t retreat even with two grown NFL men doing their best to shove him one way or the other? And who has a good bit of sneaky athleticism you wouldn’t expect? If so, you are about to fall in love with the man who came in at #48 on Daniel Jeremiah’s initial Top 50. “Hulk grab man by jersey. Hulk do pushup with little man. Hulk toss little man aside. Hulk grab any ball carrier who comes in reach.” Just don’t expect Hulk to chase after said ball carrier, let alone move in to pressure a QB on passing plays. T’Vondre Sweat makes even NFL linemen look small, he’d probably weigh 320-330 in prime condition, and he is correspondingly strong. But he is the very definition of a run defense specialist who may not even be a 2-down player because even his bull rush disappears a few plays in. Has battled weight issues for his entire career, and as of the Senior Bowl, he appears to have lost the war. |
| 4-7 | DT DeWayne Carter, Duke (RS Senior). 6-2½, 308 lbs. with 33” arms and 10¼” hands. Turns 24 in December. Short, squatty, and tough to move, but sort of a straight-line athlete. Fantastic motor. Men this size shouldn’t be chasing RBs 30 yards down the field, but he’s done just that. And caught them. A promising 4-3 run defender from the 3-tech position but hard to shoehorn into the Pittsburgh defense. |
| 3-4 | DT Braden Fiske, Florida St. (RS Senior). 6-3⅝, 295 lbs. with stubby 31” arms and 9¼” hands. Turned 24 in January. The Steelers have a type, and he doesn’t fit it. Period. The assets aside from that are everything you want. Everyone agrees he is very explosive, has impressive power, plays a violent sort of game, deals well with double teams, and has a red-hot motor that lasts for days. A penetrator who will never stop. The limitations come down to lack of length (the killer from a Pittsburgh POV), limited quickness after that initial burst, and being a somewhat stiff player who won’t bend any corners or excel at stunting. |
| 4-7 | NT Khristian Boyd, N. Iowa (RS Senior). 6-2⅛”, 320 lbs. with 31½” arms and 9½” hands. Turns __ in ___. PFN’s Shrine Bowl Defensive Player of the Week. Has the strength but not the length. Can collapse a pocket with his bull rush, though he doesn’t have much in the way of a pass rush beyond that. |
| 6-FA | DT Jordan Miller, SMU (RS Senior). 6-2⅛, 304 lbs. with 33⅜” arms and 9⅞” hands. Turns __ in ___. Practice squad material with a real chance to someday earn NFL snaps. Has a nice, balanced, 3-down game with a hot and cold motor. |
| 7-FA | NT Justin Rogers, Auburn (Junior). 6-2¼, 338 lbs. with 32¾” arms and 9¾” hands. Turns __ in ___. A nice, late round NT with a knack for holding up against double teams. Doesn’t have the length that Pittsburgh prefers. |
| ??? | DT Jowon Briggs, Cincinnati (RS Senior). 6-1¼” 313 lbs. with 32¼” arms and 9¾” hands. Turns __ in ___. Strong, physical, and nasty, but has the totally wrong body type. |
| ??? | DT Tyler Davis, Clemson (RS Senior). 6-1¾, 299 lbs. with stubby 30¾” arms and 9¼” hands. Turns __ in ___. Totally wrong body type. |
| ??? | DT Marcus Harris, Auburn (Senior). 6-2, 284 lbs. with 32” arms and 9¼” hands. Turns __ in ___. Totally wrong body type. |
Conclusion
There is a crisis brewing at DT that will land in 2-3 years, and DT is a position where draft picks require 2-3 years before they begin to hit their stride. So the Steelers would really love to find someone worthy of a Round 1 pick. He isn’t there to be found unless you want to redesign and revamp the entire defense to accommodate a player limited to the 4-3 system. Round 2 wouldn’t be bad… but there’s no more than one or two of those either, and that’s grading at full retail value. Even Round 3 has a shortage.
That changes in Rounds 4-7, where the class has quite a number of prospects who fit the Steelers mold. Which is good, I suppose, except the team would greatly prefer someone with a much higher pedigree.
The Edge position is full, thank heaven, with no real need to even examine the prospects.
