Coming out of the Sun Belt after an impressive career at Troy, EDGE Javon Solomon would like to land in one particular location.
That would be Pittsburgh.
Speaking to reporters Wednesday at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, the 6-2, 249-pound Solomon said it would be a “dream of mine” to play behind Pittsburgh Steelers’ star outside linebacker T.J. Watt.
“Without formally [meeting with them], I did talk to the Steelers a little bit, and playing behind T.J. Watt would be a dream of mine just because I’ve been a fan of the game long before I was a player,” Solomon said. “I like all these different paths; these guys are truly amazing. So to learn from any of these guys would be a dream of mine.”
Solomon certainly knows how to put himself in the good graces of a fan base, especially one like the Steelers in speaking so highly of their star pass rusher.
Getting the chance to learn from a dominant force like Watt, who led the NFL in sacks for the third time in his career in 2023 with 19.0, would be one heck of an on-the-job training partner. Watt is on a Hall of Fame pace, and depending on what you like in your edge rushers, is considered arguably the best in the game.
Watt has done a nice job in the past of mentoring young pass rushers, from Alex Highsmith to Nick Herbig last season, helping those guys really add to their games as pass rushers while strengthening the Steelers’ depth at the position.
Solomon hopes to get that chance behind Watt, too.
At Troy, Solomon played in 53 games and finished with 183 total tackles, 49.5 tackles for loss, 33 sacks, one interception, five forced fumbles and four fumble recoveries. He had a breakout 2023 season, recording 16 sacks.
Not only does he want to play behind Watt and learn from the great pass rusher, he also wants the opportunity to play for head coach Mike Tomlin, especially after their interaction at the Senior Bowl in Mobile.
“Mike Tomlin, he came to the Senior Bowl. That shows a lot about his character, how he goes about his process recruiting his players,” Solomon said. “I was able to talk to him a little bit, man. My mom’s boyfriend, my dad, he’s a big Steelers fan, so to be able to get a picture with him, send it to him, he was like, ‘No way!’ So that was really wholesome to see.”
There could be many more pictures in the future with Tomlin for Solomon.
The Steelers enter the offseason potentially needing a fourth or fifth EDGE defender, depending on what the franchise does in regard to veteran Markus Golden, who is a pending free agent. Though the Steelers claimed Jeremiah Moon off waivers from the Baltimore Ravens, it’s unclear if he could handle a larger workload on the edge.
With his size and production, Solomon could be a potential Steelers target. That would make his dream come true.
