Ahead of the 2024 season, one position group remains a concern for the Pittsburgh Steelers not just from a depth and talent standpoint but from a youth standpoint as well.
That would be the defensive line. Cameron Heyward is 35 years old and set to play in his 14th season while Larry Ogunjobi is 30 and hasn’t quite lived up to expectations in Pittsburgh. The Steelers do have some promising youth in second-year pro Keeanu Benton, but third-year pro DeMarvin Leal has been a disappointment and Isaiahh Loudermilk is just…there.
So far this offseason, the Steelers let versatile depth piece Armon Watts leave in free agency to sign with the New England Patriots but did a nice job re-signing Montravius Adams for experienced depth. But much more is needed in the trenches defensively.
That upgrade could be found in the 2024 NFL Draft.
In the latest mock draft from NFL insider Adam Caplan of Pro Football Network, the Steelers address the defensive line at No. 20 overall, landing Illinois standout defensive lineman Jer’Zhan Newton.
“The Pittsburgh Steelers need to address the future of their defensive line, and Johnny Newton, known in scouting circles as one of the best available in the 2024 NFL Draft, is the call here,” Caplan writes.
Caplan pivoting and grabbing Newton on the defensive line is a major change from his previous three mock drafts, where he selected Oregon State offensive tackle Taliese Fuaga twice and Washington offensive lineman Troy Fautanu once.
Newton is an intriguing piece but might not be a true fit for the Steelers. He measured in at 6020, 304 pounds with 32 3/8-inch arms, which seems smaller than what the Steelers typically like defensively.
Despite the smaller size though, Newton is a great athlete with impressive explosive abilities in the trenches. He started 44 games for Illinois in his career and was named the 2023 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year.
In his time in Champaign, Newton was a force. He recorded 187 total tackles, 123 pressures with 102 last two seasons, 27.5 tackles for loss and 18 sacks, all while playing nearly 2,500 career snaps.
In a Newton scouting report for Steelers Depot, Jim Hester had this to say about the Illinois defensive lineman:
“Newton is an experienced defensive tackle who is ready to contribute significantly to a team that needs pass-rush juice and can be a solid run defender. He is absolutely worthy of an early selection in the NFL draft despite his size concerns and average acceleration off the line. He wins way more often than not and is a load to handle for an entire game.”
The tape and the production are eye-opening when it comes to Newton, but his clean fit in Pittsburgh is a question. The Steelers already seem to have made a mistake with Leal as he wasn’t a clean fit, and they’ve struggled to find a role for him the last two seasons. That’s the concern with Newton, too, even despite the absurd production.
