You hear it all the time throughout the pre-draft process when it comes to NFL draft prospects: “Man, that guy just feels like a (insert team name here).”
It’s common. Players tend to have traits and play style that fit certain teams perfectly, and teams tend to look for players who play a certain way and carry themselves a certain way on and off the field from a character standpoint.
You just know it when you see it, like that old saying goes.
That saying translates to prospects and the Pittsburgh Steelers, too. You know a Steeler when you see one.
Fortunately, there are a handful of players in the 2024 NFL Draft who have that Steeler feel to them. Here are five players that stand out to me as guys who feel like Steelers in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Mike Sainristil, CB, Michigan
No prospect in the draft class feels like a Steeler to me more than Michigan cornerback Mike Sainristil. He’s a feisty, physical cornerback who plays much bigger than his measurements (5093, 182). A former receiver turned cornerback, Sainristil was the heart and soul of the national champion Wolverines in 2023.
He set the tone from a physicality standpoint and made sure nobody ever outworked him. He checks a number of the boxes when it comes to hearts and smarts, physicality and area of need as that slot cornerback in the mold of a Mike Hilton, whom he ironically models his game after.
The Steelers have shown quite a bit of interest in him to this point, too. They met with him at the Senior Bowl and at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine in a formal meeting. They also attended his Pro Day in full force, including having former cornerback Ike Taylor there to get a close look at him.
Sainristil might be undersized overall, but he fits the mold of the “angry little person” that the Steelers tend to like at the position, like Hilton and even Arthur Maulet.
Mike Tomlin had this to say about dominant slot defenders back in November 2022: “…All the nickels that are dominant ones are angry little people. They don’t stay blocked. They don’t get blocked. They blitz extremely hard and well, they tackle big people. They play with an edge…”
That sure sounds like Sainristil, making him a perfect fit for the feel of a Steeler in this draft cycle.
Zach Frazier, OC, West Virginia
Raised on a farm in Fairmont, W.V., before heading to Morgantown to play football, Zach Frazier knows all about hard work, dedication and showing up each and every day no matter how he’s feeling. He exemplified that during his tenure with West Virginia, becoming a key leader for the program under head coach Neal Brown.
Frazier was a pillar for the Mountaineers, starting in 37 of a possible 38 games, missing only the bowl game in 2023 after breaking his leg in the final regular-season game of the year. Even that moment was iconic for Frazier. Showing off his toughness and football IQ, he crawled off the field, allowing the Mountaineers to save the crucial timeout and go down and win the game.
Less than two months later, Frazier was at the Combine competing in position drills, showing his toughness and compete level, simply wanting to show teams where he was in his recovery process.
He’s a chip off the old block. Nasty, physical play style, no-nonsense attitude and is going to show up each and every day providing that steady presence.
Jalen McMillan, WR, Washington
This one might raise some eyebrows, considering McMillan is coming out of an Air Raid-style offense at Washington that saw all three receivers put up huge numbers over the last few seasons with quarterback Michael Penix Jr. But, like ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. pointed out recently, McMillan just screams “Mike Tomlin Guy.”
He’s fast, physical at the catch point to make some terrific contested catches, can create after the catch and is a savvy route runner. At 6010, 197 pounds, McMillan appears a bit slender, but on tape he plays with a real edge to his game and wants to be physical. He didn’t blow anyone away in the testing numbers, but across the film he is just a very steady, dependable receiver.
McMillan has a very similar build to former Steelers receiver Mike Wallace and had similar testing numbers, outside of the 40-yard dash. There’s a clear fit there between the Washington receiver and Pittsburgh.
Ryan Watts, DB, Texas
One of my personal favorites in the 2024 NFL Draft is Texas defensive back Ryan Watts. He has great size and length for the position at 6027, 208 pounds with 34.5-inch arms. The versatility he brings to the secondary is very intriguing, too, especially after he tested off the charts for his size, garnering a 9.64 Relative Athletic Score.
A former cornerback at Ohio State who transferred to Texas for his last two seasons, Watts has the ability to handle a man-coverage role as a cornerback or can be that cornerback/hybrid safety option who can handle slot reps and box reps.
During his time in Texas, he earned All-Big 12 academic accolades each season and was named to the Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll in 2022, showing how smart of a person and player he is. Based on the way the Steelers have valued size, length and physicality in the secondary in recent years, Watts fits like a glove for the,.
He also reportedly had a great formal interview with the Steelers at the Combine, hitting it off right away with the key decision makers.
Jackson Powers-Johnson, OC, Oregon
When you think back to the Pittsburgh Steelers of the 70s and really hone in on Hall of Fame center Mike Webster, he brought great athleticism to the position, a high football IQ, and most importantly — a nasty edge to his game.
In no way shape or form am I saying Oregon center Jackson Powers-Johnson is the next Mike Webster, but he darn sure checks all of those boxes, making him a great fit for the Steelers. Though he doesn’t have the experience of Frazier at the center position, Powers-Johnson is a better athlete overall and just feels like a cleaner fit for the Steelers in new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith’s scheme.
Former NFL offensive lineman Geoff Schwartz stated recently that Powers-Johnson “feels like a Pittsburgh guy” because he plays a mean style of football and fits in well with the style of play and the identity the Steelers want and have. He had just one year of starting experience at the collegiate level, but it was an impressive one, and the Steelers have been all over him in the pre-draft process.
It will be very fun to watch which center they target in Powers-Johnson or Frazier because both feel like Steelers.
