The Pittsburgh Steelers drafted Iowa DL Logan Lee in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL Draft, and just like first-round pick Troy Fautanu, Lee grew up a huge Steelers fan. He detailed his fandom in an interview at the Shrine Bowl with our Tony Calderone, and he expanded on it during a press conference with reporters after being selected. In particular, Lee, whose favorite player is Mel Blount, said he loved watching the former cornerback “slam people on their head.”
“I had a friend and his dad, Austin and Rich, they were huge Steelers fans and they got me started. And then I started getting into the thicket of historical NFL stuff. So I just love the Steel Curtain era stuff. Love watching Mel Blount slam people on their head and stuff, so I was always a big Steelers fan growing up,” Lee said via 93.7 The Fan.
He can bond with his fellow rookie, Fautanu, in growing up a Steelers fan, and it’s cool that Lee is a big fan of the history of the Steelers and the Steel Curtain. It’s rare that a 23-year-old would have Mel Blount as their favorite player, but for Lee, being a fan of the history game made him a huge fan of the Hall of Fame cornerback.
Lee comes in a little light, as he weighed in at just 281 pounds at the Combine, the converted tight end’s arm length for a 3-4 defensive end is a little bit of a concern in Pittsburgh, but his hand quickness could help him overcome it. He’ll serve as a nice depth piece for a defensive line that needed depth badly coming into the offseason, and so far has got it with Lee and free agent addition Dean Lowry.
Lee looks like he could be a solid rotational piece for years to come, and if he improves his pass-rush juice, he could end up being a steal in the sixth round. At the East-West Shrine Bowl, Lee was one of few players consistently working after practices were over, and if that work ethic translates to the NFL, this will end up looking like a very solid selection down the line. He will likely need to add some weight, but as a pre-draft visitor and someone whom Karl Dunbar met with at the Shrine Bowl, the team is obviously comfortable with who he is as a player and confident he can be a solid piece for this team for years to come.
