Entering the NFL draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers have five needs to address of varying urgency and just four picks over the first two days. You can make the argument for center, right tackle, wide receiver, cornerback, and defensive line as positions that must be addressed, but more than likely one position is going to be the odd man out. To me, the draft board sets up in a way that suggests defensive line help could be left hanging, which would make it arguably the biggest need next offseason.
One prospect the Steelers have zeroed in on throughout the pre-draft process is LSU DL Maason Smith, and according to Ian Rapoport on X, they may have plenty of competition for his services. Along with the pre-draft visit, the Steelers sent DL coach Karl Dunbar to his pro day. They clearly have interest in acquiring his talents.
In addition to the Steelers, Smith has met with 11 other NFL teams. He is viewed as a prospect who will need a little time to develop, so the fair value for him should be something like the late third or early fourth round. With that many teams having interest in him, it seems unlikely that he will be available when it would make sense for the Steelers to invest in him.
There aren’t that many players who check all the boxes for what the Steelers look for at the position. Along with Smith, Clemson DL Ruke Orhorhoro, Iowa DL Logan Lee, and Missouri DL Darius Robinson hit on all of the criteria in Alex Kozora’s DL study. Two of those players figure to go in the first two rounds, leaving Smith as the next best option as a possible third-round pick. Given the lack of prototypical defensive linemen in the draft class, it seems likely that someone will reach for him.
Even for the players who are one box away in the study, most of them are late-round prospects or at least guys who should go beyond the first two days of the draft. DeWayne Carter and Mekhi Wingo are “one box away,” but figure to be early Day-3 selections.
Fortunately, the need for help along the defensive line is the least urgent of the big five needs. The Steelers brought in Dean Lowry, re-signed Montravius Adams, and they still have Keeanu Benton, Cameron Heyward, and Larry Ogunjobi. They have also done their homework on some later-round guys, having pre-draft visits with Jaden Crumedy, Khristian Boyd, and Logan Lee. It feels like another late-round developmental DL prospect will be all the help the unit receives this draft.
