A return of our Summer Scouting Series here at Steelers Depot as we highlight 2024 NFL Draft hopefuls who are generating buzz prior to the start of the 2023 college football season. This year, we will highlight several position groups the Steelers may have interest and three to four names that could interest Pittsburgh once the pre-draft process gets underway.
#55 MASON GRAHAM, DL, MICHIGAN (JUNIOR) – 6-3, 318 POUNDS
Michigan DL Mason Graham enters the 2024 season as only a true junior, but is considered by many to be the top IDL prospect in the country. The Anaheim, CA native committed to play for the Wolverines out of high school where he was a four-star recruit, starting two games as a true freshman in 2022 before becoming a full-time starter in 2023. He was named a Second-Team All-American and First-Team All-Big Ten selection for his performance last season, making 36 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery and 1 pass breakup.
What sticks out on tape about Graham is his unique blend of size and strength at the point of attack, but also his quickness at his size. He can sit in gaps, take on blocks and fight to clog up running lanes as a defensive tackle/base defensive end. However, he possesses the fluidity of a player 50 pounds less, being able to stop, start and change directions with ease.
His sack production wasn’t eye-popping in 2023, but he was far more disruptive on tape, quickly defeating blocks and getting in the backfield to pressure the quarterback. He has a similar build and play style to DL Braden Fiske, who got drafted in the second round this year by the Los Angeles Rams, and Pittsburgh showed plenty of interest in the Florida State Seminole. Graham may be a tad shorter than Pittsburgh likes as their 3-4 DE, but he has the athleticism and skill set to fit there quite nicely.
#99 RYLIE MILLS, DL, NOTRE DAME (R-SENIOR) – 6-5, 306 POUNDS
When Alex Kozora calls his shot on draft prospects… you better pay attention. Two years ago, he jumped on DL Keeanu Benton to Pittsburgh prior to the Senior Bowl taking place, correctly pegging him as a player Pittsburgh should target. Last year, he was all aboard the C Zach Frazier train when the pre-draft season started, correctly slotting him as Pittsburgh’s potential center of the future.
This year, Kozora hasn’t wasted any time taking his shot as a player he thinks could intrigue Pittsburgh in the 2025 NFL Draft: Notre Dame DL Rylie Mills.
Mills is entering his fifth season with the Fighting Irish, having posted 14 tackles for loss and 9 sacks over the past three seasons. He only registered 2.5 sacks in 2023, but he has proven to be an athletic defensive lineman that can rush the passer and hold his own against the run. Mills has played both on the edge and the interior, having the desired size (6-5, 306 pounds) that Pittsburgh has coveted from the 3-4 DEs for many years.
He needs to continue to fill out his long frame and add more play strength, but Mills has the flashes on tape and the measurables to make him attractive to Pittsburgh as a draft prospect. Should he have a strong season, he’ll definitely be in consideration for them on the first two days of the draft.
#5 SHEMAR TURNER, DL, TEXAS A&M (SENIOR) – 6-4, 285 POUNDS
Texas A&M DL Shemar Turner is more of a tweener given his weight and tape, playing both on the edge as well as a down defensive lineman in their system. It could likely give some Steelers fans nightmare flashbacks to DL DeMarvin Leal coming out of the same school in 2022.
However, Turner is a quality prospect in his own right that is coming off a strong 2023 season for the Aggies, posting 33 total tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, 6 sacks and 2 forced fumbles. He is explosive off the ball and does a great job fighting through contact as a pass rusher, using his length and speed to overwhelm blockers at the point of attack on his way to the quarterback.
Turner would need to bulk up a bit to play as a base defensive end in Pittsburgh’s system, but he has shown he can be inside/outside versatile during his time at A&M, and displays good play strength at the point of attack when playing inside. Turner brings more of an athletic element at the position, bringing the upside as a pass rusher while having the frame to pack on more mass to better play the run.
If he has another big season in 2024 and shows an improved build, he should squarely be on Pittsburgh’s radar.
#91 TONKA HEMINGWAY, DL, SOUTH CAROLINA (R-SENIOR) – 6-3, 300 POUNDS
First off, let’s all agree that Tonka is a sweet name for a defensive line prospect. Names aside, South Carolina DL Tonka Hemingway is an intriguing prospect at the defensive line position. He’s a tad shorter than what Pittsburgh as liked in the past, but his tape backs up what the team looks for along the defensive line.
Hemingway has good size and strength to man the middle and take on blockers against the run, but he also is a nimble athlete for his size and can a pain for opposing blockers in pass protection. He does a good job evading blocks as well as using his hands to keep blockers off his frame, slipping into the backfield for tackles for loss and to pressure the quarterback.
Hemingway only has 5.5 sacks during his time in college, but he’s been a consist contributor upfront for the Gamecocks and has proven to be fairly disruptive in four seasons, producing 13.5 tackles for loss including eight in 2022. Hemingway also has flashed his athleticism in other ways for South Carolina, catching a pass on a fake field goal attempt against Vanderbilt as well as taking a handoff on the goal line for a touchdown against Jacksonville State.
It’s a similar type of athleticism and skill set that Sheldon Richardson used to boast coming out of Missouri and in the NFL, making Hemingway a fun player to watch and available to deploy in a variety of different ways that could make him a fan favorite.
