The 2025 Senior Bowl events will begin today with director Jim Nagy kicking things off with his introductory press conference, which usually includes a couple key players taking questions at the podium as well. As always, we will have a team on site to cover the event with daily recaps of practice, player interviews, and more. I am excited to be in Mobile, Alabama, for a third time. I am fortunate to have a great team consisting of Jonathan Heitritter and Efram Geller to assist in the coverage so we can know as much as possible about potential future Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Senior Bowl ended up having both of the Steelers’ two third-round draft picks in the 2024 NFL Draft, and there have been plenty of notable players drafted from Mobile in the past. Keeanu Benton is another recent example who stood out in Mobile and was later drafted by Pittsburgh.
Here are 12 names to keep an eye on, mostly focused on the Steelers’ top needs like WR, RB, QB, DL, and CB.
QB Jalen Milroe – Alabama
The last time the Steelers were linked to an Alabama quarterback, they ended up taking Chase Claypool instead of Jalen Hurts ahead of one of Ben Roethlisberger’s final seasons. Hurts is now on his way to his second Super Bowl. With an obvious need at quarterback, and some media buzz linking Milroe to the Steelers, he is an obvious candidate to keep an eye on in Mobile. He has arm talent and a lot of athleticism to at least merit a hard look. His Alabama tenure was rocky, but the Steelers need to start taking some big swings to find a long-term solution at the most important position.
QB Dillon Gabriel – Oregon
He isn’t a name being talked about a lot, but he brings something that the Steelers have been desperately missing: scoring touchdowns. He is the NCAA’s all-time leading touchdown scorer with 188 (155 passing, 33 rushing). Gabriel is undersized at about 6-0, 201 pounds, and he enters the league at 24 years old, but if the Steelers aren’t enamored with any of the top options in the first couple rounds, he could be a solid project in the middle or late rounds.
RB Ollie Gordon II – Oklahoma State
Had he been draft eligible after the 2023 season, Gordon would have been one of the top running backs off the board last year. He gained over 2,000 yards from scrimmage in 2023, including 1,732 on the ground. If the Steelers want another big, all-around back to replace Najee Harris, Gordon might be their guy. His 2024 season wasn’t as impressive. Some of that might be because of how bad Oklahoma State’s roster was, but Mobile should give us a good indication of where he really is.
Ollie Gordon II Scouting Report
RB RJ Harvey – UCF
If the Steelers would rather get a faster running back who can get to the edge, Harvey is an intriguing option. He has been at UCF for six years, so he is a little older coming out, but he was productive in college and has tremendous agility and long speed, allowing him to exploit a small crease into a big play. It’s already tough to get a running back on a second contract, so how much does the age really matter? Harvey is one of several speedy options with good running backs of every flavor at the Senior Bowl.
WR Elic Ayomanor – Stanford
Ayomanor is one of the younger WR prospects in this class, which is always a huge positive. We will see what the official measurements come in at, but he appears to have pretty good size at about 6-2. He runs crisp routes, has both short-area burst and long speed, and demonstrates a solid understanding of how to adjust his routes to coverage. He is already a solid player, and with his youth could develop into a spectacular one.
WR Jayden Higgins – Iowa State
I like Higgins’ Iowa State teammate Jaylin Noel too, but the Steelers have smaller receivers like Roman Wilson and Calvin Austin III. They need a potential WR1 with size. Higgins is 6-4 and brings a huge catch radius. For his size, he actually has the quickness to create separation in a hurry. His long speed won’t wow you, but he makes up for it with size, quickness, and a very high football IQ.
Jayden Higgins Scouting Report
OG Jackson Slater – Sacramento State
The Senior Bowl always does a nice job finding a couple standouts from smaller college programs, and Slater could be one of those guys this year. He was a four-year starter at left guard and was the first player in program history to become a consensus All-American. The Steelers could use a guard to develop behind Isaac Seumalo for next season. Slater might be a strong option in the mid-to-late rounds.
DE Jared Ivey – Ole Miss
There are several versatile defensive linemen in this year’s draft who could potentially become full-time 5-techs in a 3-4 defense. Keep a close eye on Ivey’s measurements later today because if he weighs enough to withstand that position, then he is a very intriguing player. He has active hands, a ton of burst, and surprising strength to anchor against the run. There aren’t a ton of concerns on his tape.
DE Shemar Stewart – Texas A&M
Texas A&M has a few very intriguing defensive linemen, but Stewart is the player I could most see ending up in Black and Gold. At 6-6, he would need to add a few pounds to hold up as a 5-tech DE, but he is versatile, and his frame looks capable of packing on some weight. He’s another guy my eyes will go right to when the measurements come out later today.
Shemar Stewart Scouting Report
DL Deone Walker – Kentucky
The first two DL I listed need to add some weight. Walker may need to cut some. He has the length at 6-6, but he’s listed at 345 on the Kentucky website. Despite the size, he is unnaturally quick and provides plenty of juice as a pass rusher. Pad level is an issue, which limits his otherwise impressive strength, but it’s hard to pass up on a rare athlete of his size.
CB Trey Amos – Ole Miss
Amos comes out of college with a ton of experience, and valuable experience within different defenses as he played at three different schools. He has 61 games to his name and is still pretty young for how much experience he has. He didn’t haul in many interceptions in college, but he was great at breaking up passes. He had 31 total passes defensed in his career. He’s got ideal length, he’s a willing tackler, and he’s a smart player. He’s exactly the type of corner the Steelers have coveted.
CB Darien Porter – Iowa State
It’s hard not to pull for a guy like Porter. He barely played for five years in college before finally getting his opportunity in Year 6. He earned his keep as a special teamer at first and now has himself positioned as a possible Day 2 pick in the draft. Not very many corners are 6-4, but he still has plenty of quickness and speed at his size to keep up. The Steelers have gravitated toward long corners, so why not make it the law firm of [Joey] Porter & Porter.
