There has been a lot of chatter about the Steelers and their defensive line lately, especially since the Super Bowl. The Eagles dominated with their defensive front, making the vaunted Kansas City Chiefs look pedestrian. Clearly, building through the trenches is the key to all that they desire. But does that necessarily require drafting a defensive lineman in the first round?
Not in the opinion of Mark Kaboly, who at least in February is heading in a different direction. “We get caught up in how the Eagles approach their roster and how Andy Weidl is a part of that, so we just assume that that’s what [the Steelers] need right now”, he said Monday on 93.7 The Fan.
Rather, he believes what the Steelers need is an offensive infusion with a premium draft pick. Granted, they have been using their top selections on offense lately, though often on the offensive line. They are unlikely to do that a third year in a row, but there is another glaringly obvious position.
“That’s a place where you can add some quick, veteran leadership in free agency. I say do that”, he said about the Steelers addressing their defensive line. “Obviously draft one, second round or whatever, but I would definitely go offense [in the first round]. I would definitely go wide receiver right now”.
The 2025 NFL Draft is considered a deep one for defensive linemen. The Steelers have only drafted one in the first two rounds since 2014 but have done so recently. In 2023, they used a second-round pick on DT Keeanu Benton, who has shown potential. But perhaps not as much as you might like through two full seasons.
Kaboly went on a bit about Benton as one of the building blocks, but perhaps overly optimistically. He also mentioned Cameron Heyward being under contract for two more years, but much can happen during that time. And other than Benton and Heyward, the Steelers have nothing to write home about.
The Steelers still have more than two months to work through the offseason. They have to decide who they will keep, who to re-sign, and who they might cut. Should they release Larry Ogunjobi, as many anticipate, it would certainly create a greater hole for the defensive line.
Yet if the Steelers were to trade George Pickens, their entire wide receiver room would be a crater. All you really have are Calvin Austin III and Roman Wilson, and, well, that just isn’t going to cut it. And it doesn’t sound like Tee Higgins will hit the market, so there is no free agent available to replace Pickens.
Rightfully, Kaboly did urge caution, given how things can play out. As mentioned, we’re still a long way from the draft, not even yet at the Combine. And ultimately how the actual draft unfolds will determine how they view their best option for their first-round pick.
The last time the Steelers used a first-round pick on a wide receiver was in 2006 on Santonio Holmes. He helped them win the Super Bowl two years later, but his career took a different turn soon after. Before him, there was Plaxico Burress in 2000, their last natural top-10 pick. But perhaps it is time to go back to that well, nearly two decades later.
