With the NFL Scouting Combine in the rearview mirror, teams are starting to bring 2025 NFL Draft prospects into their facility for visits.
On Thursday, the Steelers reportedly hosted a trio of pre-draft visitors, including Louisville QB Tyler Shough, Ole Miss defensive lineman JJ Pegues, and West Virginia OL Wyatt Milum.
Milum does not count against the Steelers’ 30 allotted official visits as he’s a local product coming out of West Virginia.
As the Steelers draw closer to the start of the new league year on March 12, they have a major need at quarterback, and Shough continues to generate quite a bit of buzz. Though he’s on the older side — he will be 26 years old as a rookie — he has great size and a good arm with impressive accuracy.
In a scouting report for Steelers Depot, this is what Alex Kozora wrote about Shough.
“Overall, Tyler Shough is a solid and well-balanced quarterback. Some of the buzz he’s receiving is warranted. Initially wowing me watching his tape, a shootout loss against Cam Ward and Miami (FL), his problems and flaws became more evident. And that’s before even getting into the age/medical concerns.
“His game is similar to Will Howard, whom I am very high on. But Howard is younger, more accurate, and a little more athletic with a bigger body of work and a much smaller injury history. My comp for Shough is Matt Cassel and my grade has him ahead of Jalen Milroe and Jaxson Dart and likely the No. 4 quarterback of the class behind Ward, Shedeur Sanders, and Howard.”
Not exactly a ringing endorsement in a bad quarterback class, but there are some things to like when it comes to Shough. ESPN’s Louis Riddick is among those high on Shough, stating on ESPN Wednesday that he spoke with Pittsburgh offensive coordinator Arthur Smith about Shough at the Combine, and added to “keep an eye” on Shough for the Steelers.
Along with quarterback, the Steelers have a significant need along their defensive line. Pegues is an intriguing defensive line prospect who brings versatility and can even be a bit of an offensive weapon, coming off a 2024 season in which he ran for seven touchdowns at Ole Miss.
Pegues had a rough day at the Combine though, struggling in some testing and raising concerns about his athleticism.
But on tape, there’s quite a bit to like about Pegues. In his scouting report, we noted that he is, “an explosive athlete who has looked quite good, making the move from TE to DL in his collegiate career. He can play up and down the line of scrimmage, and he’s flashed the ability to be a disruptive pass rusher and a stout run defender. He’ll need to answer some of the effort questions that linger on his tape, but he’s a ball of clay with so much untapped potential.”
Pegues measured in at 6024, 309 pounds at the Combine with 32 1/2-inch arms. He ran a 5.15 in the 40-yard dash and recorded a 27.5-inch vertical.
As for Milum, he’s considered a borderline first-round pick and was one of the better offensive tackles in the country last season at West Virginia. He measured in at 6063, 315 pounds at the Combine with 32 1/2-inch arms.
During his time in Morgantown, Milum started 32 games, including eight at right tackle and 24 at left tackle. He competed in the Senior Bowl and played primarily guard in Mobile, which is where many believe he could succeed in the NFL.
In a scouting report for Steelers Depot, Ross McCorkle had this to say about Milum.
“Milum has an impressive pedigree dating all the way back to high school and has continued to pile up accolades in college. By all accounts, he prepares like a pro, and he has a pro-ready body with good strength and solid enough athleticism. His lack of arm length and change of direction probably make him a better fit for guard, but that is more of a projection with virtually zero experience there throughout his football life until the Senior Bowl. He has plenty of attractive traits, but he has zero experience at the position he is most likely to play at the next level.
“He is best suited to play left guard, with the added upside of being able to fill in at tackle with plenty of versatility. His best fit is probably a gap or duo scheme where he can exploit angles and win with power. In the right system, he can have a lengthy NFL starting career. My pro comparison for him is Tampa Bay Buccaneers OG Luke Goedeke, who came out just a few years ago in the second round of 2022.”
McCorkle gave Milum a third-round grade in his scouting report.
West Virginia is well represented along the offensive line in Pittsburgh with center Zach Frazier a second-round pick just last year, and Doug Nester having signed a Reserve/Futures contract with the Steelers in January.
Previously, the Steelers hosted Iowa State WR Jaylin Noel, marking their first visitor of the pre-draft cycle.
