One day after hosting four 2025 NFL Draft prospects at their team facility, the Pittsburgh Steelers are meeting with four more to finish out the week. Per The Trib’s Joe Rutter, Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart, Oregon DT Jamaree Caldwell, South Carolina S Nick Emmanwori, and Iowa State WR Jaylin Noel are all in Pittsburgh today.
Dart’s and Noel’s visits had previously been reported though their dates to fly in weren’t known until today. Caldwell and Emmanwori are new names to Pittsburgh’s list.
Dart is the biggest name as the Steelers continue doing their homework on quarterback. The second passer to come in for a pre-draft visit, joining Louisville’s Tyler Shough, Dart is expected to be the third quarterback selected in this month’s draft. Determining where he’ll be selected is more difficult but unless the Steelers acquire another Day 2 pick, they’ll likely need to select Dart at No. 21. Whether or not Pittsburgh is willing to spend a first-round pick on a quarterback remains to be seen and the consensus is a mid-round selection is more likely.
Emmanwori is another potential first-round candidate. A top-two safety in this year’s class, he took the NFL Combine by storm with one of its best workouts ever. Checking in at 6-3 and 220 pounds, Emmanwori ran a blistering 4.38 40-yard dash with elite jumps, posting a 43-inch vert and 11’6″ broad. On the bench press, he repped 225 pounds 20 times.
In three seasons with the Gamecocks, he registered 244 tackles (four for a loss) with four interceptions, returning both of his picks in 2024 for touchdowns. Our scouting report was mixed on him and landed on a Terrell Edmunds comp, a similar freaky-workout first-rounder coming out of Virginia Tech in 2018.
The Steelers have put in an unexpected amount of homework on the draft’s top safeties, showing interest in the class’s big names. Beyond Emmanwori, they’ve shown interest in Georgia’s Malaki Starks, Texas’ Andrew Mukuba, and Notre Dame’s Xavier Watts.
Caldwell is the other Oregon Ducks defensive lineman behind projected first-rounder Derrick Harmon. A true nose tackle and plugger, Caldwell is expected to be drafted late Day 2 or more likely, in the fourth or fifth rounds. After transferring from Houston to Oregon for 2024, he notched 29 tackles for the Ducks. While he was held without a sack, Caldwell recorded 6.5 of them in 2023 with the Cougars.
Our scouting report concluded:
“Caldwell is a girthy, twitchy, and strong nose tackle who offers a lot of flexibility for a team. He’ll most likely be a two-gapping monster in the middle, but he’s a guy you don’t necessarily have to bring off of the field on third downs because he gives you plenty of flashes as a pass rusher. His power, low center of gravity, and short-area quickness make him a very unique nose tackle prospect. B.J. Raji is a guy who Caldwell shares traits with as that huge man at the center of a defense who can hold down the fort, but also give you some pass rush versatility to make an impact”
Noel is an undersized but dynamic receiver who made up a great duo with Cyclones teammate Jayden Higgins, who has also been on Pittsburgh’s radar. Breaking out for his first 1,000-yard season in 2024, Noel finished with 1,194 yards and eight touchdowns. Though an aggregate third-round selection, several recent mocks have slotted him as high as the end of the first round. An excellent Combine workout helped his stock, Noel running a 4.39 40 with a 41.5-inch vert and 11’2′ broad while showing off his strength thanks to 23 reps on the bench press. He measured in at 5102, 194 pounds.
The 2025 NFL Draft kicks off Thursday, April 24 in Green Bay. The Steelers currently hold top selections at No. 21 in the first round and 83rd overall in the third round.
Check out our scouting reports on all four players below. And follow our updated Steelers visit tracker here.
