After picking Oregon defensive lineman Derrick Harmon at No. 21 overall in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft Thursday night, the focus shifts to Day 2 in Green Bay.
The Steelers have just one draft pick currently, sitting at No. 83 overall in the third round, after trading their second-round pick (52nd overall) to the Seattle Seahawks for WR DK Metcalf earlier in the offseason.
For Pro Football Focus, the best fit for the Steelers on Day 2 at No. 83 overall isn’t a quarterback or running back. Instead, it’s focusing on the trenches again and addressing the offensive line in a big way with William & Mary OT Charles Grant, a small-school gem.
“Grant’s 93.0 grade on zone runs last year makes him a strong fit in Pittsburgh,” PFF’s Josh Liskiewitz writes regarding Grant as the best Day 2 fit for the Steelers.
The Steelers have shown some interest in Grant throughout the pre-draft process. They held a formal meeting with him at the NFL Combine, and assistant offensive line coach Isaac Williams went to William & Mary Pro Day to get a good look at Grant.
Offensive line might not be viewed as a huge need right now for the Steelers with Broderick Jones flipping back over to left tackle, Troy Fautanu slated to start at right tackle and Calvin Anderson as the swing tackle, but they have placed a significant emphasis on the trenches on both sides of the football and could continue to strengthen things there.
After his senior season in 2024, Grant was named a consensus FCS first-team All-American. During his time at William & Mary — the alma mater of Mike Tomlin — Grant started 41 games and went on to impress at the Senior Bowl before earning a Combine invite.
At the Combine, Grant measured in at 6047, 311 pounds with 34 3/4-inch arms.
In our scouting report on Grant, Tom Mead praised him for his quickness off the ball and how thoroughly he dominated at the FCS level. Grant has a wrestling background, too, which helps him,and is something the Steelers have targeted in the trenches recently.
“Overall, Grant is of solid size, and his length also looks good. He has very good athleticism and quickness. His snap quickness, play strength, and patience help to mirror and sustain in pass protection. His punch timing and placement of his hands are very good, and he consistently works to refit as needed. Twists, stunts, and recognizing blitzers highlight his very good awareness. He has the quickness and agility to play in a zone scheme and the aggressiveness and strength on power runs.
Areas to improve include more consistent pad level, recognizing rushers coming across his face, and timing on cut blocks. Displaying more quickness while pulling and effectiveness on screens would be beneficial. Additionally, he will probably need to add some weight to put more sand in the pants.”
We’ll see how the board breaks on Friday night with the Steelers up at No. 83 overall. If Grant is on the board and the running backs, quarterbacks and even safeties available don’t line up with the Steelers, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Pittsburgh build up the trenches even further.
