With the 229th selection in the 2025 NFL Draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers selected Central Michigan cornerback/returner Donte Kent.
A five-year player in the MAC, Kent appeared in 53 games. For his career, he recorded 234 tackles (six for a loss) with 46 pass breakups and two interceptions. In 2024, he tallied 53 tackles, nine pass breakups, and zero interceptions.
Kent was also a successful punt returner, returning 16 for 217 yards and one touchdown in 2024. His score came in CMU’s season opener against Central Connecticut.
He was named All-MAC over each of his final three seasons, securing first-team honors in 2022 and second-team honors in 2023 and 2024.
Per Pro Football Focus, Kent played more snaps in the slot (443) than out wide (215) in 2024. He logged 54 snaps on punt return. In 2023, Kent also played more slot than wide snaps, 336 versus 257 while picking up 16 at free safety. In 2022, he played almost-exclusively on the outside with more than 700 snaps to just 46 at nickel.
A Harrisburg, Pa., native, Kent is 23 years old. At his Pro Day, he weighed in at 5102, 187 pounds and ran a blazing fast 4.38 40-yard dash. He jumped 38.5-inches in the vertical and 10’3″ in the broad. Per our Pro Day tracker, assistant Quentin Harris attended his workout.
The Athletic’s Dane Brugler rated Kent his No. 43 cornerback. Brugler summarized him:
“Playing a lot of Cover 2, Kent skillfully uses his eyes to pick up on route clues and drive on throws. His aggressiveness can get him in trouble at times, but he shows the make-up speed on tape to recover. Despite getting his hands on a lot of footballs, he was able to convert only two passes into turnovers. Overall, Kent is an above-average tackler for the position (at least 50 tackles each of the past four years) with NFL-quality speed, processing and special teams value.”
The Steelers likely drafted Kent in the seventh round knowing he might be difficult to sign as an undrafted free agent. Calvin Austin III had success as last year’s punt returner, including a touchdown against the New York Giants, but the Steelers could be adding depth. Though it’s been rare for Pittsburgh to consider defensive players on returns, the team may also give Kent a chance in that phase of the game.
Look for a full scouting report at Steelers Depot on Kent within the next 24 hours.
