The Pittsburgh Steelers under GM Omar Khan and assistant GM Andy Weidl have put a major emphasis on rebuilding the team through the trenches, leading to an emphasis on the offensive line in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Now, just under a week ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft, that emphasis could be on the defensive line, now. NFL.com’s Chad Reuter sees that being the case, as in his latest mock draft he addressed the defensive line early and in a big way. He shored up the Steelers depth along the offensive line, too.
In his seven-round mock draft, Reuter paired the Steelers with Oregon’s Derrick Harmon in the first round, Georgia running back Trevor Etienne in the third round and Ohio State quarterback Will Howard in the fourth round. He then pivoted and landed Oklahoma State EDGE Collin Oliver in the fifth, Oregon offensive lineman Ajani Cornelius in the sixth and Clemson offensive lineman Marcus Tate in the seventh, beefing things up in a big way for the Black and Gold.
With Harmon, the fit and the connection are very clear. Pittsburgh hosted Harmon for a pre-draft visit, checking a key box. Add that they need a significant boost to the trenches and Harmon is a realistic option for the Steelers at No. 21 overall.
“With Hampton off the board, Pittsburgh addresses a need on defense. The team moved on from Larry Ogunjobi after three seasons this offseason, opening a spot for the active Harmon to play 5-technique across from four-time All-Pro Cameron Heyward, who will turn 36 years old in May,” Reuter writes.
Harmon models his game after Cameron Heyward and getting a chance to learn and grow under the seven-time Pro Bowler for the next few years would be fantastic for Harmon. He had a great 2024 season at Oregon, brings great physicality, size and athleticism to the trenches, and could be the next building block for the Steelers along their defensive line.
The only real question is if he’ll be there at No. 21 for the Steelers to land him. In this exercise from Reuter, if he’s there, especially with North Carolina running back Omarion Hampton off the board, Harmon makes a great deal of sense.
After the first round, the Steelers won’t pick again until No. 83 overall in the third round. There, Reuter has the Steelers addressing RB and landing a guy they don’t have much connection with. Despite bringing in nine running backs for pre-draft visits, Reuter didn’t pick one from that list.
Etienne rushed for 609 yards and nine touchdowns on 122 carries in 2024 for Georgia, adding another 32 receptions for 199 yards and a touchdown. He’s the younger brother of Jacksonville running back Travis Etienne.
In a scouting report for Steelers Depot, Alex Kozora had this to say about Etienne:
“Overall, Etienne is a quicker-than-fast prospect with just an okay college career. There’s the occasional flash on tape, but with a lack of size and power and not teeming with third-down value, it’s hard to believe he’ll carve out a big role at the NFL level. He best fits in a zone-based scheme and could get a look on kick returns to try and create additional value. With his quickness, maybe even a look on punt returns is worth a flyer, too.”
Following the selection of Etienne, Reuter paired the Steelers with Ohio State’s Will Howard in the fourth round at No. 123 overall, landing a quarterback who has been connected to the Steelers throughout the pre-draft process.
The fit, on paper, makes sense. Howard’s a big, tough quarterback with some mobility who could function very well in Smith’s offensive scheme. He doesn’t have the strongest arm, but he functions well in play-action and on the move. He can add some QB-run elements to the offense with his toughness and durability.
Howard measured in at 6042, 236 pounds at the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine with 9-inch hands. He added a 31.5-inch vertical jump, a 9’4″ broad jump, a 4.33 short shuttle and a 7.13 3-cone. He’s a big, thick quarterback who can stand in the pocket and deliver. He also brings good mobility and athleticism to the position.
That showed up on his tape throughout his time at both Kansas State and Ohio State. He came through in a big way during Ohio State’s run to through the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff to win the national championship.
Things get interesting after that in Reuter’s mock.
With T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith and Nick Herbig under contract, and Jeremiah Moon re-signed, OLB doesn’t look like a huge need, but Reuter selected Collin Oliver out of Oklahoma State for the Steelers in the fifth round.
Oliver measured in at 6016, 240 pounds and had 23.5 sacks during his career with the Cowboys. He missed most of the 2024 season with a leg injury, playing in just two games.
In a scouting report for Steelers Depot, Jim Hester had this to say about Oliver:
“Collin Oliver displays just about all of the pass-rushing ability you could want in an edge rusher. His body type presents issues for tall offensive tackles as he can get underneath them. He also has the speed to win outside or inside to get into the backfield.
“He struggles to redirect himself against longer and stronger opponents when he doesn’t win the rep initially. Oliver doesn’t have the technical ability and experience to play as an inside linebacker in the NFL. If a team wants him to do that, he will need a lot of time to develop those skills. Oliver projects as a depth outside linebacker who can wreak havoc on pass-rushing downs.”
Finally, Reuter has the Steelers going OL-heavy to close the draft with Oregon’s Ajani Cornelius and Clemson’s Marcus Tate, shoring up depth at tackle and guard. The Steelers did re-sign Calvin Anderson to a two-year deal to be the swing tackle, but Cornelius was once a highly rated prospect who struggled just a bit during the 2024 season following a step up in competition.
Steelers Depot’s Nate Kosko compared Cornelius to Dan Moore Jr. in his scouting report.
Here’s how it looks, top to bottom:
- Round 1, Derrick Harmon, DL, Oregon
- Round 3, Trevor Etienne, RB, Georgia
- Round 4, Will Howard, QB, Ohio State
- Round 5, Collin Oliver, EDGE, Oklahoma State
- Round 6, Ajani Cornelius, OT, Oregon
- Round 7, Marcus Tate, OG, Clemson
