Throughout the pre-draft process, Washington linebacker Carson Bruener knew exactly where he wanted to go if he heard his name drafted.
That thought became reality for Bruener as he was drafted in the seventh round by the Pittsburgh Steelers, the same team that made his father, Mark Bruener, a first-round pick in 1995. Mark still works for the team, too, as a college scout. And now, Carson is competing in rookie minicamp this weekend at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex on the South Side.
There, Bruener feels he’s already able to play fast, rather than thinking too much while learning the defense, because he’s so familiar with it having watched the Steelers’ defenses over the years as a fan.
“Yeah, I’ve loved it so far. The coaches are great. I feel like I’m learning a lot and able to adapt that onto the field during practice and just with the system and the scheme, it’s something I feel comfortable out there doing,” Bruener said of his adjustment to the Steelers, according to audio provided by the Steelers’ PR department. “So it’s almost something I don’t want to think too much on even this early, I’m able to just go out there and play.”
Going out and just playing, flying around and being physical is a huge part of Bruener’s game. That’s what he did over the last few years at Washington, becoming a key piece of the Huskies’ defense the last two years. He is a tackling machine who makes plays all over the field and racks up tackles.
Last season at Washington, Bruener finished the season with 104 tackles, two tackles for loss, three interceptions, one forced fumble and five pass breakups. Bruener earned third-team All-Big Ten accolades and was one of just two conference defensive players with 100+ tackles and three or more interceptions in 2024, earning Washington’s defensive MVP award.
After spending time in a rotation in 2023 at linebacker, Bruener took over the starting role in 2024 and produced at a very high level for the Huskies.
Now, he’s looking to do the same in Pittsburgh, and his style of play fits how Pittsburgh plays.
“Absolutely. I mean, watching the Steelers’ defense year after year for as long as I’ve been a fan, since I was basically born, it’s something where I know the type of defense they wanna be year in and year out,” Bruener said of the fit with the Steelers’ defense. “…Just the downhill attacking mentality. That’s the biggest thing is they don’t let people run over them.
“Everyone’s running to the ball, they’re just aggressive, and I like that aggressive mindset.”
Historically, the Steelers’ defense has been physical, aggressive and attacking downhill, stopping the run. But last season the Steelers had a real issue with stopping the run late in the season, including giving up 299 yards against the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Wild Card matchup in January.
So, this offseason the Steelers set out to add run stoppers, and Bruener was part of that priority, adding depth and physicality at the inside linebacker position for the Black and Gold moving forward.
He’ll have a tall task in front of him trying to unseat veteran Mark Robinson as the fifth ILB and special teams ace. But he has the right mindset and the work ethic to do so.
