5 Steelers Takeaways By Opening Days Of 2025 NFL Mix
INDIANAPOLIS – By two days of the 2025 NFL Scouting Mix, there have been a number of notable storylines which can be related to the Pittsburgh Steelers and their anticipated draft wants.
Steelers Depot is lucky to have three contributors in attendance as soon as once more this 12 months. Together with myself, we now have Joe Clark and Jonathan Heitritter on website to interview gamers, collect Steelers formal and casual assembly data, and observe the exercises dwell at Lucas Oil Stadium.
STEELERS’ DL INTEREST CONTINUES
The Senior Bowl and the Shrine Bowl each made it fairly clear that the Steelers had been throughout this defensive position class. The mix has solely bolstered that concept.
The primary day of interviews featured the defensive position, linebackers, and edge rushers, and the Steelers had been everywhere in the prospects that would presumably assist in the trenches on protection. That features among the edge rushers which can be sufficiently big to doubtlessly play base defensive finish within the Steelers’ odd entrance. Oregon DE/EDGE Jordan Burch is an effective instance of that.
Of the gamers that we spoke to, the Steelers held six formal conferences with defensive linemen. We additionally recognized 9 casual conferences with different DL and EDGE gamers. They arrive in all styles and sizes from inside run stuffers to base defensive ends that may cease the run and get after the quarterback.
It’s arguably the perfect DL class of the final decade, and the Steelers can be drafting one (or two?) on this draft. I’d assume that features a minimum of one in every of their first two alternatives.
– Ross McCorkle
EYE-POPPING WEIGH-INS AND WORKOUTS
Talking of that defensive position group, the positions that had been interviewed on day one kicked off the measurements and exercises on the second day of interviews. There have been some eye-popping numbers that generated loads of buzz in Indianapolis and dominated the dialogue on X.
Listed here are among the wildest numbers for a couple of of the totally different classes.
40-Yard Sprint:
– Nebraska DL Ty Robinson (6051, 288): 4.83 seconds
– Toledo DL Darius Alexander (6037, 305): 4.95 seconds
– Oregon DE Jordan Burch (6041, 279): 4.67 seconds
– Syracuse EDGE Fadil Diggs (6043, 257): 4.57 seconds
– Oregon DT Jamaree Caldwell (6021, 332): 5.16 seconds
Arm Size:
– Oregon DE Derrick Harmon (6044, 313): 34 3/8 inches
– Toledo DL Darius Alexander (6037, 305): 34 inches
– Texas DT Alfred Collins (6055, 332): 34 5/8 inches
– Texas DT Vernon Broughton (6050, 311): 35 inches
– FSU DT Josh Farmer (6032, 305): 35 inches
– Iowa DL Yahya Black (6056, 336): 35 inches
– Ross McCorkle
Take a look at our dwell updating mix outcomes under.
TIGHT END INTEREST
It’s not an enormous shock, however the Steelers are exhibiting a good quantity of curiosity in tight ends. Tight finish utilization went up final season beneath Arthur Smith, and with MyCole Pruitt set to be a free agent, including one other tight finish to the room is smart.
However the Steelers did signal Donald Parham final week, they usually nonetheless have proven a good quantity of curiosity within the tight ends on the Mix. They reportedly had a proper assembly with Penn State’s Tyler Warren, they usually additionally had 5 informals that we all know of with names that included Notre Dame’s Mitchell Evans, Texas Tech’s Jalin Conyers, and Clemson’s Jake Briningstool.
It appears as if there’s clearly an intent so as to add extra to the tight finish room, and that tracks with what we noticed on the East-West Shrine Bowl, with the Steelers exhibiting curiosity within the place there. It’s a deep and gifted tight finish class, and it wouldn’t be a shock if the Steelers took somebody on the place on Day 3.
– Joe Clark
ROUND ONE CORNERBACK IN PLAY
Whereas I nonetheless suppose a defensive lineman would be the choose within the first spherical, the Steelers are doing their homework on potential first-round cornerbacks. The group held formal conferences with Michigan’s Will Johnson, Notre Dame’s Benjamin Morrison and Texas’ Jahdae Barron, and all three gamers may very well be chosen within the first spherical.
With Donte Jackson set to be an unrestricted free agent and Joey Porter Jr. not taking the 12 months two leap some anticipated, the Steelers might look to solidify the cornerback room with a first-round expertise. There’s some respectable choices accessible later and the Steelers did have informals with three cornerbacks that we all know of, together with LSU’s Zy Alexander and Kansas State’s Jacob Parrish who’re anticipated to go on Day 2.
It’s notable although that the Steelers held formal conferences with gamers who’re anticipated to be among the many first cornerbacks off the board, and the place might actually be one they tackle within the first spherical whereas ready for a defensive lineman in a deep draft class.
Notably, their formal conferences with defensive linemen did embody Texas’ Alfred Collins and Vernon Broughton, two gamers who would possible be Day Two or Day Three alternatives. So ready on defensive position and addressing nook within the first is one thing that very effectively may very well be in play.
– Joe Clark
LACK OF SAFETY INTEREST
Whereas security isn’t thought-about a excessive precedence want for the Pittsburgh Steelers this offseason, it nonetheless is a place that wants some reinforcements on condition that Damontae Kazee is scheduled to hit free company and no actual high quality depth choices behind Minkah Fitzpatrick and DeShon Elliott.
From what we gathered on the Mix throughout interviews, the Steelers solely had two formal interviews with the security group: Notre Dame S Xavier Watts and Penn State S Jaylen Reed.
Most notably was their lack of interviews with guys like Penn State S Kevin Winston Jr., Texas S Andrew Mukuba, and others. Pittsburgh might decide to signal one other confirmed veteran for security depth relatively than investing a draft choose on the place.
– Jonathan Heitritter
