The Steelers haven't been afraid to show their defensive linemen the money. In fact, they showed defensive end Stephon Tuitt the money before he became a star.
They're still waiting for that full breakout season from Tuitt, but the 25-year-old certainly has the ability.
In fact, you could make the argument the starting defensive line is one of the strengths of the team. In Tuitt, fellow defensive end Cameron Heyward and nose tackle Javon Hargrave, the Steelers have three very good players up front around whom to build their defense.
In fact, Hargrave had something of a breakout season in 2018, recording 49 tackles and 6.5 sacks from the nose tackle position, showing he's the long-term answer there.
But the 26-year-old also has just one season remaining on his current contract and the Steelers, despite re-signing veterans Tyson Alualu and Daniel McCullers, are lacking depth at a position where they typically keep six players.
Adding to the defensive line rotation -- and pushing McCullers off the roster -- will be something the Steelers will look to do in the upcoming NFL Draft, which will be held April 25-27.
Given the contract situation with Hargrave and the inconsistency with McCullers, finding a nose tackle who can at least be a backup in 2019 could be a priority for the Steelers with one of their 10 draft picks.
The top two nose tackle prospects happen to be from the same program, Clemson, which was loaded on its defensive line in 2018. And both Christian Wilkins and Dexter Lawrence could be first-round draft picks.
At 6-foot-3, 315 pounds, Wilkins isn't just a massive body in the middle of the defense, he also earned his degree in communications from Clemson in 2 1/2 years, becoming the first football player in the program's history to do so. The three-time All-America player finished his career with 250 tackles, 41 tackles for loss, 16 sacks, 56 quarterback pressures, 16 pass breakups, three forced fumbles and four fumble recoveries in 59 games, helping the Tigers to two national championships.
There's a good chance Wilkins won't be available when the Steelers make their pick in the first round at 20, not that the Steelers will necessarily be looking to take a nose tackle that early.
Lawrence, however, could be still on the board at 20, and that could make things interesting if some other players are gone. At 6-foot-4, 342 pounds, Lawrence isn't just a space eater, he apparently consumes just about everything in sight.
But the 21-year-old is hardly a fat guy. He showed that he could move at the NFL Scouting Combine, running the 40-yard dash in 5.05 seconds, and he demonstrated impressive strength by bench-pressing 225 pounds 36 times.
He's not in the same class as Wilkins or some of the other top defensive tackles in terms of pass rushing, recording 10 sacks in his 38 career college games. Lawrence also was suspended for the Tigers' playoff run last season after testing positive for PEDs.
Lawrence insists he didn't take a banned substance, though every team asked him about it at the Combine.
"Unfortunately, I tested positive for a drug I don't know how to pronounce," Lawrence said. "I'm naturally this size, this big, been this way all my life. There's no reason for me to do anything selfish like that. It's just unfortunate that it happened and all that I can do is be positive about it."
Beyond the first round, Khalen Saunders of Western Illinois is a player who, quite frankly, is a clone of Hargrave — right down to being a small-school prospect.
Saunders (6-foot, 324 pounds) is a nice mid-round prospect who is a more of a penetrator than he is a run-stuffer, as his 14 sacks the past two years would suggest. But in today's NFL, that's often what teams are looking for. In fact, his athleticism was good enough the Leathernecks used him in the backfield at times. He had one carry for a yard last season while also catching a pass for three yards.
Alabama's Isaiah Buggs, Greg Gaines of Washington or, in later rounds, Chris Slayton of Syracuse, could be productive backups immediately with some starting upside.
At defensive end, the Steelers likely won't be in the market for a player early considering what they're paying Heyward and Tuitt, but adding a young body to the position behind that duo could be a strong possibility in a draft that is very strong at the position.
An intriguing prospect would be Charles Omenihu of Texas. At 6-foot-5, Omenihu has the length the Steelers like in their defensive ends. He ran a 4.91-second 40-yard dash at the Combine, showing nice athleticism. Omenihu led the Longhorns with 9.5 sacks last season and could be had in the middle rounds in a deep group.
"I think I can use my versatility to my advantage. So, I think I can be in a multiple-front defense. I think I can play on the edge and I think I can also rush from a three-technique, as well," said Omenihu, whom the Steelers brought in for a pre-draft visit. "But it's really whatever a team wants me to do. If it's rush inside or play inside or play a little bit more on the edge, that's what I'm going to do. I've got to do whatever I can to make an impact as a rookie and continue to build my repertoire and how people view me in the league. So, I'm down for whatever a team needs me to do to be successful."
Other prospects who could interest the Steelers in the later rounds include L.J. Collier from TCU, Michael Dogbe of Temple and Byron Cowart of Maryland.
LOLLEY'S VIEW
Lawrence would be tough to pass on given his talent. The Steelers defensive line is a strength and keeping it a strength would put Lawrence on the team's radar. He's a very good player.
But taking a two-down player in the first round? Nah.
Finding a player who can push McCullers off the roster, however, is a necessity. The Steelers tried last year in the seventh round with Joshua Frazier, but that didn't work out.
Taking a nose tackle-type in the middle rounds most certainly would do that this year. And it would be the prudent move to make with Hargrave heading into the final season of his contract -- not that he can't be re-signed.
