Several options will be on the table for the Steelers come draft weekend.
The ideas of adding offensive line and wide receiver help are so prominent that it's nearly a consensus that those will be the Steelers' two prioritized positions when Roger Goodell steps up to the lectern in Detroit to open the 2024 NFL Draft Thursday. The Steelers' options with the 20th pick are numerous with deep offensive line and wide receiver classes to pluck from.
But the real money Omar Khan will earn comes within next Saturday afternoon's Day 3, when the Steelers are scheduled to make three picks. The Steelers hold pick No. 119 in the fourth round and pick Nos. 178 and 195 in the sixth round and have some depth to address with those selections.
That includes within the defensive line, which benefitted from the addition of Keeanu Benton in last year's draft. Khan, Mike Tomlin, and the rest of the front office have been doing diligence within the trenches, and the interest is clearly present with respect to adding along the defensive line.
Among the Steelers' 30 allotted prospect visits at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex were five defensive tackles. Going along with Pro Football Focus' big board, none project to be taken within the first round. Florida State's Braden Fiske is the highest-projected defensive tackle to be hosted by the Steelers with a ranking of 38th on PFF's big board.
The remaining four defensive line prospects grade as likely Day 3 selections. Along with Fiske, the Steelers hosted Northern Iowa's Khristian Boyd (PFF rank 145), LSU's Maason Smith (148), Iowa's Logan Lee (151), and Mississippi State's Jaden Crumedy (260). They did not meet with any of these five formally at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis, but Lee met with the Steelers there on an informal basis. They met with projected first rounder Byron Murphy (Texas) and projected second rounder Ruke Orhorhoro (Clemson) in Indianapolis but did not follow up with invitations to the South Side.
Instead, the invitations went to those who could add quality depth in Day 3.
At 6-foot-2 and 329 pounds, Boyd was a Football Championship Subdivision All-American at UNI and profiles closely as a nose tackle in the 0-technique or 1-technique. At his pro day, Boyd put up 38 reps on the bench press which would have beat his position mates at the NFL Combine by four and would have been the second-most reps of anyone who benched in Indianapolis.
In 2023, Boyd totaled 43 tackles, 6.5 for loss, and 3.5 sacks.
Smith missed the majority of the 2022 season after injuring his knee in the first quarter of LSU's first game. A former five-star recruit, he had a bit of a down 2023 but profiles as a project defensive tackle at 6-foot-5 with 35-inch arms. There is some untapped potential with Smith.
Lee is a bit undersized at 281 pounds but is durable. He did not miss a game in his three seasons as a starter. He would be a fit for the Steelers' defensive end spot because of his ability to shed blocks, but he might lack some strength to move inside and provide the position flexibility the Steelers covet.
Last year, Khan struck for Day 3 value by drafting Nick Herbig in the fourth round and Cory Trice Jr. and Spencer Anderson in the seventh round. Herbig excelled as a pass-rushing depth option behind T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith and Anderson served as a core special teamer while providing depth along the offensive line with his versatility. Trice missed his rookie season with a knee injury and won't make his on-field debut until later this summer.
Picking up defensive line depth on Day 3 could help remedy some looming situations while injecting some more youth. Cam Heyward is entering his age-35 season and currently has one year left on his contract before becoming an unrestricted free agent. He missed six games with a groin injury, and that limited his practice participation throughout the season after his return. He has already said he will not retire.
Larry Ogunjobi is going into the second of his three-year deal, but he is going into his age-30 season and dealt with a foot injury throughout the 2023 season. Isaiahh Loudermilk and DeMarvin Leal have struggled to earn helmets on some Sundays. Leal's development after being a third-round pick in 2022 has become an afterthought. Behind Benton are Montravius Adams, who had a fairly good 2023, and newcomer Dean Lowry.
