NFL Draft: In ideal scenario, trenches remain priority
All the work toward the 2025 NFL Draft is nearly in the books. The reports are written, meetings have been had, and now it's time to make decisions.
Which way will the Steelers go?
Of course, the first-round pick always gets the majority of the attention. After all, the player taken there is drafted with the expectation to become an impact player, even in a class like this year's in which top-tier talent is at a premium.
There's no doubt that the Steelers have done the most homework on defensive tackle and running back. The former was obvious all the way back in January at the Senior Bowl when Mike Tomlin and Teryl Austin neglected nearly every other position during practices that week at Hancock Whitney Stadium. The latter was made clear by hosting nine running backs within their 30 allotted pre-draft visits, more than any other position.
From the beginning, I've been hearing defensive tackle has been the priority. And just three days away, I have no reason to believe that's changed. Should the right guy be available at 21st overall, I believe a defensive tackle will be the selection.
This really shouldn't come as any surprise. Although he's still playing at an All-Pro level, Cam Heyward isn't getting any younger. Keeanu Benton, while talented, hasn't taken off after two seasons. Everybody else is just a guy. And the Eagles just proved to the entire league that an elite defensive front can help you win a Super Bowl.
Also, and appropriate, remember where Andy Weidl worked before he became assistant general manager for the Steelers. It's no accident that in their first two drafts together, Khan and Weidl have used seven of their 14 draft picks on offensive or defensive linemen. That includes four of their five picks in the first two rounds. They are and have been following the Eagles' model, which isn't a bad idea since they are the reigning Super Bowl champions.
Now, all of this doesn't mean the Steelers will be prioritizing need over a best-player-available approach. Under Omar Khan, the team has made an effort to blend the two -- draft the best talent available, but also consider what's also needed on the roster in both the short and long term. For example, edge rusher is arguably the best position in this year's class, but using a first-round pick on one might be misguided since the Steelers are already stacked at the position with T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith and Nick Herbig.
Defensive tackle is a position that can be both realistic and appropriate with where the Steelers are picking. This is a great crop of interior defensive linemen, perhaps even right up there with edge rusher. Michigan's Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant, Oregon's Derrick Harmon, Ole Miss' Walter Nolen and Toledo's Darius Alexander could all be taken in the first round. There haven't been five defensive tackles drafted in the first round since six were taken in 2019.
Because of the strength at edge rusher and the blend of other prospects that are projected to be taken in the top 20, there's a very good chance the Steelers will have the opportunity to draft any of them except Graham, who's a consensus top-10 pick. Any of Grant, Harmon and Nolen could realistically be the one who receives the phone call from Mike Tomlin on Thursday night.
Of the three, the most interest might be in Harmon. The Steelers held a formal meeting with him at the NFL Combine, and they also brought him to the South Side for a pre-draft visit. There's plenty of interest in Grant, despite not coming in for a pre-draft visit. The Steelers also had a formal meeting with him at the Combine, and Austin made it out to Michigan's pro day while Tomlin and Khan stayed in Pittsburgh to meet with prospective free-agent quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
Nolen only got a meeting with the Steelers at the Senior Bowl, but that doesn't mean he's off their radar. The Steelers didn't double dip with almost any of the Senior Bowl guys at the Combine, and a pre-draft visit is not the ultimate decider of interest. A pre-draft visit could be needed for medical purposes only. Not all visits are the same. Some are for a single reason, some are as extensive as possible.
Alexander is interesting if the Steelers get the opportunity to trade down and possibly acquire another Day 2 pick. Alexander is the top guy in the second tier of defensive tackles, but still worthy of consideration in the first round. Should the Steelers move back and he's still available, it wouldn't surprise me if he's their pick. Not only did they meet with him at the Senior Bowl and I heard from the inside how impressed they were with him that week, but they also brought him in as their final pre-draft visit. They've done their homework on him.
However, the Steelers cannot go into Thursday night with a defensive-tackle-or-bust mentality. That's why throughout their extensive homework on running backs, they brought in North Carolina's Omarion Hampton and Ohio State's TreVeyon Henderson for pre-draft visits. Hampton is the only other consensus first-round running back in the class outside of Boise State's Ashton Jeanty, and Henderson isn't only one of the most pro-ready backs in a deep class, but the Steelers were wowed in their meeting with him at the Combine.
In addition to running backs, the Steelers also brought in Texas wide receiver Matthew Golden, who's projected to go in the first round. They've also done extensive work on the quarterback class. They met with Ole Miss' Jaxson Dart at the Combine and brought him in for a pre-draft visit. Tomlin and Khan had dinner with Alabama's Jalen Milroe ahead of his pro day. The Steelers also brought in Colorado's Shedeur Sanders for a pre-draft visit.
If all of the defensive tackles they're eyeing are off the board and there's nobody calling to trade up or down, the Steelers might just have to go with the best player available. The possibility of not being able to trade down is very real. As previously stated, this isn't a class with a ton of top-tier talent. Trading down sounds nice, but it takes two to tango. If there aren't any players worth a team trading up for, the Steelers might have to be okay with making their pick at 21st overall.
But, just as it was with the offensive tackle position last year, if the Steelers have their way, they'll be using their first-round pick to add to the trenches on the defensive side of the ball this year.
"We've had a desire to build into the trenches," Khan said at the Combine. "That's going to continue."
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THE ASYLUM
Chris Halicke
4:25 am - 04.21.2025South SideNFL Draft: In ideal scenario, trenches remain priority
All the work toward the 2025 NFL Draft is nearly in the books. The reports are written, meetings have been had, and now it's time to make decisions.
Which way will the Steelers go?
Of course, the first-round pick always gets the majority of the attention. After all, the player taken there is drafted with the expectation to become an impact player, even in a class like this year's in which top-tier talent is at a premium.
There's no doubt that the Steelers have done the most homework on defensive tackle and running back. The former was obvious all the way back in January at the Senior Bowl when Mike Tomlin and Teryl Austin neglected nearly every other position during practices that week at Hancock Whitney Stadium. The latter was made clear by hosting nine running backs within their 30 allotted pre-draft visits, more than any other position.
From the beginning, I've been hearing defensive tackle has been the priority. And just three days away, I have no reason to believe that's changed. Should the right guy be available at 21st overall, I believe a defensive tackle will be the selection.
This really shouldn't come as any surprise. Although he's still playing at an All-Pro level, Cam Heyward isn't getting any younger. Keeanu Benton, while talented, hasn't taken off after two seasons. Everybody else is just a guy. And the Eagles just proved to the entire league that an elite defensive front can help you win a Super Bowl.
Also, and appropriate, remember where Andy Weidl worked before he became assistant general manager for the Steelers. It's no accident that in their first two drafts together, Khan and Weidl have used seven of their 14 draft picks on offensive or defensive linemen. That includes four of their five picks in the first two rounds. They are and have been following the Eagles' model, which isn't a bad idea since they are the reigning Super Bowl champions.
Now, all of this doesn't mean the Steelers will be prioritizing need over a best-player-available approach. Under Omar Khan, the team has made an effort to blend the two -- draft the best talent available, but also consider what's also needed on the roster in both the short and long term. For example, edge rusher is arguably the best position in this year's class, but using a first-round pick on one might be misguided since the Steelers are already stacked at the position with T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith and Nick Herbig.
Defensive tackle is a position that can be both realistic and appropriate with where the Steelers are picking. This is a great crop of interior defensive linemen, perhaps even right up there with edge rusher. Michigan's Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant, Oregon's Derrick Harmon, Ole Miss' Walter Nolen and Toledo's Darius Alexander could all be taken in the first round. There haven't been five defensive tackles drafted in the first round since six were taken in 2019.
Because of the strength at edge rusher and the blend of other prospects that are projected to be taken in the top 20, there's a very good chance the Steelers will have the opportunity to draft any of them except Graham, who's a consensus top-10 pick. Any of Grant, Harmon and Nolen could realistically be the one who receives the phone call from Mike Tomlin on Thursday night.
Of the three, the most interest might be in Harmon. The Steelers held a formal meeting with him at the NFL Combine, and they also brought him to the South Side for a pre-draft visit. There's plenty of interest in Grant, despite not coming in for a pre-draft visit. The Steelers also had a formal meeting with him at the Combine, and Austin made it out to Michigan's pro day while Tomlin and Khan stayed in Pittsburgh to meet with prospective free-agent quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
Nolen only got a meeting with the Steelers at the Senior Bowl, but that doesn't mean he's off their radar. The Steelers didn't double dip with almost any of the Senior Bowl guys at the Combine, and a pre-draft visit is not the ultimate decider of interest. A pre-draft visit could be needed for medical purposes only. Not all visits are the same. Some are for a single reason, some are as extensive as possible.
Alexander is interesting if the Steelers get the opportunity to trade down and possibly acquire another Day 2 pick. Alexander is the top guy in the second tier of defensive tackles, but still worthy of consideration in the first round. Should the Steelers move back and he's still available, it wouldn't surprise me if he's their pick. Not only did they meet with him at the Senior Bowl and I heard from the inside how impressed they were with him that week, but they also brought him in as their final pre-draft visit. They've done their homework on him.
However, the Steelers cannot go into Thursday night with a defensive-tackle-or-bust mentality. That's why throughout their extensive homework on running backs, they brought in North Carolina's Omarion Hampton and Ohio State's TreVeyon Henderson for pre-draft visits. Hampton is the only other consensus first-round running back in the class outside of Boise State's Ashton Jeanty, and Henderson isn't only one of the most pro-ready backs in a deep class, but the Steelers were wowed in their meeting with him at the Combine.
In addition to running backs, the Steelers also brought in Texas wide receiver Matthew Golden, who's projected to go in the first round. They've also done extensive work on the quarterback class. They met with Ole Miss' Jaxson Dart at the Combine and brought him in for a pre-draft visit. Tomlin and Khan had dinner with Alabama's Jalen Milroe ahead of his pro day. The Steelers also brought in Colorado's Shedeur Sanders for a pre-draft visit.
If all of the defensive tackles they're eyeing are off the board and there's nobody calling to trade up or down, the Steelers might just have to go with the best player available. The possibility of not being able to trade down is very real. As previously stated, this isn't a class with a ton of top-tier talent. Trading down sounds nice, but it takes two to tango. If there aren't any players worth a team trading up for, the Steelers might have to be okay with making their pick at 21st overall.
But, just as it was with the offensive tackle position last year, if the Steelers have their way, they'll be using their first-round pick to add to the trenches on the defensive side of the ball this year.
"We've had a desire to build into the trenches," Khan said at the Combine. "That's going to continue."
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