In his first two drafts as Pittsburgh Steelers general manager, Omar Khan went to great lengths to fortify the offensive line.
Expect him to begin a reconstruction of the defensive line this year.
Cameron Heyward was the last defensive lineman taken by the Steelers in the first round, and he’s about to turn 36 as he prepares for his 15th season with the organization. And despite playing at a Pro Bowl level in 2024, Heyward was on the field when the Baltimore Ravens rushed for 299 yards against the Steelers in the wild-card playoff round.
That should be enough to convince Khan and coach Mike Tomlin that an upgrade needs to take place on the defensive front. Even if it comes at the expense of a quarterback, running back, wide receiver, cornerback or safety — all positions the Steelers could fortify in the draft.
“The trenches are important,” Khan said at the NFL annual meeting last month. “I’ve always talked about those big guys on both sides of the ball, so we understand where we’re at.”
The Steelers hold the No. 21 overall pick, and three of the four first-round defensive line prospects are expected to be in play for them: Oregon’s Derrick Harmon, Mississippi’s Walter Nolen and Michigan’s Kenneth Grant.
I fully expect Khan to explore a trade back in the first round so he can potentially add another pick on Day 2. But for these purposes, we aren’t taking trades into account.
Which is why I expect Harmon to be the Steelers’ first-round pick. He was the only one of the three linemen to take a top-30 visit to the Steelers, and he has been compared to a young Heyward.
I also have the Steelers sticking to players they brought in for top-30 visits with their first four picks. And I don’t think the board will work out in their favor in terms of quarterback. They won’t get their developmental passer until the seventh round.
I also see a double-dipping on the defensive front — much like last year when the Steelers used three picks on the offensive line.
First round (No. 21)
Derrick Harmon, DT, Oregon
The Steelers should have their choice of the defensive line litter, which could cause them to trade back in the first round. If that happens, look for Grant to be the pick. For these purposes, we’re not accounting for trades, and the Steelers select a defensive tackle in the first round for the first time since 2011.
Third round (No. 83)
Kaleb Johnson, RB, Iowa
He’s 6-foot-1, 221 pounds and the type of big back the Steelers can use to replace Najee Harris in the offense. The Big Ten Running Back of the Year, Johnson set a school record with 21 rushing TDs in 2024 when he ran for 1,537 yards and averaged 6.4 yards a carry.
Fourth round (No. 123)
Savion Williams, WR, TCU
At 6-4, 222 pounds, he is a multi-purpose threat, a younger version of Cordarrelle Patterson, who began his NFL career at receiver. Williams has return skills, averaged 10.2 yards per catch as a senior and carried 51 times while scoring six rushing touchdowns.
Fifth round (No. 156)
Elijah Roberts, DT, SMU
The 6-4, 285-pound lineman spent three seasons at Miami before transferring to SMU for his final two years. A two-year starter for the Mustangs, he totaled 17.5 sacks in 27 games.
Sixth round (No. 185)
Denzel Burke, CB, Ohio State
The 6-1, 193-pound corner set the school record for career starts by a defensive back at 51. He had 28 career pass breakups and tied for the team lead with two interceptions in 2024.
Seventh round (No. 229)
Seth Henigan, QB, Memphis
The Steelers finally get their quarterback, a 6-3, 215-pound developmental prospect. He recently wowed Jon Gruden at the former coach’s annual quarterback class. He set a school record and tied the American Athletic Conference mark with 104 career passing touchdowns in four years as a starter.
