Former NFL GM Thinks Steelers Should Draft Sleeper Defensive Lineman at No. 21
Former Las Vegas Raiders general manager Mike Mayock recently weighed in on the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback situation. He thinks the Steelers have to address the position at 21st overall in the 2025 NFL Draft.
“I think Pittsburgh at 21 obviously has got to do something, with or without Aaron Rodgers,” Mayock told Jack Green of Betway Insider. “A team to keep an eye on would be New Orleans at No. 9. They’ve got a new head coach, and that’s a good time to draft a rookie quarterback. They could move Derek Carr. They have Spencer Rattler, who I actually think is a better quarterback than most people do, but that’s who else is basically on the roster.
“I think the Rams at some point could be intriguing because they’ve got to be looking at the future after Matthew Stafford.”
Now if the Steelers don’t go quarterback in the first round, Mayock had an interesting Plan B for Pittsburgh. He thinks the Steelers should select Texas A&M defensive lineman Shemar Stewart.
“It really comes down to height, weight, speed, upside versus lack of production in college. I was at the Senior Bowl, his body’s beautiful, he’s got all that stuff, but four-and-a-half sacks in a career – not good. He’s a little bit of a project because I don’t think he’s an instinctual pass rusher. He’s going to have to be taught how to rush a quarterback. Over time, he has a chance to be really, really good,” Mayock said.
“If Pittsburgh didn’t take a quarterback at 21 for whatever reason, I think he would make sense there. I’ve heard some top-10 grades on him and Carolina at No. 8 is the earliest I could see. The teams who love their defensive line coach, who think they’ve got a guy that can bring out the best in players, they’re the kind of teams who would lean towards taking a chance with this guy.”
The Steelers have a significant need on the defensive line after moving on from Larry Ogunjobi earlier this offseason. The club has signed Daniel Ekuale to a one-year contract, but needs a significant investment in the position with Ekuale only here on a one-year deal and veteran star Cam Heyward getting older.
Stewart, who stands at 6-foot-6, 290 pounds, is an athletic freak. At the 2025 NFL Combine, he ran a 4.59-second 40-yard dash.
As Mayock mentioned, there’s a ton of upside with Stewart due to his athleticism. But with only 4.5 sacks in college, it most likely will be viewed as a massive reach if the Steelers select the former Aggie at 21st overall.