2025 NFL Draft NFL Combine Steelers Analysis
Saunders: Post-Combine 7-Round Steelers Mock Draft
INDIANAPOLIS — The 2025 NFL Draft process is entering the home stretch following the close of the NFL Combine today in Indianapolis, and that means it’s time for Pittsburgh Steelers mock draft season to kick into high gear.
After a week of watching prospects and talking to scouts and coaches, I feel like I have a pretty good handle on what the Steelers are thinking when it comes to this year’s draft class.
But there is a lot of work left to do before Omar Khan, Andy Weidl and Mike Tomlin submit their selection at No. 21 overall next month. With no starting quarterback in the fold and more cap space than the Steelers are accustomed to, the roster will likely look very different than it does right now.
For this projection, I’m operating under the assumption that the Steelers re-sign Justin Fields, sign or trade for a starting outside receiver, and sign or trade for a starting outside cornerback. That doesn’t seem like too big of a list for Khan to use his $60 million on in free agency. He might even be able to get a slot corner, too.
I have not traditionally done a mock draft before free agency, other than my annual Senior Bowl-only mock, so I have no past track record to share with you. We’ll see how it goes this time around.
Steelers Mock Draft Rules: For the first round, I’m limiting myself to players ranked 21st or higher on the consensus big board at NFL Mock Draft Database. For the second round, I’ll expand that to within five places of the Steelers’ pick, and so on down the line.
SEVEN-ROUND PITTSBURGH STEELERS MOCK DRAFT
Round 1, Pick No. 21: DT Kenneth Grant, Michigan
I’m not really sure exactly how much the Steelers like Kenneth Grant, but I absolutely love Kenneth Grant, and it’s going to be hard for me to seperate those feelings this early in the mock draft cycle.
The 331-pound Michigan nose tackle has an extremely hot motor, is great at running down backside running plays for someone his size, and has some untapped pass rush potential.
He was one of the most consistent run stuffers in all of college football last year, and with the last vestige of the 2024 season on the Steelers’ memory being Derrick Henry putting cleat marks all over the Pittsburgh defense, Grant seems like a more than sensible move.
He would also allow the Steelers to move Keeanu Benton to five-technique in the team’s base defense. Benton struggled with double teams in 2024, and that would probably help his run defense. Benton could take over as the starter in the Nickel and Dime alignments next to Cam Hayward, where his superior pass-rush skills could show.
The only cause for concern here is that the Steelers have not made having a true nose tackle on the roster a real priority in years. All of their most recent options, including Benton, Montravius Adams, Tyson Alaulu and Javon Hargrave, were undersized defensive tackles better suited to be playing one gap over. Grant is the real deal, but will the Steelers want him?
The big other option here is Ohio State wide receiver Emeka Egbuka, who is a high-character, and extremely high-floor option, while not quite possessing the usual level of explosive athleticism you’d find in a first-round wide receiver.
It’s a much deeper class at defensive tackle than it is at wide receiver, so you can make a compelling case for Egbuka, but you’re not going to find another player like Grant after the first round, and while wide receiver is thinner, I am intrigued enough by the second-day options, and sure enough that Khan can work some kind of free agent or trade addition, to go defensive line first.
Others considered: WR Emeka Egbuka, Ohio State; WR Luther Burden III, Missouri, CB Jahdae Barron, Texas; WR Matthew Golden, Texas; DT Derrick Harmon, Oregon
Senior Bowl-only pick: DT Walter Nolen, Ole Miss
Round 2, Pick No. 52: WR Elic Ayomanor, Stanford
There are bigger wide receivers in the draft and there are more explosive wide receivers in the draft class, but none are better fits for the Pittsburgh Steelers than Elic Ayomanor.
He’s big, he’s tough, he’s physical, he’s smart, he has great hands, and he ran a surprisingly fast 4.44-second 40-yard dash. Against potential No. 1 overall pick Travis Hunter last season, Ayomanor went off for 294 yards and three touchdowns.
The best part about Ayomanor might be that he’s a phenomenal blocker, something Arthur Smith loves in his receivers.
“I’m not afraid to get dirty, I love blocking and it’s something that I take pride in,” he said. “If we get on the goal line, I’m not going to ask you to throw me a fade. If you want me to come down tight and block off the edge, I’m going to do that.”
The Steelers have a deep need at wide receiver. Though he played there in college, Ayomanor is probably not a prototypical X wide receiver, but he would be a heck of a complement and contrast in styles to George Pickens.
The biggest concern here might be that a strong week at the combine could push him out of the Steelers’ second-round range.
Others considered: WR Tre Harris, Ole Miss; DT T.J. Sanders, South Carolina; DT Alfred Collins, Texas; CB Trey Amos, Ole Miss; RB Kaleb Johnson, Iowa, CB Maxwell Hairston, Kentucky; WR Isaiah Bond, Texas; DB Xavier Watts, Notre Dame
Senior Bowl-only pick: CB Azareye’h Thomas, Florida State
Round 3, Pick No. 83: CB Darien Porter, Iowa State
We knew Darien Porter was big. He measured in this week at 6-foot-2 7/8, 195 pounds. What we didn’t know what just how fast he is.
Porter raced to a 4.3-second 40-yard dash and posted a short shuttle of 4.04 seconds and a three-cone drill of 6.71 seconds. His overall Relative Athletic Score is a 9.99. That’s out of a possible of 10.
The dude is a freak, and he also showed at the Senior Bowl that he has some ball skills, too. Porter had just three carer interceptions, all in 2024, over six seasons at Iowa State.
Porter has the same size the Steelers seem to covet in their other cornerbacks, with even more impressive speed, something they’ll be missing if they look to replace Donte Jackson this offseason.
Others considered: WR Jayden Higgins, Iowa State; DL Jordan Burch, Oregon; DT Deone Walker, Kentucky, WR Xavier Restrepo, Miami; WR Savion Williams, TCU; RB Dylan Sampson, Tennessee; WR Tez Johnson, Oregon; RB Cam Skattebo, Arizona State; QB Quinn Ewers, Texas; QB Will Howard, Ohio State, DT Joshua Farmer, Florida State; WR Jaylin Noel, Iowa State
Senior Bowl-only pick: WR Jayden Higgins, Iowa State
Round 4, Pick No. 122: RB Bhayshul Tuten, Virginia Tech
Bhayshul Tuten was one of the breakout stars of the Senior Bowl, showcase excellent burst to the outside, vision, and way better than expected run-blocking abilities.
He continued that momentum with an incredible NFL Combine. Tuten ran a 4.32-second 40-yard dash, posted a 10-foot-10 broad jump and a 40 1/2-inch vertical on the way to an overall 9.29 Relative Athletic Score.
The only thing holding him back at this point seems to be his size at 5-foot-9 1/4 and 206 pounds.
For a four-year running back, Tuten doesn’t even have that all that miles on the odometer, either. He has had more than 200 carries in a season just once in his college career.
There’s also some untapped potential with him as a receiver, where he was not as productive as you’d think a player with his speed would be.
Others considered: DT Jamaree Caldwell, Oregon; CB Zy Alexander, LSU; CB Dorian Strong, VT; CB Cobee Bryant, Kansas; WR Tai Felton, Maryland, CB Jacob Parrish, Kansas State, RB Ollie Gordon III, Oklahoma State; RB D.J. Giddens, Kansas State; QB Dillon Gabriel, Oregon; DT J.J. Pegues, Ole Miss; DT Aeneas Peebles, Virginia Tech; WR Kaden Prather, Maryland; CB Quincy Riley, Louisville; WR Ricky White, UNLV; RB R.J. Harvey, UCF
Senior Bowl-only pick: RB Devin Neal, Kansas
Round 5, Pick No. 163: G Jackson Slater, Sacramento State
The Howie Roseman mantra is simple: when you think you have enough offensive and defensive linemen, draft some more. The Steelers surprised by taking guard Mason McCormick in the fourth round last year, despite the fact that James Daniels was under contract for 2024.
Well, Isaac Seumalo is under contract for 2025, but here’s his replacement for next year.
Slater had a strong Senior Bowl performance for a small-school guy, and the Steelers clearly aren’t afraid of going that route to stock an offensive line.
Others considered: S Malachi Moore, Alabama; QB Kyle McCord, Syracuse; CB Tommi Hill, Nebraska; DL Elijah Roberts, SMU; IOL Dylan Fairchild, Georgia; S Sebastian Castro, Iowa; IOL Miles Frazier, LSU; CB Mello Dotson, Kansas; S Jaylen Reed, Penn State, TE Jake Briningstool, Clemson; TE Mitchell Evans, Notre Dame; WR Kobe Hudson, UCF; CB Jordan Hancock, Ohio State; QB Riley Leonard, Notre Dame; RB Raheim Sanders, South Carolina; TE Oronde Gadsden II, Syracuse; RB Damien Martinez, Miami; DT C.J. West, Indiana; QB Tyler Shough, Louisville; RB Brashard Smith, SMU
Senior Bowl-only mock: DT Darius Alexander, Toledo
Round 7, Pick No. 225: DT Riley Mills, Notre Dame
Riley Mills is coming off a knee injury and hasn’t had a chance to showcase his skills in the pre-draft process, but that hasn’t scared the Steelers away much under Khan and Weidl.
He is a solid 1-on-1 run defender, and has an impressive pass-rush arsenal, even though he’s somewhat limited as an athlete. If the Steelers don’t wan’t to pay Dean Lowry to be a No. 6/7 defensive lineman, Mills can do that job instead.
Others considered: RB LeQuint Allen, Syracuse; S Mac McWilliams, UCF; G Willie Lampkin, North Carolina; WR Zakhari Franklin, Illinois; TE Benjamin Yurosek, Georgia; S Maxen Hook, Toledo; IOL Jonah Monheim, USC; RB Phil Mafah, Clemson; CB Jason Marshall, Florida; WR Jimmy Horn, Colorado; OT Logan Brown, Kansas; S Akili Arnold, USC; WR Ja’Corey Brooks, Louisville; DT Tonka Hemingway, South Carolina; CB Bihal Kone, Western Michigan; DT Simeon Barrow, Miami; RB Jarquez Hunter, Auburn
Senior Bowl-only pick: QB Tyler Shough, Louisville
Round 7 Pick No. 249: QB Brady Cook, Missouri
The Steelers have had obvious interest in Brady Cook, meeting with him at both the East-West Shrine Bowl, and the Hula Bowl, where the Missouri quarterback did well enough to get called up to a better college all-star game the next week.
Cook then had an electric NFL Combine, posting a 4.59-second 40-yard das, a 4.17-second shuttle, 7.01-second three-cone drill, 10-foot-8 broad jump and a 37-inch vertical. That would be a 9.08 RAS — as a wide receiver. He had a 9.71 as a quarterback, where his top comps include Kordell Stewart and Geno Smith. OK, then.
Others considered: DT Ahmed Hassanien, Boise State; TE Moliki Matavao, UCLA; CB Jabbar Muhammad, Oregon; WR Roc Taylor, Memphis; WR Theo Wease, Missouri; CB Jermari Harris, Iowa; CB Robert Longerham, Rutgers; QB Max Brosmer, Minnesota; TE Caden Prieskorn, Ole Miss; WR LeJohntay Wester, Colorado; CB Brandon Adams, UCF; IOL Caleb Rogers, Texas Tech; CB O’Donnell Fortune, South Carolina; DT Tim Smith, Alabama; IOL Connor Colby, Iowa; WR Jo’Quavious Marks, USC; CB Zach Frazier, UTSA; WR Bru McCoy, Tennessee, RB Corey Kiner, Cincinnati
Senior Bowl-only pick: RB Marcus Yarns, Delaware