Ten Steelers NFL Draft Prospects to Watch in College Football Playoff
The 2024 college football season ends on Monday night, as the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish will meet to crown the winner of the first 12-team College Football Playoff. That also means that the Pittsburgh Steelers and the rest of the NFL world will get their last chance to watch some 2025 NFL Draft prospects before their college careers come to a close.
Let’s take a look at some of the top 2025 NFL Draft prospects that might of interest to the Steelers:
Ohio State WR Emeka Egbuka
6-foot-1, 205 pounds, senior
2024 stats: 75 catches, 947 yards, 10 TDs
Projection: Late first round
The Steelers have been trying for almost a year to find an upgrade to their wide receiver position. So a player at their neediest position, from a school they love to scout, available near where the Steelers are picking in the first round, feels like very, very good fit.
Ohio State DL Tyleik Williams
6-foot-3, 330 pounds, senior
2024 stats: 42 tackles, 7 TFLs, 2.5 sacks, 1 PBU
Projection: Late first round/early second round
If the way the Steelers ended their 2024 season is any indication of their needs going into 2025, then watching the Baltimore Ravens rush for almost 300 yards against them in the Wild Card round could directly lead to the team drafting the mountain-sized Williams, who could immediately be an upgrade against the run.
Notre Dame DB Xavier Watts
5-foot-11, 200 pounds, redshirt senior
2024 stats: 74 tackles, 3 TFLs, 9 PBUs, 6 interceptions, 1 FF, 1 FR, 1 TD
Projection: Late second round/early third round
Watts plays safety for Notre Dame, but he’s the kind of do-it-all piece in the secondary the Steelers thought they were getting when they brought Cam Sutton back. A bigger bodied player, Watts also has elite ball skills. The former wide receiver has 13 interceptions, two fumble recoveries and two defensive touchdowns over the last two seasons.
Ohio State RB Quinshon Judkins
6-foot, 219 pounds, junior
2024 stats: 183 carries, 960 yards, 20 receptions, 140 yards, 13 TDs
Projection: Late second round/early third round
If the Steelers want a successor to Najee Harris, the bigger of Ohio State’s two backs has great power and contact balance, but also the vision and speed to be more natural in Arthur Smith’s wide zone scheme.
Ohio State RB TreVeyon Henderson
5-foot-10, 210 pounds, senior
2024 stats: 132 carries, 967 yards, 27 receptions, 284 yards, 11 TDs
Projection: Third round
Being the second-best running back on these Buckeyes is not exactly a consolation prize — and there may be some teams that prefer Henderson. Henderson is more explosive, with a 7.3 yards per carry average, but he also got less of the goal line and short yardage. He’s a more vertical runner that has a nasty stiff arm.
Ohio State CB Denzel Burke
6-foot, 189 pounds, senior
2024 stats: 45 tackles, 3 TFLs, 2 PBUs, 2 interceptions
Projection: Third round
The Steelers definitely need to invest in their ability to cover different types of slot athlete, and Burke is another player that brings a do-it-all skillset to the position. He’s more of a traditional cornerback body than a player like Watts, and he could also move outside against smaller receivers. If Joey Porter Jr. is the answer to big bodies like Tee Higgins, Burke is the matchup for Zay Flowers.
Ohio State CB Davison Igbinosun
6-foot-2, 193 pounds, junior
2024 stats: 41 tackles, 2 TFLs, 9 PBUs, 2 interceptions, 1 FR
Projection: Fourth round
Igbinosun would fit right in line with Porter and Cory Trice Jr. Another lanky cornerback, he has the long speed to get away with pressing everyone at the point of attack.
Ohio State QB Will Howard
6-foot-4, 235 pounds, redshirt senior
2024 stats: 292 of 402, 3,779 yards, 33 TDs, 10 interceptions
Projection: Fourth round
The Steelers have not had a developmental quarterback stick around since Mason Rudolph, and while Howard does not have a high ceiling, he looks like he has some NFL tools at his disposal.
Notre Dame QB Riley Leonard
6-foot-4, 205 pounds, senior
2024 stats: 247 of 372, 2,606 yards, 19 TDs, 8 interceptions
Projection: Fifth round
Leonard once had some serious NFL draft buzz, but an injury plagued junior year followed a transfer to Notre Dame and in inefficient 2024 season has seen has stock slide pretty far. Leonard has traits, but the production just has not been there.
Ohio State DL Ty Hamilton
6-foot-3, 290 pounds, redshirt senior
2024 stats: 51 tackles, six TFLs, 3.5 sacks, 1 FF, 1 FR
Projection: Fourth round
The Steelers attacked offensive line full bore, with four picks over the last two drafts, so it’s not crazy to think they may double dip on the defensive line in this class. Hamilton does not have the athletic upside of his teammate Williams, but remains a solid defender at the point of attack.