Steelers Finalize List of 30 Pre-Draft Visitors

The Pittsburgh Steelers wrapped their pre-draft visit process on Wednesday, with Toledo defensive tackle Darius Alexander the last of 34 players to visit UPMC Rooney Sports Complex ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft cycle.

The Steelers had their maximum of 30 pre-draft visitors, plus another four exempt local prospects from Pitt (TE Gavin Batholomew, S Donovan McMillon and K Ben Sauls) and WVU (OL Wyatt Milum).

The pre-draft visits have meant a lot to the Steelers recently. We only have two years of data to go on when it comes to drafts run by Omar Khan and Andy Weidl, and while there’s more data to work with when it comes to head coach Mike Tomlin, the Steelers are clearly operating differently with Khan and Weidl running the draft.

It used to be that the key metric was having Tomlin or Kevin Colbert at the pro day of their first-round pick. That happened nearly every year of that partnership, but the Steelers did not go to the Washington pro day last year. Instead, it’s been the pre-draft visits that have been more telling.

In 2023, the Steelers brought first-round pick Broderick Jones, second-round picks Joey Porter Jr. and Keeanu Benton and third-round pick Darnell Washington in for pre-draft visits.

Last year, first-round pick Troy Fautanu, second-rounder Zach Frazier, third-rounder Payton Wilson, fourth-rounder Mason McCormick and sixth-rounder Logan Lee all came on visits.

So that’s both first-round picks, all three second-round picks and two of three third-round picks over the last two classes that came on a pre-draft visit. While it’s a small sample, it’s a significant one: it seems likely that the Steelers will draft their first two picks — they don’t have a second-rounder this year — from the list of 30 players that have visited.

STEELERS 2025 NFL DRAFT VISITOR TRACKER

Louisville QB Tyler Shough (March 6)
Ole Miss DT J.J. Pegues (March 6)
West Virginia OL Wyatt Milum (March 6) (exempt)
Tennessee RB Dylan Sampson (March 14)
TCU WR/RB Savion Williams (March 14)
Iowa DT Yahya Black (March 14)
Iowa State WR Jayden Higgins (March 17)
Pitt K Ben Sauls (March 18) (exempt)
Texas WR Matthew Golden (April 3)
Iowa RB Kaleb Johnson (April 3)
Florida State CB Azareye’h Thomas (April 3)
Pitt TE Gavin Bartholomew (April 3) (exempt)
Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart (April 4)
South Carolina SS Nick Emmanwori (April 4)
Oregon NT Jamaree Caldwell (April 4)
Iowa State WR Jaylin Noel (April 4)
Virginia Tech RB Bhayshul Tuten (April 7)
Florida State DT Joshua Farmer (April 7)
SMU DL Elijah Roberts (April 8)
Ole Miss CB Trey Amos (April 8)
Oklahoma State RB Ollie Gordon (April 9)
North Carolina RB Omarion Hampton (April 9)
Oregon DT Derrick Harmon (April 9)
Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders (April 10)
Pitt S Donovan McMillon (April 10) (exempt)
Kansas State RB DJ Giddens (April 11)
Texas A&M OLB Shemar Stewart (April 11)
SMU DT Jared Harrison-Hunte (April 11)
Syracuse QB Kyle McCord (April 14)
Texas RB Jaydon Blue (April 14)
Minnesota CB Justin Walley (April 14)
UCF RB R.J. Harvey (April 15)
Ohio State RB TreVeyon Henderson (April 15)
Toledo DT Darius Alexander (April 16)

Visits completed: 30/30
Visits reported: 30/30
Exempt visitors: 4

STEELERS 2025 NFL DRAFT VISITORS BY POSITION

Running back (9)

Dylan Sampson, Tennessee
Kaleb Johnson, Iowa
Bhayshul Tuten, Virginia Tech
Ollie Gordon, Oklahoma State
Omarion Hampton, North Carolina
DJ Giddens, Kansas State
Jaydon Blue, Texas
R.J. Harvey, UCF
TreVeyon Henderson, Ohio State

Defensive Tackle (8)

J.J. Pegues, Ole Miss
Yahya Black, Iowa
Jamaree Caldwell, Oregon
Joshua Farmer, Florida State
Elijah Roberts, SMU
Derrick Harmon, Oregon
Jared Harrison-Hunte, SMU
Darius Alexander, Toledo

Quarterback (4)

Tyler Shough, Louisville
Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss
Shedeur Sanders, Colorado
Kyle McCord, Syracuse

Wide receiver (4)

Savion Williams, TCU
Jayden Higgins, Iowa State
Matthew Golden, Texas
Jaylin Noel, Iowa State

Cornerback (3)

Azareye’h Thomas, Florida State
Trey Amos, Ole Miss
Justin Walley, Minnesota

Safety (2)

Nick Emmanwori, South Carolina
Donovan McMillon, Pitt

Outside linebacker (1)

Shemar Stewart, Texas A&M

Offensive line (1)

Wyatt Milum, West Virginia

Tight end (1)

Gavin Bartholomew, Pitt

Kicker (1)

Ben Sauls, Pitt