Steelers Host Penn State Center Hunter Nourzad on Pre-Draft Visit

The Pittsburgh Steelers are hosting Penn State offensive lineman Hunter Nourzad for a pre-draft visit on Wednesday, the final day of top 30 visits ahead of the 2024 NFL Draft.

Nourzad is a 6-foot-3, 319-pound offensive lineman that played all five positions along the offensive line in his collegiate career, but likely projects to be a center at the NFL level.

Nourzad was at the 2024 NFL Combine, but did not do any testing or drills there or at his pro day at Penn State because of a stress reaction in his fibula. He said at his pro day that he hoped to be able to hold a private workout closer to the draft. 

Starting his career at Cornell, Nourzad played two seasons at the FCS level, playing mostly tackle. He transferred to Penn State in 2022, playing one season at left guard before moving to center ahead of the Lions’ 2023 season. He started all 13 games, and didn’t allow a single sack while helping running backs Kaytron Allen and Nick Singleton to a combined 1,654 yards rushing.

The Steelers brought in four centers among their top 30 visitors, but the other three — Jackson Powers-Johnson of Oregon, Graham Barton of Duke and Zach Frazier of West Virginia are likely first or second-day draft picks.

Nourzad is a player whose draft stock has come on late in the process. The Penn State lineman was considering a likely UDFA before February, when his average position on NFL Mock Draft Database started to spike. Nourzad is now considered to be a mid-Day Three pick, with an average selection of No. 167, toward the end of the fifth round. If the Steelers want to take him, they’ll be hoping Nourzad will fall to the sixth round, where the Steelers pick at No. 178 and No. 195.