Steelers Show Interest in Early-Round Tight End Prospect
Pittsburgh Steelers tight ends coach Alfredo Roberts was out scouting one of the top tight end prospects of the 2025 NFL Draft class at his pro day this week.
Roberts attended the Miami pro day this week, going back to his alma mater to get a closer look at Hurricanes tight end Elijah Arroyo.
It’s not the first time the Steelers have scouted Arroyo, as head coach Mike Tomlin and offensive coordinator Arthur Smith first scouted and met with him in person at the 2025 Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama in January.
Sends Roberts to The U is the first time the Steelers have shown significant interest in drafting a tight end in 2025, but it does make sense.
The Steelers have a solidified starter in Pat Freiermuth, who signed a contract extension last season, and a big blocker in Darnell Washington. But Washington has not yet developed into a significant receiving threat and the Steelers do not have a legitimate backup to Freiermuth on their roster.
Veteran backup MyCole Pruitt remains unsigned as a free agent. Only special teamer and H-back Connor Heyward and free agent addition Donald Parham, who spent all of 2024 on the Denver Broncos practice squad are on the roster beyond the top two at tight end for 2025.
Arroyo can be that pass-catching weapon. He measured in a 6-foot-5, 250 pounds at the 2025 NFL Combine, but performed only the bench press in Indianapolis, where he put up 22 reps. He also did not perform athletic testing in Coral Gables, citing an injury.
Injuries have been a big part of the story for Arroyo, who played just 11 games between the 2022 and 2023 seasons. But he was a 13-game player for the Hurricanes in 2024, breaking out for 35 catches for 590 yards and seven touchdowns — a crucial figure for the NFL’s red zone-heavy tight end usage.
Arroyo is currently rated as the No. 3 tight end in the 2025 NFL Draft class, behind Tyler Warren of Penn State and Colston Loveland of Michigan — both projected first-round picks. He is the No. 57 players on the NFL Mock Draft Database consensus big board.