Steelers should look at Nebraska DT Darrion Daniels in later rounds

The Pittsburgh Steelers have more pressing needs than their defensive line in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Wide receiver, running back, and linebacker have been thrown around as the most important holes for the Steelers to fill with this weekend’s event.

I’d even argue cornerback is a spot that needs attention. Joe Haden and Steven Nelson are both coming off productive years, but they are 31 and 27 years old, respectively. Who knows how much longer Haden especially will be able to compete with younger receivers?

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All of the above are spots that should be filled first. But once the immediate needs are filled, the Steelers should look at Darrion Daniels, a relatively unheralded defensive lineman out of Nebraska, for front seven depth.

Daniels spent 2019 with Scott Frost’s Cornhuskers, coming to Lincoln as a graduate transfer after four years at Oklahoma State, including a 2018 season where he only played in four games, taking advantage of the new NCAA rule that allows players to play up to four games while preserving their redshirt year. This rule allowed him to come to Nebraska for his final year of eligibility.

Daniels tallied 34 tackles last year,19 of them solo. He also had one sack and assisted on another, and contributed an interception.

His numbers do not exactly jump off the page, but his leadership will be a major contribution to the Steelers’ defense. Daniels was elected a defensive captain in 2019, which might not seem particularly impressive for a fifth-year senior, but remember that he didn’t spend his entire career at Nebraska.

To say he “walked into” the captaincy diminishes the notion that captaincies are earned through leadership and the trust of teammates, but it’s impressive that he earned that trust and was elected a captain in his first and only year with the Huskers. It shows that he’s not afraid of new challenges, a mentality that will suit him well in his first years in the NFL.

KC Kingdom writes that Daniels getting drafted may not be the most realistic prospect, which is why I’m arguing for him as a late-round pick or UFA instead of a reach, but he’s certainly someone to keep an eye out for as Nebraska strives to start a new streak of NFL Draft selections after they had nobody selected in 2019.