Steelers mock draft: Pittsburgh shops from their pre-draft visit list

Steelers mock draft round 4 (comp.): DT John Ridgeway

At 6’5 1/8” and 321 pounds, you might have guessed that John Ridgeway isn’t much of a pass rusher. The big defensive tackle recorded just 4.0 tackles for a loss and 2.0 sacks for Arkansas in 2021, and he isn’t expected to be a stat-sheet filler at the next level.

Regardless of his pass-rush shortcomings, Ridgeway is excellent value early on day three. With a massive, powerful frame and a huge wingspan (81 3/8”), Ridgeway is a space-eater in the middle of a defense and can shut down running lanes at will.

This is something the Steelers were certainly lacking in 2021, as they finished dead last in the NFL in both rushing yards allowed and yards per attempt surrendered. Ridgeway will only be a two-down player at the next level, but he can certainly help in this department, as he proved to be one of the best-run defenders in the nation last season.

Pittsburgh can’t count on a soon-to-be 35-year-old Tyson Alualu coming off a season in which he missed 15 games with an ankle injury, and they need to find his replacement. John Ridgeway would give the Steelers a mammoth run defender to anchor the middle of their defense and help force teams to 3rd and long situations more often.