If you've been keeping tabs on the Pittsburgh Steelers' front office over the past two offseasons, you know they are suckers for great athletes. Since General Manager Omar Khan and Assistant GM Andy Weidl took over, this franchise has targeted athletic players in free agency and almost exclusively drafted players who posted excellent testing numbers at the NFL Combine and Pro Days.
This year could be no different. In an effort to minimize risk and maximize potential, the Steelers could once again target players who test off the charts. On Day 1 of the NFL Combine, we witnessed dozens of players who fit this mold.
Pittsburgh's brass kept a watchful eye on the defensive line and linebacker group during on-field testing and drills in Indianapolis, and these four players could be high on their draft radar after Day 1 of the NFL Combine.
Pittsburgh Steelers NFL Draft candidates after Day 1 of NFL Combine
Derrick Harmon, DL, Oregon
Apart from skipping out on his jumps and agility testing, you couldn't have asked for a better NFL Combine performance from Derrick Harmon. The Oregon product looked smooth and explosive in drills while posting a remarkable 4.95 in the 40-yard dash.
Before taking the field for drills, Harmon showed off his prototype size in weigh-ins—measuring in at 6'4 1/2'' and 313 pounds with 34 3/8'' arms and 10 3/8'' hands. It's no secret Cameron Heyward is getting up there in age (he turns 36 in May), and the Steelers are desperate for depth on the defensive line.
Harmon has been favorably compared to former Steelers defensive lineman Stephon Tuitt (who was playing excellent football before his early retirement). Harmon looked explosive on film, but his confirmed combination of size and speed will him even more enticing to the Steelers at pick 21 if he makes it that far.
Jihaad Campbell, LB, Alabama
With a plethora of roster needs, the Steelers are unlikely to take an off-ball linebacker with their top pick in the draft, but it's probably an understatement to say that Jihaad Campbell will be high on their draft board. Campbell is as well-rounded as any linebacker prospect we've seen in years.
At 6'3'' and 235 pounds with 32 1/2'' arms and 10 1/2'' hands, Campbell has ideal measurables for an every-down linebacker. But his 4.52 40-yard dash and 1.53 10-yard split confirmed what we already know—he's an elite athlete.
After signing Patrick Queen to a big contract in free agency and spending a third-round pick on Payton Wilson last April, taking Campbell would be a luxury pick, but there's a great chance he's the best player on the draft board when the Steelers are on the clock.
Ty Robinson, DL, Nebraska
It seems like the Steelers take a flier on this type of player every few years—an athletic defensive lineman who doesn't have great length but is a good athlete with height. Last year it was Iowa's Logan Lee in Round 6, this year it could be Nebraska's Ty Robinson.
Robinson wowed at the NFL Combine with phenomenal speed and quickness as an interior defender. At 6'5'' and 288 pounds, Robinson posted a 4.83 in the 40-yard dash while exploding for a 9'11'' broad jump. The collection of his testing earned him a Relative Athletic Score of 9.87, per RAS.football.
The Steelers need an abundance of defensive line depth, and if Robinson slips in the draft because of his age, Pittsburgh could target the Nebraska product on Day 3.
Danny Stutsman, LB, Oklahoma
The Steelers feel pretty well set at off-ball linebacker. Patrick Queen and Payton Wilson could make up one of the league's most athletic LB tandems in 2025, but it's unclear if Elandon Roberts will re-sign or if Cole Holcomb will keep his roster spot (Pittsburgh could cut him to save $6 million).
If even one of Roberts or Holcomb doesn't return, the Steelers could target an off-ball linebacker as early as Day 2. Danny Stutsman is one of the most overlooked and underrated players in the 2025 NFL Draft. The Oklahoma product is smooth and well-rounded.
At 6'3 1/4'' and 233 pounds, Stutsman popped during on-field drills and recorded a 4.52 40-yard dash with a remarkable 1.55 10-yard split. The value would be too good to pass up if he makes it to the third round, and the Steelers are suckers for athletic linebackers.