The Pittsburgh Steelers have had an eventful Day 3 of the NFL draft, but many of their picks are unusual compared to how they typically go about it. General manager Omar Khan has often focused on elite athletes with upside with his later picks, but this year has seen more high-floor players get picked in the later rounds.
Ohio State's Jack Sawyer and Will Howard, and Iowa's Yahya Black are fine selections, but none of them are particularly good athletes. As the Steelers' final few picks of Day 3 were inching closer, it was fair to wonder if Khan would miss out on adding an athletic prospect worth taking a flyer on.
In typical Steelers fashion, however, they did so while fitting in another classic Pittsburgh narrative.
Pittsburgh Steelers add athletic linebacker Carson Bruener, son of former tight end Mark Bruener
Omar Khan did indeed add an athletic player who has plenty of upside, but it was even more notable because of his ties to the organization. Washington linebacker Carson Bruener was the Steelers' pick at 226th overall, and fans should recognize his last name.
His father, Mark Bruener, played tight end for 14 years in the NFL from 1995-2008, nine of which were spent with the Steelers after they selected him 27th overall in 1995. While the big tight end never caught more than 26 passes in a season, he was a great blocker who helped pave the way for some of Jerome Bettis' best seasons.
His son is much smaller and more athletic, which should be no surprise given how the game has changed. He may not have the same pedigree as his father did when he joined the Steelers, but Bruener has a shot to find a role in his rookie season.
Pittsburgh's linebacker depth chart is pretty crowded right now, but he could compete with guys like Mark Robinson and Devin Harper for one of the last spots on the 53-man roster this summer.
We all know how much the Steelers love bloodlines, so Bruener should get a more than fair shot at earning a role in 2025.