The Pittsburgh Steelers' biggest goal this season has to be ending their long playoff drought. The moves they have made so far this offseason indicate that they are trying to maximize their ceiling for 2025.
Whether it's their pursuit of Aaron Rodgers, the signing of aging corner Darius Slay, or the big trade for D.K. Metcalf, general manager Omar Khan is doing his best to raise the talent level of the roster for at least this upcoming season.
With that in mind, how can they use the draft to continue that mission? The roster still has spots that could use an injection of talent, but one position lines up as both a need and a strength of the 2025 NFL draft.
Pittsburgh Steelers must address the defensive interior in the draft to contend in 2025
Even with Cam Heyward and the ascending Keeanu Benton in the middle of their defense, the Steelers are still in need of difference-makers along the defensive line.
Looking across the league at the top contenders, nearly all of them have a deep and talented defensive front. The Eagles are the best example of this, and it was perhaps the biggest factor in them winning the Super Bowl in 2024.
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Heyward is still an elite player, but he turns 36 in 2025. Benton has shown flashes of brilliance, but he lacks the ability to impact the running game. After those two, does anyone on the roster have meaningful upside? I would confidently say no.
The 2025 NFL draft is full of potential impact players at interior defender, so much so that several day one starters could make it beyond the first two rounds. Pittsburgh no longer has a second-round pick thanks to the Metcalf trade, but where they pick in the first round could be the sweet spot for many of the best defensive tackles.
Players like Oregon's Derrick Harmon, Michigan's Kenneth Grant, Mississippi's Walter Nolen, and Ohio State's Tyleik Williams could all be available at pick 21. Any of them would be huge upgrades to either the run defense, pass defense, or both.
While positions like corner, receiver, and quarterback could be considered just as much of a need, no position would make a bigger impact if selected early than defensive tackle.