It's the NFL Scouting Combine—a time for NFL teams to visit with dozens of players as they familiarize themselves with the nation's best prospects ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft. It's also a time for smokescreens, draft buzz, and rumors. And the Pittsburgh Steelers are already in the thick of it.
On Wednesday, the Steelers' brass was in Indianapolis for the Scouting Combine festivities. One day after general manager Omar Khan addressed the media, we're learning of players who have already had formal meetings with the team. One of those players is Ohio State defensive tackle Kayden McDonald.
Upon hearing this, Steelers fans will perk up their ears. Pittsburgh just drafted a defensive tackle in the first round last year. Ironically, Oregon product Derrick Harmon was taken with the 21st overall pick, the same No. 21 spot as where the Steelers will be selecting this year, barring a trade.
Even more peculiar is that McDonald just so happens to be the current 21st overall player on PFF's 2026 Big Board.
But while the early Combine buzz suggests the Steelers could dip their toes into the DT pool in the first round of April's draft, this is more of a do-diligence move than anything else.
The Pittsburgh Steelers won't narrow in on the defensive line in the 2026 NFL Draft
It's not that the Steelers couldn't use another interior defender; they could always stand to add more beef to the defensive line. The hope is that Derrick Harmon is the future of the position, but Cameron Heyward turns 37 years old shortly after the draft, while Keeanu Benton is entering a contract year.
Still, to many fans, addressing the offensive line in the first round would feel like overkill... and Khan might share the same thoughts.
When asked about his draft plan on Tuesday, Khan hinted that the Steelers would move their focus away from the trenches early in the draft. Since his first NFL Draft as Pittsburgh's GM in 2023, Khan has spent three straight first-round picks adding to either the offensive or defensive trenches.
The impression Khan gave is that positions like wide receiver and quarterback will be high on their radar, not defensive tackle. Still, it's not wrong for the Steelers to do their homework on McDonald.
In his junior season at Ohio State, McDonald recorded a 91.2 run defense grade from Pro Football Focus on 448 defensive snaps. Meanwhile, McDonald's 13.8 percent run-stop win rate is an elite-tier number. The big defensive tackle uses his massive 6'3'', 326-pound frame to swallow up offensive lineman and hold the point of attack.
If we're being honest, McDonald's skill set is a perfect pairing with the more athletic and nimble Derrick Harmon for the long-term. Still, this feels like a luxury pick.
McDonald isn't the only big defensive lineman the Steelers have had a formal meeting with at the NFL Combine. Pittsburgh's brass also met with Texas Tech's Lee Hunter, whose pre-combine listed size is 6'4'' and 330 pounds. Hunter is PFF's 26th overall player. Additionally, the Steelers had a meeting with Florida State DT Darrell Jackson Jr. (listed at 6'5'' and 337 pounds). Jackson is an expected Day 2 prospect.
By the end of the NFL Combine, the Pittsburgh Steelers will have met with dozens of players ranging accross nearly every position, so we shouldn't read too much into these visits. Still, we can't completely rule out players like Kayden McDonald or Lee Hunter from being on the team's first-round radar.