As the Pittsburgh Steelers prepare for the 2025 NFL Draft, general manager Omar Khan and the front office are leaving no stone unturned. This team has expressed interest in an array of positions early in the draft, ranging from quarterback to running back to defensive tackle.
But after their latest pre-draft visit, there's a position that could be on the dock for the 21st overall pick that nobody is talking about.
On April 11, the Steelers made their reported top-30 visit with Shemar Stewart official. The Texas A&M defender made his presence felt at the NFL Combine when he blew up the athletic testing—eventually earning a perfect 10.00 Relative Athletic Score.
However, the visit with Stewart is particularly interesting because of the position he plays. The athletic prospect is an edge rusher, and this just happens to be the strongest position on the Pittsburgh Steelers' roster as we sit here before the NFL Draft.
The Pittsburgh Steelers could surprise us with a versatile edge rusher in Round 1 of the 2025 NFL Draft
If this was a one-off thing, we might be able to ignore it. But Shemar Stewart wasn't the only first-round EDGE prospect the Steelers have met with. Mike Tomlin, Omar Khan, and Pittsburgh's brass had a dinner meeting with edge rusher Mykel Williams at Georgia's Pro Day.
On the surface, the pre-draft interest in Stewart and Williams is hard to make sense of. With T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith, and Nick Herbig under contract, the Steelers already have one of the best pass-rush trios in the NFL. However, the Steelers may view players like Stewart and Williams as more than just edge rushers.
Both Stewart and Williams are much better-run defenders than pass rushers. Both players stand at 6'5'' and 267 pounds, with over 34-inch arms and long wingspans. This suggests they have more than enough room to grow into their frames to put on added bulk.
If you recall, both Cameron Heyward and former Steelers defensive lineman Stephon Tuitt were base 4-3 defensive ends in college who made a transition to 3-4 defensive ends and full-time interior defenders after being drafted by Pittsburgh. It's not impossible to believe this could be the plan if they drafted a long, powerful base defensive end.
Shemar Stewart joins a short list of first-round candidates the Pittsburgh Steelers have met with for a top-30 pre-draft visit. There's no guarantee he will be available when the 21st pick rolls around, but this visit officially puts him in contention to be the selection in Round 1.