Pittsburgh Steelers personnel floods Alabama's Pro Day

If there's one Pro Day you can bet the Pittsburgh Steelers will highlight on their schedule, it's Alabama's. We all know that the Crimson Tide has had one of the best college football programs in the nation for quite some time, so it would foolish for representatives of every team not to show up to witness the array of talent on hand.

Alex Kozora counted a total of six personnel members on hand for the Steelers, including Mike Tomlin, Omar Khan, Dan Rooney Jr., Mark Sadowski, Pat Meyer, and Grady Browns. However, he left the door open to potentially more that he wasn't able to spot from videos or still frames.

Obviously, the cream of the crop from Alabama this year is quarterback Bryce Young -- who is still in contention to be the number one overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Other notable draft prospects include Jahmyr Gibbs, Jordan Battle, Brian Branch, Cam Latu, D.J. Dale, DeMarcco Hellams, Eli Ricks, Tyler Steen, Emil Ekiyor, Byron Young, Kendall Randolph, and Henry To’oTo’o. Will Anderson Jr. and Jaylen Moody were in attendance but did not work out.

Steelers draft targets from Alabama

When it comes to the Steelers, there are several names that they could be targeting from Alabama in the draft. The only one they could consider at pick 17 would be Brian Branch. The Crimson Tide standout is widely considered the best safety in the 2023 NFL Draft, and it's worth noting that Terrell Edmunds will not return to the team this coming season.

Branch isn't an ideal fit in the strong safety role, as it's his versatility and ability to cover the slot that makes him a great prospect. Because of this, he can fill a role at both safety and nickel cornerback -- almost acting as a hybrid between Damontae Kazee and Cameron Sutton.

Still, I think taking a safety at pick 17 would be a luxury pick and arguably a bit of a reach. Regardless of what we think, Mike Tomlin and Omar Khan were there for his Pro Day, so this puts him firmly on the map to be in contention for Pittsburgh in the first round.

Perhaps a more likely target is fellow safety, Jordan Battle. Many NFL Draft experts consider Battle to be a late day-two pick. Battle is much more in the mold of Terrell Edmunds in terms of his fit in the strong safety role. While not an elite testing athlete, Battle is 6'1'' and 209 pounds, and he graded out well each of the past three years.

In addition to a very good pair of safeties that will be drafted early this year, the Steelers may have had their eyes on another pair of defenders in CB Eli Ricks and LB Henry To'oTo'o. Both are positions of need for Pittsburgh and are slated to go in the mid-round this year. They could help improve the depth and possess the upside to emerge as starters.

It's also worth noting that, with OL coach Pat Meyer on hand, Tyler Steen and Emil Ekiyor Jr. could be possible day-three prospects to add depth. Defensive tackle Byron Young will also be on their radar in this range.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have taken three Alabama players in the NFL Draft since 2018, and one of them was a first-round pick in Najee Harris. It's clear that Mike Tomlin really values the talent from this school and it will be interesting to see if they wind up drafting any of these players after sending the house to Alabama's Pro Day.