We've finally reached the NFL Draft. In the coming hours, Pittsburgh Steelers fans will be biting their fingernails, waiting to see who their favorite team selects in the first round. A plethora of questionable decisions late in the Kevin Colbert era set the franchise back, and new general manager Omar Khan is aiming to build a roster that can get this team back on track.
Throughout the pre-draft process, we've kept track of the stops the Pittsburgh's decision-makers have made along the way. Based on our 2025 Steelers Pre-Draft Interest Tracker, there are numerous players this team could target with the 21st overall selection, and a trade-back in the first round isn't out of the question.
I've taken the liberty of ranking every possible Steelers first-round pick from least likely to most likely based on the team's pre-draft interests, positional need, and historic trends. Let's start with the long shots to be the pick at 21.
Ranking the possible Pittsburgh Steelers' first-round picks from least likely to most likely
Long shots: S Nick Emmanwori, EDGE Shemar Stewart, EDGE Mykel Williams, CB Trey Amos
There's a small chance the Steelers go with an off-the-wall pick like Nick Emmanwori, Shemar Stewart, Mykel Williams, or Trey Amos, but we can't rule them out entirely. The Steelers expressed an interest in each of these players, and while they don't come at pressing positional needs, they each possess the size or athletic traits this team desires. Color me shocked if Pittsburgh goes this route at pick 21, but it's not impossible.
10. Kenneth Grant, DT, Michigan Wolverines
Surprised to see Kenneth Grant this low? I would have been, too, if this were last week. But as the Pittsburgh Steelers wrapped up their pre-draft visit list, Grant's name was nowhere to be found. Couple this with the fact that Mike Tomlin recently called nose tackle a 'disappearing animal' in the NFL by comparing it to the fullback position, and we have a player who is unlikely to be high on Pittsburgh, first-round radar, regardless of how fans might feel.
9. Walter Nolen, DL, Ole Miss Rebels
For similar reasons as Kenneth Grant, I have Walter Nolen surprisingly low on the possible options for the Steelers in Round 1. Though assistant GM Andy Weidl was at Ole Miss's Pro Day, that doesn't technically check the Mike Tomlin/Omar Khan box we typically look for. Nolen also didn't earn a top-30 pre-draft visit. And if Pittsburgh's decision-makers were willing to bring in nine running backs for pre-draft visits and not Walter Nolen, that speaks volumes to how they feel about him.
8. Emeka Egbuka, WR, Ohio State Buckeyes
Rumblings are heating up that teams have inquired about a trade for Steelers wide receiver George Pickens. Whether Pickens gets traded, he's unlikely to be with the team beyond the 2025 season, and Pittsburgh will have a glaring need for a WR2 next to DK Metcalf. Emeka Egbuka is a player this team really likes, and he could be a sneaky Round 1 option if this team is aiming to improve their offense in the first round.
7. Matthew Golden, WR, Texas Longhorns
I have little doubt that the Steelers would prefer Matthew Golden over Egbuka thanks to his 4.29 timed speed and ability to get open with ease, but his availability at pick 21 is in question. Golden is expected to be off the board sooner, but if he slips to pick 21, Tomlin and Khan could be tempted to go with a player who projects as a go-to target and 'X' receiver on their offense.
6. TreVeyon Henderson, RB, Ohio State
I can't get behind the logic of taking a player like TreVeyon Henderson this early for a team that has so many glaring roster gaps, but the Ohio State running back is clearly on Pittsburgh's draft radar after checking all of the visit boxes we look for in a first-round pick. Henderson has home run speed and would be a great RB in tandem with Jaylen Warren, but this still feels rich because of positional value.
5. Omarion Hampton, RB, North Carolina
If Omarion Hampton makes it past the Denver Broncos at pick 20, the Steelers could be tempted by a do-it-all workhorse running back with a terrific blend of speed, explosion, and power like Hampton. The North Carolina product has Pro Bowl upside and could give Pittsburgh's offense a boost from Day 1. Hampton had a pre-draft visit with the Steelers, so the connection checks out.
4. Jaxson Dart, QB, Ole Miss Rebels
This is where things get dicey. Steelers fans have mixed reviews on taking a quarterback in the first round this year, and Jaxson Dart may not have the ceiling that is worth the squeeze at pick 21. Meanwhile, Dart comes from a Lane Kiffin offense at Ole Miss that has never produced a successful NFL quarterback. Still, Dart is on Pittsburgh's draft radar. Perhaps he could be had in a trade-back situation, but he's in play with the 21st overall pick.
3. Jalen Milroe, QB, Alabama Crimson Tide
Jalen Milroe is one of the most polarizing players in the draft, as the Alabama quarterback has elite physical gifts, but there are concerns with accuracy and decision-making. The Steelers have expressed their interest in securing a quarterback with mobility, and Milroe fits the bill. This would be a true boom-or-bust gamble in Round 1, but from what I've heard, there are some inside the organization who like Milroe more than Shedeur Sanders.
2. Shedeur Sanders, QB Colorado Buffaloes
Speaking of Shedeur, the Colorado prodigy and son of Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, lands in the second spot on the list of most likely Steelers Round 1 candidates. Sanders is a player the organization didn't view as an option back in February, but a draft-day slide could ensue that winds up with Sanders going to Pittsburgh at pick 21. The Steelers are now the odds-on favorites to select Sanders in the 2025 NFL Draft.
1. Derrick Harmon, DL, Oregon Ducks
The only name higher than Shedeur Sanders on the list of most likely first-round candidates for the Steelers is Derrick Harmon. The big defensive lineman from Oregon checks every box the team looks for in a first-round pick with a beautiful combination of size, length, athletic traits, and youth. It was reported that Harmon is dealing with a shoulder issue, but that likely won't be enough to sway Pittsburgh from taking a player they've had their sights set on since the NFL Combine.