A Nose Tackle for Every Round

[steelerkeylargo]

Lets get some thoughts on paper. It's been too long. Here we will find a Nose Tackle who can contribute in every round.

1) Kenneth Grant-Michigan- An absolute monster of a human. Grant's ceiling will only be limited by his desire to be the best. Athletically he is nearly perfect. Can he take coaching and turn his gifts into All-Pro. Definitely worth the chance.

2) Tyleik Williams-Ohio St- The Steelers run D was exposed in the playoffs last year. Enter Williams. An absolute run stuffer. Explosive off the snap and stacks and sheds NFL size men with ease. Pass rush needs development, but Williams could rotate as a rookie right away. Will need to find a 2nd round pick to make this happen.

3) Alfred Collins-Texas- Collins checks the box for size and body type of an NFL NT. His hands are strong but technique is sloppy. Struggles vs double teams and lacks consistency to disengage. Collins will need a year or two of coaching but has the ability to develop quickly.

4) CJ West-Indiana- West is the opposite of the 3 above. Short with short arms West doesn't check a lot of body type boxes. He does however play with good pad level and a high motor. He can carve out a roll as an early down run stuffer. His surprisingly quick feet will grab an occasional sack and he can certainly occupy double teams.

5) Jamaree Caldwell-Oregon- Caldwell is a true sleeper. Caldwell found football late. Early on his desire to play was questioned. He flashes quick feet and a nice push pull technique. His weight will need to be controlled and he needs to be taught how to win with secondary moves but potential is there to develop into a solid if unspectacular nose.

6) JJ Pegues-Ole Miss- High character athlete who is a Jack of all trades. Height and arm length are less than ideal. Shows strong hands and quick feet. Balance and leverage are an issue. Offers some extra versatility as a full back and even Wild Cat QB.

7) Zeke Biggers-Georgia Tech-- Dan McCullers 2.0. Massive human that can be hard to move. Having said that, he doesn't really move on his own. Heavy feet and inconsistent pad level is an issue. Long arms are reliable in pass defense as he has a knack for batting down balls. Break glass in case of emergency type player.

[WindyCitySteel]

Tyliek would have been on the bench vs. Baltimore, they got gouged because they played nickel D vs. heavy set.

[hawaiiansteel]

Lets get some thoughts on paper. It's been too long. Here we will find a Nose Tackle who can contribute in every round.

1) Kenneth Grant-Michigan- An absolute monster of a human. Grant's ceiling will only be limited by his desire to be the best. Athletically he is nearly perfect. Can he take coaching and turn his gifts into All-Pro. Definitely worth the chance.

SKL is Gerry Dulac.

Obviously.


Gerry Dulac's 2025 Steelers draft prediction: Anchoring defense a top priority

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
APR 23, 2025

In a span of three weeks last season, the Steelers discovered the hard way how far their defensive line has regressed.

Not surprisingly, it was their chief division rival who exposed the weakness and sounded the alarm.

During the five-game slide to close the season, the Steelers got pushed around twice by the Baltimore Ravens, allowing 520 yards rushing and 62 points in a pair of games at M&T Bank Stadium.

It was especially evident in the 28-14 playoff loss on Jan. 11, when the Ravens rushed for 299 yards — 186 by Derrick Henry — and averaged 6 yards per attempt. What was most disturbing is that came just weeks after the Ravens gouged them for 220 yards rushing. Even when they were determined to stop the run, they didn’t.

The Steelers can no longer rely on mid- and late-round draft choices to help reinforce their defensive line. They are well aware it’s time to assign the same top priority to the defensive line as they have the past two years with the offensive line.

It’s time to use their No. 1 pick on a defensive lineman who can be a disruptive force like the previous one they drafted in the first round 14 years ago — Cam Heyward.

Otherwise, it won’t matter even if a four-time NFL MVP is their quarterback.

The Steelers have the 21st pick in the draft and several possibilities are on the table, including running back, where the Steelers want to get a partner for Jaylen Warren. However, because the draft is littered with a deep group of backs, the Steelers can afford to wait until Day 2 to find one.

And despite the lengthy courtship with Aaron Rodgers, the Steelers are confident the league’s seventh all-time leading passer will be their starting quarterback when the regular season begins in September. That’s why they continue to wait for him to sign the one-year deal that has been on the table for weeks.

The Steelers have been flirting with Rodgers for the same reason they signed Russell Wilson a year ago: There is the utmost urgency to win a playoff game after an eight-year drought. They have too many pressing issues — and have actually regressed, roster-wise, since last season — to use their top pick on a rookie quarterback who might not even be an immediate contributor.

On top of all that, the Steelers are still a little gun-shy after what happened with Kenny Pickett, their No. 1 choice in 2022 who lasted only two seasons. Pickett was the best of an average quarterback class and wouldn’t have been a first-round selection in any of the drafts since then.

Understand, the Steelers have first-round grades on quarterbacks Shedeur Sanders and Jaxson Dart. But if Mike Tomlin were serious about drafting Sanders, the snake-oil salesman in him would not have uncharacteristically talked him up the way he did the other day during a pre-draft press conference.

There are other players in their first-round crosshairs, including receivers Matthew Golden of Texas and Emeka Egbuka of Ohio State. But with DK Metcalf and George Pickens already on the roster, taking a receiver with the top pick makes little sense.

The same could be said of Nick Emmanwori, the South Carolina safety who has enamored the Steelers with his physical skills. However, they don’t have a pressing need for a safety.

Through it all, the Steelers believe they cannot afford to neglect the weakest area of their defense. Not after they failed to replace one of their starters, Larry Ogunjobi, in free agency. And not when three of the five holdovers are over 30.

What’s more, their attempts to use mid- and low-round picks on DeMarvin Leal, Isaiahh Loudermilk and even Logan Lee, who spent the 2024 season on injured reserve, have not produced Brett Keisel-like results. Keeanu Benton, their second-round pick in 2023, is a nice piece but not a player around whom the Steelers can rebuild their line.

That’s why, with first-round grades on four interior defensive linemen, they will not pass up the opportunity to get one at No. 21.

They anticipate Michigan’s Mason Graham will be off the board when it’s their turn to pick. They love the explosiveness of Walter Nolen, who has that Cam Heyward look to him ... minus some immaturity concerns. And Oregon’s Derrick Harmon is a strong possibility.

In the end, it will come down to Michigan’s Kenneth Grant, who has the size (6-3, 331), to stuff the middle but enough athleticism to team with Heyward in their sub-package defenses.

Grant will solve a problem that has bothered the Steelers since their playoff loss in Baltimore. It will be a necessary step toward rebuilding an aging line that was bullied and exposed by their main division rival.

Doing anything else in the first round would be the highest form of negligence.

https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/steelers/2025/04/24/nfl-draft-steelers-pick-prediction-kenneth-grant/stories/202504230015

[Oviedo]

Thank you SKL. As always great info

[steelerkeylargo]

Thank you SKL. As always great info

My first post of any worth in forever and the site crashes out immediately. It's a sign!! LOL

["BuzzNuter"]

What about Elijah Simmons from TN. What is his worth? I like him.

[Flasteel]

I'm looking at Caldwell or Jordan Phillips as the NT I hope they get. I like Pegues and West but am not really a fan of their size. I just hope they target a NT at some point to pair with Harmon.

[Oviedo]

Now that we got Harmon, let's double down and get Caldwell

[steelerkeylargo]

What about Elijah Simmons from TN. What is his worth? I like him.

Simmons profiles as a DE
i was hoping to preview that position also, but the site is wonky

[hawaiiansteel]

Lets get some thoughts on paper. It's been too long. Here we will find a Nose Tackle who can contribute in every round.

1) Kenneth Grant-Michigan- An absolute monster of a human. Grant's ceiling will only be limited by his desire to be the best. Athletically he is nearly perfect. Can he take coaching and turn his gifts into All-Pro. Definitely worth the chance.

2) Tyleik Williams-Ohio St- The Steelers run D was exposed in the playoffs last year. Enter Williams. An absolute run stuffer. Explosive off the snap and stacks and sheds NFL size men with ease. Pass rush needs development, but Williams could rotate as a rookie right away. Will need to find a 2nd round pick to make this happen.

3) Alfred Collins-Texas- Collins checks the box for size and body type of an NFL NT. His hands are strong but technique is sloppy. Struggles vs double teams and lacks consistency to disengage. Collins will need a year or two of coaching but has the ability to develop quickly.

4) CJ West-Indiana- West is the opposite of the 3 above. Short with short arms West doesn't check a lot of body type boxes. He does however play with good pad level and a high motor. He can carve out a roll as an early down run stuffer. His surprisingly quick feet will grab an occasional sack and he can certainly occupy double teams.

5) Jamaree Caldwell-Oregon- Caldwell is a true sleeper. Caldwell found football late. Early on his desire to play was questioned. He flashes quick feet and a nice push pull technique. His weight will need to be controlled and he needs to be taught how to win with secondary moves but potential is there to develop into a solid if unspectacular nose.

6) JJ Pegues-Ole Miss- High character athlete who is a Jack of all trades. Height and arm length are less than ideal. Shows strong hands and quick feet. Balance and leverage are an issue. Offers some extra versatility as a full back and even Wild Cat QB.

7) Zeke Biggers-Georgia Tech-- Dan McCullers 2.0. Massive human that can be hard to move. Having said that, he doesn't really move on his own. Heavy feet and inconsistent pad level is an issue. Long arms are reliable in pass defense as he has a knack for batting down balls. Break glass in case of emergency type player.

What do you think of Yahya Black?

Steelers had him in for one of their 30 college visits.

[steelerkeylargo]

What do you think of Yahya Black?

Steelers had him in for one of their 30 college visits.

see Zeke Biggers
massive, slow, no pass rush, practice squad, break glass in case of emergency

[hawaiiansteel]

What do you think of Yahya Black?

Steelers had him in for one of their 30 college visits.

I knew the Steelers were interested in Yahya.

Interesting to hear them say he's going to start out at DE.