During the 2024 NFL Draft, Ryan Parish debuted his list of “Bargain” NFL prospects the Steelers could target at positions of need. Now, Ryan’s series is back to once again highlight some of the lesser-known players in this year’s class. This series is not meant to predict who the Steelers will pick, but rather to highlight players Ryan thinks would fit with the team and should be available in Rounds 2-7. For this series, Ryan will avoid highlighting players frequently listed in the top 50-75 range on big boards. Looking for more? Check out Ryan’s picks this year at wide receiver, running back, cornerback and safety.
Unless you’re away on an Aarond Rodgers-esque darkness retreat, you’re likely familiar with the fact that one of the most frequently mocked positions for the Steelers’ draft is defensive line.
That makes sense, of course, when you look at the depth chart. Cam Heyward isn’t getting any younger. Larry Ogunjobi, a three-year starter in Pittsburgh, was released by the team. Keeanue Benton has had a solid two years in the league, but it’s still widely debated if the Steelers are playing him at his best position. New free agent signee Daniel Ekuale’s role should become clearer this summer, but the Steelers are his fourth team since 2019. Beyond them are a handful of depth pieces like Dean Lowry, Isaiahh Loudermilk and Montravius Adams.
Thankfully, this draft has a deep defensive line group, with several intriguing prospects of seemingly every style NFL teams could ask for. The Steelers could potentially be in the market for nose tackles, as well as guys who can play in 3-tech and 5-tech alignments.
Before we highlight some prospects, I wanted to highlight some common benchmarks we can look out for based on recent Steelers picks. When looking at defensive linemen, I wanted to find averages for height, weight and arm length to get an idea of what kind of frames the Steelers prefer, or at least where their thresholds might be. I also wanted to see if there were any trends with any of the NFL Combine drills.
Interior Linemen (4 players): Logan Lee (2024), Demarvin Leal* (2022), Isaiahh Loudermilk (2021), Isaiah Buggs (2019)
*Leal has bounced between lineman and edge rusher, I know
Avg. height: 6’3 7/8 Tallest: 6’6 3/8 Shortest: 6’3 1/8
Avg. weight: 286 pounds Heaviest: 306 pounds Lightest: 274 pounds
Avg. arm length: 32 3/8” Longest: 33 1/4” Shortest: 31 1/4”
Avg. 40-time: 5.07 seconds Fastest: 5.00 sec Slowest: 5.15 seconds
Avg. broad jump: 107” Farthest: 114” Shortest: 96”
Avg. vertical jump: 28 1/8” Highest: 31 1/2” Lowest: 24 1/2”
Nose Tackle (2 players): Keeanu Benton (2023), Carlos Davis (2020)
Height: Benton: 6’3 5/8 Davis: 6’2
Weight: Benton: 309 pounds Davis: 313 pounds
Arm length: Benton: 33 7/8” Davis: 32”
40-time: Benton: 5.08 sec Davis: 4.82 sec
Broad jump: Benton: 111” Davis: N/A
Vertical jump: Benton: 29 1/2” Davis: N/A
As I pored through all the measurements, a few things jumped out to me.
Omar Khan, in a relatively small sample size, clearly prefers more athleticism than his predecessor, Kevin Colbert. Looking at our nose tackles, Benton doesn’t have many jumping or agility results to compare with Davis. However, he beats the averages of our defensive ends in most of our metrics.
While I didn’t list agility drills above because they are often skipped by linemen, I’ll note here that Benton finished in the 81st percentile for the 3-cone drill while Lee posted elite agility results in the 3-cone (94th percentile) and 20-yard shuttle (91st percentile). That could be a trend to watch for moving forward. Lateral movement, broad jump explosion and size are all things Khan seems to value higher than Colbert did.
We’ll also be keeping track of arm length and weight. With the exception of 2019 pick Isaiah Buggs, none of our past picks had arms shorter than 32 inches. When it comes to our 3-tech/5-tech prospects, we’re going to be a little flexible. While we tend to think of our starters as 300-plus pounds — albeit Heyward is listed as 295 pounds — the Steelers have shown with their depth pieces they are ok bulking them up over the first year or two with the team. Loudermilk was drafted at 274 pounds and Logan Lee was 281 pounds last year. At nose tackle, Benton is listed as 309 pounds and Davis was 313 pounds.
That’s a lot to keep track of, but let’s do our best to keep these factors in mind as we sort through our picks.
One last note, as a rule, this series tries to provide you some new names that haven’t been covered extensively on BTSC. With defensive line being an obvious need, we’ve already done profiles on nine players. That makes names like J.J. Pegues, Jamaree Caldwell, and Yahya Black — guys who would normally be prime candidates for this article — ineligible.
But with that in mind, it’s time to stack and shed our blockers and get into this deep dive of defensive line gems.
Alfred Collins, Texas
Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images
Age: Turns 24 in October
Height/weight: 6’6, 332 pounds
Arm Length: 34 5/8”
RAS: N/A
NT or 3/5-Tech?: NT
Project Round: 2nd
For those wanting the Steelers to pick up a nose tackle in the draft, former Longhorn Alfred Collins is the cream of the crop for our list.
If the Steelers want to bolster their run defense, few prospects in this class fill that need better than Collins. Collins is a destroyer of blocks and seemingly laughs in the face of a double team. Quite frankly, there are few prospects in this class who possess both the ability to take on a double team and anchor, and then shed both blockers effortlessly like Collins has put on his tape. The cherry on top is that Collins has become a dependable tackler, with only two missed tackles last season.
There’s no such thing as a cant-miss prospect, but it’s really hard to imagine a team drafting Alfred Collins and their run defense not immediately improving. Dude sheds blocks like he's pulling weeds in the yard pic.twitter.com/4hwLccloyx
— James Foster (@NoFlagsFilm) February 13, 2025
Collins has the ideal frame for a modern NFL nose tackle. His long arms are a weapon for him and he knows how to use them. In addition to taking up gaps and shedding run blockers, Collins has a knack for tip passses at the line of scrimmage, doing so six times in 2024 and 10 times in his career.
Right now if there’s any knock on Collins, it’s that he’s still developing as a pass rusher. But for a nose tackle, that’s something I can live with.
For the Steelers, the second-team All-American might currently represent having champagne tastes on a Budweiser budget, as he is speculated to go as early as the second round. Without a second-round pick, Pittsburgh would have to pick up some extra picks via trade or benefit from teams drafting other positions early due to the depth of quality defensive tackle prospects in this class.
Joshua Farmer, Florida State
Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images
Age: 22
Height/weight: 6’3, 305 pounds
Arm Length: 35”
RAS: 7.89
NT or 3/5-Tech?: 3/5-Tech
Project Round: 3rd
Florida State’s Joshua Farmer should be a prospect on every Steelers fan's radar. Not only did the Steelers bring him in for a pre-draft visit, but his projected draft range falls right in line with where the Steelers might be looking if they don’t pick a defensive tackle in the first round.
Farmer is an intriguing prospect in part because of his power and length. His 35” arms are the longest on our list and are among the longest in this year’s draft. Farmer has been a key part of the Seminoles' defense for three seasons, and among his top traits is his ability to penetrate into the backfield.
Still, the Steelers have shown a knack for developing their defensive linemen and Farmer’s flashed enough in college to be excited for his future should he be the Steelers’ pick.
Ty Hamilton, Ohio State
Photo by Matthew Visinsky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Age: 23
Height/weight: 6’3, 299 pounds
Arm Length: 32 1/4”
RAS: 9.22
NT or 3/5-Tech?: 3/5-Tech
Projected Round: 4th
When you play at a blue-blood school that wins the national championship and expects to have several players drafted, it’s understandable if you might get lost in the draft cycle buzz. In my humble opinion, that’s the case with Ohio State’s Ty Hamilton.
Tyleik Williams got a lot of the spotlight for the Buckeyes’ defensive interior — and rightfully so — but Hamilton was a high-quality running mate. Hamilton had six sacks in 2024, an impressive number rushing from the inside. He’s even better against the run, where he shows the ability to stack and shed blockers consistently, primarily in the B-gap as a 3-tech. PFF has a stat called “Stops” that tracks tackles that result in a failed result for the offense. Hamilton’s 28 stops in 2024 were fourth-best in the nation.
Hamilton’s arms are on the shorter side for his position, but that rarely shows up as a problem on tape. He could stand to add a little more weight, and he’ll need to develop his pass rush moves further to continue finding success in the NFL. But he tested as a more explosive athlete than I think some give him credit for, and he ran a sub-5.00 40-yard dash, a key athletic benchmark for linemen.
Every prospect has flaws, especially the further we get into the draft. Hamilton has a decent motor, a clear passion for the game, and violent hands. He also comes from NFL bloodlines as his brother DaVon Hamiliton plays for the Jaguars, checking off another box we know the Steelers value.
Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins, Georgia
Photo by Perry McIntyre/ISI Photos/Getty Images
Age: Turns 22 in June
Height/weight: 6’5, 276 pounds
Arm Length: 33 1/2”
RAS: 9.79
NT or 3/5-Tech?: 3/5-Tech, will need to add weight to play 3-tech
Projected Round: 4th
Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins is another prospect who has appealing athletic traits and flashes on tape, but would represent more of a developmental project. Standing 6’5 with a 82 3/4” wingspan and explosive speed for his size (4.86 40-time), it’s easy to see why Ingram-Dawkins could be a lot of fun for the right defensive line coach.
Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins | DL | UGA
Versatile, developmental defensive lineman that can play inside/outside. Size, explosion, and length combination is outstanding & flashes physical dominance w/ it. Raw power + assignment sound-centric playstyle provide quality building blocks. pic.twitter.com/ShObcDaRyS
— Matt Lane (@Matty_KCSN) April 14, 2025
Ingram-Dawkins has a great feel for timing the snap and pairs that with an explosive first step, great bend and flexibility. His change of direction for his position is impressive, and his Combine testing confirmed it. While many prospects, regardless of position, have started to avoid doing the agility testing, Ingram-Dawkins posted some of the best times ever for a defensive tackle in the 3-Cone (95th percentile) and 20-Yard Shuttle (97th percentile).
But of course, there are some flaws and circumstances to note. When it comes to Georgia defensive linemen going in this range of the draft, playing time is often a question. Did it take a while for Ingram-Dawkins to start because Georgia’s line has a log jam of talent? A 2023 foot injury also made him miss a few games, so he comes to the pros with less than 1,000 college snaps on defense.
Another question will be his size. Ingram-Dawkins has ideal height and length for the Steelers, but his current weight would be a tough sell kicking inside to a 3-tech, though he did do it some in college. Georgia often lined him up at 4-tech and 5-tech, so there would likely be a learning curve for him in the pros. Despite that, Ingram-Dawkins still weighs more than Loudermilk did when Pittsburgh took the latter in 2021, so his upside could still entice Pittsburgh enough to take a swing at him.
Ty Robinson, Nebraska
Photo by Steven Branscombe/Getty Images
Age: Turns 24 in May
Height/weight: 6’5, 288 pounds
Arm Length: 32 1/4”
RAS: 9.89
NT or 3/5-Tech?: 3/5-Tech
Projected Round: 5th
If there were an award for this list for the guy who most looks like a Pittsburgh Steeler, Nebraska’s Ty Robinson would be the easy winner.
Each of Ty Robinson’s sacks in 2024, a powerful interior presence that has some flashes of former Husker Adam Carriker from long ago.
He’ll make an impact early on. pic.twitter.com/O8h7GBMb36
— Ryan Fowler (@_RyanFowler_) April 1, 2025
Robinson has the size the Steelers prefer, and he plays like a man with a vendetta. Grit, fire, violent hands, relentless motor and high effort — all the things we like to credit the best linemen in Steelers’ history with — Robinson has in spades. Put simply, Robinson plays like a bully out there.
As an athlete, Robinson brings a unique blend of size, speed (4.83 40-time), explosion (98th percentile broad jump, 95th percentile vertical), and agility (87th percentile 20-yard shuttle). Where he gets knocked a little are his relatively short arms, but Robinson is another player whose effort and intensity help negate that flaw.
Another knock on Robinson’s draft stock is that he will be a 24-year-old rookie. He began his college career in 2019, playing in three games and ultimately taking a redshirt year. That was followed by the 2020 Covid-season, where he started in seven of Nebraska’s eight games, but gained another year of eligibility due to the pandemic-impacted season.
Robinson will also need to focus on his pad level in the pros. He can fall into being an upright passer, which can lead to him getting knocked off his rush path at times.
Still, Robinson is a tone setter for a defense and a player I would not be shocked to see wind up in the black and gold.
Cam Horsley, Boston College
Photo by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Age: Couldn’t find a DOB or listed age
Height/weight: 6’3, 312 pounds
Arm Length: 33”
RAS: 8.54
NT or 3/5-Tech?: Either
Projected Round: 6-7th
Horsley is a player head coach Mike Tomlin should have some inside info on, as he was teammates with Tomlin’s son Dino at Boston College. Horsley arrived on campus in 2020 and immediately found a reserve role as a freshman, playing in all 11 games. He followed it up by starting 10 out of 12 games in 2021 and then starting every game during the following three seasons.
Horsley a powerful player and his ability to anchor when gap defending should please fans of traditional nose tackle play. Boston College actually used him more in the B-gap (1,761 snaps), but he got 378 career snaps in the A-gap, and I think his skillset could translate to a nose tackle in the Steelers’ front.
Within an extremely deep DT class, one of the more impressive run stuffers I’ve seen is BC’s Cam Horsley. He’s got some true brute strength at the point of attack ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/XwwtWlvLla
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) February 22, 2025
Horsley doesn’t offer much as a pass rusher in his current stage of development, but he is excellent against the run. His 29 stops in 2024 — tied for most on this list — were the second-most in the country and more than any of the top prospects that could go in the first round.
Coziah Izzard, Penn State
Photo by CFP/Getty Images
Age: Has a Nov. birthday, but didn’t find birthyear
Height/weight: 6’2 1⁄2 , 298 pounds
Arm Length: 34”
RAS: 9.71
NT or 3/5-Tech?: 3/5-Tech
Projected Round: UDFA
Every year, I promise you that this Draft Gems series is going to be for the real draft sickos. We’ll close out this article with two potential UDFA signings starting with Penn State’s Coziah Izzard.
The case for Izzard is simple: he lives up to the Penn State freaky athlete reputation. Look at his RAS profile, and there’s a lot of green.
However, there are plenty of negatives, which is why he should go undrafted. For starters, Izzard only ever started seven games in college, failing to break out of his rotational role. He flashes his athleticism on tape as a penetrator, but too often gets stuck on blockers, or worse, ends up on the ground not making an impact.
Still, with such appealing athletic traits, he could be a camp invite that could break onto a roster if he ever has it all click for him.
Fatorma Mulbah, West Virginia
Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images
Age: Couldn’t find DOB
Height/weight: 6’3, 309 pounds
Arm Length: 33”
RAS: 9.06
NT or 3/5-Tech?: NT
Projected Round: UDFA
Our last prospect — and second UDFA candidate — is another relatively local player for Pittsburgh. While Izzard is a size-speed type, Mulbah is a player who wins with power.
Mulbah started his career at Penn State for playing his final two years at West Virginia. Mulbah and his family have an interesting story of how they got to America and started his football journey.
Mulbah doesn’t provide much against the pass, with only one career sack, but he’s a strong run defender who should be worth a flier as UDFA and camp body for a Steelers defense that wants to improve its run defense.
Readers who’ve been paying close attention may remember I said Cam Horsley’s 29 stops in 2024 were both the second-most in the country and tied for the most on our list. Mulbah is the second player I alluded to.
Mulbah is a reliable tackler with a career 3.8% missed tackle rate. He put that on display in November this year against Cincinnati when he finished with 13 tackles in the game, a unique feat for a defensive tackle.
And why Mulbah isn’t much of a pass rusher, his 10.9% pass-rush win rate when one-on-one matchups finished higher than several of the following notable interior lineman for Steelers fans: Alfred Collins, Tyleik Williams, Ty Hamilton, Yahya Black, and Shemar Turner just to name a few.
Why not bring him into camp and see if he can make a run at the roster?
Full List of Players
Alfred Collins, Texas
Joshua Farmer, Florida State
Ty Hamilton, Ohio State
Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins, Georgia
Ty Robinson, Nebraska
Cam Horsley, Boston College
Coziah Izzard, Penn State
Fatorma Mulbah, West Virgina
