Approaching the 2025 NFL Draft, we’ll be scouting as many of the top prospects that the Pittsburgh Steelers could have their eye on anywhere from Rounds 1 through 7. We’ll break down the prospects themselves, strengths and weaknesses, projected draft capital and their fit with the Steelers.
As the Steelers continue to do their homework on mid round defensive linemen, Oregon nose tackle Jamaree Caldwell stands out as an energetic run-stuffer.
Position: Defensive line
Class: Senior
Size: 6’2, 332 pounds
Age: 24
Projected draft round: 4
Stats via Sports Reference
You might not expect a nose tackle to get the “Energizer Bunny” label in this year’s draft class, but Oregon’s Jamaree Caldwell certainly fits the bill. At over 330 pounds, he’s huge, but his effort is consistently one of the standout aspects of his game. Caldwell might not be an every-down player, but he made the most of every snap.
If you draft a guy like Caldwell, it’s because you want a space-eating defensive lineman on the inside. That’s where he’s at his best, with the anchor and natural leverage (just 6’2!) to eat up double teams and hold his ground. I rarely saw him get moved backwards; Caldwell knows when to drop his knee against double teams to halt offensive progress.
As expected, his run defense is excellent thanks to the traits listed above. He’s also a surprisingly good athlete, moving really well for his size and showing the ability to not just take up space in the middle, but also flow with run plays and occasionally penetrate.
As a pass rusher Caldwell is less developed, but he still wins with his motor and a bull rush that’s a little inconsistent, but still moves offensive linemen backwards in a hurry.
He’s surprisingly quick, and even though he largely played as a two-gapper at Oregon, his usage at Houston showed he could succeed in different roles on the D-line. Caldwell has dropped some weight during the draft process, giving him more upside as a rusher even if he still has a safe floor as a 0-tech run defender.
Jamaree Caldwell transfer to Oregon from Houston. OT turns his attention to the inside….that's not the point tho. I'm just showing this rep because of the impressive speed turning the corner from a player listed at 6'1 340 #SummerScouting pic.twitter.com/YQyvoA82wT
— EJHolt_NFLDraft (@EJunkie215) August 13, 2024
While Caldwell’s modest height at 6’2 means he’s one of the few defensive linemen in this class who doesn’t have a pad-level problem, it does mean he has suboptimal length. He has active hands, but long-armed offensive linemen are able to keep him at bay.
Paired with some lapses in body control, Caldwell’s limited tackling radius also led to a few too many missed tackles in 2024 (The last clip is against Ashton Jeanty, though — can we really blame him?).
Caldwell is a popular name in draft circles for good reason, but it’s a loaded D-line class and I’d expect him to go in the middle rounds as he’s still a bit one-dimensional by NFL standards. But Caldwell is a Day 1 contributor as a run-down nose tackle, and his movement skills (even if he didn’t test great) pass the eye test on tape and hint at some upside for a greater role down the road.
Jamaree Caldwell strengths
Large nose tackle with natural leverage
Above-average play strength; stands his ground at the line of scrimmage
High effort defender
Good athlete for size
Flashes of a powerful bull rush
Weaknesses
Less than ideal length at 6’2 with 32” arms
Limited pass rush moves; inconsistent power
Some issues with balance and finishing plays
Lance Zierlein of NFL.com
Caldwell carries the broad hips and girth of a classic nose tackle, but he is athletic enough to take snaps at either tackle spot in an even front. He can eat blocks against double teams or hog gaps as a read-and-react two-gapper. He gets bounced around some when he plays too straight-legged or ends up on the ground when he loses control, but he plays with heart and has a strong win rate at the point. He’s a hustle rusher with the potential to dent the pocket when singled up. Caldwell has middle-round value but could find starter’s reps in the future.
Kyle Crabbs on The 33rd Team
Part of Caldwell’s limitation in his valuation is that he will likely be capped at around a 40-45 percent snap share due to his projected ideal role. How do teams value that in a relatively deep defensive tackle class? If a team sees a pathway or opportunity to align him more in B-gap opportunities, he may see his name called on Day 2. Caldwell projects best as a 2-gapping nose tackle at the NFL level. He offers pleasant upside as a supersized A-gap rusher, but his marquee role is that of a space-eater in base defense and on short-yardage down and distance opportunities.
Chris Pflum of Big Blue View
Jamaree Caldwell projects as a rotational nose tackle at the NFL level. What he does, he does well, however his limitations in the passing game will force him down draft boards. This may change due to the prevalence of two-deep coverage shells, but players who are primarily run stuffers have historically fallen in the draft. Likewise, his exact draft stock will likely depend on the eye of the beholder. Teams that are looking for pure one-gap interior defenders will likely have Caldwell further down their boards, Teams that use more two-gapping or like to scheme pressure while the defensive line controls blockers, meanwhile, could have a higher value on his skill set.
Caldwell projects as a nose tackle in the NFL, a position the Steelers could definitely use, even if defensive end is a more glaring need. But Caldwell should provide good value if he lasts to the Round 4 range, whether or not he’s part of a double dip at defensive line. He’d be an immediate boost to the Pittsburgh run defense, and unlike some of the other nose tackles in this year’s draft, there’s a bit of pass-rushing upside.
Pittsburgh has shown pre-draft interest in Caldwell with a top-30 visit; there’s a good chance he’ll be in the black and gold for the 2025 season.
TL;DR: Caldwell is a massive, stocky nose tackle with a great anchor and impressive movement skills. He has short arms and limited pass-rushing ability, but a strong motor boosts his NFL projection.
What are your thoughts on Oregon defensive lineman Jamaree Caldwell? And which draft prospects would you like to see profiled next? Let us know in the comments below!
