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.

The Steelers have been doing their homework on a wide range of talents in 2025’s deep defensive line class. Could SMU’s Elijah Roberts succeed in Pittsburgh’s scheme?

Position: Defensive line

Class: Fifth-year senior

Size: 6’4, 285 pounds

Age: 23

Projected draft round: 5

Stats via Sports Reference

Elijah Roberts is a good football player, but his NFL fit is all over the place. Even Roberts doesn’t seem to know, telling DLLS Sports’ Joseph Hoyt on March 24, “It’s kinda crazy — if I’m playing one position, I have to gain about 10 pounds. If I play another, I have to lose about five to 10. … I’ve played from three (tech) all the way to nine.”

Roberts’ self-scouting report is accurate. The 6’4, 285-pound defender saw significant (and effective) snaps in both the interior and as an edge rusher in SMU’s defense, and teams will likely move him more permanently to one of those positions once drafted. Where he fits best is up in the air — I’ve seen 4-3 end, 3-4 end, and even some 3-4 outside linebacker floated, and draft grades are similarly all over the place.

It helps that Roberts is a well-built athlete with a solid 8.07 Relative Athletic Score (RAS) at defensive end, which bumps up to an excellent 9.84 if you switch his position to 3-tech.

One thing that’s true across everywhere he lined up is his power. If anything, Roberts didn’t bull rush enough. Generally, he rushed from a two-point stance even when playing defensive tackle, and his ability to convert speed to power could wreck plays.

This is when the scouting report starts to separate depending on where you see Roberts at the next level. As a pure EDGE, there’s a definite stiffness to his game and an average-at-best first step. He simply doesn’t win with speed, limiting his pass-rush plan.

However, his size makes him strong at the point of attack, and he still has solid overall athleticism, shining when making plays against the run.

But on the interior, Roberts’ movement skills are better than the average defensive tackle. You can see it in the play below, where he darts in to blow up the run play.

Roberts’ motor is another plus, with good effort in the games I watched. However, he was constantly a little late to react to the mesh point when defending the option run game, although some of that could be chalked up to his responsibilities on the play.

His hand usage isn’t necessarily a full-on strength yet, but it is a developing tool. Roberts has some really nice flashes on tape, but he could often get engulfed by offensive linemen who would just steer him out of the play. Still, there’s a lot of potential. Roberts can win with a lot of moves, also showing some great upper-body strength to shed blockers.

Roberts had some issues finishing plays in college — he still logged 17.5 sacks in his two seasons at SMU — but his lack of great change of direction skills hindered what could have been even better production.

Roberts is one of the harder evaluations I’ve done this year, and I think it comes down to whether or not you have a vision for his NFL fit. His tweener size and inconsistent play are definite worries, but his power, versatility, and production — as well as nearly 34” arms — make him an intriguing prospect. In my opinion, I think he profiles as a 4-3 defensive end who could see some improvement with the chance to specialize in one spot. However, his ability to play multiple positions should help his roster chances wherever he lands.

Strengths

Versatile, with success everywhere from 3-tech to outside linebacker; well-proportioned build that could adapt to either spot
Impressive power rush; great leverage and speed to power
High-effort rusher with active hands

Weaknesses

Slightly older prospect following a five-year college career
Tweener — currently not explosive enough as an edge rusher, and lacks ideal mass for the interior
Needs to become more consistent play-to-play

Lance Zierlein of NFL.com

Productive base end with good play strength who continues to add weight to his frame. Roberts has chalked up stats as a standing defender but isn’t athletic enough to play as a 3-4 outside ‘backer in the NFL and might not have the brutality to play inside at three-technique despite his size. Roberts won’t win the rush with speed or quickness but he can collapse the pocket with a finesse-to-power rush transition. He is slow to read and react to mesh points and counters. He’s also a wildly inconsistent arm tackler. The production could earn him an opportunity, but it might not be translatable as a base defensive end in the pros.

Ryan Fowler of The Draft Network

… while he plays with great effort, there are times when his change-of-direction skills and closing burst prevent him from finishing plays against more agile quarterbacks and ball-carriers. Overall, Roberts projects as a rotational defensive lineman with starting potential in a system that values heavier, edge-setting defenders that can offer push on passing downs. Additionally, his combination of pass rushing prowess and athleticism to the fringe areas showcase a highly intriguing and mature prospect at the position that can win up and down the line of scrimmage. Prospect Projection: Day 3 — Developmental Traits

PFF

He is explosive, especially when adjusting his speed with his size, but I wouldn’t say he is twitchy. He uses a variety of pass-rush moves, but they don’t always result in the cleanest wins. He also struggles to get off blocks once linemen get in front of him. His linear explosiveness off the line is good, but his later movements can look slow, and overall, he lacks the bend needed to win as a full-time edge. … Roberts is a strong, well-built defensive lineman who has a lot of experience at different alignments. He likely lacks the length, twitch and bend to be a full-time edge player, but his size and versatility could play well as a 3-4 defensive end who can move along gaps.

Especially after the Steelers’ inability to find a role for DeMarvin Leal, I’m skeptical of how Roberts makes sense for Pittsburgh’s defense as another D-line/EDGE hybrid. However, his top-30 visit with the Steelers shows that the team is at least interested.

I don’t think Roberts could succeed as anything other than a rotational, run-down defender if asked to play outside linebacker in the Steelers’ scheme. As referenced earlier, he doesn’t have the burst or bend to succeed there, and he lacks fluidity in the rare reps where he dropped into coverage.

But some sites, including PFF, see Roberts’ ideal fit as a 3-4 defense end. While I stand by my opinion that he would fit best in a 4-3, Roberts with 10ish more pounds could step into that role as a B-gap defender. I think he has the strength to hold up in the interior if he can continue to improve his technique.

It’s a projection, though, and I think there are better fits for the Pittsburgh defensive line in this year’s draft. However, Roberts has such a wide range of skills that I wouldn't blame Steelers D-line coach Karl Dunbar for wanting to take on the project.

TL;DR: Roberts is a versatile defensive lineman who lined up everywhere from 3-tech to wide 9 in SMU’s defense. He largely played as an imposing EDGE presence with an effective bull rush, but his lack of fluidity as a pure pass-rusher might push him inside.

What are your thoughts on SMU defensive lineman Elijah Roberts? And which draft prospects would you like to see profiled next? Let us know in the comments below!