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.

Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith can never have too many rostered tight ends. Could local prospect Gavin Bartholomew fit Pittsburgh’s draft plans?

Position: Tight end

Class: Senior

Size: 6’5, 246 pounds

Age: Not listed

Projected draft round: 7

Stats via Sports Reference

If the Steelers are looking for a depth tight end to spend their seventh-round pick on in this year’s draft, Pitt’s Gavin Bartholomew could be a strong option.

The first thing that stands out — or doesn’t stand out — when watching his game is that there aren’t a ton of big, standout traits, or weaknesses for that matter. Bartholomew is one of those solid, all-around prospects who may never challenge for a starting job, but could stick around in the league for a while.

As a receiver, Bartholomew’s route tree was disappointingly limited during his time at Pitt. It was largely shallow ins and decoy go routes, and as a result, he isn’t the most polished route-runner, often rounding off his routes and lacking a lot of suddenness when getting open.

However, Bartholomew ran the fourth-fastest 40-yard dash time of his position group at the NFL Combine (4.7 seconds), and his impressive 8.87 RAS shows “great” agility. There’s potential there, and at times it’ll show up on the field:

Another thing to point out is that he showed some good moments when his quarterback was under pressure and improvising.

Bartholomew has solid hands and a good feel for getting open in zone. I didn’t see many contested, difficult catches on tape, but he has some quarterback-friendly traits.

He wasn’t heavily used as a receiver at Pitt, especially in the games I watched. However, his blocking is a little easier to evaluate.

For one, he was used everywhere as a blocker: in-line, H-back, and just about every wide receiver spot. He often showed off his athleticism when finding blocks in space:

He also consistently generated a lot of power and “pop” when he was able to get a bit of a running start on kick-out blocks.

But while Bartholomew is hardly undersized, he’s definitely not an offensive tackle moonlighting as a tight end. He’s not an elite blocker and sometimes struggled to sustain, something that will get even harder against NFL competition. Often, it was technique-based or a strength issue; other times, he’d just chip and then move on to another target a tad too fast.

But he has plenty of good reps as a blocker as well:

Bartholomew’s tape won’t blow you away, but he certainly has what it takes to be an adequate role player in the NFL with the ability to contribute on special teams. And there seems to be a bit of untapped receiving upside, as well.

Gavin Bartholomew strengths

Versatile: used everywhere from H-back to in-line to wide receiver while at Pitt
Flashes of solid athleticism
Above-average, mobile blocker
Some success finding soft spots in zone

Weaknesses

Could use a bit more play strength; can struggle to sustain blocks
Not a sudden route-runner
Lacks high-end traits

Lance Zierlein of NFL.com

Tight end prospect with a broad upper body, muscular arms and adequate demeanor to block. Bartholomew will primarily function as an in-line tight end but can be set in action as a move blocker when needed. He’s unspectacular as an athlete with soft hands and an average catch radius. His block aggression is admirable, but Bartholomew will need to get stronger and improve his block sustain to make a roster.

Ryan Fowler of The Draft Network

As a blocker, Bartholomew does an excellent job of squaring up his opponents and engaging with force and technique. … As a pass-catcher, Bartholomew is a fluid mover yet lacks the requisite route-running, hands, and burst to project as a featured weapon within an NFL offense at this point in his evaluation. … Overall, Bartholomew projects as a rotational piece in a tight end room whose path to snaps could come quickly due to his competitiveness and success as a blocker, along with his production and experience in space.

Bob Rose of Athlon Sports

Gavin Bartholomew will likely be a late Day 3 choice, if drafted at all. He’s not the receiving matchup problem sought by teams now, which will push him down draft boards. However, Bartholomew is a capable in-line tight end that offers immediate value as a blocker and short to intermediate receiving option.

Bartholomew is a player I’ve had my eye on for a while as a potential late-round tight end for the Steelers. He’s a local prospect with a do-it-all skill set, and Arthur Smith loves to have a lot of tight ends on the roster. Bringing in another name to compete with Connor Heyward and Donald Parham Jr. for a spot on the team feels like one of the more underrated potential draft/UDFA wants for the team.

Then, the Steelers brought in Bartholomew for a local visit, making that interest real.

Depending on who’s on the board late Day 3, Bartholomew could be a good pick to fill out the Steelers’ depth on offense.

TL;DR: Bartholomew is a versatile tight end who can contribute in both the run and pass game in the NFL, even if he lacks standout traits or high upside. He’s a fairly athletic blocker who might need to gain a bit more play strength to succeed in an in-line role.

What are your thoughts on Pitt tight end Gavin Bartholomew? And which draft prospects would you like to see profiled next? Let us know in the comments below!