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.
Defensive lineman is a popular option for the Steelers’ first round pick, but the team has also shown interest in middle-round prospects. Could J.J. Pegues be an option for the black and gold?
Position: Defensive line
Class: Fifth-year senior
Size: 6’2, 235 pounds
Age: 23
Projected draft round: 4
Stats via Sports Reference
J.J. Pegues is one of the more interesting prospects I’ve scouted this year while going over potential Steelers draft targets. Given his size (playing weight was 325 pounds, even if he weighed in at 309 at the NFL Combine) and the general discourse around him, you’d expect the typical nose tackle profile.
However, watch Pegues and you’ll realize his NFL fit is a bit more convoluted, in both good and bad ways.
For one, he’s far from a traditional nose. Pegues played all over the line at Ole Miss, logging snaps from 0-tech to edge rusher.
Surprisingly, the latter is where some of Pegues’ best reps are. He has some juice as an edge rusher, with a little bit of bend and a good chop move. The Relative Athletic Score (RAS) was underwhelming, but Pegues looks a lot more explosive on tape.
And as a run defender, Pegues excels at setting the edge. He has the size and athleticism to wrangle runners, and it’s always funny to see a pulling tight end try to block a defender of Pegues’ size one-on-one. Sometimes, it’s just physics, and the 320-pound guy is probably going to win.
Inside, where Pegues will spend most of his time in the NFL, he has flashes. He can clog run lanes and shoot gaps, even if he’s a bit inconsistent.
As a rusher, though, Pegues’ game is rather raw. He started his college career as a tight end, and that lack of defensive experience can show. Pegues has a good first step off the line but his rushes tend to lose some steam early on. His hand usage often slows, and while he occasionally counters, he more often ends up turned around and awkwardly shouldering the lineman. That lack of a consistent pass-rush plan and a hot and cold motor are worrying and will likely mean Pegues is a rotational player to start his NFL career.
However, he has the strength and explosion to hit O-linemen with a solid bull rush, helping him collapse the pocket.
In short, Pegues is a bit of a project as a defensive lineman who will need to continue to develop at the NFL level. He also played on an absolutely stacked defensive line at Ole Miss (Walter Nolen, Jared Ivey, Zxavian Harris, Princely Umanmielen) and as a result, didn’t see a ton of double teams.
His stamina and pass-rush arsenal need to improve, but there are a lot of tools to work with, and his absurd versatility will make him an intriguing prospect for defensive coordinators.
Speaking of versatility, the reason why both defensive and offensive stats are featured above is because Pegues was a wildcat short-yardage rusher for Ole Miss last year who excelled in the role with seven rushing touchdowns — enough production to rise from college shenanigans to Hmm… maybe this could work in the pros.
Also…. here is every carry for Ole Miss DT J.J. Pegues this year. He was used on short yardage carries. He's a former TE who moved to the defensive line but now dabbles as a short yardage back with 7 rushing TDs this year. pic.twitter.com/PpJUv82nHG
— Lance Zierlein (@LanceZierlein) February 16, 2025
Pegues’ tight end background isn’t worth forgetting with this impressive one-handed interception at the Shrine Bowl:
He seems to be leaning into that aspect of his game as well, doing some tests as a fullback at the NFL Combine and looking like a fluid athlete.
Told you Pegues wasn’t an average nose tackle. His NFL fit is a little murky, but he’s undeniably one of the most fun talents in this year’s draft class.
Strengths
Extremely versatile; success playing all over the defensive line
Good athlete
Size, strength to hold up against double teams, set the edge
Flashes good bull rush
Lateral movement to corral runners
Success as a short-yardage runner
Weaknesses
Hand usage isn’t urgent; often stalls if initial move fails and can get washed out of plays
Below average awareness, motor when following the ball
Rotational defender
Lance Zierlein of NFL.com
Compact, thick-hipped defensive lineman with versatility to play multiple positions — including short-yardage running back! Pegues can be hell on wheels when he’s motivated and has it cranked up. He’s quick off the ball but not explosive into first contact as consistently as he could be. He’ll beat reach blocks and double teams if he gets his technique ironed out. He has quicker hands and feet than most opponents he’ll face and has the talent to get to the other side of the line in both phases. He has rush talent and can finish using rare change-of-direction quickness, allowing him to capture pocket-mobile quarterbacks. Ole Miss leaned on Pegues as a short-yardage runner on offense, using his power and athleticism to convert at a high rate. He has the potential to become a very productive interior defender but his ceiling and floor will be determined by the consistency of his motor.
Kyle Crabbs of The 33rd Team
Pegues projects as a rotational talent at the NFL level. In a perfect storm of personnel moves around him, he could potentially be a starter, but he’ll be best optimized in a rotation that helps keep him fresh — as his combination of size and urgent play style will test his endurance. Pegues projects best to a penetration front as a B-gap defender.
Chris Pflum of Big Blue View
Pegues projects as a rotational defensive tackle at the NFL level with scheme and alignment diversity. He should be able to play from multiple alignments for any one-gap “multiple” defensive scheme run at the NFL level. Although, Pegues probably shouldn’t be used as an edge defender at the NFL level – at least outside of “jumbo” packages in short-yardage situations. He lacks the second step acceleration to be a truly consistent threat as a pass rusher, which could keep teams from viewing him as a starter or a regular option on early downs. However, he’s a good enough pass rusher and run defender that a team should feel confident rotating him onto the field in most situations.
If the Steelers want a plug-and-play defensive lineman in this year’s draft, Pegues isn’t going to be the best fit. At this stage in his career, he’s a bit of a jack of all trades, master of none, but there is a lot of potential.
Pegues has the size to be a nose tackle at the next level, but the athleticism to be a chess piece all over the defensive front. He’d be a great option if the Steelers decide to double up on the defensive line in this year’s draft, giving Karl Dunbar a rotational piece who can play in a lot of different game scenarios. And I’d bet the team is interested — Pegues is one of the Steelers’ top-30 visits this year.
TL;DR: Pegues is a versatile, athletic defensive lineman who even scored seven touchdowns last season as a short-yardage wildcat runner for Ole Miss. His pass-rush plan is still underdeveloped and his motor can sputter, but he’s an intriguing talent in 2025’s loaded class at defensive line.
What are your thoughts on Ole Miss defensive lineman J.J. Pegues? And which draft prospects would you like to see profiled next? Let us know in the comments below!
