The NFL combine concluded on Sunday. There were some terrific performances, and some disappointing no shows during the event. More importantly, we gained some much needed intel on who the Steelers might be interested in during the 2025 NFL draft. Pittsburgh met with several players, which is one of many indicators on who they might be thinking of selecting. With that in mind, let’s get to our Steelers mock draft 2.0:
Round 1 (21): Kenneth Grant DT – Michigan
The Steelers have told us which position they are prioritizing, without actually telling us. Mike Tomlin almost exclusively spent his time watching defensive line at the Senior Bowl. At the combine, they met with ten total defensive tackles either formally or informally. Add to this the comments by Omar Khan that his run defense was not good enough at the end of last season, and defensive line seems like a forgone conclusion to be the Steelers first round pick.
Enter Kenneth Grant, a massive defensive tackle from the University of Michigan. Grant stands 6’4”, weighs 331 pounds, and has an arm length of 33 1/2 inches. His size, and run stopping ability alone make him an ideal candidate for the Steelers. What makes him special is the flashes of elite athleticism you see on tape. There are times when Kenneth Grant looks like a top ten pick, but he lacks the consistency to be drafted that high. If Karl Dunbar can tap into the potential ability of Grant, Pittsburgh would have a home run with this selection.
Round 2 (52) Isaiah Bond WR- Texas
There’s no question the Steelers HAVE to come out of this draft with an impact wide reciever. What this team needs most is a player who can stretch the field with the threat of speed. In those terms, Isaiah Bond is exactly the type of receiver this team needs. While he fell short of his prediction to break the all time 40 yard dash record, Bond still ran a very fast 4.39. We’d be willing to bet he shaves that down to something like a 4.3 flat at his pro day. Bond is a decent route runner to go along with that plus speed. He may have been the victim of being a decoy far too often in the Texas offense, keeping his production down.
Round 3 (83): DJ Giddens RB – Kansas St.
If you are subscribed to the Steelers Sanctuary Podcast (and you should be!), you’d know DJ Giddens is my new draft crush. https://www.buzzsprout.com/1981237/episodes/16729815-episode-106-nfl-draft-combine-and-more-steelers-rumors
Giddens is an elusive cut back runner who makes defenders look silly at times. He is also an effective reciever out of the backfield with 700 hundred career yards in two full years at Kansas St. If the tape wasn’t good enough, Giddens tested extremely well at the combine. He backed up a 4.43/40 with a 39.5 vertical jump, and a 10’10’ broad. Those are outstanding numbers for a running back. The Steelers met with Giddens at the combine, so that box is checked. DJ Giddens may not get the pub that players like Ashton Jeanty and others are getting, but his skills are on par with any back in this draft.
Round 4 (122): Brashard Smith RB – SMU
That’s right, we are double dipping at running back in our Steelers mock draft 2.0. Brashard Smith is not just a run of the mill back however. He is a converted wide reciever who also returned kicks at SMU. Smith has over 1,200 career kick return yards, and a touchdown in his college career. Think of him as a Swiss Army knife type player. He can be a slot reciever, your third runnng back, and a key special teams player as well. Oh, then there’s the speed. Brashard Smith ran a 4.39/40 yard dash at the combine.
Round 5 (163): Zah Frazier CB – UTSA
We are betting on traits here, and man there are some excellent ones with this player! Zah Frazier is a 6’3” corner who ran an incredible 4.36/40. His jumps were also super impressive, as this kid is one hell of an athlete. He is a limited corner however with only one year of starting experience. Coming from a small school like UTSA, Frazier is a project worth stashing on the bench while trying to develop his skillset. Frazier did have 6 interceptions in only 10 games as a starter for what it’s worth.
Round 7a (225): Upton Stout CB – Western Kentucky
Upton Stout had some buzz heading into the combine. His tape is that of a feisty, competitive corner with some good ball skills. Unfortunately for him his measurements were worse than expected. He is only 5’8 1/2, and weighed in at 181 pounds with 30” arms. That is well below the threshold for a starting corner in the NFL. There is a path as a slot corner however. Think of him as a faster Beanie Bishop. Pittsburgh did meet with Stout at the combine, so there is some level of interest.
Round 7b (238) Nazir Stackhouse DT – Georgia
Speaking of double dipping in our Steelers mock draft 2.0, we go defensive tackle once again. There’s nothing fancy about Nazir Stackhouse’s game. He’s a big (6’4”/327lbs) two down run stuffing DT. Definitely worth a flier this deep in the draft.
Round 7c (247) Dan Jackson S – Georgia
When in doubt, draft a Georgia player. Jackson was a plus special teamer at Georgia, something that should catch the Steelers eye late in the draft. He is the lone holdover from our Mock Draft 1.0 Steelers mock draft 1.0: The way too early version
Summary:
After the combine things begin to get much clearer as to what the Steelers intentions are for the draft. Free agency can change things quite a bit, but for now we have a pretty good handle on which positions the team is focusing on. We think, and hope, the Steelers will address speed in the 2025 draft. Our next mock draft should come some time after the bulk of free agency has concluded.
Don’t forget to subscribe to the Steelers Sanctuary Podcast for all our draft coverage here: https://youtube.com/@steelerssanctuary1072?si=a94EB_VJXGklv2fs