Category: Pittsburgh Steelers

A look at a few draft prospects from the Senior Bowl

There are several all-star events that take place each year that allow the scouts and front offices to evaluate potential NFL prospects. That process, or Phase 2, as I like to call it, has now come to an end. Games and practices for the Hula Bowl, The Shriner’s and the Senior Bowl have taken place. The HBCU Legacy Bowl, along with a few days of practice, is all that remains to be played. The HBCU (Historical Black Colleges and Universities) game can be seen on Feb. 22 at 4 p.m. ET on the NFL Network.

In this article, we focus on what took place in the Senior Bowl game and the practices that led up to the game itself. There were some prospects that shined throughout practice sessions and drills. There were players that may not have faired well in the practices but had a nice showing in the game. Then there were those that managed to put together an entire week of outstanding practices that transitioned into their play during the game itself.

I’m sure there will be some names not mentioned here that you feel should be. Please use the comment section to tell us who you liked or disliked. We are always interested in a different view or opinion here at BTSC.

Grey Zabel, OL, North Dakota State (6’5 3/8” and 316 lbs.)

This FCS school continues to put out offensive linemen in the NFL, maybe the Steelers need to poach an OL coach from Fargo, but I digress. Zabel was easily the best offensive lineman at this years Senior Bowl. He dominated every 1v1, lining up at every position going against one of the better interior defensive line draft classes. His versatility will be an asset for some NFL team. The former Bison has seen his stock push into round 2 and maybe round 1 consideration. He will get dinged for his 32 1/4 arm length but outside of some technical consistencies, he put on a show in Mobile. That in-your-face style, toughness and tenacity would be a welcomed addition to the Black and Gold.

Jack Bech, WR, TCU (6’1 1/4” and 212 lbs.)

Pronounced as Besh just to give props to the outstanding young man’s name. He came into Mobile without a ton of hype but left the majority of the defensive backs with a bad taste in their respective mouths. The former Horned Frog displayed outstanding route running, savvy and toughness throughout practices. Bech parlayed a great week of practice to becoming Senior Bowl MVP. He had six catches on the day, as well as the game-winning touchdown. He was quoted during the week as saying those 50/50 balls that he will get credit for making plays on, were more like “70/30.” Many talked about his character during the week.

Joshua Farmer, IDL, Florida State (6’2 7/8” and 314 lbs.)

The Steelers need an infusion of talent and depth along the defensive front. The former ‘Nole may not have the requisite “Steeler Size” only standing at just under 6’3” but he was a freaking menace to his 1v1 opponents all week long. Farmer does possess some rather long arms at 35 1/4 inches to help gain that leverage. He often pushes the OL deep into the pocket creating that chaos and disruption. If he can improve on finishing the play he will have a shot at an outstanding career.

Darius Alexander, IDL, Toledo (6’3 5/8” and 304 lbs.)

Continuing on the defensive line, Darius Alexander may have answered the question about his level of competition while at the Senior Bowl. In other words, Alexander shined in his Mobile week. He has the size. length, and strength that NFL teams want. Voted as the top DL by his offensive line teammates. He was also reported to have been contacted by Andy Weidl with a longer meeting scheduled that night. He was on my radar from the Quinyon Mitchell tape as a sleeper prospect, that is no longer the case today. Hopefully, he finds his way into a Steeler uniform come spring.

General Senior Bowl takeaways

• Don’t put too much stock into evaluating DBs and LBs in the 1v1 drills. There is no pressure on the QB and route runners often do multiple route moves to free themselves. Just a tad unrealistic but for those who can show consistent coverage with the drills one-sided, take a deeper dive into those guys.
• The interior defensive line group is very deep in 2025 and that bodes well for the Steelers who could use a double dip to add talent and depth
• Very solid TE group this year as well. Labeled by some as a luxury pick, but overall talent is welcomed by all.
• Still very high on Jayden Higgins, wide receiver out of Iowa State. He had somewhat of a slow start to the start of practice week. However, he came on very strong, showing solid route running and the ability to catch the football in tight spaces. Made a great contested TD catch in the game.

As always, stay safe and go Steelers.

Role receivers the Steelers should target

For the second straight offseason, the Pittsburgh Steelers will have several questions surrounding both the quarterback and wide receiver positions. And while names like Garrett Wilson and Courtland Sutton will be speculated about, they also need reliable role players out wide, as well – these names could be in that conversation.

Darius Slayton

Slayton has been a reliable 45-50 catch receiver since 2019 when he entered the league, and he’s done it with bad quarterback play in six seasons with the New York Giants. He’s a reliable underneath target, which is something the Steelers lacked at the position in 2024.

Adam Thielen

The 35-year old receiver is flirting the final tee shot of his career, but is still productive. He missed seven games in 2024, but still put up 48 catches for 615 yards and five touchdowns. In 2023, he had 103 receptions for over 1,000 yards. The Panthers would save over $6 million if they cut or trade Thielen post-June 1, and veteran on offense would be a welcome addition to the Steelers’ young corps.

Elijah Moore

Moore has quietly had two solid seasons with the Browns since being traded to Cleveland in 2023. The Ole Miss product caught 61 and 59 passes in 2024 and 2023, respectively, and can be lined up in the slot and out wide. He’s also just 24 years old, as well, so bringing in Moore wouldn’t just be a quick stop-gap, he could be a legit piece for the next two-three seasons.

After spending a few years out of football, Kevin Colbert has reemerged in the college ranks. According to ESPN’s Pete Thamel, the former Steelers executive is joining Colorado State as a consultant.

According to Thamel, Colbert’s new role will see him working closely with coach Jay Norvell and Colorado State’s player personnel department to help build up the school’s “football front office.” Colorado State is focused on staying “at the forefront for the new era of college football,” and they’re turning to a long-time NFL executive to help their cause.

Colbert spent more than 20 years in Pittsburgh, working his way up from director of football operations to general manager. The executive earned a pair of Super Bowl rings during his time with the organization, and he had the distinction of being the organization’s first official GM when he was promoted to the role in 2010.

During his time guiding the front office, Colbert was credited with adding foundational players (including Ben Roethlisberger and Troy Polamalu). The executive also had a prominent role in the team’s transition from Bill Cowher to Mike Tomlin. Colbert stepped down from his role following the 2022 draft, and he’s been out of football since.

When the Steelers obtained Preston Smith at the deadline, the trade looked to have given them a deep cadre of edge rushers. Smith joined T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith and Nick Herbig as Pittsburgh OLBs. But the new addition was not much of a factor.

Smith played in eight games but registered just two sacks and two QB hits. He was not active for Pittsburgh’s playoff tilt against Baltimore. Following the former Washington and Green Bay EDGE’s underwhelming performance in Pittsburgh, Sportskeeda.com’s Tony Pauline notes he is soon expected to become a cap casualty.

Pegging the odds of a release at roughly 99%, Pauline anticipates Smith hitting free agency soon. Teams will begin to cut players following Super Bowl LIX, and Smith can aim for a fresh start around that point. A post-June 1 cut would not be relevant here, as no dead money is in this equation, so Smith could be cut within a few weeks. The Steelers, who are already projected to hold more than $40MM in cap space, would save $13.4MM by releasing the formerly productive edge rusher.

The Packers gave Smith a four-year, $52.5MM contract in 2022, doing so upon moving on from Za’Darius Smith. Staying in Green Bay for 5 1/2 seasons, Preston Smith racked up 44 sacks with the team. This included four seasons with at least eight sacks; a 12-sack 2019 — when the Packers returned to the NFC championship game — headlined this successful stay. As the Packers wanted to free up more playing time for Lukas Van Ness, they moved on from Smith for a mere seventh-round pick.

Smith, 32, requested a trade months after the Packers had shifted to a 4-3 scheme. Smith had played in 3-4 looks in Washington and during his first five Green Bay seasons, and while he slid into a second-string role in Pittsburgh’s long-held alignment (after starting nine games with the Packers last season), no major impact occurred to justify the Steelers signing off on a $12MM 2025 salary. While the Steelers could try to dangle Smith in trades, his fetching a seventh-rounder last year probably points to a simple release coming soon.

The Steelers remain in great shape at OLB moving forward. Watt is under contract for 2025, with the team understandably prepared to hammer out a second extension with the future Hall of Famer. Highsmith’s 2023 extension runs through the 2027 season, while Herbig (5.5 sacks last season) is under contract through 2026 on a rookie deal.

T.J. Watt is set to enter the final year of his contract, and with the pass rusher attached to a $30MM cap hit for 2025, there have been some rumblings that the Steelers could look to move on from their franchise star. Art Rooney was quick to dismiss that idea, as the Steelers owner said the team wasn’t considering parting with Watt.

“I’d have to put it in the ‘unlikely’ category,” Rooney said (h/t Nick Farabaugh of PennLive.com). “He’s certainly been one of the real, solid pieces we have on that defense. I think he’s the kind of guy we want to have in the locker room going forward.”

Rooney also said he’d be interested in extending the veteran pass rusher (via Mark Kaboly), further indication that Watt will be sticking in Pittsburgh long-term. An extension always seemed like the likeliest path forward; the front office could reduce Watt’s impending cap hit (and, potentially, his $21MM in true earnings) by handing the star another long-term pact.

Watt is about to conclude his second contract with the organization, a four-year, $112MM deal he inked in 2021. The former first-round pick has generally been worth every penny. While he was limited to 10 games and career-worst marks during the first season of his extension, he’s rebounded by compiling 30.5 sacks and 38 tackles for loss over the past two campaigns. That includes a recently-completed 2024 season where he led the NFL with six forced fumbles.

Micah Parsons, Myles Garrett, and Trey Hendrickson could all look to reset the edge-rusher market this offseason, and Watt’s next deal could be a reflection of those pacts. The Steelers star currently ranks fourth among edge rushers with a $28MM average annual value, and while he may be able to garner similar financials on his next deal, the contract’s term will surely be a sticking point between the two sides. The 2025 campaign will represent Watt’s age-31 season, and with the Steelers potentially focused on improving the offensive side of the ball, the team may be pinching pennies on defense.

For what it’s worth, Watt recently made it clear that he wants to stick in Pittsburgh for the rest of his career. On the flip side, the four-time All-Pro noted he is uncertain of how long he plans on playing in the NFL, so there’s a chance his next contract ends up being the final deal of his career.

The quarterback position looms as one which faces uncertainty for the Steelers as the 2025 league year approaches. Owner Art Rooney II‘s latest comments on the subject confirmed changes should again be expected in the near future.

Russell Wilson and Justin Fields are both pending free agents, and each saw playing time this past season as the team evaluated its options for 2025 and beyond. Rooney indicated his “preference” would be to re-sign one of the two while adding a commitment longer than one season would be ideal. That would seem to point Pittsburgh in Fields’ direction, but in any case keeping that tandem in place would be surprising.

“I wouldn’t close the door, but I’d say it’s probably unlikely,” Rooney said of keeping Wilson and Fields (via ESPN’s Brooke Pryor). “I think both of them see themselves as starters and I don’t know that they want to share the same job again next year. So, I would say most likely we probably don’t wind up bringing them both back.”

Rooney also noted that an ideal 2025 QB setup would see both of the Steelers’ top options possessing the same skillset (h/t Mark Kaboly of the Pat McAfee Show). That is a common goal for many teams, of course, but in this case it is another indication Pittsburgh will look to commit to either Wilson (and a new pocket passer to supplement him) or Fields (with another mobile passer being added). Free agency does not figure to provide many attractive options, and the Steelers are unlikely to that take route to make a notable addition.

“We’ve got a whole quarterback room to fill, and so there’s jobs open in there,” Rooney added. “I wouldn’t be surprised if we look in the draft as well either this year or next, and so that’s got to be the priority.”

The Steelers are set to select 21st in April’s draft, leaving the team out of range of the top quarterback prospects (albeit in a class which is not held in high regard). Pittsburgh’s last major draft investment under center – Kenny Pickett – was added from a similar position in 2022, but he was traded away as part of the team’s mass changes at the QB spot last spring. With Kyle Allen also on track for free agency, multiple new faces could be in place by Week 1 next season.

Fields, 25, has not lived up to his draft stock but the former Bears first-rounder helped the Steelers to a 4-2 record at the start of the season. He could generate a free agent market based on his potential upside compared to other options, but in all likelihood he would once again find himself competing for a QB1 gig even in a new environment. Wilson’s play took an unwanted turn at the end of the campaign, and making a long-term commitment in the 36-year-old would carry signficant risks. With Pete Carroll back on an NFL sideline as head coach of the Raiders, a reunion in Vegas has been floated as a possibility.

Mike Tomlin will remain in place as the Steelers’ coach for 2025, and a number of roster moves will be made before the start of next season. Until the quarterback situation becomes clearer, though, that will remain the focus of Pittsburgh’s offseason.