NFL Draft 2024: Steelers bargain edge rushing targets

Edge defenders might not be the Steelers biggest need, but you can never have too many pass rushers.

With the NFL Draft now less than three weeks away, it’s getting to be crunch time for those in the Steelers war room. As we get closer to April 25, the Steelers are fitting in their top-30 visits with the incoming rookie class and finalizing their draft board.

Naturally, a lot of attention is being paid to who the Steelers may draft in Round 1 and Round 2. After all, those players will have a realistic shot at significant playing time by the end of the 2024 regular season.

But if you’ve been following this series, you know we’re here to discuss the less-heralded prospects. These are the players that will be drafted in Round 3 or later. Some of these guys might become future starters, others will be valuable role players, and some might be career taxi squad members. The magic of the draft is finding value in any given round in any given year.

Previously we’ve looked at prospects from the following position groups:

• Offensive Tackle
• Interior Offensive Line
• Wide Receiver
• Defensive Line

In our penultimate article of this series, we’ll be looking at edge rushers.

In recent years, the Steelers have kept around four or five dedicated edge rushers on the active roster. Right now, T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith and Nick Herbig are under contract. That’s a solid group, and all indications are Pittsburgh won’t be spending any major draft capital at the position. However, that still leaves one or two spots left to be filled. A reunion with Markus Golden or the signing of some other veteran would make a lot of sense, but so would drafting another rookie to grow and develop on a cheap contract. Edge rushers are a group I personally believe teams can never take too many cracks at while constructing a roster.

When looking at pass rushers in this range of the draft, you’re looking for prospects that have at least one bankable trait. That could be a quick first step, a go-to rush move, functional power, anything that will win in the NFL if molded properly. Admittedly, this class is not considered deep beyond the top four names, but there are a few players I think could be valuable role players in the black and gold.

Before we dive in, let’s first consider what the Steelers tend to look for in edge rushers.

Dating back to Watt’s rookie season, by my count there have been 13 guys that lined up at outside linebacker in 3-4 sets and defensive end in sub packages.

The Steelers don’t appear to have a height preference as players have ranged from 6’ (James Harrison) to 6’4 (Watt and Bud Dupree). Meanwhile, their weights have ranged from 235 pounds (Malik Reed) to 269 (Dupree). Still, seven out of 13 were 6’2 or taller and the average weight of the group was 251 pounds.

Pittsburgh appears to prefer longer arms with their recent starters — Watt and Highsmith both measure in at 33 1/8” while Dupree came in at 32 5/8” — but have been more flexible with their depth guys. Herbig (31 1/4”) and Golden (31 1/8”) both come in on the shorter end and while Harrison never had an official measurement, being undersized was famously something he overcame on his way to becoming a Defensive Player of the Year winner and All-Pro. Of the 13 players I examined, however, six had 32” arms or longer, so that serves as a benchmark even if it isn’t a dealbreaker for the Steelers.

Pittsburgh also tends to prefer their edges to test well athletically, but they’ve had some wiggle room there with their rotation as well. Removing Watt, Highsmith and Dupree — who all had an RAS of 8.01 or higher — the Steelers have rostered edges all over the spectrum. Golden (1.99) was the least athletic of the bunch, while Melvin Ingram (8.85) marks the high point. Of the 11 players that registered an RAS, seven had a score of 7.75 or higher.

So putting all of that together gives us our prototype. The typical prospect the Steelers will consider will likely be around 6’2, 251 pounds with 32” arms and an RAS above 7.75. A prospect can fail to match one of those metrics but likely possesses some other quality that makes them worth the pick. Let’s dig in.

Xavier Thomas, Clemson

Photo by Gregory Fisher/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Age: 24 (Turns 25 in December)

Height/weight: 6’2, 244 pounds

Arm Length: 32 7/8”

RAS: 8.16

When it comes to pass rushers in the Steelers’ mold, Xavier Thomas is the one who looks most ready to make an impact from Day 1. For starters, look at this man get off the line.

In the clip above, Thomas times the snap count perfectly and his explosive speed took care of the rest. Thomas’ short area burst and his high motor are what you would expect from a former 5-star recruit. But what makes Thomas intriguing is he is more than just a twitchy athlete. Thomas comes with a repertoire of pass moves and throughout a game you can see him use them to set up future moves.

So why might he be available so late?

Thomas has adequate size to pass rush at the next level. At 6’2 and 244 pounds, he isn’t going to overwhelm anyone with his size. His arms are shorter than some teams would like, but fit within the parameters the Steelers have been comfortable with.

He’s sometimes overpowered in the downhill running game or when setting the edge against particularly long-limbed tackles, but he’s also got reps on tape that show he can contribute there as well.

No, the main red flag for Thomas is likely the same reason he has been able to finely tune his pass rush moves: he’s been in school for a long time. Thomas’ freshman year was in 2018 when Clemson last won a national title. Guys like Trevor Lawrence, Christian Wilkins, Tee Higgins and Dexter Lawrence — pros now for several years — were all on that squad.

All told Thomas spent six years at Clemson. Thomas admits that he struggled with his mental health and depression during the 2020 Covid-19 season. He saw his weight fluctuate and he realized he could no longer coast by on natural talent, something he admits he was guilty of during his first few seasons. Thomas committed to getting both his mind and body right and saw a bounce-back season in 2021. He likely would have come out for last year’s draft, but he was limited to only three games in 2022 after breaking the fifth metatarsal bone in his foot. This would have prevented him from competing in the NFL Scouting Combine, so Thomas elected to return to school for one more year.

In 57 games, Thomas totaled 116 tackles, 33 tackles for loss, 18.0 sacks, seven passes defended and six forced fumbles. He’s old for a rookie prospect, but should be entering his physical peak and comes with more polish than most prospects available in this range.

Adisa Isaac, Penn State

Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images

Age: 22

Height/weight: 6’4, 247 pounds

Arm Length: 33 7/8”

RAS: 8.98

When looking at Adisa Isaac, two traits are immediately apparent. The first is his exceptional length, with arms longer than both Watt and Highsmith. The second is the frenetic pace at which he plays, regardless of whether he’s rushing the passer or knifing into the backfield to stop the run.

Watching Isaac can be a bit of an adventure, for better and worse. At his best, Isaac displays good instincts and finds himself around the ball a ton. Throw on his tape and there are rarely any plays where you can point out a player outhustling him or with a greater desire to hit the ball carrier.

But that same drive and high motor can at times lead Isaac to play a little too wild, especially when he misfires with his hands while engaging with a blocker. Other times, he can be caught out of position trying to run too wide around blocks and leaving his gap vulnerable. At his size, Isaac could benefit with some added weight and strength in his lower half.

Isaac missed the 2021 season after he tore his Achilles during summer workouts. However, he has played in 26 games over the past two seasons and set a career-high for sacks with 7.5 as a senior. In 40 games he had 92 tackles, 31.5 tackles for loss, 14.5 sacks two forced fumbles.

Despite missing a year to injury, Isaac is just 22 years old. He also brings solid leadership after serving as a team captain in 2023 and his story of hard work and sacrifice for his family will inspire you.

Chris Braswell, Alabama

Photo by Chris McDill/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Age: 22

Height/weight: 6’3, 251 pounds

Arm Length: 33 1/4”

RAS: 8.72

Looking at Chris Braswell, he hits all the parameters we set at the beginning of this article to a tee. Height, weight, arm length and an explosive first step are all there for Braswell. His 1.59-second 10-yard split while running a 4.60 40-yard dash puts him in the 87th percentile of edge rushers in Mockdraftable’s database. His testing at the combine and at Alabama’s pro day are even more impressive when you consider Braswell was fasting during both as he observed Ramadan.

Braswell’s fortitude should come as no surprise though. His story is one of patience at Alabama. Braswell had to bide his time behind guys like Christian Barmore, last year’s Defensive Rookie of the Year Will Anderson Jr., and Dallas Turner, a likely first-rounder in this year’s draft. Despite being a five-star recruit, Braswell chose to stick it out all four years at Alabama even though he could have started for other programs.

While he only collected two starts in 2023, he played in every game over the past three seasons, serving as a core special teams player and reserve pass rusher. He was rewarded for his patience with more playing time and a breakout year in 2023, racking up 8 sacks, 10.5 tackles for loss, a pick six and a team-leading three forced fumbles.

Braswell is still plenty raw as a pass rusher. He has an upright playing style and while he can occasionally drop into coverage in zone schemes, he’s better moving downhill than laterally. He may never fully develop into a starter, but that’s not what the Steelers need him to be. He possesses enough athletic traits, persistence and a desirable team-first attitude that could make him a valuable role player.

Cedric Johnson, Mississippi

Photo by John Adams/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Age: 21 (turns 22 in September)

Height/weight: 6’3, 260 pounds

Arm Length: 33 1/2”

RAS: 9.28

While nearly every prospect we’re looking at in this article could use some more refinement and development at the next level, Cedric Johnson is easily the biggest projection. A bet on him right now is purely a bet on the traits.

Johnson looks the part getting off the bus with his height and length. He’s a twitched up athlete as well, running a 4.63 40-yard time at 260 pounds. He also tested well in drills that test explosiveness, including a 10’2 broad jump and 38” vertical.

In four years at Ole Miss, Johnson tallied 111 tackles, 22 tackles for loss, 19 sacks, four passes defended and forced two fumbles.

Still just 21 years old, Johnson displays natural speed and movement skills but can be late reacting as he sometimes appears to still be trying to process the play developing in front of him. With his youth, that’s the type of play you hope you can coach out of him, but it’s also why he is viewed as a Day 3 developmental project despite his freaky athleticism.

Mike Tomlin has famously said he and his staff are not afraid to embrace coaching players up. Johnson is the exact type of player Tomlin was alluding to. Raw and uber-athletic, Johnson could become a better player as a pro, but patience would be necessary.

Gabriel Murphy, UCLA

Age: 24

Height/weight: 6’2, 247 pounds

Arm Length: 30 1/2”

RAS: 9.27

Our next prospect couldn’t be any more of a polar opposite from Johnson. Gabriel Murphy is on the older side of the prospect spectrum and his lack of length might be his greatest weakness. But what Murphy lacks in length he makes up for by being arguably the most polished pass rusher on our list of prospects.

In the rep below, Murphy shows that leaving just a running back to block him is bad news for your quarterback. He uses a slick swim move that translates elsewhere on his tape against linemen and tight ends.

Murphy started his college career at North Texas, the alma mater of Joe Greene. He redshirted in 2019 but then collected 12 sacks and 17 tackles for a loss over 19 games the next two seasons. Murphy then transferred to UCLA. After a quiet first season with the Bruins, Murphy had a career-high eight sacks in 2023 and added 16 tackles for a loss.

Murphy’s size gives him the most trouble in the run game. He isn’t a complete liability, but he might be better suited as a situational pass rusher if he gets pushed around too much against professional rushing attacks.

Marshawn Kneeland, Western Michigan

Photo by Michael Wade/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Age: 22 (turns 23 in July)

Height/weight: 6’3, 267 pounds

Arm Length: 34 1/2”

RAS: 9.08

Typically I only select five prospects for these articles, but I couldn’t leave Western Michigan’s Marshawn Kneeland off this list. Kneeland has sneaky athleticism for a player of his size. He doesn’t possess the same straight-line speed as some of the lighter prospects we’ve looked at, but he tested well above average in the agility drills and in the explosion drills.

Kneeland has a knack for finding his way to the ball carrier and invites contact in all phases of the game — a quality I know lifelong Steelers fans will appreciate.

Kneeland was a chess piece for the Broncos and they found creative ways to use him. Check out this play against Mississippi State where Kneeland lines up in the middle as a blitzing linebacker and causes the quarterback to throw a hurried, inaccurate throw.

Kneeland consistently shows up causing pressure on tape, but the box score didn’t always reflect that. In four college seasons, Kneeland had 149 tackles, 28 tackles for loss, 12.5 sacks and 3 forced fumbles.

Kneeland might have a bit of “Jack-of-all-trades, master of none” to him, but I think he’s an intriguingly versatile player that fits in the modern NFL. He could offer the Steelers some scheme versatility as he could shift to the line to play 5-tech if needed.

Which of these mid-to-late-round edge rushing prospects intrigues you as a potential future Steeler? Did I not include one of your favorites? Let us know in the comments section and be sure to follow Behind The Steel Curtain and me on Twitter.