The Pittsburgh Steelers have many talented options in this year's NFL Draft. With many positions that need filled on both sides of the ball, the Steelers will look to add depth and select potential stars. A player that was on the team's radar was Texas Longhorns defensive lineman, T'Vondre Sweat and younger brother of Philadelphia Eagles defensive end, Josh Sweat. The Steelers have talent at the defensive line position as is, however, some players are veterans who are most likely close to retirement. Bringing in new talent to learn from veterans such as recently signed Dean Lowry, and defensive captain, Cam Heyward, would be ideal for the Steelers' future.
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Pittsburgh Steelers defensive lineman, Cameron Heyward stares down the crowd during a game against the Cleveland Browns.
Sweat bolstered an impressive career as a Longhorn winning Big-12 Defensive Player of the Year in 2023. His career stats show a very capable defender, accumulating 127 total tackles, 17.5 tackles for loss, and 5 sacks.
Unfortunately, Sweat was arrested less than three weeks before the draft. Austin Police Department officers responded to a crash at 4:41 a.m. on Sunday morning. Sweat was driving an SUV and the other car involved was a sedan whose driver left on foot shortly after the crash. Sweat was reportedly driving while intoxicated (DWI) which can produce up to 180 days of jail time, a $2,000 fine, or some combination of the two.
All of this happening before the draft could cause Sweat's draft stock to plumet. He has been projected to be a first or second round pick in the draft and has received many awards during his tenure at Texas. Now, those honors might be irrelevant to teams looking to draft him after this controversy.
Sweat was released on a $3,000 bond and is still expected to meet with a few NFL teams.
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Texas Longhorns Defensive Tackle T'Vondre Sweat Celebrates Against Baylor
Do The Steelers Have Other Options Along The Defensive Line?
Other than Sweat, the Steelers have many options to draft at the defensive line position. The Steelers have had visits with five defensive linemen, including two defensive tackles. The most recent being defensive lineman and former Iowa Hawkeye, Logan Lee. Lee made honorable mentions for All Big Ten teams two years in a row and started 41 games as a Hawkeye. Lee met with Steelers defensive line coach Karl Dunbar at the NFL Combine. Lee had an impressive college career with 58 solo tackles, 18.5 tackles for loss, and 9 sacks.
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Iowa DT Logan Lee warming up before a game against Illinois on Oct 8, 2022 at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Ill.
Former LSU Tiger, Maason Smith could be a perfect option for the Steelers late in the draft as well if he is still on the board. Smith stands at a staggering 6'6", 292 pounds, which gives him perfect ability to win one-on-one matchups in the trenches. Smith's career stats include 22 solo tackles and 6.5 sacks.
Should the Steelers draft a defensive lineman? Who should it be? Let us know in the comments below!
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