5 prospects the Pittsburgh Steelers can target with their first-round pick

It’s a rewarding time to be a Pittsburgh football fan. The synergy between the undefeated and ranked Panthers and the AFC North-leading Steelers has given football in the fall much greater significance. But college football in Pittsburgh matters not just because of the battle for the ACC crown, but because the next crop of Steelers are being developed at the collegiate level.

While the fanbase is fixated on the short-term outlook and the upcoming trade deadline, Omar Khan and the scouting department have to have both a foot in the present and the future of their long-term roster composition. The search for the next young Steelers star has been ongoing, but without any direct access to their internal intel, a Steeler-oriented imagination can’t help but wonder who the Steelers will be drafting with their 2025 first-round pick. Here are five prospects the Steelers should be keenly focused on.

WR Isaiah Bond, Texas

The name's Bond, Isaiah Bond. Texas’ Bond isn’t as fast as Xavier Worthy, but he possesses more wiggle. Bond is a quick receiver with average size, who excels in creating separation. Bond transferred from Alabama following Nick Saban’s retirement, and while his numbers aren’t awe-inspiring, his tape shows a player who's filthy making cuts and displays excellent body control. A year ago, he caught Jalen Milroe's Alabama Miracle deep shot into the back of the end zone on fourth down to beat Auburn; he rises to the occasion, and could be on the other end of Russell Wilson’s moonshots in 2025.

QB Jalen Milroe, Alabama

Relying on a quarterback to drop to pick 20 in a draft deprived of quarterback talent feels like 2022 deja vu, but Milroe fits the archetype of the mobile signal caller that modern NFL offenses, and the Steelers' offense in particular, are currently prospering with.

Milroe is one of the fastest quarterbacks in the 2025 class and has battled upper-echelon SEC competition his entire collegiate career. His athleticism and ability to move outside the pocket give him more upside than Kenny Pickett ever had. Milroe has struggled with accuracy and mechanics as a sophomore and a junior, but he always seems to bounce back.

His intermediate accuracy is unpredictable, but his deep ball is beautiful and he progresses through his reads well. Pittsburgh may have to trade up for Milroe, but having a quarterback who can grow behind Wilson if he returns next season would allow them to continue contending in the AFC North with a Lamar Jackson-lite without enduring a gap year by selecting and developing some second-day pick with the ceiling of a tablet-holding, headset-wearing backup. 

CB Tacario Davis, Arizona

Joey Porter Jr. is locked in as the Steelers' No. 1 corner. However, Donte Jackson is in the final year of a three-year, $22 million contract he agreed to in 2022, while Cam Sutton will be turning 30 with possibly too much extra baggage off the field entering unrestricted free agency in 2025. Davis' 6-4 frame makes him a uniquely sized candidate. Couple that with great speed, and he’s the type of physical corner that the Steelers have typically targeted. 

The only downside is that his man coverage skills leave much to be desired, but the clay is there for Mike Tomlin to mold.

DL Walter Nolen, Ole Miss

The Steelers have gotten so accustomed to Cameron Heyward’s pass-rushing prowess from the interior. But you forget it cannot last forever. Now 35, Heyward looks rejuvenated in 2024, but moving forward Pittsburgh needs to have a plan in place. The Steelers haven’t drafted a defensive tackle in the first round since 2011, when they selected Heyward, but it's time to start thinking about the future. This season, Nolen has been credited with 2.5 sacks and six stops in the backfield after transferring to Ole Miss from Texas A&M. Nolen checks in at 6-3 and over 300 pounds but can attack in a variety of ways, ranking third nationally among defensive tackles in true pass rush win rate.

WR Emeka Egbuka, Ohio State

Egbuka comes from a program steeped in a tradition of producing wide receivers. Given Pittsburgh's rotten luck in identifying receiver talent through the draft, Egbuka is just what their offense ordered. He’s a technically sound route runner, and while he’s not as spectacular as Garrett Wilson or a physical specimen like Marvin Harrison Jr., his hands are soft as cotton and his route running is clean.