Storylines to follow for Steelers at NFL Combine

With the Super Bowl, college playoffs and all-star showcases in the rearview mirror, the NFL ramps up its focus this week for the upcoming season.

The annual Scouting Combine will be held at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, with on-field workouts running from Thursday through Sunday.

The NFL has invited 329 prospects to attend the event, with interviews beginning Wednesday. Medical testing also is at the forefront for NFL teams.

Many coaches and general managers will meet with the media for the first time since the end of the 2024 season. For the Steelers, GM Omar Khan will speak Tuesday. Coach Mike Tomlin does not conduct his interviews until the NFL annual meeting in late March.

Here are five potential storylines that could unfold for the Steelers in particular and the league in general:

1. Quarterback quandary A year ago at this event, Khan said he had “full faith” in quarterback Kenny Pickett, who was entering his third season.

A few weeks later, Pickett was the property of the Philadelphia Eagles, and the Steelers had Russell Wilson and Justin Fields in the fold.

Which just goes to prove that whatever Khan says Tuesday when he meets with the media could be true at the time but could change as free agency draws closer.

Team president Art Rooney said in January the Steelers will decide which quarterback to pursue and attempt to sign before the legal tampering in free agency begins. That window opens at noon March 10.

Wilson, 36, brings Super Bowl experience, but his play faded down the stretch during the Steelers’ fivegame slide to end the season. Fields is a decade younger and went 4-2 to start the 2024 season for the Steelers. He might have more upside but might not provide the immediate fix the Steelers seek as they try to end a drought of playoff wins that dates to 2016.

2. Cream of the crop Penn State will have five players attend the combine, including the player who could be the No. 1 overall draft pick. That, of course, is Abdul Carter, the Nittany Lions junior edge rusher who is 6-foot-3, 250 pounds.

Carter concluded his collegiate career by recording 12 sacks and 23 1/2 tackles for loss. He left Penn State with the sixth-most sacks (23) and eighth-most tackles for loss (39 1/2) for a career. Carter will not work out at the combine, however, because of a shoulder injury suffered in the Nittany Lions’ final game of the season, ESPN reported.

Carter heads a deep class of edge rushers and defensive linemen. The Steelers are looking for beefier linemen who can slow down the running game and collapse the pocket. Michigan’s Mason Graham, at 6-3, 320 pounds, is more the style of player the Steelers covet, but he is expected to be taken among the first 10 picks. Teammate Kenneth Grant, though, could be in the Steelers’ wheelhouse at No. 21 overall.

3. Local connections In the past four drafts, the Steelers have used a first-day or second-day pick on a player from an area Power 5 college.

The run began in 2021 when Penn State’s Pat Freiermuth was taken in the second round. The next year, Pickett came aboard in the first. Penn State’s Joey Porter Jr. was the first pick of the second round by the Steelers in 2023, and West Virginia’s Zach Frazier was taken in the second round last season.

This year, if the Steelers add any local players, it likely won’t happen until the third day.

In addition to Carter, Penn State has another prospect with a firstround grade in tight end Tyler Warren. He likely will be gone by the No. 21 pick, and the Steelers already have an abundance of tight ends on the roster.

Also representing Penn State at the combine will be safeties Jayden Reed and KJ Winston and linebacker Kobe King.

Pitt will be represented by wide receiver Konata Mumpfield, tight end Gavin Bartholomew, offensive lineman Branson Taylor and kicker Ben Sauls. West Virginia will have offensive lineman Wyatt Milum and defensive lineman Sean Martin at the combine.

4. Needy positions

Fortunately for the Steelers, this is a good year to address their aging defensive line. NFL Network draft guru Daniel Jeremiah rated defensive line as the deepest position group in this year’s class.

On offense, the Steelers will be seeking a running back in the event they don’t re-sign Najee Harris, and a wide receiver to complement — or replace — George Pickens. Running back also is viewed as one of the strongest positions in this class, which means the Steelers could address other positions in the first several rounds before finding a productive runner. Wide receiver isn’t viewed as deep as running back, but it isn’t lacking in quality prospects.

Cornerback is another position the Steelers could scout heavily at the combine as they look for someone to join Joey Porter Jr. as a potential starter.

5. Report card time?

If the NFLPA follows suit from last season, it will release its annual team report card this week that details the pros and cons of each organization’s facilities and amenities.

The Steelers were dinged in the 2024 survey, earning a No. 28 ranking out of the 32 teams. That was a drop from a No. 22 ranking in 2023.

The worst grades the Steelers received were an F for ownership and locker room and an F- for treatment of families. Conditions at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex also received low marks.

Team president Art Rooney II said in January the Steelers have taken steps to address their players’ concerns.