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The following is the fifth of seven Pittsburgh Steelers position analyses for the 2024 NFL Draft, which begins Thursday:
DEFENSIVE LINEMEN
Current roster: Nose tackles--Keeanu Benton, Montravius Adams, Breiden Fehoko, Jonathan Marshall. Defensive tackles/ends--Cameron Heyward, Larry Ogunjobi, Isaiahh Loudermilk, Dean Lowry, DeMarvin Leal, Jacob Slade
Last five drafts: Benton (2023, second round) showed he potentially could be a star in the league. Leal (2022, third round), on the other hand, didn't improve on his rookie season. Loudermilk (2021, fifth round) has stuck with the team for three seasons. Isaiah Buggs (2019, sixth round) won a Super Bowl ring with the Chiefs last year. Carlos Davis (2020, seventh round) and Quincy Roche (2021, sixth round) had brief Steelers careers.
Top defensive linemen available: Jer'Zhan Newton, Illinois; Byron Murphy II, Texas; Braden Fiske, Florida State; Kris Jenkins, Michigan; Ruke Orhorhoro, Clemson
Penn State/Pitt players: Pitt's David Green and Tyler Bentley aren't expected to be drafted.
Possible Steelers picks: Austin Booker, Kansas; Mohamed Kamara, Colorado State; Marshawn Kneeland, Western Michigan; Maason Smith, LSU; McKinnley Jackson, Texas A&M; Khristian Boyd, Northern Iowa; Justin Eboigbe, Alabama
Analysis: The Steelers most likely will select a defensive lineman in this year's draft. That pick probably won't come in the first two days (rounds 1-3), but could very well be their fourth-round selection (No. 119). At that point, it will depend on who's still on the board, but they need another young defensive lineman (like Benton) to help complement the older guys (Heyward and Ogunjobi).
Coming Tuesday: Linebackers
-- Buck Frank