One of the top defensive linemen in this year’s draft and two more running backs are taking pre-draft visits with the Steelers on Wednesday.
Oregon’s Derrick Harmon and North Carolina’s Omarion Hampton, two players projected to be selected in the first round, are at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex along with Oklahoma State’s Ollie Gordon II, who is a mid-round prospect.
Defensive line is the Steelers’ biggest need heading into the draft after they released starting defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi last month. Harmon is the first defensive lineman projected to go in the first round who has visited the Steelers. Five others have taken visits, but they’re all projected to go on Day 2 or Day 3 of the draft.
Harmon was named a second-team All-American in his only season at Oregon after transferring from Michigan State, where he played his first three college seasons. He started 13 games and had five sacks and two forced fumbles for the Ducks last season.
Harmon (6-4, 313) has some versatility to his game, but he would most likely be a future replacement for Cam Heyward, who turns 36 next month.
With Hampton and Gordon visiting Wednesday, five of the first 20 pre-draft visitors have been running backs. Hampton is widely regarded as the second-best running back in this year’s draft after Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty.
A second-team All-American the past two seasons, Hampton (6-0, 221) had 2,033 all-purpose yards and 15 touchdowns for the Tar Heels last season. In his three seasons at North Carolina, he had 3,665 rushing yards and 36 touchdowns.
Hampton was one of the more impressive athletes at the NFL combine. He ran a 4.46 in the 40-yard dash, had a 38-inch vertical leap and 10-10 broad jump.
Gordon (6-1, 226) was a first-team All-American in 2023, but he didn’t follow it up with a strong season in 2024. He had 2,062 yards from scrimmage and scored 26 touchdowns in 14 starts two years ago, but he had just 880 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns last season.
The Steelers can bring in 10 more prospects before the draft. Here are the ones who have visited so far:
March 6: Ole Miss DL JJ Pegues, Louisville QB Tyler Shough and West Virginia OL Wyatt Milum
March 14: Tennessee RB Dylan Sampson, TCU WR Savion Williams and Iowa DL Yahya Black
March 17: Iowa State WR Jayden Higgins
March 18: Pitt K Ben Sauls
April 3: Texas WR Matthew Golden, Iowa RB Kaleb Johnson, Florida State CB Azareye’h Thomas and Pitt TE Gavin Bartholomew
April 4: Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart, Iowa State WR Jaylin Noel, Oregon DL Jamaree Caldwell and South Carolina S Nick Emmanwori
April 7: Virginia Tech RB Bhayshul Tuten and Florida State DL Joshua Farmer
April 8: SMU DL Elijah Roberts and Ole Miss CB Trey Amos
April 9: Oregon DL Derrick Harmon, North Carolina RB Omarion Hampton and Oklahoma State RB Ollie Gordon II.
First Published: April 9, 2025, 3:35 p.m.
