After seeing the positive feedback from the article our Jake Brockhoff wrote on his Pittsburgh Steelers Day Three sleeper, Oregon RB Jordan James, I wanted to ask the same of the rest of our Steelers Depot draft team. Below are the Day Three prospects who are true sleepers and present great value in the later rounds.
They might not all be names the Steelers have shown interest in, and they’re not necessarily the team’s biggest area of need. But finding talent and players who can make and stick on a team’s roster is the goal of Rounds 4-7—these are prospects who could do it.
Joe Clark – Elijah Ponder/EDGE Cal Poly
One position I think the Pittsburgh Steelers should still address in some form or fashion ahead of the 2025 season is EDGE. While a solid special teamer, Jeremiah Moon isn’t someone I want getting fourth OLB reps. That leads me to Cal Poly’s Elijah Ponder. After a solid week of practice at the Shrine Bowl, Ponder was a standout during the game and tested really well athletically at his Pro Day, running a 4.57 40-yard dash with an 11’0” broad jump and 41” vertical. He measured in at 6023 and 257 pounds at the Shrine Bowl.
He also has the college production to match, albeit at the FCS level, with 26.5 sacks and 43.5 tackles for a loss in 47 games. He also is valuable on special teams and was a first-team All-Big Sky honoree in back-to-back seasons. I think Ponder is worth taking a late-round flier on to see if he can bolster Pittsburgh’s outside linebacker room in limited snaps as a rookie before potentially growing into a bigger role.
Josh Carney – Efton Chism III/WR Eastern Washington
Chism III was largely an unknown to me throughout the college football season and the early pre-draft process. Then, he showed up to the 2025 East-West Shrine Bowl as a late add and flat-out dominated.
He has a strong, powerful frame at 5010, 185, is lightning quick and smooth in and out of his cuts, and is easily one of the best route runners in the draft class. The production, albeit at the FCS level, is video game-like, too.
Chism can play inside and outside, is tough after the catch, and can run the full route tree, reminding me of Brandon Stokley. He’s at his best as a full-time slot and could have a very productive NFL career with the right landing spot. Slot might not be a huge need for the Steelers with Calvin Austin III and Roman Wilson on the roster, but the Steelers need more talent and more production at receiver, and Chism brings that. Plus, he can play special teams, too.
Efton Chism III Scouting Report
Nate Kosko – Oluwafemi Oladejo/EDGE UCLA
With T.J. Watt aging and questions about whether he will be with the Steelers next year, Nick Herbig’s role will expand and place him into a spot that requires him to be on the field for a decent-sized portion of the game. Grabbing an edge rusher who is raw but has shown flashes of competing at high levels will complement the already-established trio of Watt, Alex Highsmith, and Nick Herbig.
Oluwafemi Oladejo is a good-sized player with strong athletic traits but is extremely raw. He played off-ball linebacker his entire career before being moved to edge in 2024, and you can see that on tape. He does not possess skillful pass rush moves, but the hope is that he can be coached into that as he grows into the position. He is just an average run defender but showed good flashes. He handles pullers very well and spills them to the second level. Oladejo plays with a high motor that is seen when closing on a ball carrier.
He is not a ready-to-play prospect, but he will improve his play with increased hand usage and experience. I feel encouraged by his potential because of his improvement throughout each week. I watched him play Indiana, Oregon, and Penn State, 3 games in 4 weeks. The difference in how he played within that month was incredible, with his best game being against Penn State, where he showed legitimate flashes of who he could be. He also was a player I enjoyed watching work at the Senior Bowl.
I would be hesitant to take Oladejo in the first three rounds, but if he is available on Day 3, Mike Tomlin and company should jump on this opportunity. Keeping him at the fourth edge spot for his first couple of years will benefit his growth, and he will learn how to win from two of the top 30 edge rushers.
Oluwafemi Oladejo Scouting Report
Alex Kozora – Teddye Buchanan/LB California
Despite playing “up” against the FBS level after transferring in from UC Davis, Buchanan showed no issue making splash plays immediately. Watch any Cal game and his No. 10 flashed on the screen. He registered double-digit tackles in four of 13 games, at least a half-sack in five of them, and a tackle for loss in ten.
Athletic on tape and in testing, he wowed at the Combine with a 4.6 40-yard dash and 40-inch vertical. He’s truly boosted his draft stock throughout the process. Once expected to go undrafted, he’s now squarely a Day Three selection.
It’s easy to fall in love with uber-athletes at the position, and those aren’t always the top success stories. But Buchanan’s knack for making splash plays despite feeling a bit raw, needing more technical refinement, and only playing against FBS competition for one season is impressive. And it’s easy to love underdog stories like him, a two-star recruit, to come in with a chip on their shoulder.
There’s no bigger disparity between projection and draft grade in any scouting report I wrote than Buchanan, giving him a high second-round grade. My NFL comp was Jordan Hicks who went on to start 131 games. Buchanan could do the same.
Teddye Buchanan Scouting Report
Jonathan Heitritter – Johnny Walker Jr./EDGE Missouri
The 2025 Draft class is deep at the edge position. Still, one name that has been flying under the radar this entire draft cycle is Missouri EDGE Johnny Walker Jr. Having completed Walker’s scouting report for the site, I was impressed by his diverse pass rush package, including the dip/rip, cross chop, push/pull, long arm, and pure speed to get to the passer. The stats back it up as Walker posted 22.5 sacks and 26 tackles for loss during his college career, including a career-high 9.5 last season in the SEC.
A quality run defender who knows how to set the edge. It’s maddening to me that Walker is currently ranked by Mock Draft Database as their 292nd player on their consensus big board when I see him as more of a Day 2 talent on the tape. Edge may not be a huge need for Pittsburgh, but utilizing one of their Day 3 picks to select Walker would give them a quality pass rusher to pair with fellow former Day 3 pick Nick Herbig behind T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith, giving Pittsburgh another talented pass rusher to groom behind their established starters.
Johnny Walker Jr. Scouting Report
Ross McCorkle – Isaac TeSlaa/WR Arkansas
I am of the opinion that wide receiver can (and should) wait until day three, and TeSlaa is somebody I have been high on since the Senior Bowl. He has flown under the radar because of his college production, but he’s an athletic, big-bodied receiver who can play both in the slot and out wide.
He was on Feldman’s Freaks list and lived up to that billing by measuring at 6035, 214 pounds, with 10-inch hands and running a 4.43-second 40-yard dash at the combine. He also posted a very impressive 10-9 broad jump and a 39.5-inch vertical while putting up 17 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press.
He also plays gunner, which should keep him busy while he carves out a role on offense. Think of him as a more athletic Ben Skowronek with a greater upside.
TeSlaa is tough over the middle; he can block and catches virtually everything thrown his way. He had zero drops in 100 college targets. Most of his issues, like clunky routes and release technique off the line, are coachable. As a relatively new receiver, he should have plenty of growth still ahead of him. He played quarterback in high school.
With legitimate upside on offense as a versatile receiver, TeSlaa is the perfect day-three sleeper.
Jim Hester – Hollin Pierce/OT Rutgers
Hollin Pierce is a redshirt senior offensive tackle out of Rutgers. His mountain-of-a-man size is only outweighed by his determination and work ethic to get better. He really popped, literally and figuratively, this past year for a team that ranked third in the Big Ten in rushing yards per game.
He was the intelligent, reliable engine of that line. Although his hulking profile will never be the most athletic or fleet-footed, he showed incredible inside zone run blocking ability to get out in space for a guy his size. His elite length, mass, and strength alone help him out on the perimeter as a pass protector at tackle, but he could also be a massive guard if a team needed him to be.
I would bet on the guy who came to Rutgers over 400 lbs., completely transformed his body, and paved the way for an offense that amassed almost 5,000 yards this year. The Steelers need offensive line depth, especially at tackle, and this guy would provide an immediate depth piece that personifies the tone-setting presence they’re looking for in their team’s culture.
Tom Mead – Thomas Fidone II/TE Nebraska
Tight end may not be an obvious need for this team, but they are one injury away from it being a very big need. If Pat Freiermuth goes down, they have no threat as a receiver. If Darnell Washington is injured, they don’t have a viable blocker. Fidone is capable of bridging that gap. He is a high-effort blocker who plays to the whistle and has room to add 10-15 pounds of muscle.
His 34-inch arms and 10 5/8-inch hands catch everything in his orbit. He has a mid-day three grade by most outlets. I have him as a fourth-rounder. If he continues to improve and stays healthy, he has the potential to go from day three pick to number one tight end.
Thomas Fidone II Scouting Report
Steven Pavelka – Bhayshul Tuten/RB Virginia Tech
With this year’s running back class being particularly deep and the Steelers having more pressing needs elsewhere, it wouldn’t be surprising to see them wait until Day 3 of the NFL Draft to select one. A sleeper pick I’d love to see in black and yellow this season is Bhayshul Tuten. Following the departure of Najee Harris—who was tied for fifth in runs of 20+ yards—Pittsburgh lacks an explosive playmaker in the backfield. Jaylen Warren, currently slated as the starting back, had just one run of 20-plus yards last season. In fact, no Steeler recorded a run of 40-plus yards all year.
Tuten could bring that big-play element to the offense. Last season, he logged nine games with a 20-plus yard run, including four games where he broke off a 40-plus yard run. He’s a versatile threat with 892 career receiving yards and nine receiving touchdowns. If the Steelers also need help in the return game, Tuten has experience there too—posting 40 career kick returns for 951 yards (23.8 yards per return) and two touchdowns.
Statistically dominant and athletically elite, Tuten boasts a 95th percentile Relative Athletic Score (RAS), highlighted by a 4.32 40-yard dash, 24 bench press reps, a 40.5-inch vertical, and a 10’10” broad jump—all testing between the 91st and 99th percentiles. Everything about him screams playmaker.
Bhayshul Tuten Scouting Report
Scott Pavelle – Jalen Travis/OT Iowa State
Jalen Travis is an OT prospect out of Iowa State by way of Princeton, with ideal size at 6076, 339 lbs, looooong 34 7/8inch arms and big 10 1/2-inch hands. He’s also a totally brilliant kid with every character reference you could want, and he ruled the Ivy League physically and academically. But he wanted football instead of some genius thing, so he went to Iowa State to see how he’d do against the big boys. The answer was, Okay, but not special. But every report on his work points to the same conclusion. Travis lacks experience and needs some diligent, high-level coaching, but he’s got the native stuff. As in a 9.08 RAS, when compared to every OT in recent history. Top 10-percent. All of which adds up to a fantastic young man with great intellect, heart, desire, and drive, plus enough physical and athletic talent to make NFL starters jealous.
On the specifics, Lance Zierlein writes that Travis’ issues come down to sloppy footwork, raw hand fighting skills, and poor timing with his teammates. Those are all coachable problems. Brandon Thorn adds, “Travis executed a bit of everything as a run blocker this past season but excels most on zone concepts.” Just what Pittsburgh wants. And Jonathan Heitritter’s Depot scouting report concluded that, “all the tools are there for Travis to develop into a quality swing tackle in the league with the hopes of one day becoming a starter.”
Tackles are hard to find, and the Steelers could really use a high-ceiling, developmental project in the pipeline. That’s Jalen Travis. I would love this pick in Round 5, race it up for Round 6, and hurt myself on the way in Round 7.
Melanie Friedlander – Jay Higgins/ILB Iowa
Can one of the most dominant linebackers of college football’s 2024 season be considered a Day Three sleeper? After sitting out the Shrine Bowl practices and the game and then turning in a rough performance at the NFL Combine, Higgins has seemingly slipped down many draft boards. But this downhill thumper will likely exceed expectations in the NFL and could be a steal in the 6th or 7th round.
