Rutgers cornerback Max Melton and Iowa defensive tackle Logan Lee were guests of the Pittsburgh Steelers at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex for official pre-draft visits Monday.
A four-year college starter, Melton (5-foot-11, 187 pounds) is projected as a likely slot/nickel in the NFL. A compilation of mock drafts at nflmockdraftdatabase.com lists a consensus for Melton as going in the second round.
In addition to eight interceptions (one returned for a touchdown) over the past three seasons, Melton showed an ability to blitz — a skill coveted by the Steelers for their nickel back — and proved a valuable special-teamer when he tied for the national lead with three blocked kicks in 2022.
Here’s Max Melton’s punt block and Timmy Ward’s scoop and score that tied the game at 7: pic.twitter.com/JXunwY7bVZ
— Brian Fonseca (@briannnnf) November 6, 2022
The 6-5, 281-pound Lee was a three-year starter for one of the nation’s best defenses at Iowa. He had nine sacks, 18 ½ tackles for loss and seven batted-down passes over 41 games from 2021-23. Lee is regarded as a late-round pick.
#Iowa DT Logan Lee checks so many background reasons to get excited about even before the film.
✅Two-time state wrestling champ
✅High school TE with 10 TDs as senior
✅40 straight starts at DT since 2021Showcased his pass rush decisiveness and burst all week at @ShrineBowl. pic.twitter.com/ajYLQU13K8
— Eric Galko (@EricGalko) February 27, 2024
The Steelers are seeking to add youth to their defensive line, and the players who most often manned the nickel spot in 2023 — Chandon Sullivan, Patrick Peterson — are no longer on the roster.
Each team is allotted 30 pre-draft official visits (not including those deemed as “local” prospects) in advance of the April 25-27 draft.
