Steelers A to Z: Injury turns DT Logan Lee’s rookie season into ‘redshirt year’

Editor’s note: From now until reporting day to training camp at Saint Vincent College, TribLive is running through the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 90-man roster, looking at each player and assessing his outlook for the 2025 season. The breakdown will run in alphabetical order with at least two players each day between June 12 and July 23. Contract data courtesy spotrac.com.

DT LOGAN LEE

Experience/age: Second season, 25

Contract status: $895,018 cap hit in 2025, signed through 2027

The past: A three-year starter at one of the college programs that most emulates the Steelers’ defensive philosophy — Iowa — Lee is one of a handful of former Hawkeyes prospects the Steelers have drafted or signed as undrafted free agents in recent years. A two-time honorable mention all-Big Ten performer, Lee totaled 157 tackles (18.5 for loss), nine sacks and seven batted-down balls in 41 college games from 2021-23.

Married and with loads of college experience, Lee as a rookie at training camp last year had the look and demeanor or a much older and more mature player. Lee had two assisted tackles over 40 defensive snaps and 11 special-teams snaps he played during the two preseason games he appeared in. But Lee suffered a calf injury late in the preseason and began the season on injured reserve. While Lee initially said he did not believe the injury was that serious, he never was activated to the active roster. Lee was cleared to practice during the final week of the regular season but was not activated over the 11 days that followed before the Steelers’ season ended in the playoffs.

When it comes to grading the #Steelers' rookie class of 2024, maybe the most appropriate letter grade would be an “I" — for incomplete.https://t.co/ZszKmhLrL5

— Tribune-Review Sports (@TribSports) January 19, 2025

2025 outlook: Lee was participating at organized team activities and minicamp, and there is no reason to believe he won’t be 100% for when training camp starts. The defensive line group has continued its turnover over this past offseason: veterans Larry Ogunjobi and Montravius Adams are out, veteran Daniel Ekuale, first-round pick Derrick Harmon and fifth-round pick Yahya Black are in. With the possible exception of Black (a former Iowa teammate of Lee’s), those three join starters Cameron Heyward and Keeanu Benton as virtual roster locks. With DeMarvin Leal’s move to outside linebacker, Lee is in a mix with veterans Dean Lowry, Isaiahh Loudermilk and free-agent signee Esezi Otomewo jockeying for roles, playing time and 53-man roster spots.

Lee was durable in college, and while no one would ever admit it publicly odds are that his rookie season spent on IR was something of an orchestrated blessing in that it allowed for a “redshirt” year of sorts. Lee was billed as a high-floor, low-ceiling prospect, and as such profiles as a rotational piece of the d-line starting in 2025.