Making a series of multi-million dollar decisions as part of a multi-billion dollar industry, NFL teams leave no proverbial stone unturned when it comes to the identity of their annual draft picks.
Getting to know players personally can come by ways of various means — attendance at college “pro days,” meetings during the NFL Scouting Combine and hosting prospects at the team facility.
Each team is allotted 30 such official visits, which are therefore colloquially sometimes referred to as “top 30” visits. Exceptions are made, however, for additional visits from designated “local” prospective draft picks.
The Steelers began hosting prospects the week of March 2, and they will continue to do so up until about a week before the draft starts April 23 in Pittsburgh.
Here is a listing of confirmed visits:
Miami OT Markel Bell (March 6)
Even among other linemen, Bell has massive size at 6-foot-9 and 346 pounds. He played two seasons for the Hurricanes, starting five games as a junior before becoming the team’s full-time left tackle last fall. Miami finished the season as runner-up for the 2025 CFP national championship, and Bell earned third-team All-ACC honors.
Projected draft round: fourth
Cincinnati WR Jeff Caldwell (March 16)
The 6-5, 215-pound Caldwell had 478 yards and six touchdowns on 32 receptions last season. He was Cincinnati’s second-leading receiver.
Projected draft round: fifth
Kentucky WR Kendrick Law (March 16)
Law (5-11, 203) was Kentucky’s leading receiver with 53 catches for 540 yards and three touchdowns.
Projected draft round: seventh
Miami QB Carson Beck (March 17)
The 6-5, 223-pound Beck, a three-year starter, led Miami to the national championship game in January. He completed 72% of his throws and passed for 3,813 yards and 30 touchdowns last season.
Projected draft round: fourth
San Diego State CB Chris Johnson (March 17)
The 6-foot, 193-pound Johnson ranks among the better cornerback prospects in this year’s draft class.
Projected draft round: second
Pitt LB Kyle Louis (March 19)
A 6-foot, 220-pound redshirt junior, Louis was named first-team All-ACC by the Associated Press this past season. He made 81 tackles, including 8½ tackles for loss and three sacks in 11 starts last season.
Trib feature on Louis from the NFL Combine
“If (a team) is looking for speed,” Louis said during a media availability at the Indiana Convention Center, “I’m right here.”
Projected draft round: third
Note: As a former Pitt player, hosting Louis was exempt from counting against the Steelers’ limit.
Illinois DT James Thompson (March 19)
A 6-6, 310-pound defensive tackle, Thompson earned All-Big Ten honorable mention in his one season with the Illini. The sixth-year senior spent five seasons at Wisconsin before transferring to Illinois. He appeared in 54 career games.
Projected draft round: seventh
Texas Tech LB Jacob Rodriguez (March 20)
The 6-1, 231-pound linebacker was the 2025 Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, earned All-American honors and finished fifth in Heisman Trophy voting. He won the 2025 Chuck Bednarik Award as the nation’s top defensive player and the Dick Butkus Award as the top linebacker.
Projected draft round: second
North Dakota State QB Cole Payton (March 20)
A 6-3, 232-pound senior, Payton was named a second-team All-American at the FCS level as a first-year starter for North Dakota State. The left-handed quarterback passed for 2,719 yards and 16 touchdowns while rushing for 777 yards and 13 more scores.
Projected draft round: fifth
Georgia Tech G Keylan Rutledge (March 20)
Rutledge (6-4, 316) started 26 games at right guard for Georgia Tech after beginning his college career with two seasons at Middle Tennessee. He earned third-team All-American honors from the Associated Press as a senior after playing 872 snaps without allowing a sack.
Projected draft round: third
Washington CB Tacario Davis (March 20)
The 6-4, 194-pound Tacario is a tall cornerback with a wide wingspan. He played his first three college seasons at Arizona before transferring to Washington last year.
Projected draft round: fourth
Washington WR Denzel Boston (April 7)
The 6-4, 212-pound Boston was linked to the Steelers in many early mock drafts at pick 21. The 22-year-old redshirt junior had 125 catches for 1,715 yards and 20 touchdowns over his final two seasons at Washington. He was named third-team All-Big Ten last year.
Projected draft round: first
Florida State DL Darrell Jackson (April 7)
The 6-5, 315-pound Jackson started all 24 games in his two seasons at Florida State. The defensive tackle played his freshman season at Maryland and started 12 times at Miami (Fla.) as a sophomore.
Projected draft round: third
Louisiana LB Jaden Dugger (April 7)
A Penn Hills graduate, Dugger made a team-high 125 tackles last season for the Ragin’ Cajuns. The 6-foot-5, 250-pound linebacker played the past two seasons for Louisiana after starting his college career as a safety at Georgetown for two years.
Projected draft round: Undrafted free agent
Note: As an area native, hosting Dugger was exempt from counting against the Steelers’ limit.
UConn WR Skyler Bell (April 8)
Bell ranked second nationally with 1,278 receiving yards and third with 101 catches while earning first-team All-American honors. He set UConn single-season records for receptions and touchdown catches (13).
Projected draft round: third
Miami S Jakobe Thomas (April 8)
Thomas played one year at Miami, where he earned second-team All-ACC honors. The 6-1, 211-pound safety had five interceptions, 76 tackles, four tackles for loss and 3 1/2 sacks in 16 games for the Hurricanes last fall.
Projected draft round: sixth
BYU LB Jack Kelly (April 8)
Kelly was a first-team All-Big 12 linebacker last season and led BYU with 13 1/2 tackles for loss in 12 games. The 6-2, 240-pound senior was a two-year starter and team captain at BYU. He had 106 tackles and 15 sacks over two years.
Projected draft round: fifth
Toledo S Emmanuel McNeil-Warren (April 9)
A fascinating prospect because of his size (6 feet, 3 ½ inches, 200 pounds), speed (4.52 seconds in the 40-yard dash) and production (third-team AP All America honors), McNeil-Warren is three-year starter had 13 takeaways (five interceptions, eight forced fumbles) over his final 32 college games.
Projected draft round: first
USC WR Makai Lemon (April 9)
Regarded as perhaps the best pure slot receiver in the draft, Lemon (5-11, 192) won the 2025 Biletnikoff Award as the nation’s top college wide receiver after he had 79 catches, 1,156 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns for USC.
Projected draft round: first
Michigan TE Marlin Klein (April 9)
Klein (6-6, 248) was part of Michigan’s national title team of 2023 and started half of the Wolverines’ games over the ensuing two seasons. A team captain an honorable mention all-Big Ten in 2025, the German-born Klein had 24 catches for 248 yards and a touchdown.
Projected draft round: fifth
Memphis OT Travis Burke (April 10)
The 6-foot-9 Burkle – the tallest player invited to the NFL combine –inished at Memphis after two college seasons each at Gardner-Webb and Florida International. He made 46 starts over the past four seasons – 29 at left tackle and 24 at right tackle.
Projected draft round: fifth
LSU LB Harold Perkins (April 10)
Perkins entered college as one of the most heavily-recruited high school prospects, and he was a freshman all-America and second-team all-SEC in 2022. But after a pair of 70-plus tackle seasons, Perkins suffered a knee injury in 2024. Last year, he was third-team all-SEC while posting 56 tackles, including eight or loss and four sacks.
Projected draft round: fourth
Texas CB Malik Muhammad (April 10)
Muhammad (6-0, 182) was second-team all-SEC last season, his second as a starter for Texas. Over three college seasons, Muhammad had three interceptions and 16 pass-breakups.
Projected draft round: third
Alabama WR Germie Bernard (April 13)
Bernard led Alabama with 64 catches for 862 yards and seven touchdowns in his second season with the Crimson Tide. He was on his third school, having previously played for Washington and Michigan State.
Projected draft round: second
Utah OT/G Spencer Fano (April 13)
Fano was a three-year starter at tackle for Utah. However, some draft analysts see him fitting better as an interior offensive lineman at the NFL level after his arms measured a fraction shorter than 33 inches.
Projected draft round: first
Arkansas QB Taylen Green (April 13)
Green played two seasons at Arkansas after spending his first three years at Boise State. Combined, the dual-threat quarterback passed for 9,662 career yards and rushed for 2,405. He passed for 59 career touchdowns, rushed for 35 more and tossed 35 interceptions.
Projected draft round: fifth
Ohio State TE Will Kacmarek (April 14)
Kacmarek (6-5, 261), who started his college career at Ohio, played 26 games with 16 starts over two seasons at Ohio State. A standout blocker, Kacmarek added 15 receptions for 168 yards and two touchdowns last season, earning honorable mention All-Big Ten honors.
Projected draft round: fifth
Iowa G Beau Stephens (April 14)
Stephens (6-5, 315 pounds) started 13 games at left guard last season and earned first-team All-American honors from the Associated Press. He made 34 career starts.
Projected draft round: fifth
Penn State G Olaivavega Ioane (April 14)
The 6-foot-4, 320-pound Ioane is considered the most NFL-ready guard in this year’s draft class. He started 32 games at Penn State, and played the past 28 without allowing a sack, according to Pro Football Focus.
Projected draft round: first
Arizona DB Treydan Stukes (April 15)
Stukes (6-1, 190) is generally viewed as a second-round pick. In college for six seasons, Stukes missed most of the 2024 campaign because of a torn ACL but bounced back last season to earn third-team AP All-America honors. Stukes had four of his seven career interceptions last season.
Projected draft round: second
Penn State QB Drew Allar (April 15)
At 6 feet 5, 228 pounds with 32 ¾-inch arms and 9 7/8-inch hands, Ohio native Allar is among the physically biggest passers available in the draft. New Steelers coach Mike McCarthy and general manager Omar Khan have repeatedly said that they covet a so-called “AFC North” QB capable of braving the winter elements.
Projected draft round: fourth
