It’s a return of our Summer Scouting Series here at Steelers Depot as we highlight 2026 NFL Draft hopefuls who are generating buzz prior to the start of the 2025 college football season. This year, we will highlight several position groups where the Steelers may have interest, and three to four names that could entice Pittsburgh once the pre-draft process gets underway. This edition looks at defensive line.

Summer Scouting Series – Wide Receiver 

Summer Scouting Series — Offensive Tackle

No. 11 PETER WOODS, DL, CLEMSON — 6-3, 315 POUNDS

Clemson’s Peter Woods is the top defensive line prospect in this upcoming draft class, and it would be hard to form an argument against that. The 6-3, 315-pound junior is one of the most athletic players in the country, having that twitchy explosiveness packed into a hulking 315-pound frame that give him a unique blend of size, strength, quickness and power that very few defensive linemen can recreate.

Woods didn’t dominate the stat sheet last season (28 total tackles, nine tackles for loss and three sacks), but his impact was so much more than the numbers suggest as he was demanding doubles teams while playing both inside and on the edge this past season. He helped EDGE T.J. Parker have a great season while commanding more attention, and he figures to be a top 10 selection this next spring if he decides to declare.

N0. 88 CALEB BANKS, DL, FLORIDA — 6-6, 325 POUNDS

Caleb Banks has more of the makeup of what Pittsburgh has traditionally looked for at defensive line, standing a healthy 6-6, 325 pounds with long arms. Banks is a stout run defender with notable strength at the point of attack, but he flashes as a pass rusher for his size, having the quickness and closing speed to hunt the opposing quarterback. He posted a career-high 4.5 sacks last season.

Banks is entering his redshirt senior season and needs a strong performance to lock himself into a Day 1 selection. Either way, the talented defender from Florida should expect to be a top 60 selection next spring with the baseline of being a two-down run stopper with the promise of developing into a reliable three-down defender for years to come in the league.

No. 96 TIM KEENAN III, DL, ALABAMA — 6-2, 320 POUNDS

Tim Keenan III is a stocky freight-train along the defensive line, lacking the height and length that you like to see traditionally in Pittsburgh’s scheme. However, Keenan makes up for it with his relentless effort as a run stopper, fighting around and through blocks with ease as he finished the 2024 season with 40 total stops, eight tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks.

Keenan can play head-up on the center or kick out to playing over the guard, handling one-on-one blocks or play in the gaps and as a penetrator upfront. He may never post gaudy sack numbers, but he has the makeup and tools to be a quality run defender in the league for years to come.

No. 19 DEMONTE CAPEHART, DL, CLEMSON — 6-5, 315 POUNDS

Another strong run defender in this draft class is Clemson’s DeMonte Capehart, who has been limited as a pass rusher through five seasons, posting just two sacks. Still, Capehart has the size, length and play strength to be a quality run stopper upfront, being a handful for any interior blocker to handle one-on-one as he uses his size and long arms to walk blockers back into the backfield.

Capehart would do well to show some upside as a pass rusher in 2025 to increase his odds of being more of a three-down player at the next level, but even with his lack of pass rush production, Capehart will still be looked at as a quality mid-round selection for a team needing a big body to bolster their run defense.

No. 6 DARRELL JACKSON JR., DL, FLORIDA STATE — 6-5, 337 POUNDS

Darrell Jackson Jr. has bounced around during his time in college, starting his career at Maryland before transferring to Miami (FL) for a season, and then ended up transferring to Florida State for the past two years. While entering his fifth year, Jackson presents plenty of upside as the 6-5, 337-pounder is a mountain of a man. He possesses the athleticism to make him a physical freak, having the strength as well as the quickness to overwhelm blockers at the point of attack.

Jackson is still raw as a prospect and needs to be more consistent to warrant a high selection in next year’s draft, but he has the tape and tools to be one of the biggest risers during this year’s draft cycle. He was projected as a fourth-round pick prior to the start of the 2025 season according to Mock Draft Database. Jackson had 3.5 sacks and four tackles for loss last season, but he’s more than capable of doubling those numbers to produce a strong 2025 campaign.