The Pittsburgh Steelers are preparing for the 2026 NFL Draft, and while NFL free agency is underway, it doesn\u2019t mean they still aren\u2019t doing their diligence on specific draft prospects. While a large contingent of the scouting department is on the road at Pro Days, the Steelers have started hosting prospects for the pre-draft visits.<\/p>\n
The latest Top 30 visits were USC WR Makai Lemon, Toledo S Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, and Michigan TE Marlin Klein.<\/p>\n
This per Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:<\/p>\n
Big day for the Steelers with their top 30 visitors: UCS WR Makai Lemon, Toledo S Emmanuel McNeil-Warren and Michigan TE Marlin Klein.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Ray Fittipaldo (@rayfitt1) April 9, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n When it comes to Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, his visit was covered in a previous article. You can read it HERE<\/a>.<\/p>\n To get a better idea to what these prospects bring, here are breakdowns of their scouting reports:<\/p>\n Makai Lemon<\/a><\/p>\n Overview<\/p>\n High-skill, high-volume slot receiver with average size but extraordinary ball skills. Lemon has room for refinement, but not much. He\u2019s intelligent, confident and polished with the ability to make plays on all three levels. Tempo-driven route-runner who misdirects man coverage and separates out of turns but is fairly average after the catch. Quicker than fast, featuring early acceleration to open seam throws but flashes late burst when needed. More play strength is needed for NFL press and he needs to avoid rushing through multi-breaking routes. He\u2019s an exceptional ball-tracker with excellent catch timing and few focus drops. He wins more combat catches than he loses. Lemon is a plug-and-play, quarterback-friendly talent with first-round value and Pro Bowl upside.<\/p>\n Strengths<\/p>\n Efficient press release with early acceleration to bypass. Weaknesses<\/p>\n Could use a hair more patience to prevent rushing the route. Marlin Klein<\/a><\/p>\n Overview<\/p>\n German-born prospect with average athleticism in space but above-average grit at the point. Klein\u2019s tape shouldn\u2019t be viewed as a finished product considering his relative lack of game experience in the sport. He needs to block with inside hands but displays a sturdy core and strong hands to do his job in-line. He builds speed with long strides and will catch what is provided. More muscle mass is needed, but Klein has a chance to become a Day 3 pick as a backup \u201cY\u201d tight end.<\/p>\n Strengths<\/p>\n Voted team captain for 2025. Weaknesses<\/p>\n Relatively new to the game, making just 12 college starts. NFL teams are permitted to host a maximum of 30 draft-eligible players for \u201ctop-30\u201d official in-person visits, which are used for interviews, medical re-checks, and film study, but not for on-field testing. These, along with 3 weekly virtual meetings (max 1 hour each), constitute the primary, regulated, pre-draft engagement.<\/p>\n There are also the \u201clocal\u201d visits which can occur without counting towards the aforementioned 30 pre-draft visits, and that area is a radius surrounding the team\u2019s home city, which differs per team. For the Steelers, meetings with Pitt, West Virginia and even Penn State typically fall into the \u201clocal\u201d visit category. As we also learned, players who grew up in the Pittsburgh area are also considered local visits.<\/p>\n Stay tuned to SCN<\/a> for the latest news and notes on the Steelers, and keep tabs on all pre-draft visits with our Pre-Draft Visit Tracker HERE<\/a>.<\/p>\n
\nManipulates defenders out of position with route acumen.
\nSnaps off out-breaking routes at crisp angles.
\nDisplays above-average burst from turns to gain separation.
\nBall-tracking adjustments and catch timing are elite.
\nRidiculous grip strength once the football hits his hands.
\nElevates his toughness and focus when catch is contested.
\nGood patience with late catch adjustment to save his catch space.
\nAlready dropping two feet inbounds near the sideline.
\nWilling run blocker who gives legitimate effort.<\/p>\n
\nAppears quicker than fast when working vertical routes.
\nCan be a little slow disengaging once captured underneath.
\nCompetitive but relatively ordinary after the catch.
\nNeeds runway to break off comebacks out of the drive phase.<\/p>\n
\nCreates leverage points to strike from.
\nAccelerates through contact and runs his feet.
\nStrong hands allow for longer sustains once he\u2019s in.
\nEfficient eluding traffic and keeping routes on time.
\nAdjusted catch-timing to the barrage of fastballs he saw.<\/p>\n
\nLight production includes one career touchdown.
\nLong-legged and gradual through route turns.
\nMust become more forceful at clearing out catch space.
\nHands fly out wide into contact on too many run blocks.
\nForward lean diminishes mirror effectiveness in pass pro.<\/p>\n