In a pre-draft circuit that’s starting to resemble a crowded stage, the Pittsburgh Steelers rolled out three more visitors on Wednesday: Skyler Bell, Jakobe Thomas, and Jack Kelly. The core takeaway isn’t the names themselves, but what their profiles reveal about the Steelers’ drafting posture and what it signals to fans about the team’s evolving identity. Personally, I think this trio embodies a broader NFL trend: valuing versatile, high-floor players with specific role potential in the middle rounds rather than swinging for high-variance, early-round bets.
Skyler Bell — a high-upside slot with real hands
What this really suggests is that the Steelers are prioritizing a proven, NFL-ready receiver floor who can contribute immediately in sub-packages. Bell’s trajectory—from Wisconsin transfer to a standout at UConn, culminating in a Shrine Bowl showing—reads like a craftsman’s path: reliable route-running, strong hands, and a willingness to engage as a blocker. My take is simple: Bell is the archetype of a mid-rounding bet who can simplify a young quarterback’s life on first and second reads. He’s not just a deep threat in reports or a vertical spark; he’s the kind of receiver who can be a reliable option on third downs and in the red zone if the offense wants to diversify its alignment without adding a dramatic sprinkle of risk.
From my perspective, Bell’s fit as a slot option matters beyond schematics. It signals a willingness to lean into a nuanced passing game—less splashy, more sustainable. What makes this particularly fascinating is how teams use slots now: they’re not merely short-yardage checkdowns but chassis for tactical creativity, mixing route concepts, motions, and matchups. If Bell lands in Pittsburgh, expect him to be middle-game chess: a consistent operator in zone schemes, a buffer for a young quarterback, and a potential catalyst for external routes that unlock the outside receivers when defenses overcompensate.
Jakobe Thomas — a multi-axial safety with playmaking potential
Thomas stands out not just for a stat sheet that reads 76 tackles, five INTs, six passes defensed, and 3.5 sacks in 2025, but for his journey across programs and his multi-dimensional game. The Steelers could view him as a clean, late-round safety floor with enough versatility to contribute immediately as a special-teams contributor and a rotational defender. The takeaway isn’t merely that he can play deep or in the box; it’s that he can influence the game in multiple ways—turning picks into momentum, and pressure into playmaking when coverage collapses.
In my view, this is a larger narrative about safety value in today’s NFL: a class of players who aren’t prototypes but malleable athletes capable of becoming reliable starters with the right coaching and system support. What many people don’t realize is how crucial that multi-faceted profile is to a defense that needs flexible matchups and coverage shells. If the Steelers favor Thomas, it’s a signal they want a flexible defender who can morph into a starter with seasoning, rather than banking on a blueprint-suited safety who may struggle to adapt to multiple roles in a demanding league.
Jack Kelly — athletic juice with potential for a mid-round rise
Kelly’s two-sack, two-forced-fumble seasons at BYU, capped by a 9.73 Relative Athletic Score and a 4.57-second 40, scream raw upside. The Steelers’ interest aligns with a modern priority: off-ball linebackers who move with urgency and can chase plays sideline to sideline. In other words, Kelly isn’t just about racking up numbers; he’s about the raw tools that could unlock a more aggressive, swift-fitting defense if developed properly. The question isn’t whether he can be productive; it’s whether Pittsburgh can cultivate the nuance and technique that elevate athletic potential into reliable game-day performance.
From my standpoint, this choice reflects a broader trend: teams hunting for blue-collar, high-athleticism linebackers in the mid rounds as a hedge against the volatility of the position in free agency and the draft’s upper tiers. The Steelers’ pattern—prioritizing athletic upside for later development—speaks to a strategy of sustainability and long-term upside rather than quick, high-cost fixes.
Why these visits matter in the bigger picture
- A balanced mid-round strategy: The Steelers aren’t chasing a single flashy rookie. They’re building a diverse wheelhouse—slot receiver, versatile safety, and explosive off-ball linebacker—so the offense and defense can adapt to multiple styles of opponents without overcommitting cap space to any one profile.
- Development over desperation: Each player carries a trajectory that requires refinement, which aligns with a coaching culture that values teaching and scheme fit. The goal isn’t misfiring high picks; it’s cultivating ready-made contributors who grow in place.
- The modernization of roster-building: The emphasis on athletic testers (like Kelly’s RIS score) and multi-year, cross-program resilience (Thomas’s journey) signals a modern team philosophy that prizes resilience, adaptability, and technical upside over the traditional “plug-and-play star” archetype.
If you take a step back and think about it, Pittsburgh is revealing a blueprint that could resonate across the league: draft the undercurrent of potential, then shepherd it into a coherent, system-driven contributor. It’s a quieter, less glamorous strategy than chasing splashy first-round fame, but it’s the kind of approach that can yield a stable, competitive roster over time.
Deeper implications for the league
One thing that immediately stands out is how teams value positional versatility in the middle rounds. The rise of multi-role players and players who can contribute on special teams while developing core skills is accelerating. This has ripple effects on free agency strategies, cap planning, and even player development pipelines across franchises.
What this suggests for Steelers fans and observers: the club is laying groundwork for a flexible, durable roster that can adapt to a shifting competitive landscape. If Bell, Thomas, and Kelly land in Pittsburgh, they won’t transform the roster overnight, but they could help the Steelers sustain a competitive edge by filling multiple roles with credible, coachable players.
Conclusion — a patient, purposeful plan
Personally, I think the Steelers’ pre-draft visits embody a pragmatic, long-game mindset. It’s not about eye-catching headlines; it’s about building a versatile backbone—receivers who can route-run and block, safeties who can play multiple roles, linebackers with elite athletic traits who can be molded. What makes this compelling is the implicit confidence in development and scheme fit rather than pure athletic flash.
From my perspective, that approach has a higher probability of yielding sustainable success in an era of parity and salary constraints. If the Steelers stay the course, they’ll likely emerge with a core that can adjust to whatever the league throws at them, week to week, season to season. One provocative question remains: will these mid-round bets coalesce into a draft class that quietly reshapes a defense and an offense into something that’s more than the sum of its parts?
