Eight days prior to the opening of the NFL draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers wrapped up their official visits Wednesday by hosting Toledo defensive tackle Darius Alexander.
Projected as a second-round pick and at a position of need for the Steelers, the 6-foot-4, 305-pound Alexander finished his Toledo career with a “pick six” during the December GameAbove Sports Bowl victory against Pitt.
Alexander was second-team all-MAC in 2024 when he had 7 ½ tackles for loss and 3 ½ sacks. Over his 58-game college career, Alexander totaled 22 tackles for loss and nine sacks.
At the combine earlier this year, Alexander had times in the 40-yard dash (4.95 seconds) and three-cone drill (7.6 seconds) that ranked among the top five of defensive tackles. His 28 reps on the bench press were second-most among defensive tackles.
Though the so-called “Top 30” visits can signal which way a team is thinking in regards to its draft, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin last year downplayed their significance. Tomlin, general manager Omar Khan and other representatives of the organization speak to — and sometimes dine with — prospects at university pro days and/or at the combine.
But in the final tally of the official visits (there are more than 30 because local prospects are exempted), eight were defensive tackles and nine were running backs.
