Approaching the 2025 NFL Draft, we’ll be scouting as many of the top prospects that the Pittsburgh Steelers could have their eye on anywhere from Rounds 1 through 7. We’ll break down the prospects themselves, strengths and weaknesses, projected draft capital and their fit with the Steelers.

If the Steelers want to draft a defensive lineman on Day 3, SMU’s Jared Harrison-Hunte is a likely, and underrated, option.

Position: Defensive line

Class: Sixth-year senior

Size: 6’3, 290 pounds

Age: 24 (will be 25 rookie season)

Projected draft round: 5

Stats via Sports Reference

As a sixth-year senior, Harrison-Hunte is the latest older prospect the Steelers have shown interest in ahead of this year’s draft (Tyler Shough, Darius Alexander, etc.), and he also fits the team’s modern preference for highly athletic players.

Harrison-Hunte posted a 9.20 RAS, running an impressive 4.86-second 40-yard dash at the 2025 NFL Combine at 290 pounds. His athleticism stands out on tape. While Harrison-Hunte’s first step isn’t consistently fast, he flashes elite quickness off the snap, as well as active hands that let him create instant pressure.

My favorite part of Harrison-Hunte’s game is how his athleticism supplements his effort. He finds the ball well and is relentless in pursuit. He’s not the most routine block-shedder, but often makes tackles in the second half of plays.

His football IQ and ability to backtrack on plays also made him lethal against screen passes:

Harrison-Hunte doesn’t win with power much, but he has a strong upper half and solid length (33” arms despite being 6’3) that show up on tape.

His long arms show up in more than just locking out offensive linemen. He has an impressive tackling radius as well.

But Harrison-Hunte weighed in at the NFL Combine at just 290 pounds. He’s a little light for an NFL interior defensive lineman, and he looked undersized on tape. To quote Mike Mayock, he needs some more sand in his pants to succeed at the next level.

Harrison-Hunte doesn’t have great leg drive. His bull rush is almost nonexistent, and his occasionally high pad level further worsened his ability to win with raw power or leverage. While he had plenty of highlight-worthy plays in 2024, I was left wanting more disruption or anchor from snap to snap.

Still, he had the strength to hold up well enough against the run during his time in college. He had some good reps in one-on-ones, and even managed to succeed against double teams from time to time.

Harrison-Hunte has a lot of exciting tools — good length, effort, and athleticism — to succeed in the NFL. If he can bulk up a bit once drafted and improve his play strength, I see a high ceiling. His age and late breakout push his draft stock down, but I still think he’s an underrated player in this class.

Strengths

High-effort player with relentless motor
Great athleticism; high upside
Long arms proportional to height
Active hands
Productive final season for an interior defender

Weaknesses

Older prospect; will be 25 in rookie year
Lighter build; will need to improve functional strength
Hand-usage and first-step quickness need to show up more consistently on tape

Daniel Harms of The Draft Network

Harrison-Hunte is a good athlete along the defensive line and offers a well-developed pass rush impact for teams looking to juice up their defensive line rotation. Improving his consistency in first-step explosiveness and pad level will be important for him to earn more playing time and become a more well-rounded player. He projects as a rotational pass rusher with upside as a three-tech or 3-4 defensive end.

Lance Zierlein of NFL.com

With a mature rush approach, Harrison-Hunte is a sixth-year senior who needs a scheme-specific fit. He has average snap quickness and limited knock-back pop but rarely gets pushed around badly despite a lack of mass. He shines as a pass rusher, where he can be a constant menace for guards in pass pro. He plays with basketball feet and a boxer’s hand flurries to access edges and gain early advantages. He rushes with an unpredictable tempo and a relentless motor. Harrison-Hunte doesn’t have the size or length to stand out on early downs, but he might be dynamic enough to earn a spot as a rotational rusher.

PFF

Harrison-Hunte is an intriguing prospect to develop, considering he has the frame to fill out and flashes very good athleticism (4.86-second 40-yard dash, 1.69-second 10-yard split). He needs to improve his pad level, but he uses his athleticism effectively to defeat blocks at the line of scrimmage, posting 44 pressures with eight sacks in 2024.

If the Steelers are looking for an instant NFL contributor on the defensive line who will instantly improve the team’s run defense, Jared Harrison-Hunte shouldn’t be the go-to choice. He’s still a bit of a project at this point, and entering the league at almost-25 complicates the situation. At first, he’ll be a rotational pass-rusher, but if he can gain some weight and strength, I think he has legitimate starting upside. The requisite athleticism is already there.

Pittsburgh met with Harrison-Hunte for a top-30 visit late in the draft cycle, showing some pre-draft interest. He’d be best as the second pick of a double-dip at defensive line in the upcoming draft, but he offers more upside than the usual Day 3 fliers the Steelers take at the position.

TL;DR: Jared Harrison-Hunte is an older prospect on the defensive line who logged significant career bests in 2024. He’s a little undersized but shows excellent athleticism for his position to go along with admirable effort. He’s a developmental piece at the moment who could grow into an every-down player if he can gain some mass for run support.

What are your thoughts on SMU defensive lineman Hared Harrison-Hunte? And which draft prospects would you like to see profiled next? Let us know in the comments below!