Our friends over at Touchdown Wire put out their list of the eight best interior defensive linemen in the 2023 NFL draft. This is of particular interest to the Pittsburgh Steelers as many of these prospects are interchangeable parts on their hybrid 3-4 defensive front. After reading over the list, here are four takeaways.
No wavering on Jalen Carter
Despite all his offseason woes, TD Wire sticks with Jalen Carter as their top interior defensive lineman. On the field, he’s a dominant force but his off-field issues are worrisome. It doesn’t mean he will fall to No. 17 or that the Steelers would draft him even if he did.
A fellow fan of Calijah Kancey
I’m not sure how he would fit on the Steelers but TD Wire’s No. 2 defensive lineman, Calijah Kancey would be a fascinating pick. He’s drawn comparisons to Aaron Donald and rightfully so. He’s the kind of player you draft then figure out how to adjust the defense to them.
Love for the nose tackles
It’s great to see Mazi Smith and Siaki Ika among the top eight as pure nose tackles don’t often when the love they deserve. For Pittsburgh, getting a pure nose tackle would be a huge upgrade and it’s good to see both these players getting credit for just how much they can impact a game.
List illustrates the diversity of this group
No matter what kind of defensive tackle you are looking for, this group has you covered. Steelers targets abound among this group including Siaki Ika, Mazi Smith and Keeanu Benton. Even a player like Calijah Kancey would be a fascinating pick despite not being the best fit.
