The Pittsburgh Steelers hosted another quarterback prospect for an official pre-draft visit, welcoming Syracuse’s Kyle McCord on Monday.
McCord joins Louisville’s Tyler Shough, Mississippi’s Jaxson Dart and Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders as those who been guests at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex in recent weeks. That four of the 27 official visits thus far have been quarterbacks is among the strongest indications yet that the Steelers are strongly considering taking one in the April 24-26 draft.
Also visiting the Steelers on Monday were Texas running back Jaydon Blue and Minnesota cornerback Justin Walley.
Kyle McCord is visiting with the #Steelers today.
Per @Schultz_Report
pic.twitter.com/RbeWgjO7CL— Portersburgh (@PortersBurgh) April 14, 2025
McCord was third-team all-Big Ten in 2023 but Ohio State took advantage of the new world of college football by electing to encourage then-former Kansas State quarterback Will Howard to enroll for 2024. The move paid off in that the Buckeyes won the national title, but McCord had a strong season for Syracuse.
The 6-foot-3, 218-pound McCord set school records for passing yards (4,779 – also an ACC season record) and passing touchdowns (34), the former of which led the nation. Though he threw 12 interceptions, five came during a memorable loss at Pitt in October.
Over McCord’s final five games of last season, he completed 69.7% of his passes for an average of 403.6 yards per game with 13 touchdown passes and no interceptions. McCord was a former five-star recruit who for two seasons was the backup for current Houston Texans starter C.J. Stroud.
Quarterback was the least of the #Steelers’ concerns a year ago heading into the NFL Draft. They had three veterans under contract, including a Super Bowl champ and a 1st-round pick trying to invigorate his career.
This year, it's quite different.https://t.co/vEZ5NIhW4G
— TribLIVE.com (@TribLIVE) April 13, 2025
McCord is projected to be selected in the middle rounds of the draft, as is Blue. The 5-foot-9, 196-pound Blue had 14 total touchdowns and 1,098 yards from scrimmage for Texas in 2024. A proven pass-catcher, Blue ran the second-fastest time (4.38 seconds) among running backs who participated in the 40-yard dash at the NFL combine. The only back who was faster — Virginia Tech’s Bhayshul Tuten — also has been hosted for an official visit by the Steelers.
Jaydon Blue also brings "F you" speed https://t.co/1GzUsvWOX7pic.twitter.com/pqDOcdhclo
— Jacob Gibbs (@jagibbs_23) April 3, 2025
Walley (5-10, 190) is similarly fast — he ran the 40 in 4.4 seconds, eighth-fastest among cornerbacks who ran at the combine. Walley was second-team all-Big Ten as a senior in 2024, breaking up 12 passes with two interceptions (one returned for a touchdown) in 10 games.
Walley is regarded as a late-round pick.
The Steelers have three slots remaining for official draft visitors, though an exempted local prospect could potentially add to that.