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.
Told you guys I'd tweet some Darius Alexander clips so I'm here to deliver.
Just some of his stand-out plays from the bowl game this year. Very, very fun player. My full thoughts on the prospect are on the latest episode of LTB pic.twitter.com/Ct9F9gxlfn
— Joey Richards (@LTB_Joey) April 15, 2025
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.