With no Splash signature to sign free agency, the Pittsburgh Steelers sent a clear signal to shift their attention to the 2025 NFL Draft to secure the future of the defensive line. They have shown interest in their positions throughout the pre-draft process, with a focus this year on the DL group and senior bowls at Tosai Shrine Bowl. One interesting player that can fit what the Steelers are looking for is Texas A&M DL Shematauner.
Turner was scheduled to attend the Senior Bowl, but he did not attend. When he appeared in the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine, Turner made clear what he had made.
“Stress fracture in my leg,” Turner told me during his combine media session. “The prolonged pain from the season won’t completely heal it.
Turner confirmed he will be exercising on Pro Day on March 27th. The Steelers need to have a heavy hitter on that pro day, with multiple intriguing defensive linemen and edge players set up to exercise for the Aggies.
Turner spent all four college seasons at Texas A&M. Meanwhile, he completely changed his body before finally settling on his ideal playweight.
“I moved inside [Jared-Eddie] I’m a really good 3 technology player and NFL 3 technology, so last year between 306 and 296.
He feels he’s roughly on his ideal playweight, and the three technologies are probably best suited to the NFL.
“I feel that there are really benefits internally, how athletic I am, how strong I am in 290,” Turner said. “The guards really have problems with me in the league.”
Over four seasons, Turner defended a total of 10 bags, 24 tackles for losses, three forced fumbles and one pass. He played most of the 2024 snaps in the B-gap, but has played both A-gap beyond tackles.
Turner was measured at a combine at 6031 and 290 pounds with a 33 5/8 inch arm. He’s a little shorter than the Steelers normally draft in that position, but he makes up for it with the full length. His most productive season in 2023 was primarily as the ubiquitous and outward end of tackles.
He builds everything from his length and wins with force.
“My long arms,” Turner said. “I feel my long arms are really, really good.”
Meanwhile, he still knows he needs to work on developing several other moves.
“I really, really good at polishing it with one or two moves and one or two counters,” he said.
If he had to make a pitch for the NFL team about why he should draft him, he said it would come down to his way of thinking.
“I’m really resilient, I can really do anything I put my mind on,” he said. “It’s more mental than physical.”
Turner confirmed he had officially met with the Pittsburgh Steelers at the Combine. The team only has a limited number of these formal meetings, but considering he didn’t take part in the All-Star Game, it wasn’t surprising that they were interested.
“They love their hard nose,” Turner said of their meeting with the Steelers. “It’s soccer, soccer.
He didn’t provide much information about meeting Mike Tomlin, but he said, “I loved him, I’m a mate.”
He prefers to play 3 technology, but he has experience playing both and the Steelers were able to find it appealing. People like Cam Hayward spend a lot of their time in various defensive packages anyway. Turner could be an interesting option that hasn’t been talked about much in this process.
