Steelers Rookie Logan Lee 'Had About 10 Teams' That Were 'Somewhat Interested' Earlier On In The 2024 NFL Draft

When it comes to the later rounds of the NFL Draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers are mainly looking for potential diamonds in the rough that the other 31 teams somehow missed or overlooked. They're hoping that guys like Ryan Watts and Logan Lee can force their way onto the roster and make an impact, despite the fact that they were sixth-round picks. They may have gotten a steal with Lee, as he appeared to be higher on many other teams' draft boards. 

Lee was recently interviewed by Matt Randazzo of WQAD News 8. He spoke about a few topics, including the draft process for him. He did not expect to be taken in the sixth-round by the Steelers due to how other teams spoke with him leading up to the draft.

"It was a very long few days. Based off of some of the feedback we were getting, I was expecting to go a little bit earlier, but we really didn't know where. We had about 10 teams that we knew were somewhat interested, so we were just trying to sift through that a little bit. But we ended up waiting... and waiting... and waiting... and then in the sixth-round, the Steelers ended up calling."

There were many teams that had eyes on Lee, but they passed up on him for one reason or another. The Steelers did not have a fifth-round pick, so all they could do was sit back and hope that no one drafted him, and it luckily panned out for the Steelers. If Lee can be somewhat productive in any capacity, then it will be a great pick for the position. 

How Would The Steelers Utilize Lee?

As is the case with most late-round picks, Lee will have to prove his worth by starting on special teams. He was known to be a major threat as a guy that can block kicks, so the Steelers will most likely give him plenty of chances to show off his skillset there. If he can block kicks, like he did with the Iowa Hawkeyes, then the Steelers won't have much of a problem with keeping him on the roster.

He will also get the chance to play his natural position on the defensive line. The Steelers have seemingly fallen out of favor with Isaiahh Loudermilk, and they have already announced that they are very disappointed in DeMarvin Leal after he had an underwhelming sophomore campaign. Lee will have a realistic chance to make the 53-man roster as a backup to the Steelers' veteran defensive linemen. 

During that same interview, Lee also mentioned that the Steelers run a similar scheme to what he ran with Iowa. If Karl Dunbar and Mike Tomlin can get him acclimated to the 3-4 base/nickel defense that they love to run, they can boost his development and get into the more advanced parts of the transition into the NFL quicker. 

The Steelers' defensive line has lacked depth for many years now. If Lee is not able to make the Steelers' initial 53-man roster, especially with all the criticism currently going around, then the other teams that passed up on him would be proven right. But with a sixth-round pick, there's no harm in taking that chance.

Either way, Lee will get his fair chance at making the roster. Whether he is seen more as depth in the trenches, or as a special teams ace is to be determined, but that decision will be made throughout training camp and preseason. There is a place for Lee in the organization, and he just has to seize it.