Inside linebacker wasn’t a big need for the Pittsburgh Steelers entering the 2025 NFL Draft, but they came away with one anyway. The team leaned into the NFL bloodlines — particularly Steelers bloodlines — in Washington linebacker Carson Bruener.
The Steelers chose Bruener in the seventh round at No. 226 overall, which many might have seen coming leading up to the draft due to the bloodlines and the position.
But for NFL Insider Tony Pauline of Sportskeeda, the move to land Bruener was a major steal for the Steelers, who didn’t have a need at the position but landed a “terrific” linebacker way later than Pauline expected him to come off the board.