Steelers continue run in trenches with Iowa's Lee in sixth round

The Steelers continued to reinforce their trenches by picking Iowa defensive tackle Logan Lee with the 178th overall selection in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL Draft Saturday afternoon.

Lee provides some athleticism and durability to the defensive interior. He did not miss a game in his three seasons as a starter at Iowa. He would be a fit for the Steelers' defensive end spot because of his ability to shed blocks, but he might lack some strength to move inside and provide the position flexibility the Steelers covet. 

"Wherever they ask me is where they see myself," Lee said via conference call. "It's pretty early so wherever they ask me is where I see myself. I'm not quite sure yet, I'm just looking forward to getting in the building."

Lee was an honorable mention All-Big Ten selection after posting 55 tackles (36 assists), 5.5 for loss and three sacks in 2023. He measured at 6-foot-5 and 281 pounds at the NFL Combine, where he tested as the fifth-most-athletic defensive tackle. He ran a 5.05 40-yard dash, jumped a 31.5-inch vertical, leapt a 9-foot-6 broad jump, ran the three-cone in 7.16 seconds and the short shuttle in 4.37 seconds, and put up 25 reps on the bench press. His athleticism piqued scouts' interests enough that he was asked to perform drills as a tight end -- the position he was recruited to play out of high school -- at the Iowa pro day.

Some are making a striking comparison of Lee's Combine results to those of Steelers legend Aaron Smith. At the 1999 Combine, Smith ran a 5.08 40, jumped a 29.5-inch vertical and a 9-foot-2 broad jump, ran the short shuttle in 4.34 seconds and put up 19 reps on the bench press.

Steelers defensive line coach Karl Dunbar sees Lee as "another piece" to the Steelers' puzzle because he's a strong-handed and mature big man.

"I think Logan Lee brings a lot of good things to the table," Dunbar said. "He has size, he has length, he's a strong kid that can do some things. I watched him play, had a lot of interaction with him at the Combine, he came up here on a top 30 visit. Good, young man, and I think he fits the Steelers mold."

Lee's selection marks the sixth consecutive draft in which the Steelers took a defensive lineman. In 2023, the Steelers chose Keeanu Benton in the second round. In 2022, they took DeMarvin Leal in the third. Lee will compete with Leal and Isaiahh Loudermilk as depth options behind Cam Heyward, Larry Ogunjobi and newcomer Dean Lowry.

Lee said he grew up a "huge" Steelers fan because of the organization's history.

"I just loved the 'Steel Curtain' era stuff, loved watching Mel Blount slam people on their heads and stuff, so I was always a big Steelers fan growing up," he said with a laugh.

Now, he gets to line up alongside one of the franchise's best in Heyward.

"Absolutely, I'm ecstatic," Lee said of playing alongside Heyward. "It's going to be a great opportunity for me to be able to have a guy to look up to, a guy to try to learn some tips from. He's been doing it at an extremely high level for such a long time. I look forward to being able to work with him."