INDIANAPOLIS — The turf at Lucas Oil Stadium is about to catch fire. Testing for the annual NFL Combine kicks off Thursday, serving as the ultimate job interview ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft. With the draft physically landing right in Pittsburgh this April, the Steelers front office has a front-row seat to scout the next generation of athletic monsters.
We already know what a physical specimen looks like. But how do today’s prospects stack up against Pittsburgh’s past selections? We dug through the archives of Steelers Combine history to rank the five most explosive athletes the franchise drafted after unforgettable testing weeks. We only included actual draft picks. DK Metcalf tested out of the building, but Pittsburgh passed on him. He stays off this list.
5. Joey Porter Sr., LB, Colorado State (1999)
Before he terrified quarterbacks across the league, Porter dismantled the combine. He logged an elite 9.71 Relative Athletic Score (RAS). The stadium fell silent when he exploded for a 39-inch vertical jump. He followed that up by launching himself over 10 feet in the broad jump and tossing up 27 reps on the 225-pound bench press.
Porter didn’t just run; he attacked the turf. He clocked a blisteringly fast 4.68 40-yard dash. If his agility numbers—specifically a 4.41-second shuttle—were a fraction faster, his score would have bordered on perfection. Pittsburgh snatched him in the third round, launching a ferocious eight-year run in black and gold.
4. Scott Shields, S, Weber State (1999)
Pittsburgh double-dipped on athletic freaks in the ’99 class. Selected one round before Porter, Shields posted a nearly flawless 9.92 RAS. His top-end speed was obvious after clocking a 4.55 in the 40-yard dash, but his short-area burst stole the show.
Shields ripped off a 1.53-second 10-yard split. You could almost feel the turf tear under his cleats. He edged out Porter in agility drills with a 4.06-second short shuttle. Sadly, raw athleticism doesn’t always equal NFL longevity. Shields faded out of the league after just two seasons.
3. T.J. Watt, OLB, Wisconsin (2017)
Matching Shields with a massive 9.92 RAS is a guy who needs no introduction. Watt hit Indianapolis and destroyed every stereotype about his game. He wasn’t just a high-effort grinder; he proved he was a supreme physical specimen.
Watt hit 37 inches in the vertical and crushed the agility drills with a 6.79-second three-cone and a 4.13-second shuttle. His broad jump cleared 10 feet easily. Even his “slowest” drill—a 4.69 in the 40—featured a ridiculous 1.59-second 10-yard split. The Steelers grabbed him 30th overall in 2017. He has since cemented himself as a franchise legend and a Defensive Player of the Year.
2. Bud Dupree, OLB, Kentucky (2015)
Dupree put on an absolute clinic in explosive power. He earned a 9.47 RAS, but his jumping numbers defy logic. Dupree flew out of the gym with a 42-inch vertical and logged an 11-foot, 6-inch broad jump.
Among all linebackers in combine history, those two marks rank second all-time. The quiet confidence he brought to Indianapolis translated into a violent pass rush and a solid six-year stint in Pittsburgh after going 22nd overall.
1. Kordell Stewart, QB, Colorado (1995)
Decades before dual-threat quarterbacks dominated Sunday afternoons, “Slash” broke the mold entirely. Stewart sits atop this list with a phenomenal 9.85 RAS, but what really drops jaws are his two perfect 10 grades.
Stewart recorded a perfect score with a 10.5-foot broad jump and a blazing 4.52-second 40-yard dash. His lowest testing mark was still a highly impressive 4.13-second shuttle. Pittsburgh called his name late in the second round, and he went on to start 80 games, revolutionizing the position along the way.
“When you see a guy jump out of the building or run like a track star at 250 pounds, it makes you double-check the stopwatch. You draft the traits, but you build the football player.”
— Anonymous NFL Scout
What’s Next for the 2026 Draft
The Steelers head into the upcoming draft holding a crucial set of picks. With the 2026 NFL Draft physically taking place on the North Shore from April 23-25, the pressure to hit a home run in front of a hometown crowd is massive. General Manager Omar Khan and the scouting department are heavily weighing this week’s athletic testing. As free agency approaches in mid-March, positional needs will crystallize, but expect Pittsburgh to prioritize speed and explosive agility to keep pace in a bruising AFC North.
