Behind the Steel Curtain
Scouting a fun nose tackle prospect in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Approaching the 2025 NFL Draft, we’ll be scouting as many of the top prospects that the Pittsburgh Steelers could have their eye on anywhere from Rounds 1 through 7. We’ll break down the prospects themselves, strengths and weaknesses, projected draft capital and their fit with the Steelers.
As the Steelers continue to do their homework on mid round defensive linemen, Oregon nose tackle Jamaree Caldwell stands out as an energetic run-stuffer.
You might not expect a nose tackle to get the “Energizer Bunny” label in this year’s draft class, but Oregon’s Jamaree Caldwell certainly fits the bill. At over 330 pounds, he’s huge, but his effort is consistently one of the standout aspects of his game. Caldwell might not be an every-down player, but he made the most of every snap.
If you draft a guy like Caldwell, it’s because you want a space-eating defensive lineman on the inside. That’s where he’s at his best, with the anchor and natural leverage (just 6’2!) to eat up double teams and hold his ground. I rarely saw him get moved backwards; Caldwell knows when to drop his knee against double teams to halt offensive progress.
As expected, his run defense is excellent thanks to the traits listed above. He’s also a surprisingly good athlete, moving really well for his size and showing the ability to not just take up space in the middle, but also flow with run plays and occasionally penetrate.
As a pass rusher Caldwell is less developed, but he still wins with his motor and a bull rush that’s a little inconsistent, but still moves offensive linemen backwards in a hurry.
He’s surprisingly quick, and even though he largely played as a two-gapper at Oregon, his usage at Houston showed he could succeed in different roles on the D-line. Caldwell has dropped some weight during the draft process, giving him more upside as a rusher even if he still has a safe floor as a 0-tech run defender.
While Caldwell’s modest height at 6’2 means he’s one of the few defensive linemen in this class who doesn’t have a pad-level problem, it does mean he has suboptimal length. He has active hands, but long-armed offensive linemen are able to keep him at bay.
Paired with some lapses in body control, Caldwell’s limited tackling radius also led to a few too many missed tackles in 2024 (The last clip is against Ashton Jeanty, though — can we really blame him?).
Caldwell is a popular name in draft circles for good reason, but it’s a loaded D-line class and I’d expect him to go in the middle rounds as he’s still a bit one-dimensional by NFL standards. But Caldwell is a Day 1 contributor...
