Most NFL prospects dream of playing in the league one day. But Troy’s leading rusher, Javon Solomon, took that dream a step further and told reporters as much on Feb. 28. Solomon expressed a strong desire to play alongside Pittsburgh Steelers edge rusher T.J. Watt.

“Without having a formal meeting, I talked a little bit with the Steelers and played T.J. Watt was a dream of mine because I was a fan of this game long before I was a player,” Solomon said of the Steelers. spoke to the media through Josh Carney. Depot. “I love all these different avenues. These guys are really amazing. So, it is my dream to learn from these people.

It’s unlikely that any NFL team will target Solomon early in the 2024 NFL Draft, and Solomon’s draft stock likely won’t rise until the third round at most. But whoever drafts him will have a prospect who excelled in the Sun Belt Conference during his college career.

 

Solomon had 33 sacks and 49.5 tackles for loss in 52 college games. He also had four forced fumbles, two passes defensed, and one interception, totaling 183 tackles.

In 2023, Salomon had 16 sacks, 18 lost tackles, and three forced fumbles. LB Project Cost Forecasting (Javon Solomon)

Among the major NFL Draft analysis websites, Pro Football Focus rates Salomon highly. PFF ranks Solomon 92nd overall in the 2024 draft, making him a late second-day third-round pick. ESPN and Bleacher Report executives project Solomon as a Day 3 contender. Bleacher Report’s Matt Holder likes many features of Salomon. “Solomon is an interesting passer who was very productive in college, recording 33 sacks over the past four years,” Holder wrote. “With good hands and strong athleticism, he showed some winning moves and impressive turns to avoid tight corners. But Holder also said Troy’s linebackers will be competing for a relegation at the NFL level. Holder gave the Trojan product he 5 points. “He has struggled in the Sun Belt Conference and is well prepared,” the Bleacher Report scout added.

“That being said, the former Trojan has very long arms, especially for his size. Overall, he would fit well as an outside linebacker who can contribute in the passing game.

Pittsburgh edge depth becomes free agent

With Watt still in his prime and Alex Highsmith a Pro Bowl-caliber player, the Steelers don’t need another elite player. However, they could look to add more depth later in the 2024 draft. Last year, the Steelers drafted Nick Herbig in the fourth round. As a rookie, he didn’t play much. However, considering his abilities, he had three sacks, five tackles for loss, and three quarterback hits.

But in addition to Herbig, the other outside linebackers the Steelers have under contract through the 2024 season are Kieron Johnson and Jeremiah Moon. Veteran Marcus Golden, who provided depth for Pittsburgh last fall, will become an unrestricted free agent in March.

The Steelers would likely be candidates to add veteran depth to pair with Herbig on the edge. But by the third day of the draft, Solomon could be an interesting option to develop alongside Helbig.

Salomon’s success in college speaks for itself, and Salomon could thrive under Watt’s guidance. At the very least, the Steelers drafting Solomon should give the Trojan prospect some incentive if playing alongside Watt is indeed his dream.

The Steelers do not have a fifth-round pick. But this year, they have two fourth-round picks, a sixth-round pick and a seventh-round pick.