The Pittsburgh Steelers are reportedly bringing in Illinois defensive lineman James Thompson for a pre-draft visit on Wednesday, according to CBS Sports’ Josh Edwards on Twitter.
Illinois DL James Thompson is visiting the Steelers today, per source.
The Wisconsin transfer has had at least two sacks each of the past three seasons. #HereWeGo
— Josh Edwards (@EdwardsCBS) March 18, 2026
Last year was Thompson’s first year at Illinois, and he had a solid season, racking up 41 tackles, three tackles-for-loss, and two sacks in 13 games. Before that, he spent five seasons at Wisconsin. While he didn’t play much his first year, he appeared in at least 13 games from 2021-2023. Unfortunately, he only played in one game in 2024, missing the rest of the year due to an injury.
Thompson was productive before that, though. He put up three sacks and 5.5 tackles-for-loss in 2023, and two sacks and 6.5 tackles-for-loss in 2022.
He’s a big body, listed at 6’6” and 300 pounds, and the Steelers have coveted size along the defensive line in recent years. New defensive coordinator Patrick Graham specifically pointed out Pittsburgh’s size when talking about reasons he liked the defense.
Thompson is also a good athlete for his size, as seen at his Pro Day. Shrine Bowl director Eric Galko shared Thompson’s RAS score on Twitter, which highlights his athleticism and strength. That includes putting up 36 reps on the bench press and also posting a good broad jump.
Good Pro Day for one of the more notable NFL Combine snubs in @IlliniFootball James Thompson.
His bench and broad numbers match what you see on film: strong and explosive. One scout told me position work was outstanding as well.
Should be one of the first handful of… pic.twitter.com/dasAwecbic
— Eric Galko (@EricGalko) March 12, 2026
The Steelers have a lot of draft capital this year, especially on Days 2 and 3, and so far, their pre-draft visits reflect that. He’s listed 253rd on Pro Football Focus’ big board. Thompson feels likely to be a Day 3 pick.
It wouldn’t be surprising to see the Steelers target a defensive lineman in that range, too. They’ve got their starters set there with Cam Heyward, Keeanu Benton, and Derrick Harmon. Also, they have decent depth in Yahya Black and newly signed Sebastian Joseph-Day. However, adding another rotational piece to try to develop wouldn’t be a bad idea.
The Steelers have added plenty of defensive players who played at Wisconsin before as well. T.J. Watt is the most notable, but Benton and Nick Herbig also went there. They also selected Isaiahh Loudermilk in the fifth round of the 2021 draft, and he also went to Wisconsin. Thompson actually played with Benton and Herbig there, so there could be a reunion if the Steelers draft him.
While Thompson was most recently at Illinois, he spent most of his time in college at Wisconsin. The Steelers could go down that pipeline again. Thompson fits the mold of a Steelers defensive lineman.
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