The Pittsburgh Steelers continue to host some 2026 NFL Draft prospects for official visits, and that now officially includes Illinois defensive lineman James Thompson and Pittsburgh linebacker Kyle Louis.
According to the Post-Gazette’s Ray Fittipaldo, Thompson and Louis are at the South Side facility for visits Thursday, marking the eighth and ninth players the Steelers have hosted so far in the pre-draft process.
Steelers top 30 visitors for today: Illinois DL James Thompson and Pitt LB Kyle Louis.
— Ray Fittipaldo (@rayfitt1) March 19, 2026
Louis does not count against the 30 allowed visits as he is a local product. He’s now the second local product to visit the Steelers, joining Penn State tight end Khalil Dinkins.
Thompson posted on his Instagram Wednesday that he was in Pittsburgh, signaling a visit with the Steelers. Throughout the pre-draft process he’s been viewed as a fit for the Steelers. He measured in at the Illinois Pro Day at 6055, 308 pounds and measured 32-inch arms at the 2026 East-West Shrine Bowl.
That size and length fits what the Steelers tend to look for in defensive ends, so it’s not surprising that the Steelers hosted him for a pre-draft visit Thursday. He is a former Wisconsin product that transferred to Illinois and had a strong 2025 season, capping it off with a sack in the East-West Shrine Bowl.
We’ll have a scouting report on Thompson in the next week or so.
As for Louis, he’s coming off of a terrific season that elevated his draft profile. Then, the Panthers’ linebacker went down to Mobile, Alabama for the Senior Bowl and dominated, before then turning heads at the Combine with some impressive testing and on-field drills.
Louis measured in at 5117, 220 pounds at the Combine and clocked a 4.53 40-yard dash, a 10’9″ broad jump and a 39.5-inch vertical jump. He had 81 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, one forced fumble, two interceptions, and five pass breakups during the 2025 season for the Panthers, earning second-team All-American honors.
The Steelers recently re-signed linebacker Cole Holcomb to a two-year deal, and there has been some trade speculation swirling regarding Patrick Queen, so it makes some sense the Steelers would take a look at the local product.
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