The Pittsburgh Steelers are hosting UConn WR Skyler Bell, Miami (FL) S Jakobe Thomas and BYU LB Jack Kelly for a pre-draft visit on Wednesday, per The Athletic’s Mike DeFabo. As DeFabo notes, all three project as mid-round selections.
The Steelers are hosting three pre-draft visitors today, all of whom are expected to be drafted in the middle rounds:
– Skyler Bell, WR, UConn
– Jakobe Thomas, SAF, Miami
– Jack Kelly, LB, BYU
— Mike DeFabo (@MikeDeFabo) April 8, 2026
Bell starred for UConn after transferring from Wisconsin, catching 50 passes for 860 yards and five touchdowns in 2024 before putting up 101 receptions for 1,278 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2025. He participated in the first day of practice at the 2026 East-West Shrine Bowl where he stood out among the receivers, and Bell will likely hear his name called late on Day 2 or early on Day 3.
In our Bell scouting report, Tom Mead compared him to Stefon Diggs. With the Steelers, he profiles as a slot receiver. A willing blocker with strong hands, Bell is a name to watch, especially if the Steelers pass on a first-round receiver. Bell told our Melanie Friedlander at the Shrine Bowl that he believes he’s one of the best route runners in this draft class.
Thomas was part of Miami’s national runner-up team in 2025, his third collegiate stop. After he began his career at Middle Tennessee State, Thomas transferred to Tennessee before spending his final season at Miami. He had a career year for the Hurricanes with 76 total tackles, five interceptions, six passes defensed and 3.5 sacks. In a talented safety class, Thomas is a player who can impact the game in multiple ways. He could be a mid-round selection if the Steelers pass on a safety early in the draft.
In our Thomas scouting report, Jim Hester wrote that he could be a future starter and compares favorably to Justin Reid.
Kelly had 15 total sacks in his two seasons at BYU, including 10 last season. He also forced two fumbles in each of his two seasons with the Cougars and registered 106 total tackles. The Steelers are likely going to address off-ball linebacker at some point in the draft given that Patrick Queen’s contract expires after the 2026 season, and Kelly could be an intriguing name to watch.
Kelly is also an uber-athletic linebacker, something the Steelers have seemed to covet more in recent years. He has a 9.73 Relative Athletic Score (RAS) and ran a 4.57 40-yard dash.
With the three visitors today, the Steelers are up to 23 reported visits, with three of those counting as local ones. The team will likely host its final handful of pre-draft visitors within the next week.
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