Will the Steelers investment in a trio of Iowa defenders pay dividends?
The Pittsburgh Steelers have added three defensive players from the University of Iowa to their roster in the past two drafts. In 2024, they selected defensive tackle Logan Lee, who spent last season on the injured list and is yet to play in a professional game. This year, they took Yahya Black, another defensive tackle, in Round 5, and added safety Sebastian Castro as an undrafted free agent.
Three Hawkeyes, all of whom should be considered long-shots to make an impact in Pittsburgh based upon where they were acquired in the draft process. Do any of them have a shot to contribute, or even to make the roster?
That’s what training camp is for — to sort out battles like the ones Lee, Black and Castro will face. Currently, Black is listed second on the team’s depth chart at nose tackle, behind incumbent Keeanu Benton. Lee is listed third at nose, which is interesting, considering he’s had a season in Pittsburgh to learn the system. Lee and Black may ultimately find themselves in a battle with one another for a roster spot. Or, if both play well, they could bump a veteran like Dean Lowry or DeMarvin Leal.
Castro will likely compete for a role as the team’s slot defender. Pittsburgh is thin at that position, with second-year cornerback Beanie Bishop and free agent signee Brandin Echols the top two slot players on the current depth chart. Pittsburgh may opt to use a safety in the slot on early downs, which gives Castro a shot at the role. His path to a roster spot may be wider than that of Black or Lee because he offers excellent special teams ability as well.
To get a better gauge of what these three players offer on defense, I broke down film from Iowa’s 2023 contest against Wisconsin. The strengths and weaknesses of each player are summarized below, and you will see them demonstrate all of these characteristics in the video.
Logan Lee
Lee has a good motor, and he finds ways to keep attacking blockers. He’s a “try hard” player, which is a great attribute to possess. But he is light for a true nose tackle (288 pounds), and that shows up on film. In the game I broke down, he had trouble separating from blocks and anchoring in on double teams. Simply put, Lee gave up way too much movement. He seemed to be better when he bumped over as the 3-tech on the shoulder of the guard. Still, if he can’t get stronger at the point of attack, he’s going to struggle to make an impact.
Yahya Black
Black, whose first name is pronounced WHY-YAY, is massive at 6’6-335 pounds. That size makes him sturdier in the middle than Lee, and he doesn’t get moved off the ball as easily. He also has a fairly advanced repertoire of pass rush moves for a man of his size, and he uses them well. His biggest liability is that he plays too high, and in doing so allows blockers to move him by getting under his pads. If that can be coached out of him, he may earn a spot as a gap-clogger on run downs or even as a situational pass rusher on the interior.
Sebastian Castro
I’m excited about this young man. Well, not so young, as Castro will turn 25 in October. Castro lacks the measureables scouts look for in a safety. He is not particularly big (5’11-200) or fast (4.6/40). He also had an underwhelming senior season at Iowa due to a host of injuries. But when he was healthy in 2023, he was a stud. He is a play-maker, plain and simple. Castro finds the football and arrives there with violence. He is a sure tackler, a big hitter, and he has tremendous instincts. Of the three Iowa products profiled here, Castro could be the gem.
For my video breakdown of the Iowa trio, check out the Twitter video below:
The Steelers have acquired three University of Iowa defenders in the past two drafts. Do Logan Lee, Yahya Black and Sebastian Castro have a chance to make an impact in PIT? Or even to make the roster?
Here are some thoughts in my latest video breakdown:@FFSNSteelCity pic.twitter.com/CGnKtC9E9k
— Kevin Smith (@KTSmithFFSN) May 21, 2025
For more of my work, follow me on X @KTSmithFFSN, and tune into my “Call Sheet Daily” podcast every Monday-Friday on all major platforms.
I’d kind of hoped Lee would have bulked up a bit, has anyone seen him? Kind of makes me think of Leal, I’d prefer not to practice bias.
I haven’t seen or heard a word about him since last season. He’s been on the injured list, so plenty of time to hit the wight room. Hopefully he’s carrying at least 300 lbs now.
Pretty bad headline. What have the Steelers invested in these three players? Lee was a 6th round pick, Smith was picked in the 5th round and Castro is an UDFA. Not quite a Hedge Fund more like a Hawk Tuah Coin.
These are all taken as depth pieces and you have a major win if one becomes a starter at some point.
It is good to profile these guys but in reality, if none make it out of camp it wasn’t at a great cost to the team.
I kinda think Pgh’s thinking of Yahya as rotational depth and not a benchwarmer, we’ll see. It seems to me NFL teams need Day 3 picks to hit, e.g. Barryn Sorrell, Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins, and Jordan Phillips. These guys could all play vs. Pgh this season.