Steelers Have Eyes on Freakish Safety-Turned-LB

The Pittsburgh Steelers might just leave the 2026 NFL Draft with a standout athlete who was among the team's most recent group of visitors.

As part of a trio with Washington wide receiver Denzel Boston and Florida State defensive tackle Darrell Jackson Jr., Louisiana-Lafayette linebacker Jaden Dugger was present at the Steelers' facility as a local visitor given that he's a Pittsburgh native who attended Penn Hills High School, where he also played receiver.

Projected as a late Day 3 pick or an undrafted free agent, Dugger is the type of high-upside, late-round swing the Steelers can afford to make with their sixth-round pick or one of their three seventh-round selections.

Sep 13, 2025; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Missouri Tigers quarterback Beau Pribula (9) is sacked by Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin Cajuns linebacker Jaden Dugger (3) during the first half of the game at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Dugger's Collegiate Career

Dugger's collegiate career began at FCS program Georgetown in 2022. He started out as a safety for the Hoyas and recorded 17 tackles over eight games as a freshman.

During the 2023 campaign, Dugger posted 41 tackles, three sacks and an interception in 11 contests, leading him to enter the transfer portal.

He'd land at Louisiana-Lafayette in 2024 and move to inside linebacker, putting up 37 tackles, a sack and a forced fumble in 14 games.

As a senior during the 2025 campaign, Dugger earned a first-team All-Sun Belt spot while logging 125 tackles, four sacks, a forced fumble and an interception.

What Makes Dugger Stand Out as a Prospect

Dugger, who took part in the East-West Shrine Bowl, was not invited to the NFL Scouting Combine.

That didn't preclude him from showing off his athletic traits at his Pro Day, however, where he ran a 4.60-second 40-yard dash with a 10-foot, 6-inch broad jump.

At a shade under 6-foot-5 and 242 pounds with 35-inch arms, Dugger's Relative Athletic Score comes in at 9.60, ranking No. 139 among 3,460 linebackers since 1987.

Jaden Dugger is a LB prospect in the 2026 draft class. He scored a 9.60 RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 139 out of 3460 LB from 1987 to 2026.

Correcting the school.https://t.co/Mgy62Hz3Yh pic.twitter.com/ZNMOJBg66t
— RAS.football (@MathBomb) April 6, 2026

Dugger should, at a minimum, be a quality contributor on special teams right away while continuing to adapt to the linebacker position, which he's still relatively new to.

He's impactful when coming downhill and has the ability to thrive in coverage, but the technical aspects are certainly still a work in progress.

As a late-round pick or UDFA, though, those types of deficiencies can more easily be overlooked, especially when a prospect has qualities that you can't teach.

Pittsburgh, and really every other team in the league, could use as many players like Dugger as they can grab.

In the Steelers' case, with Patrick Queen and Malik Harrison set to reach free agency next offseason, the organization needs additional long-term options at inside linebacker next to Payton Wilson.

It's possible that Pittsburgh could address the position on Day 2 or earlier on Day 3, but that wouldn't stop them from also taking the hometown kid in Dugger, and the fact that they brought him in for a local visit proves that there's real interest there.

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