The Steelers went outside the Big Ten and SEC for the first time when they drafted defensive lineman L.T. Walton of Central Michigan with their first of two picks in the sixth round.
Walton is 6-5, 319 pound and played in the interior at CMU but will be used at defensive end where the Steelers are thin after their two starters, Cam Heyward and Stephon Tuitt.
Walton’s selection gave the Steelers four defensive players among their first six draft choices.
The Steelers chose Penn State tight end Jesse James, who played at South Allegheny High School in Glassport, in the fifth round.