Apr 22, 2015 3 min read

Editor’s note: This is the second in a series of stories profiling the NFL Draft.

If you were to build the perfect defensive end for a 3-4 defense, he’d be tall and powerful with long arms. He’d also be quick and have the ability to fight through the chaos that occurs on every snap.

He’d look a lot like Houston’s J.J. Watt.

The Steelers have two young players who they feel fit that mold – though not to Watt’s level – in Cameron Heyward and Stephon Tuitt. And they have a pair of nose tackles that they like in Steve McLendon and Daniel McCullers.

The team felt so confident in Heyward and Tuitt that it released longtime starting defensive end Brett Keisel in March.

After those top four, however, they have some question marks along the defensive line in veterans Cam Thomas and Clifton Geathers, and unproven youngsters such as Ethan Hemer and Joe Kruger.

The Steelers will likely add a defensive lineman in the three-day NFL draft that begins April 30.

The Steelers likely won’t use a first-round pick on a defensive lineman. Pittsburgh has eight picks in the seven-round draft.

Stanford’s Henry Anderson, considered a mid-round prospect, might be a perfect fit.

A teammate of Steelers guard David DeCastro at Stanford, Anderson also played alongside Josh Mauro, who made Pittsburgh’s practice squad last season before being signed away by the Arizona Cardinals, much to the chargrin of many Steelers fans, who felt the team let a promising young lineman to slip away.

As good as Mauro was at Stanford, Anderson was better.

“I’m quick enough to rush off the edge and beat the tackle around the corner, but I’m also powerful enough to move on inside … and beat the guard,” Anderson said. “I also have a big enough frame to take on double teams and play stout against the run and play over the tackle.”

That is exactly what the Steelers ask their defensive linemen to do. And Anderson (6-6, 294) did it well at Stanford, where he had 66 tackles, including 15 for loss, and 8 1/2 sacks last season.

Though the Steelers are unlikely to draft a nose tackle after selecting McCullers in the sixth round last year, they could be tempted if one of the top two nose tackles in this draft falls to them in the first round. Pittsburgh has the 22nd pick.

Washington’s Danny Shelton and Malcom Brown of Texas might have Pittsburgh thinking of a young Casey Hampton.

Shelton (6-2, 339) is a fireplug and run-stuffer who has drawn comparisons to Haloti Ngata, who was traded from Baltimore to Detroit in the offseason.

But Shelton, who is of Polyneisan decent, has different favorite player.

“Growing up, I’ve always watched other Polynesians play,” said Shelton, who had 89 tackles and 9 1/2 sacks last season. “Troy Polamalu is probably my biggest inspiration. (Because of him) I’ve always wanted to play safety. (Then) I got attracted to Haloti’s style. A dominant player, him being Tongan and me being Samoan, I felt like I could be just like him.”

Brown (6-2, 319) played at Texas, like Hampton, and had a solid junior season last year with 64 tackles, including 14 for a loss, and 6 1/2 sacks. He declared for the draft to support his wife and two daughters.

“You can put me anywhere,” said Brown. “I played end, stand-up end, all that last year. I played the nose the previous two years. I can do it all.”