PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers landed a local product with their recent seventh-round draft pick. Out of Central Michigan, the Steelers landed defensive back and kick returner Donte Kent with the 229th overall pick. The four-year starter returns to his home state after the Steelers selected him, and he’s looking to make his mark on the Steel City.
The Steelers drafted the Harrisburg-born DB because of his body of work at Central Michigan, but he enters training camp with everything to prove. Coming in as a seventh-round pick, the expectations are low for Kent. That being said, he has the chance to become the next special teams ace in Pittsburgh.
The road to making the Steelers’ roster comes via the special teams. That gives Kent a notable advantage as training camp opens. With Central Michigan, he was all over the field. He started 48 games over his collegiate career, but always continued to play role on kickoff and punt returning. In 2024, he returned 16 punts for 217 yards and one touchdown. That included a season-high return of 68 yards as well. His returning skills could be an asset that shoots him up the depth chart during camp and the preseason.
What makes Kent such a valuable returner is also what will make him just as effective on the other side of the special teams coin. Kent enters the NFL as one of the fastest rookies. During the NFL Draft combine, he ran a 40-yard dash time of 4.38 seconds. It was one of the traits that drew the Steelers to him during the draft process.
That same 4.38 speed could help Kent become an elite gunner in the NFL. The Steelers have a leader of their special teams currently in safety Miles Killebrew, but Kent has the physical makeup and the character to take over that role.
The Steelers rarely have plans for their seventh-round picks. They are usually filler picks and players that come into a training camp or two for competition, never to be seen again. That’s not the case with Donte Kent. The organization values him in a way they haven’t valued seventh-round picks before. Between his speed, his versatility, and his leadership qualities, he has the tools to become the Steelers’ next ace on special teams.
