Seventh-Round Pick Looking to Make Mark with Steelers: ‘I Just Have a Dawg Mentality'

Yahoo

5 days ago

PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Steelers' seventh-round pick Donte Kent is looking to make his mark with the team. So far at OTAs, he's primarily played in the nickel.
'Most of my time is in the nickel right now,' Kent said. 'I think I can play inside or outside, but I feel comfortable in (the nickel). We'll see where it goes.'
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The Steelers selected Kent with their second pick in the seventh round, No. 229 overall, in the 2025 NFL Draft. A four-year starter at Central Michigan and three-time All-MAC honoree, Kent brings intrigue as a developmental prospect with notable athletic traits.
Best known for his speed, Kent ran a 4.38-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine. He also made an impact in the return game, ranking fifth in the nation with an average of 13.5 yards per punt return. His quickness and agility made him particularly effective in man coverage, where he excelled at mirroring slot receivers.
In 53 career games at Central Michigan, Kent made 234 tackles (171 solo), 4.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sack, two interceptions, 47 pass breakups, 49 passes defended, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, and a blocked kick.
'I just have a dawg mentality,' Kent said about his ball-hawk traits. 'That ball is my ball. My mindset is I'm going to go make a play on the football every pass thrown my way.'
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Kent's brother, Desmond, played at Robert Morris, while his other brother, Ronald, is in the Canadian Football League on the British Columbia Lions. Kent, who's the youngest child on his mom's side, credits his brothers for making him tougher.
'I'm the baby on my mom's side. I have three older brothers. In my opinion, they all could play professional football. It just ain't work out that way for everybody. It's been a competitive household whether we're playing Madden, playing football out on the street, wrestling in the house. Whatever we're doing, it's always been competitive. And me being the baby, they always picked on me a little bit. Nothing crazy but they picked on me. That built the toughness that I have right now and the competitive nature that I have, as well. All credit to my brothers.'
Kent also credits his time at Harrisburg (Pa.) High School for building his character.
'At Harrisburg, we breed dawgs. We breed dawgs still to this day. We're breeding dawgs, and that just carried over when I got into college,' Kent said. 'Playing at Harrisburg we're a lot of people don't make it out, it just motivates me still to this day. To show people that there's always a better life out there.'
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As with fellow seventh-round pick Carson Bruener, Kent's special teams performance could be a key factor in what dictates whether he makes the 53-man roster. He is expected to compete for a role as a gunner on punt coverage and as a return specialist—both roles he thrived in during his time in college.
While expectations are modest for Kent entering his rookie season, the Steelers have a history of finding value in late-round and undrafted defensive backs. Recent examples include Beanie Bishop Jr and Arthur Maulet, and, in past years, Mike Hilton.
Alan Saunders and Joe Fitzgerald contributed reporting for this story.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Seventh-Round Pick Looking to Make Mark with Steelers: 'I Just Have a Dawg Mentality'
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