Nose tackle Daniel McCullers may become heaviest Steeler ever

Just call him the "Steel Mountain."

The Steelers added several defensive linemen during draft weekend, none bigger than sixth round draft pick Daniel McCullers. The former Tennessee standout may also be the largest Steeler ever.

Veteran Steelers beat reporter Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette said just as much about the 6'7'', 352 pound linemen that said he topped topped the scales at 420 pounds as a high school senior.

"Growing up I was always the big kid," McCullers told NFL Network. "Once I hit my sophomore and junior year of high school, that's when I started getting my growth spurts. I guess I got like four of them each year and just kept growing."

The NFL Network's Charles Davis said of McCullers: "The earth moves when he walks.'

According to NFL Network, McCullers will be the heaviest Steeler in franchise history when he makes his season debut. Former offensive linemen Max Starks (344 pounds) and Chris Kemoeatu (340) round out the top three largest Steelers. Former Steelers Jamain Stephens (340 pounds), Flozell Adams (338), Marcus Gilbert (330) and Orpheus Roye (330) literally round out the list.

You're probably wondering what I'm pondering after taking a look at this list: Where's Casey Hampton? Well, according to profootballreference.com, Hampton tipped in at 320 pounds, 32 pounds lighter than McCullers.

I looked up the original "Fats", Ernie Holmes, who was the clog that helped free up teammates Joe Greene, Dwight White and L.C. Greenwood during the Steel Curtain's heyday in the 1970s. But Fats was relatively light in comparison to today's players as he checked in at 260 pounds.

When comparing McCullers to other beefy players in recent memory, he is 17 pounds heavier than the former Bears linemen William "The Refrigerator" Perry, who was also seven inches shorter than McCullers. Former Packers linemen Gilbert Brown, whose helmet needed three chin straps, weighed in at 340 pounds. Former Cowboys linemen Nate Newton, the figurehead of Dallas' giant offensive line in the '90s, checked in at 318 pounds.

To sum it up, Daniel McCullers is a big dude. But the real question is, can he play? He had modest statistics at UT, totaling 72 tackles (10 for loss), six quarterback pressures and 1.5 sacks. He did block two kicks due to his impressive size.

Despite the lack of statistics, Steelers GM Kevin Colbert thinks McCullers can more than contribute to the Steelers defense.

"Why he was there in the draft when he was is hard for me to say, but the size is intriguing," Colbert told Dulac. "He goes to the Senior Bowl and does some things which make you really say, 'Wow.' When I made the visit to Tennessee in the fall, I came away saying this guy is gigantic and can play defense. It's an obstruction and he's a nice, big guy to work with. Big guys are hard to come by these days."

Whether McCullers turns out to be a difference maker is yet to be known. What is known is that the kitchen staff at Saint Vincent college will need to stock up on a little more food for the Steelers new defensive linemen come training camp.