Editor’s note: From now until reporting day to training camp at Saint Vincent College, TribLive is running through the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 90-man roster, looking at each player and assessing his outlook for the 2025 season. The breakdown will run in alphabetical order with at least two players each day between June 12 and July 23. Contract data courtesy spotrac.com.
OT DOUG NESTER
Experience/age: First season, turns 25 in August
Contract status: $840,000 cap hit if he makes the team, will remain an exclusive rights free agent in 2026
The past: A versatile lineman from West Virginia, Nester was a college teammate of Steelers center Zach Frazier and joined the Steelers last year after being cut by the Minnesota Vikings in training camp. He spent the year on the practice squad.
Nester spent his first two collegiate seasons at Virginia Tech before transferring to West Virginia, opting to return to his home state. He started 24 games over the 2021-22 seasons at right guard before moving to right tackle. He did not allow a sack in each of his final two seasons. Overall, Nester started 56 games, including 52 for the Mountaineers.
Steelers Doug Nester with Coach Meyer perfecting technique pic.twitter.com/0qXsjypeHU
— Bo Marchionte (@BoMarchionte) June 5, 2025
2025 outlook: Nester carries 306 pounds on his 6-foot-6 frame, giving him the size to play on the inside or outside. The Steelers signed Nester to a reserve/futures contract in January, giving him a full season to spend in the team’s conditioning program.
Nester could be a valuable backup piece considering his experience at guard and his ability to play tackle. The Steelers have a veteran swing tackle in Calvin Anderson and an interior backup in Spencer Anderson, but Nester could force his way onto the roster or return to the practice squad with a strong training camp and preseason.
It helps Nester’s cause that the Steelers lost linemen Dan Moore Jr., James Daniels and Nate Herbig in free agency.
