With the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Commanders set to face off on Monday Night Football to conclude the Week 10 schedule, the Pittsburgh Steelers are currently projected to pick 10th overall in the 2023 NFL Draft according to Tankathon after winning at home against the New Orleans Saints.
Washington is likely to drop to 4-6 on the should they lose to the Eagles Monday night but given that the team hasn’t had their bye week yet and that they have one more win that Pittsburgh currently does, they likely will remain behind the Steelers in terms of draft order at the conclusion of the week’s slate of games.
As of now, the Steelers are projected to own three picks in the top 45 selections in the 2023 NFL Draft with the 10th overall selection in Round One, the Chicago Bears second-round selection (37th overall), and their own second-round selection (41st overall). After the first two rounds, Pittsburgh’s selections sit currently at 72nd overall in the third-round, 109th overall in the fourth-round, 186th overall in the sixth-round, and 227th overall in the seventh-round.
It has been a difficult season for Pittsburgh who had to overcome the loss of OLB T.J. Watt Week 1 to a pec injury that landed him on IR until this past Sunday’s game against the Saints, severely affecting the defense’s ability to get pressure on the QB and generate splash plays. The offense hasn’t been any better for the first half of 2022, ranking second-to-last in the league in total points scored and 28th in the league in total yardage.
Still, the Steelers took a step in the right direction on Sunday, defeating the Saints at home to move to 3-6 on the season. For a draft pick perspective, the win takes the team out of owning a top five selection in this upcoming draft class for the time being. However, for a team that prides themselves on competing for playoff berths and upholding “The Standard”, winning is something we want to see from this team moving forward as young players like QB Kenny Pickett and WR George Pickens continue to develop into the players that Pittsburgh drafted them to be.
Still, while Pittsburgh may not wield a top five selection in this upcoming draft, they did hit a potential gold mine in trading WR Chase Claypool to the Chicago Bears for their second-round draft choice that appears to be a top selection at the beginning of that round which could land Pittsburgh a talented, impact player. With some many needs to address on the roster including OL, DL, ILB, EDGE depth, CB, S, and potentially another slot WR, Pittsburgh will have to hit on their picks with prospects that can develop into long-term starters in order to get this team back on the right track and contend for a playoff berth.
