TOP PICKS TALE OF TAPE
I’ve tracked the progress of the Steelers draft classes for the past few seasons. I compare Steelers rookies picked in the first three rounds with their contemporaries drafted in nearby rounds by other teams and playing similar positions. We’ll track Broderick Jones, Joey Porter Jr., Keeanu Benton, and Darnell Washington to see how they stack up with their contemporaries over the next few seasons.
We start with player performances at the NFL Combine or Pro Days listed here. Not sure if it is a trend, but several players opted not to participate in all the drills. I have links to every player’s draft profile so you can compare how the Depot staff evaluated everyone.
Let me know if there are other players you want tracked against these Steelers rookies in the comments section. I’ll update their performances at midseason.
TACKLE
| Name | HT | WT | 40 yd | Bench | Broad | Shuttle | 3 Cone | Vertical |
| Paris Johnson | 78 | 313 | 110 | |||||
| Darnell Wright | 77 | 333 | 5.01 | 114 | 29.0 | |||
| Peter Skoronski | 76 | 313 | 5.16 | 115 | 7.80 | 34.5 | ||
| Broderick Jones | 77 | 311 | 4.97 | 108 | 30.0 | |||
| Anton Harrison | 76 | 315 | 4.98 | 105 | 28.5 |
All numbers from Combine or Pro Day
Tackle Summary
Three offensive linemen were selected early in the draft. Then Omar Kahn executed his power move to move up and select Broderick Jones. Many people believed Darnell Wright was destined for Pittsburgh. But the Bears selected him 10th overall. Tennessee followed by picking Peter Skoronski. Kahn traded a fourth-round pick to exchange positions with the Patriots and draft Jones just before the Jets’ turn. Jacksonville took Anton Harrison later in the first round. It will be fun to see which of these linemen will anchor their respective team’s lines over the next four to five seasons.
CORNERBACK
| Name | HT | WT | 40 yd | Bench | Broad | Shuttle | 3 Cone | Vertical |
| Devon Witherspoon | 72 | 181 | ||||||
| Emmanuel Forbes | 73 | 166 | 4.35 | 131 | 37.5 | |||
| Christian Gonzalez | 73 | 197 | 4.38 | 14 | 133 | 41.5 | ||
| Deonte Banks | 72 | 197 | 4.35 | 136 | 42.0 | |||
| Joey Porter Jr | 75 | 193 | 4.46 | 17 | 129 | 35.0 | ||
| Julius Brents | 75 | 198 | 4.53 | 138 | 4.05 | 6.63 | 41.5 | |
| Jartavius Martin | 71 | 194 | 4.46 | 15 | 133 | 44.0 | ||
| Cory Trice Jr | 75 | 206 | 4.47 | 17 | 132 | 35.5 |
All numbers from Combine or Pro Day
Cornerback Summary
Many pundits described the cornerback position as deep in 2023. Joey Porter Jr. was a fan favorite and widely projected to be selected by the Steelers in the first round if available at pick 17. Four cornerbacks selected in the first round though Porter not one of them. The Steelers nearly took their full 10 minutes to see if anyone would give up a ransom to begin day two. No one willing to pay the price and Pittsburgh was rewarded with Porter with pick 32. Pittsburgh also selected Cory Trice Jr in the seventh round. He was expected to be drafted on day two but slid down due to his injury history.
DEFENSIVE TACKLE
| Name | HT | WT | 40 yd | Bench | Broad | Shuttle | 3 Cone | Vertical |
| Calijah Kancey | 73 | 281 | 4.67 | |||||
| Mazi Smith | 75 | 323 | 34 | |||||
| Bryan Bresee | 78 | 298 | 4.86 | 22 | 29.0 | |||
| Keeanu Benton | 76 | 309 | 5.08 | 25 | 111 | 4.65 | 7.34 | 29.5 |
| Gervon Dexter | 78 | 310 | 4.88 | 22 | 110 | 7.50 | 31.0 | |
| Kobie Turner | 75 | 290 | ||||||
| Brodric Martin | 77 | 330 |
All numbers from Combine or Pro Day
Defensive Tackle Summary
Teams selected 15 defensive linemen in the first and second rounds. This will be more difficult to compare since some play in the interior and others are traditional defensive ends or projected edge defenders. I’ve screened out players projected to play defensive end or edge. This should leave the seven interior defensive linemen drafted on day one or two with Keeanu Benton right in the middle of the pack. It will be fun to see if his relative performance pushes him toward the top of this group.
TIGHT END
| Name | HT | WT | 40 yd | Bench | Broad | Shuttle | 3 Cone | Vertical |
| Dalton Kincaid | 76 | 246 | ||||||
| Sam LaPorta | 75 | 245 | 123 | 4.25 | 6.91 | 35.0 | ||
| Michael Mayer | 77 | 249 | 118 | 32.5 | ||||
| Luke Musgrave | 78 | 253 | 125 | 36.0 | ||||
| Luke Schoonmaker | 77 | 251 | 127 | 4.27 | 33.5 | |||
| Brenton Strange | 76 | 253 | 23 | 124 | 4.46 | 7.25 | 36.0 | |
| Tucker Kraft | 77 | 255 | ||||||
| Darnell Washington | 79 | 264 | 21 | 122 | 4.08 | 31.0 | ||
| Cameron Latu | 76 | 242 | 4.78 | 14 | 4.32 | 7.31 | 32.5 |
All numbers from Combine or Pro Day
Tight End Summary
Teams selected nine tight ends in the first three rounds. Many Depot readers thought Darnell Washington might be drafted in the first round. Certainly, no later than the second round. Surprisingly, Washington was available in the third round and Pittsburgh selected him with the 93rd overall pick. Seven others were drafted ahead of him with injury history cited as the reason for his slide. But others say those reports exaggerated. Steelers Depot contributor Dr. Melanie Friedlander concludes that Washington should be ready to participate in rookie minicamp and OTAs. But she expects team physicians and trainers to monitor him for any right knee swelling. If the health concerns turn out to be overblown, Washington could be a steal in the draft.
Day Three Selections
Pittsburgh doubled up on one position on day three. Cornerback Cory Trice pairs nicely with Joey Porter. But similar injury concerns drove his draft stock down. Could be another steal if he has overcome prior injuries to his left leg.
| Name | POS | HT | WT | 40 yd | Bench | Broad | Shuttle | 3 Cone | Vertical |
| Nick Herbig | LB | 74 | 240 | 4.65 | 25 | ||||
| Spencer Anderson | G | 77 | 309 | 5.16 | 29 | 117 | 5.00 | 7.63 | 30.5 |
All numbers from Combine or Pro Day
Pittsburgh also picked up Wisconsin linebacker Nick Herbig. His brother Nate signed with the Steelers as a free agent in March. Herbig is a versatile player who can play inside or on the edge. Steelers OLB coach Denzel Martin stated Herbig would start out at OLB. Some are concerned about his size and perhaps the Steelers will play him both inside and outside. The final selection was guard Spencer Anderson out of Maryland.
It will be interesting to see if the third-day selections are contributors to the Steelers by midseason.
Undrafted Free Agents
The Steelers signed seven undrafted free agents. Let’s see how many of these players make the practice squad or even end up on the 53-man roster as the 2023 season progresses. The Steelers still have three open positions, perhaps reserved for the end of the XFL and/or USFL seasons.
| POS | Name | School |
| QB | Tanner Morgan | Minnesota |
| RB | Jordan Byrd | San Diego State |
| FB | Monte Pottebaum | Iowa |
| Edge | David Perales | Fresno State |
| DL | James Nyamwaya | Merrimack College |
| K | B.T. Potter | Clemson |
| C | Trevor Downing | Iowa State |
Your Music Selection
I always like to include a bit of music. The Steelers completed their 2023 draft, Omar Khan’s first draft as general manager. The draft was a long time coming. But now a long time gone. Here is Long Time Gone by Crosby, Stills, and Nash.
