Post-Draft Weekend: Steelers Friday Night Five Questions

Happy Friday and I hope yinz are doing well.

The 2023 NFL Draft is in the books and it was an exciting one for the Pittsburgh Steelers. A universally praised class, the Steelers took Georgia OT Broderick Jones at #14, trading up to do so, before having Penn State CB Joey Porter Jr. fall into their lap at #32. Add in Wisconsin NT Keeanu Benton and Georgia TE Darnell Washington and the Steelers had an impressive and unexpectedly good haul. Hopefully you guys enjoyed our draft coverage. We’re marching on ahead with rookie minicamp taking place next weekend.

Hope you all have a great weekend and that you enjoy our continued coverage. I thank you for visiting the site and we appreciate all of your great feedback. As always, we have five Friday night questions for you to answer.

Peace and love, peace and love!

1 – On a scale of 1-10, one being angry, 10 being thrilled, how happy are you with the Pittsburgh Steelers’ draft class? 

2 – Which selection was your favorite?

3 – Which selection was your least favorite?

4 – How many of the seven drafted players will make the Week One, 53-man roster? 

5 – How many of the team’s seven UDFAs will make the team’s 53-man roster or practice squad?

Recap of 2023 Week After Draft Friday Night 5 Questions

Question 1: Steelers Depot respondents were thrilled with Steelers selecting Broderick Jones. The median response was 10 on a 10-point scale! Folks were very pleased that GM Omar Khan moved up to select Jones. The feeling is that he has more upside than Darnell Wright, whom Chicago picked four rungs above Jones. It will be fun to track the progress of all five offensive linemen selected (three ahead of Jones) in the first round.

Question 2: Surprisingly, Steelers fans were less happy with Joey Porter Jr.’s selection at pick 32. The median response was 7.5 on a 10-point scale. Several folks preferred Alabama DB Brian Branch, whom Detroit selected with pick 45 in the second round. Others preferred the Steelers trading the pick down for more selections. Others preferred an edge over a cornerback. The die is cast. Let’s see how Porter compares to Branch in a couple seasons.

Question 3: Broderick Jones will be the Steelers’ week one starting left tackle by a nine to five vote over Dan Moore Jr. Those picking Moore believe that Jones would work into the starting lineup later in the season with Moore moving to swing tackle.

Question 4: It was close. But a slim seven to six majority predicted the Steelers changing their approach to signing undrafted free agents. But an Alex Kozora  article on what he got right and wrong pointed out: “Though the data on UDFA deals is limited, based on the names they signed, it doesn’t appear anything has changed here…. Pittsburgh continues to offer meager signing bonuses and bring in some of the worst-looking (UDFA) classes.”

Question 5: The Detroit Lions’ selection of running back Jahmyr Gibbs was the most surprising pick of the first round. His Steelers Depot draft profile by Ross McCorkle projected Gibbs as a late day-one or early day-two pick. Selecting him with the 12th pick was very early. The selections of Will McDonald and Jack Campbell were the only other selections to receive more than one mention. Two apiece.

Here are the consensus responses of Steelers Depot respondents compared to the correct answers:

As promised, here are the folks with the most points during the offseason. Just an informal ranking since many questions subjective. I’ve added in the points scored as a result of the draft.

There are now just seven questions from previous weeks yet to be answered:

 Scores will be adjusted as they are determined up until week one of the regular season.