After loading up offensively in the 2023 NFL Draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers seem to be in a great spot on that side of the football moving forward. The same can’t truly be said for the defensive side of the ball, even with three star-level players in T.J. Watt, Cameron Heyward and Minkah Fitzpatrick.
While rookie cornerbacks Joey Porter Jr. and Cory Trice Jr. offer some intrigue, as does rookie nose tackle Keeanu Benton and fourth-year outside linebacker Alex Highsmith, the Steelers defense needs an injection of youth and upside, especially in the front seven.
Fortunately for Pittsburgh, the 2024 NFL Draft is shaping up — at least early on — to provide some of that.
ESPN’s Jordan Reid has the Steelers adding some of that youth and upside in the trenches defensively in his Way-Too-Early 2024 mock draft, landing LSU defensive tackle Maason Smith at No. 14 overall. The draft order is based ESPN’s Football Power Index, where the Steelers sit 19th overall.
“The Steelers don’t have many glaring weaknesses in their starting lineup, but they might be looking for succession plans in multiple areas at draft time next year. They value defensive line depth, and Smith brings high-end traits,” Reid writes regarding the projected selection of Smith in the first round. “There are big expectations for the 6-foot-5, 310-pound interior defender to rebound after he tore his left ACL in the season-opener last season. When healthy, Smith is agile and disruptive, and he can be moved around on the first level.”
With Heyward entering his age-34 season and Larry Ogunjobi nearing 30 years old, the Steelers need an injection of youth on the defensive line. GM Omar Khan and assistant GM Andy Weidl did well in the offseason to do that a bit, adding Benton in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft and landing Armon Watts and Breiden Fehoko in free agency.
Pittsburgh needs more though moving forward. That’s where Smith could come in.
Smith checks in at 6-foot-6, 310 pounds and was the top defensive line prospect in the country coming out of Terrebonne High School in Louisiana in 2021. Smith earned Freshman All-American honors after appearing in nine LSU games with four starts in 2021. His first career start came against McNeese State at Tiger Stadium, and he dominated, recording six tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and 3.0 sacks. He finished his freshman season with 19 tackles, 5 tackles for loss and 4.0 sacks.
