In days and weeks following the conclusion of the 2023 NFL Draft, the seven-man class that the Pittsburgh Steelers put together looked pretty darn good on paper.
Turns out, it’s pretty darn good on the field, too.
Every member of the Steelers’ seven-man draft class made the 53-man roster for the Black and Gold, including rookie cornerback Cory Trice Jr. who is on season-ending Injured Reserve due to a a knee injury.
Offensive tackle Broderick Jones, cornerback Joey Porter Jr., defensive lineman Keeanu Benton, tight end Darnell Washington, edge rusher Nick Herbig and offensive lineman Spencer Anderson all made the Steelers’ 53-man roster ahead of the regular-season opener against the San Francisco 49ers.
For head coach Mike Tomlin, the rookies earned their spots and are expected to contribute right away.
“There was a level of maturity, a level of football maturity that was exciting. We didn’t scholarship anyone; they earned their spots and we expect contributions from those guys, and increasing contributions as they gain more experience and we push through this journey,” Tomlin said of the rookie class to reporters Wednesday following practice at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex, according to video via 93.7 The Fan’s Jeff Hathhorn.
That football maturity and overall readiness to compete at the NFL level is something that the Steelers targeted in the 2023 NFL Draft, going and getting the experienced players with obvious high football IQs, which would allow them to hit the ground running in the offseason.
With the guys that the Steelers brought in via the draft, they all hit the ground running and worked their way into key roles.
Porter will play a ton of snaps at cornerback right away for the Steelers, largely as a sub-package substitute alongside Patrick Peterson and Levi Wallace. Benton should see the field for 10-15 snaps a game early on and should be able to overtake Montravius Adams for the starting nose tackle job in due time, thanks to a great preseason.
Washington slides into the No. 2 TE role in Pittsburgh after the release of Zach Gentry. He’s going to be a big piece of Pittsburgh’s offense, at least as an in-line blocking tight end early, while Herbig has the look of a legitimate rotational piece on the edge, helping keep T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith fresh throughout games and the season overall.
Anderson is the guy who doesn’t exactly have a true role, at least right now. Same with Jones. Both are solid depth for the Steelers to have on the offensive line, but neither profile as guys who are going to see snaps as an extra offensive tackle in certain packages. Still, they’ll get a chance to contribute at some point in 2023, that much is certain.
The Steelers definitely didn’t put any rookies on “scholarship” just to keep them around; they all earned their spot and their respective roles on the roster. There’s a lot to like about this rookie class overall, and as they continue to grow and learn at the NFL level, they’re only going to get better.
