The Pittsburgh Steelers 2023 rookie class had been universally praised, but entering Week One, none of the players drafted are starters. But that may not last for long, as today Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said that of the team’s first five draft picks, all will be seeing growing levels of contribution throughout the season.
Tomlin sat down with Bob Pompeani on The Mike Tomlin Show streamed on the Steelers YouTube page and praised draft class and how the rookies are developing, while also dropping the hint that many will see playing time this year.
“Really excited about the collection of talent that we’ve been able to assemble,” Tomlin told Pompeani. “Broderick Jones, Joey Porter Jr. [Keeanu] Benton at defensive tackle, [Darnell] Washington at tight end, [Nick] Herbig at outside linebacker. All of those guys appear to be poised to have growing levels of contribution over the course of this journey.”
OLB Nick Herbig was probably the biggest rookie standout this training camp and preseason as every time he was on the field he dominated his opposition. Herbig finished the preseason with an impressive stat line of 3.5 sacks and nine tackles. He played so well it is going to be hard to keep him off the field if that performance translates to the regular season, and Tomlin is clearly open to him earning a more prominent role even though he is the fourth outside linebacker at the moment on the depth chart.
Pittsburgh’s second round pick Joey Porter Jr. also turned heads for his play this preseason and in training camp. Porter showed sticky coverage in both venues while also showcasing that he does have the ability to intercept passes as he snagged a pick against the Buffalo Bills in preseason. While he is not a starter at the moment, do not be surprised to see him get a decent amount of playing time early on in sub-packages as the Steelers may move CB Patrick Peterson to slot corner to get Porter on the field.
The Steelers also drafted NT Keeanu Benton who looked great when he played in preseason. While he will likely be a pure nose tackle to start the season, as he continues to get comfortable don’t be surprised if surpasses Montravius Adams on the depth chart and even sees some movement around the defensive line towards the end of the year if he keeps playing well.
Another draftee the quickly won of the hearts of Steelers fans is TE Darnell Washington. While his receiving game needs to be refined, he is already a good blocker and should help the Steelers out a lot in the run game as he has shown the ability to pancake linebackers and open holes for the running backs.
Finally, we get to the Steelers first round pick LT Broderick Jones. Jones is behind Dan Moore Jr. on the depth chart right now. Injuries do happen though, which could have Jones thrusted into the starting lineup, and if that is the case Tomlin is clearly comfortable enough with him slotting in. Jones is raw though and for him the goal is to get him to be an elite left tackle for years to come, that doesn’t mean must demonstrate that his rookie year until he is ready to play.
All of the Steelers draft picks showed promise this offseason, but what really matters is if they can do it when the games count. Tomlin is clearly impressed and many of them will get a chance to prove their impact this season. The Steelers are retooling for a hopeful Super Bowl run and hitting on draft picks is crucial to make that happen. It will be fun to watch the young Steelers grow as the try and bring a Lombardi Trophy to Pittsburgh.
