Moments after the 2023 NFL Draft wrapped up, the general consensus was that Pittsburgh Steelers GM Omar Khan and assistant GM Andy Weidl had hit a home run with the Steelers’ draft class, addressing a number of needs while adding some high-end players and getting great value.
The real test would be on the field, though.
Turns out, the Steelers’ 2023 draft class passed the test on the field with flying colors. Names like Broderick Jones, Joey Porter Jr., Keeanu Benton, Nick Herbig and Darnell Washington all played key roles throughout the season, helping lead the Steelers to a 10-7 record and an appearance in the AFC Wild Card Round.
Though the season ended abruptly Monday with a 31-17 loss to the Buffalo Bills, there is great excitement surrounding the Steelers moving forward, in large part due to the rookie class and the promise those players showed throughout their first NFL seasons.
That rookie class was also one of the best and most productive in the NFL this season. According to ESPN’s Aaron Schatz, the Steelers’ rookie class landed at No. 10 in the ranking of the most productive rookie classes in the NFL based on Sports Info Solutions’ Total Points metric.
Total Points is based on game charting and takes every element of a play and uses that data to evaluate each player on a scale that allows you to compare between positions, according to Schatz’s explanation. That boils down to how many points estimated that this player either earned for his offense or saved for his defense, according to Schatz.
The Steelers’ rookie class was quite good in the Total Points metric.
“The big rookie star for the Steelers was second-round pick Joey Porter Jr., who had 10 passes defensed and minus-2% DVOA in coverage. He should hold down the No. 1 cornerback spot for years to come,” Schatz writes regarding the Steelers’ rookie class. “The Steelers hope the same is true of first-round pick Broderick Jones and the left tackle spot, but Jones lost a camp battle to veteran Dan Moore Jr. and played only one game at left tackle (Week 5). He became the starting right tackle in Week 9 and ranked 62nd among 69 qualifying tackles in pass block win rate (81.9%).
“Second-round nose tackle Keeanu Benton played roughly 40% of the defensive snaps with 36 combined tackles, a sack and two forced fumbles. Third-round tight end Darnell Washington had only seven catches for 61 yards but contributed much more [as] a blocker. Fourth-round edge rusher Nick Herbig played an important role on special teams while managing three sacks and two forced fumbles on defense.”
Porter is the headliner of the Steelers’ rookie class coming out of the 2023 season. After being inserted into the starting lineup in Week Eight against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Porter became a true lockdown No. 1 corner for the Steelers, taking on the top assignments weekly and largely shutting down some great talent.
He had some issues with penalties and then ended his season on a down note after suffering a concussion against the Bills, but the expectations are sky-high for Porter moving forward in the Steel City.
Jones was inserted into the lineup in Week Nine against the Tennessee Titans at right tackle, rather than left tackle, and helped the Steelers’ run game take off down the stretch. The rookie brought a physical, nasty presence to the offensive line that was much needed in the run game. However, he struggled in pass protection down the stretch, coming apart in the Wild Card Round against the Bills. A switch back to left tackle in 2024 should help him.
Benton and Herbig, two Wisconsin products, showed flashes throughout the season and played key rotational roles for the Steelers. Benton was the better of the two, taking on a larger role with the injury to Cameron Heyward early in the season, emerging as a key piece in the trenches. Herbig had his moments, too, but was limited defensively from a snap-count perspective while playing behind T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith.
Washington was mostly an in-line blocker who had some strong moments as a blocker but also had a lot of struggles and really wasn’t much of a receiving option at all.
All that said, the Steelers’ rookie class had a strong 2023 season. The future looks very, very bright for the class moving forward.
