The 2023 NFL Draft was a very good one for the Pittsburgh Steelers and General Manager Omar Khan. Pittsburgh landed a number of key players, plugging some big holes on the roster in the process.
During the 2023 season, those players such as offensive tackle Broderick Jones, cornerback Joey Porter Jr., defensive lineman Keeanu Benton, tight end Darnell Washington and outside linebacker Nick Herbig played big roles for the Steelers, contributing in a big way to a team that went 10-7 in the regular season and reached the AFC Wild Card Round.
Overall, the 2023 NFL Draft class for the Steelers looks very promising.
Knowing that, it wasn’t a surprise to see the draft class change in a major way in ESPN’s re-draft exercise Tuesday morning. Now that the season is over outside of Super Bowl LVIII between the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers, the offseason escapades have started. That includes the re-draft exercise.
In the exercise, the Steelers lost Jones and Porter, who both went in the first round to the New York Jets (Jones) at No. 15 — one pick after where he was originally selected by the Steelers following a trade up — and the Detroit Lions (Porter) at No. 18 — one pick after the Steelers’ original selection.
“The Steelers didn’t trade up in this exercise, so offensive tackle Broderick Jones wasn’t an option. My pick came down to Branch and cornerback Joey Porter Jr., and strong cases could be made for either. I took a gamble that Porter would be available in the second round in this re-draft, and it didn’t pay off,” ESPN’s Steelers beat writer Brooke Pryor writes. “Branch, though, would give the Steelers a game-changing safety to pair with Minkah Fitzpatrick. The team battled with a lack of safety depth throughout the season, and Branch would’ve gone a long way toward solving that.”
The safety position didn’t really lack depth until injuries started to decimate the position. That’s what happens when you lose your top three safeties in Minkah Fitzpatrick, Keanu Neal and Damontae Kazee at various points in the season due to injuries or a suspension.
Branch would be a great add to the Steelers due to his versatility and playmaking abilities. He was high on the wish list for the Steelers throughout the pre-draft process, but ultimately they traded up to land Jones, rebuilding the trenches quickly. But passing on Porter to land Branch and gambling to think that Porter — a finalist for the Associated Press’ Defensive Rookie of the Year — is rather absurd.
In Detroit this season, Branch helped the Lions reach the NFC Championship Game. He played 736 snaps on the season, aligning in the box for 102 snaps, 530 snaps in the slot, 34 snaps at free safety, 35 snaps at corner and 35 snaps along the defensive line. He moved all over the place, grading out at a 78.1 overall from Pro Football Focus, including an 83.9 against the run and a 76.0 in coverage. He finished his rookie season with 74 tackles, seven tackles for loss, one sack, three interceptions, 13 passes defensed, one forced fumble and one touchdown, which was a pick-six in the season-opener against the Chiefs.
After landing Branch in the first round, Pryor selected defensive lineman Keeanu Benton at No. 32 overall, the pick used to select Porter thanks to a trade with the Chicago Bears during the 2022 season.
The Steelers selected Benton at No. 49 overall in the real draft, but he almost certainly wouldn’t be on the board by that pick this time around,” Pryor writes regarding the selection of Benton. “He was solid as a rookie and gave the defensive line a huge lift when Cameron Heyward missed time because of a groin injury. Benton had a sack, eight quarterback hits and two forced fumbles. As a force in the run defense, he looks to be the future of the Steelers’ nose tackle position.”
So, Benton goes earlier than he did in the actual draft, but Pryor gambled thinking Porter would somehow fall? Something isn’t quite adding up.
Anyway, landing Benton here is key for the Steelers. He was a force when on the field as a rookie, though he played less than 500 snaps. He was primarily a nose tackle as a rookie, but his future is undoubtedly on the outside as a defensive end in the Steelers’ 3-4 scheme. He was a real disruptor as a pass rusher, but his run defense needs some work.
Still, a lot to like about Benton moving forward, and a good add here at No. 32 in the re-draft.
At No. 49 overall, Pryor paired the Steelers with former Minnesota center John Michael Schmitz, attempting to shore up a position of need. The No. 49 overall pick was originally Benton.
“Center will undoubtedly be high on the Steelers’ list of 2024 priorities to address, and drafting Schmitz in 2023 would’ve given them an option behind Mason Cole,” Pryor writes regarding the selection. “Though a veteran with a strong leadership presence on the offensive line and in the locker room, Cole struggled to be consistent in his snaps. The Steelers need an upgrade at the position to solidify the line, and Schmitz, who started 13 games as a rookie, showed a lot of promise.”
Schmitz was another popular name, like Branch, throughout the pre-draft process for the Steelers. He would have filled an area of need at center long-term. Ultimately, he landed with the New York Giants, and came off the board eight picks later than he does here at No. 57 overall.
Cole was awful for the Steelers in 2023, but it wasn’t as if Schmitz was any better. He was the NFL’s worst-graded center in pass blocking this past season, one spot ahead of Cole. Not exactly an upgrade based on 2023 production.
Elsewhere in the re-draft exercise, the Baltimore Ravens missed out on wide receiver Zay Flowers in the first round, instead landing running back De’Von Achane, who lit things up for the Miami Dolphins this season when healthy. The Cincinnati Bengals took right tackle Dawand Jones at No. 28 instead of pass rusher Myles Murphy, hurting AFC North division foe Cleveland Browns in the process.
In the second round, Cincinnati ultimately landed Murphy at No. 60 overall, picking him over cornerback DJ Turner, while the Ravens and Browns did not have second-round picks due to trades.
