While we’re preparing for the 2024 NFL Draft, some outlets are taking a look back on the 2023 edition. CBS Sports’ Chris Trapasso released a 2023 redraft, a do-over with last year’s draft order but the knowledge of how each rookie season played out. For the Steelers at No. 17, they had both of their top two actual selections available, OT Broderick Jones and CB Joey Porter Jr., but passed on each of them. Instead, Trapasso has the Steelers taking Cincinnati ILB Ivan Pace Jr.
“Pace feels like a Steelers linebacker, doesn’t he? Undersized but an animal as a blitzer. He tackled well and covered consistently in 2023 too with the Vikings.”
An undersized but physical linebacker who began his career at Miami (Ohio) before transferring to Cincinnati, a lack of plus-physical traits caused him to fall out of the 2023 draft. Minnesota signed him as an undrafted free agent and he not only made the team, he became one of its starting linebackers. Pace started 11 games, finishing fourth on the team with 102 total tackles along with 2.5 sacks and one forced fumble.
A strong season for Pace, though it’s not the Steelers’ biggest need in a re-draft. Having a potential franchise offensive tackle like Jones or No. 1 corner like Porter is far more valuable than a downhill and thumping linebacker. Pittsburgh was beat up at inside linebacker this season, losing Cole Holcomb and Kwon Alexander, but Holcomb should return to health for 2024 while Elandon Roberts is essentially the Steelers’ version of Pace albeit an older version.
In the re-draft, Porter didn’t come off the board until the 30th pick, only two slots higher than where he actually went. And Jones fell out of the first round completely. In fact, all of the first-round offensive tackles did, Arizona’s Paris Johnson, Chicago’s Darnell Wright, and Jacksonville’s Anton Harrison. The only offensive tackle taken in the first round is the Cleveland Browns’ Dawand Jones, redrafted 11th by the Tennessee Titans.
As expected, the first overall pick in the redraft is QB C.J. Stroud, now going to the Carolina Panthers. He’s followed by QB Will Levis, No. 2 to the Houston Texans, as Bryce Young fell out of the first round entirely. The top defensive player redrafted is Seattle Seahawks CB Devon Witherspoon, which is exactly where he went in the actual thing.
