With the official release of the compensatory draft picks, the full 2024 NFL Draft order is now set. The event will take place over the course of three days from Thursday, April 25 through Saturday, April 27. As expected, the Pittsburgh Steelers did not receive any compensatory draft picks with just a couple of their 2023 free agents signing notable contracts elsewhere, and several incoming free agents to the team last offseason.
With that said, the Steelers’ draft picks are as follows, via an official list provided by the NFL Communications department:
Day One – Thursday, April 25th
Round 1 – Pick 20 (20th overall)
Day Two – Friday, April 26th
Round 2 – Pick 19 (51st overall)
Round 3 – Pick 20 (84th overall)
Day Three – Saturday, April 27th
Round 4 – Pick 19 (119th overall)
Round 4 – Pick 20 (120th overall) via Rams
Round 6 – Pick 2 (178th overall) via Cardinals through Panthers
Round 6 – Pick 19 (195th overall)
The Steelers have two picks in the fourth round due to their trade with the Los Angeles Rams last season that shipped OG Kevin Dotson while swapping picks in the 2024 and 2025 drafts. That is also why the Steelers are missing their fifth-round pick this year. Next year, it will be a similar story, but bumped one round back as the Steelers and Rams swapped 5th and 6th round selections in the 2025 draft.
That fifth-round pick would have been the 154th selection, so they moved up 35 spots this year in that trade. While the extra bit of value is nice in this draft, it hurts to see Dotson go to Los Angeles and have one of the best seasons for a guard in the NFL after struggling in Pittsburgh. He was rewarded for that great season with a three-year deal worth $48 million.
Several draft pundits have commented on the NIL system keeping later-round prospects in college longer than they previously would have stayed, which hurts the later rounds of the draft that would have been comprised of those players. So if there was ever a year to have an extra fourth in lieu of a fifth, this is it.
The Steelers held the 20th pick in the draft just two years ago, and they used it to select Pittsburgh QB Kenny Pickett. They also held that pick in the 1985 draft when they selected Wisconsin DE Darryl Sims. Since 2000, the Steelers have selected 20th or later 14 times, including the upcoming draft. That speaks to their level of success over the past 25 years as the draft order is determined by record and playoff standings.
