The Pittsburgh Steelers are weeks away from the 2024 NFL Draft, which means it’s time to review last year’s class. The first under new general manager Omar Khan and assistant Andy Weidl, their class generally garnered favorable reviews. Of the seven players they drafted, notably, all of them remain with the team. Additionally, three of them are starters (arguably four) and five in total are significant contributors.
The Steelers traded up in the first round from 17 to 14 to land T Broderick Jones. While he did not start immediately, he logged 11 starts and 767 snaps. Jones came into the league still somewhat raw, and you could see that in his play. Many believe he must move to the left side to reach his full potential after taking over the right side.
The second round brought two defenders to the fold, starting with CB Joey Porter Jr. 32nd overall. The Steelers passed on lucrative trade options to move back, but they appear to have made the right call. Porter is already their No. 1 cover corner, perhaps even taken a bit for granted. He must avoid any kind of sophomore slump.
DT Keeanu Benton followed, a player who head coach Mike Tomlin said can be dominant sooner rather than later. Reviewing his film, it’s uncanny to see that he only managed a single sack all season. I see a Javon Hargrave type in his game, though you can’t expect him to reach such lofty heights.
Third-round TE Darnell Washington proved an able blocker, though sometimes he’s too tall for his own good. He must continue to work on winning the leverage game, but he is capable of being a force as a blocker. Local reporters have tossed the proverbial wet blanket over his upside as a pass-catching option, in case that matters.
The fourth round continued to yield positive contributors in the form of OLB Nick Herbig. Despite his limited playing time, he recorded three sacks, five tackles for loss, and two forced fumbles. Though he only played 191 defensive snaps, he also played 352 on special teams.
With no fifth- and sixth-round picks, the Steelers wrapped up their class doubling down on two positions. They drafted CB Cory Trice Jr., a tall, physical cornerback, and versatile offensive lineman Spencer Anderson.
Trice garnered intrigue during the offseason process but suffered a torn ACL early in training camp. As a result, he spent his rookie year on the Reserve/Injured List without even seeing a preseason field. Anderson impressed enough to make the 53-man roster and dress as the eighth lineman, but his upside is unknown. As for Trice, his focus this offseason is on rehabbing his knee.
