Thursday night, our speculation can start to wind down. The 2024 NFL Draft kicks off tomorrow with Round 1 starting at 8 PM/EST. Months of our tape watching, speculating, discussing, and tracking will end in someone becoming the newest member of the Pittsburgh Steelers. A group they’ll add to on Day 2 (Rounds 2-3) and Day 3 (Rounds 4-7).
The draft is utterly unpredictable. No matter how much we think we know, the draft is fluid and one surprise changes everything. Every year reminds us of that. But to steal the line from the now-retired Peter King, no longer using it, here are some things I think I think about the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 2024 draft outcomes.
1. O-Line In First Round, Cornerback Backup Plan
Really sticking my neck on this one. O-line is the “easy” position group to pick for the Steelers. Deciding between right tackle and center is the hard part. But there’s an obvious direction Pittsburgh went throughout the pre-draft process. They brought in every potential first-round lineman imaginable save for two in Notre Dame’s Joe Alt and Penn State’s Olu Fashanu. Alt will be long gone by No. 20 and Fashanu could be too, a pure left tackle who doesn’t really fit the Steelers’ wants anyway.
I could see a couple offensive linemen who fit what the Steelers are looking for: Duke’s Graham Barton (the selection in my final Steelers’ mock), Oregon State’s Taliese Fuaga (whose energy and athleticism will work for Arthur Smith), Georgia’s Amarius Mims (an impossibly large human with big-time upside) and even West Virginia’s Zach Frazier (an old-school, tough pivot player). And those aren’t the only names who work, either. The Steelers have a plan to be the best they can be up front. Crucial for the running game, lifeblood of this offense, and crucial to protect their new quarterbacks who get sacked as much as any passers in football (often because of their own errors, not the line).
But what if there’s an o-line run? The NFL is starving for talent up front, and the college class can satisfy that hunger. Cornerback could be the parachute. Reasonably, if there is an o-line run, there won’t be many corners off the board, perhaps only one taken. If Tony Pauline’s report is accurate (and that is a big “if”), the team is high on Toledo’s Quinyon Mitchell. Alabama’s Terrion Arnold checks more boxes while Iowa’s Cooper DeJean was brought in for a pre-draft visit.
2. Center Backup Plan…Hunter Nourzad
Let’s say the Steelers don’t draft one of the “Big Three” centers: Graham Barton, Jackson Powers-Johnson, and Zach Frazier. For whatever reason they don’t. Who is their Plan B? I think it’s Penn State’s Hunter Nourzad. He was the only true center brought in for a visit beyond the top three (the team brought in SDSU’s Mason McCormick, who primarily played guard in college). Nourzad began his college career at Cornell before transferring to Penn State in 2022.
That IQ should play well if he’s going to potentially start Week 1, and he has good size at 6031, 317 pounds with 33 1/8-inch arms. He’s viewed as a mid-round selection, but I could see the Steelers grabbing him in the third round to ensure they get him.
3. Inside Linebacker In Middle Rounds
Referenced this in my final mock Tuesday. Lots of smoke coming from the Steelers and inside linebacker even if they only brought in two of them pre-draft and signed Patrick Queen in free agency. But I don’t think the Steelers are done. With the injuries that piled up last year and questions over Cole Holcomb’s availability, Pittsburgh wants quality depth.
ILBs Coach Aaron Curry was a busy man during the Pro Day circuit, attending a positional coach-high three schools. Ohio State’s Tommy Eichenberg and Steele Chambers, Kentucky’s Trevin Wallace, and North Carolina’s Cedric Gray are the names to monitor.
4. They Want A Big/YAC receiver
Arthur Smith’s offense prefers and is usually centered on bigger receivers. George Pickens certainly isn’t small but ideally, I think Pittsburgh wants a big/physical YAC monster opposite him. They showed interest in Mike Williams during free agency who would’ve brought plenty of size on the opposite side of the field.
It is tough finding that fit in the second round of the names they’ve shown interest in. Washington’s Ja’Lynn Polk and Florida State’s Keon Coleman are fits but Pittsburgh’s public interest in them has been light. South Carolina’s Xavier Legette and Texas’ AD Mitchell probably won’t be there at No. 51. They’ve looked at receivers with other builds and types, but I think a bigger receiver is what they want in an ideal world. We’ll see if they can make it happen.
5. Half The Selections Will Be Pre-Draft Visitors
Anther relatively obvious one but typically, about half of the Steelers’ selections will come from their pre-draft visit list. In this case, that’d put them at three or four. Three might be more likely knowing how concentrated those visits were by position. Will any late-round picks make the list? One of the d-linemen like Mississippi State’s Jaden Crumedy or Iowa’s Logan Lee? Could United Kingdom OT Travis Clayton be a super sleeper in the sixth round? Or is Georgia State’s Travis Glover more likely?
6. Special Teams Value Reflective In Some Picks
Especially on Day 3. Depth in this year’s class isn’t strong overall. Especially on defense. There’s select talent, of course, but it’s a top-heavier class in part due to a lack of underclassmen. That could place an emphasis on special teams value even for a Steelers’ team that needs starters on offense and defense.
In earlier rounds, Rutgers CB Max Melton blocked four career punts. Pittsburgh knows the value of that with S Miles Killebrew. Later in the draft, Penn State CB Daequan Hardy had two punt returns scores while USC WR Tahj Washington served as a gunner and played 163 special teams snaps in 2023 and 129 in 2022. All three came in for pre-draft visits.
7. Similar, Small UDFA Class (Maybe One Visitor)
Assuming the Steelers come away with seven draft picks, they should have only a handful of open spots on their 90-man roster. Expect another smaller UDFA class after the Steelers brought in just six last year. None of them made the 53 and only one hung around throughout the season in OLB David Perales, who bounced on and off the practice squad.
Perhaps one of the team’s pre-draft visitors will make that list. Oregon OG Steven Jones or Clayton, the international prospect, are the most likely two.
