When it comes to the Pittsburgh Steelers, it’s not much of a secret that Pro Football analysts Steve Palazzolo and Sam Monson aren’t the biggest fans of how the franchise operates.
Typically, those two on the PFF NFL Show podcast tend to downplay some of the things the Steelers do and lean heavily into PFF’s analytics to make arguments against the Steelers.
The duo couldn’t do that Sunday morning following the 2024 NFL Draft though. Palazzolo and Monson spoke glowingly about the Steelers’ draft haul coming out of the three-day weekend in Detroit, praising Pittsburgh for landing high-end talent and players that simply fit what the Steelers are all about.
“I like the Steelers draft a lot. This is the second straight year now that we’ve loved the Steelers draft. So when that two A-pluses, when that happens, you would assume this would be a good year for Pittsburgh,” Palazzolo said of the Steelers’ 2024 draft class, according to video via PFF on YouTube. “When you look back at the draft, whether it’s intentional or not, and you see the themes emerge and with three offensive linemen in their first, what six picks, five picks, I think those guys are all starters too.
“Troy Fautanu is gonna probably step right in at left tackle. Zach Frazier can start right away at center, and Mason McCormick, there might not be a path for him to start at guard from South Dakota State, but I think he’s a great Steeler who loves to just bury people.”
There is quite a bit to like about the Steelers’ draft class. Entering the draft, the Steelers needed to address the offensive line at tackle and center in some form or fashion.
Doing so in the first two picks and landing the talents that they did in Fautanu and Frazier is pretty impressive. Both should be starters for the Steelers along the offensive line for a long time in the Black and Gold.
Adding Roman Wilson is a real Steelers pick, as he brings toughness, blocking and is a chain-mover in the passing game who plays so much larger than his actual size.
Arguably the steal of the draft, assuming health, is linebacker Payton Wilson, whom the Steelers landed at No. 98 overall. Without some injury history that includes two major knee injuries and a shoulder injury during his time in college at North Carolina State, Wilson might have been the top linebacker off the board this year, potentially in the first round.
He’s been healthy the last two seasons at North Carolina State, but there were medical red flags. The Steelers are banking on that injury history being behind him.
McCormick, as Palazzolo pointed out, loves to bury people and projects as a future starter at either guard position, while defensive lineman Logan Lee and defensive back Ryan Watts rounded out a strong draft for the Steelers, adding size, depth and versatility at key positions of need.
The draft has Monson feeling great about what the Steelers did as a whole.
“I mean, everybody they picked in the first two days could or should start for them. I mean that, by definition, looks like a pretty healthy draft, particularly when you say that we like those players as well,” Monson said of the Steelers’ draft class. “They’re not just starting for them because they have a glaring weakness at those spots. So yeah, I think the Steelers absolutely had a fantastic draft.
“Love the value that they got for a lot of those positions. They fit. They tagged good players to fit relative areas of need. It’s a great draft.”
Again, that type of praise for the Steeles isn’t common from Palazzolo and Monson. But getting that type of praise from those two on top of all the praise and accolades the draft class for the Steelers has received in recent days shows just how great — on paper — things look from the Steelers’ perspective.
Now, the attention shifts to the field.
Hopefully, the draft class that looks so darn good on paper, looks the same on the field, elevating the Steelers from a one-and-done in the playoffs into something bigger and better in the AFC.
