Center. Offensive tackle. Wide receiver. Slot corner. Outside corner. Defensive line. The Pittsburgh Steelers are bound to add at some of those positions in the draft. They’ve also set themselves up to disappoint.
Where? I don’t know. But it’ll happen somewhere.
That is, assuming Pittsburgh goes into this year’s draft, now just three weeks away, with the same roster as it does today. They’ve improved in key areas, primarily quarterback, but the Steelers’ roster has a Swiss Cheese element to it. There are lots of holes at all those positions rattled off above and others. Pittsburgh seems destined to draft an inside linebacker, likely in the middle rounds, to add depth after injuries rocked them a year ago.
They have four selections in the top three rounds, but that won’t fill everything. We’ve rolled through six positions, meaning someone’s drawing a short straw. The draft could dictate the position. A big run on a position before the Steelers turn in the card would impact things. Centers could fall, but determining how far they’ll drop is the tricky part, leaving Pittsburgh in a difficult spot if they don’t address the position in round one.
It’s just math. There are more areas of need than picks to fill them. The only way around it, through the draft alone, is by trading down in the first round. Always possible, and Steelers GM Omar Khan showed he could jump around the board in his first draft, moving up in Round One and down in Round Three, but you don’t want to feel forced to make that move just for capital. That’s when you pass on talented prospects and accept bad deals. But stand pat, and they’ll have to make tough decisions. Taking that center might cost you that tackle. The organization will have to prioritize outside versus slot corner. Getting both early isn’t in the cards.
Of course, there are other ways to smooth out the edges. Free agency tends to pick back up after the draft once veterans know where the rookies went and the compensatory period ends. Though Pittsburgh won’t be impacted by it, fully knowing they’re not in line for a 2025 comp pick, other teams begin to show interest and make offers, allowing vets to fully weigh their options and opportunities.
Pittsburgh may look towards re-signing Chandon Sullivan or Patrick Peterson if they don’t nab a slot corner in the draft. Or they could sign a true external free agent as a 2024 band-aid at another position. But they’re uninspiring long-term solutions and won’t move the needle much in the present.
Something more radical, like a trade, can’t be ruled out. Khan’s done lots of wheelin’ and dealin’, but moves are hard to predict, and teams are less likely to make moves post-draft when it’s more difficult to replenish their roster. Those may have to wait until cutdowns in late August.
All of this is to say. Prepare to be disappointed. Somewhere. To be questioning why the Steelers didn’t draft a corner early or why they didn’t target a tackle. Pittsburgh’s needs are eight pounds trying to fit inside the five pound box of options. There’s no question the Steelers will come away with real talent capable of helping them in 2024. This is good because, like in 2023, this team needs immediate impacts. But there will be a “what now?” question that hovers over one position after this month’s main event.
