What do the Steelers need to hit on Day 3 to make this a home-run draft?
The general reaction to the Pittsburgh Steelers’ draft class thus far has been rather positive. I can hardly have envisioned the first two rounds going much better, for example. Landing T Troy Fautanu and then C Zach Frazier at 20 are both value and high-quality picks at need positions. Taking Graham Barton in hindsight would have been a clear mistake given how the tackles died off soon after.
Pittsburgh did address its biggest outstanding need with its third pick, drafting WR Roman Wilson. He’s the guy I wanted as the NFL Network announced the pick, so I can’t complain. Considering where they took a wide receiver, I think they nailed the choice. And Payton Wilson has tremendous value based on tape, the only concern being his long-term health.
Even with four players already in the books, however, the Steelers have some pretty significant needs, or rather perhaps wants. I would argue that a slot cornerback is a need, for example, at this stage of the game. I think they would have liked to have taken a defensive lineman sooner, but are happy with the direction things went.
Alex Kozora will have a list of Day 3 options around for your shortly—perhaps by the time you’re reading this—so I’m not going to bother throwing names out there. We also all know how the draft works: the deeper you go, the harder it is to hit on a quality contributor.
The top portion of the Steelers’ draft class does look extremely promising, on paper, particularly the first two rounds. They may have up to four Day-One starters right there, in some capacity, or at least contributors.
But there’s still room for improvement, more picks to make, more opportunities to strengthen this roster. And specifically to shore up positions where there are weaknesses. I already talked about cornerback and the defensive line. They could stand to double up on wide receiver as well, though, or pick up another edge rusher. With Markus Golden unsigned, they are only three deep there.
The Steelers’ 2023 season has been put out of its misery, ending as so many have before in recent years: a disappointing, blowout playoff loss. The only change-up lately is when they miss the playoffs altogether. But with the Buffalo Bills stamping them out in the Wildcard Round, they have another long offseason ahead.
The biggest question hanging over the team is the quarterback question. Does Russell Wilson make them a Super Bowl-caliber team, or are they wasting a year? Will he play just one season in Pittsburgh before moving on, or the Steelers moving on from him? How will the team address the depth chart?
The Steelers are swirling with more questions this offseason than usual, frankly, though the major free agent list is less substantial than usual. It’s just a matter of…what happens next? Where do they go from here? How do they find the way forward?
