For the first time in a long time, seemingly, the Pittsburgh Steelers have an identity, and they are leaning heavily into it.
That identity? Hard-nosed, blue-collar, lunch pail-type guys.
For CBS Sports’ Will Brinson, that lunch pail identity is exactly what the Steelers added in the 2024 NFL Draft, which featured the haul of Washington OL Troy Fautanu, West Virginia center Zach Frazier, Michigan WR Roman Wilson, NC State LB Payton Wilson, South Dakota State OG Mason McCormick, Iowa DL Logan Lee, and Texas DB Ryan Watts.
Toughness, physicality, work ethic, and versatility were all added with seemingly every pick for the Steelers.
“Mike Tomlin’s squad picked up a bunch of lunch pail dudes in the draft. They loaded up on beef along the offensive line with Troy Fautanu (versatile, physical offensive lineman) and Zach Frazier (‘wrestling background’),” Brinson writes for CBSSports.com. “Then the Steelers drafted a wide receiver in Michigan’s Roman Wilson, who had his run-blocking highlighted on television when he got drafted. And then there’s Payton Wilson, the NC State linebacker and Butkus Award winner who fell to the third round because of injuries and age. He’s as blue collar as it gets, and this fan base is going to LOVE him.
“…Their final day picks included Mason McCormick (also helps the OL reboot), defensive lineman Logan Lee (‘vintage Steelers pick’) and cornerback Ryan Watts — all three of whom have really good upside if they can develop under Tomlin.”
The Steelers, to their credit, are receiving seemingly universal praise for the second straight year based on the draft class that they put together under GM Omar Khan.
This latest one coming out of the 2024 NFL Draft might be the best of the bunch, considering needs addressed, character added and the toughness and physicality brought in.
There’s a lot to love about the class overall on paper.
It just seems to “fit” Pittsburgh from a mentality standpoint, both from the team perspective and from the fanbase perspective.
It’s a blue-collar, hard-working city formed on the backs of steel industry workers back in the day. Though times have changed in the city, that mentality remains, period.
These players seem to fit that mentality along with that play style. That’s what makes it so exciting right now as we project ahead to training camp.
Having those guys exude what it means to play in Pittsburgh, that work ethic, putting in the work, playing hard, playing physical, all of that, it’s huge. The Steelers appear to be trying to get back to their ways of success from the glory days, which means physical football with a bunch of no-nonsense guys.
It’s fun to see the plan coming together.
