Will the Pittsburgh Steelers draft a defensive player before the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft?
There seems to be broad consensus that offensive line is the Pittsburgh Steelers’ biggest need. After all, they have a glaring hole in the starting lineup at center, though not everybody agrees when the Steelers should draft one.
Between center, tackle, and wide receiver, the Steelers still have considerable areas to address on offense. That leaves one to wonder when the defense gets its turn. Last year, the Steelers used three of its top five picks on defense, including two second-round picks. This year, I don’t think we can guarantee they get a pick before Day Three.
Still, the Steelers really need to fill out the cornerback room, including at least a starting slot defender. They also need to continue addressing an aging defensive line, and appear to want another inside linebacker. Barring re-signing Markus Golden, they may look to add another edge defender as well.
This year, the Steelers have two selections in the third round, and I’m guessing at least one selection by then will be a defender. But will either of their selections in the first two rounds come on that side of the ball?
Based on their pre-draft interest, we know that they have familiarized themselves with the cornerback class. They’ve gotten looks at Max Melton, Nate Wiggins, M.J. Devonshire, Daequan Hardy, Andru Philips, and Shon Stephens. Wiggins is a potential first-round target, while Melton makes a lot of sense in the second round.
We could have the same conversation for defensive linemen, including Darius Robinson and Maason Smith and Logan Lee. Thus far, they haven’t brought in any linebackers for pre-draft visits, but they’ve shown plenty of interest at Pro Days.
Still, between offensive tackle, center, and wide receiver, can the Steelers afford not to invest their first- and second-round picks on the offense? The answer is obviously, “it depends on who’s available and when”. But their greater flexibility to trade makes it more likely they intend to target specific players at positions of need. And we can argue that makes it less likely they address the defense before the third round.
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?
