With the 2024 NFL Draft in the rearview mirror, I wanted to look at how the data from the series held up and provide some takeaways as well. Here’s a quick review of what the scores measure and the links by position if you’d like to check those out:
Interest Score: Here, I configured a points system for the following important factors. College performance, body type, experience, age, position, competition level, Pro Day attendance, pre-draft meeting(s), and Senior/Shrine Bowl invitations/participation.
Athletic Score: Simply 11 combine metrics excluding wingspan, and whether or not they were within a threshold in each metric of any player drafted at their position by the Steelers the last decade.
Offensive Tackles
Wide Receivers
Defensive Linemen
Running Backs
Off-Ball Linebackers
Edge Rushers
Interior Offensive Linemen
Quarterbacks
Tight Ends
Safeties
Cornerbacks
In Omar Khan’s second draft as the Steelers GM, tendencies largely stayed the same in what Pittsburgh looks for. So, I kept the scoring from my 2023 interest and athletic series the same. Let’s see how that fared with the 2024 Steelers Draft class:
Overall, the scores came out very similar compared to last season. The board fell very well for the Steelers each of the last two drafts, particularly in 2023 when five players ranked in the top-15 of interest scores. This year, four players landed in the top-15 with the same number of selections (seven). High correlation to who Pittsburgh ultimately drafted, indeed.
First among that group of four players is first round offensive tackle out of Washington, Troy Fautanu. His 9.8 interest score ranked third in Pittsburgh’s draft class, along with the same ranking among tackles.
Ahead of Fautanu positionally was Georgia’s Amarius Mims (top 12.2 interest score of the entire 2024 draft class), and Oregon State’s Taliese Fuaga (10.1 interest score). Both Mims and Fuaga were drafted before Fautanu at pick 20. Unfortunately, we’ll never know if Pittsburgh’s selection would’ve been the same if all three were available.
Speaking of which, many believed Fautanu wouldn’t be on the board, so great value and job by Pittsburgh to kick off their draft. The Steelers notably strayed away from a key “Blue’s Clues” for first round picks, with neither HC Mike Tomlin or GM Omar Khan at his Pro Day. So, that could be an adjustment for my scoring in the future.
Fautanu checked the interest boxes solidly overall. Pre-draft and Pro Day meetings (including OL coach Pat Meyer), Senior Bowl invite, and body type highlighted that score. Lower (but still good) marks were age (23), experience, and 2023 performance. Age was something that differed in Khan’s second draft as GM, drafting youth in 2023 (all 22 and younger), compared to each 2024 selection being 22 or older.
Pittsburgh’s draft class also fits past athletic tendencies overall, with six of their seven selections having above-average athletic scores, which also matched the 2023 class. Interestingly, it was the first-round picks in each draft that missed the mark. Both were offensive tackles.
In 2023, that was Broderick Jones, who ironically had the exact same 9.8 interest and eight athletic scores as Fautanu this year. Jones missed the athletic mark solely due to three DNP’s, while Fautanu had two DNP’s and set a new precedent for Pittsburgh (barely) with 9 1/2” hands.
Another difference in the 2024 draft was Pittsburgh standing pat at their selections, as opposed to more aggressiveness in terms of trades in 2023. That patience most notably came in the second round, waiting for West Virginia center Zach Frazier to fall into their laps at pick 51, a huge positional void that many thought a trade up would be required to fill.
Frazier has the best balance of both scores of the Steelers’ selections, with a 10.0 interest score and perfect 11 athletic score. Four of Pittsburgh’s seven picks this draft achieved that perfect mark compared to three in the 2023 class.
The second-highest interest score of Pittsburgh’s 2024 draft class belongs to Frazier, tying for third among this year’s interior offensive linemen. Oregon’s Jackson Powers-Johnson had the top mark (11.3), followed by Duke’s Graham Barton, then Frazier’s score tying with Georgia’s Sedrick Van Pran-Granger. Powers-Johnson and Barton were each selected before Frazier (44th and 26th), while Van Pran-Granger went much latter (fifth round).
Similar to the tackle position, it would have been interesting if Frazier would still be donning the black and gold if Pittsburgh took the position in round one. The risk of waiting ultimately paid off, checking the boxes with a position coach at the Big 12 Pro Day, multiple meetings, Senior Bowl invite, age (22), and body type highlighting his interest numbers. His experience and 2023 performance were still good, but lowest among his scores.
More great value came at Pittsburgh’s first of two third round picks, taking Michigan WR Roman Wilson with the 84th pick. He had the highest 10.6 interest score among the newest Pittsburgh Steelers, which tied for eighth in the entire 2024 draft class, and the top mark at wide receiver.
Highly attended Pro Day with HC Mike Tomlin and GM Omar Khan, reported Pro Day meeting, Senior Bowl participant, experience, age (22), performance, and body type all fit the interest box checking extremely well. Also, impressively fit all the athletic thresholds he participated in, with two DNPs among his nine athletic score.
Later in the third round (98th overall), the Steelers landed who most considered the top talent at linebacker, NC State’s Payton Wilson. Likely wouldn’t have been there if not for his riddled injury history, continuing a tendency from Khan’s two drafts: taking on injury risks for a hopeful big reward.
He came in at 7.8 in interest score, the lowest mark for Pittsburgh on the first two days of the draft, ranking sixth positionally. Pre-draft meeting, 2023 performance, body type, experience, and Senior Bowl participation were highlights. Lower Pro Day attendance (comparatively), and age (24) were lower scores. Nine athletic score, with a DNP on the bench, and barely set a new precedent in hand size (9”).
At 119 in the fourth round, the Steelers selected a whopping third offensive linemen in Mason McCormick. He had the lowest interest score of Pittsburgh’s draft class at 6.4. That is notably the lowest mark with Khan at the helm, compared to OL Spencer Anderson having that undesirable number previously (6.7).
The most notable dings on McCormick’s interest score was level of competition and no Pro Day attendance at South Dakota State, the only Steelers selection to lack in those areas. Other lower marks were age (almost 24) and less of a positional need as a likely guard.
Lots to like as well, including a perfect athletic score and making our Alex Kozora’s “What The Steelers Look For” list. Other strong results were 2023 performance, uber experience, pre-draft meeting, and was a Shrine Bowl participant.
After no fifth-round pick, Pittsburgh made two final picks in the sixth round. First was Iowa’s Logan Lee with the 178th pick, with a 9.8 interest score that tied for third (with Fautanu) among Steelers, and tied for fifth among this year’s interior defensive linemen.
He fits the mold Pittsburgh looks for at the position, highlighted by his perfect 11 athletic score and also making Kozora’s list. Other strong marks include multiple meetings (pre-draft, Combine with DL coach Karl Dunbar), body type, experience, and Pro Day attendance. 2023 performance and Shrine Bowl participation were on the lower end of his scores.
Then, the Steelers put a bow on their draft by making CB Ryan Watts their final selection at 195th. He kept a notable day three theme going, posting a perfect 11 athletic score along with making Kozora’s list. Watts was also the only cornerback to achieve this (among Combine invites), impressively.
He paired this with an 8.9 interest score, ranking fifth among the Steelers 2024 class, and tied for seventh positionally. Some see safety as a better NFL position for Watts, but checks all the boxes at corner for Pittsburgh. Formal Combine meeting, experience, body type were other attractive marks, but less Pro Day attendance than others, Shrine Bowl participation, and 2023 performance were lower interest scores.
Overall, Pittsburgh stuck to their draft tendencies, with the most notable change in 2024 being the lack of Tomlin/Khan at the first-round pick’s Pro Day. Six of the seven draft picks did have Pro Day attendance, so it’s still a very important measure throughout the draft. Through the first two days of the last two drafts, the lowest interest score was 7.8 (Payton Wilson), and 6.4 (McCormick) regardless of round. That will be interesting to monitor moving forward.
Notably, each 2024 selection for Pittsburgh was a Senior or Shrine Bowl invite/participant, and met with Pittsburgh in the pre-draft process. A difference compared to 2023 is an older class, but with that comes experience including five seniors. The last big takeaway is athleticism, with four having perfect 11 athletic scores. Three of them came on day three, who all checked Kozora’s “What The Steelers Look For” boxes as well.
Very pleased with the Pittsburgh Steelers draft class once again. Can’t wait to see the rookies in action, how the scores fare in the future, and hope you enjoyed the festivities as much as the Steelers Depot team.
