In anticipation to the Pittsburgh Steelers’ first preseason game on Friday, I wanted to look at a few things before I can dive into information after the game. In the preseason, we get an opportunity to see more action from younger players generally, so I wanted to put a table together of how the 2024 draft played out for Pittsburgh and the Houston Texans heading into the game:
Other than getting a reminder of how the draft went for both teams, I also saw some fun takeaways. The Steelers made seven selections, while Houston came away with nine players.
Pittsburgh invested more picks and earlier draft slots on offense, while the Texans did so on defense. Houston also lacked a first-round pick, but did have two selections in the second. Neither team picked in the fifth round, and the Texans had a slew of five picks in the final two rounds.
Houston appeared in the Hall of Fame game last Thursday night, so we also have the benefit of seeing who played and how they fared in that game action.
Let’s zoom in on Houston’s draft further. Their first selection was at pick #42 in the second round, Georgia CB Kamari Lassiter. Reports have seemed positive on his offseason and what he could bring to their secondary as a rookie. Unfortunately though, a soft-tissue injury has delayed his first NFL game action, and seems unlikely to go against Pittsburgh.
Double dipping in the second round, Notre Dame OT Blake Fisher was made a Texan at pick #59. This is likely a familiar name for draft followers, considering the heavy OL scouting and investments Pittsburgh’s 2024 draft entailed. The versatile lineman has seen elevated reps in training camp with star OT Laremy Tunsil missing time, tying for a team lead in snaps in the Hall of Fame Game last week, when he seemingly had a stronger day as a run blocker.
Then at pick 78 in the third-round, Houston selected USC Safety Calen Bullock. He’s reportedly been making plays in training camp, and started the Hall of Fame game, playing 19 snaps. Tackling ability has seemingly been a positive in camp and showed in the game last week.
After a bit of a wait, the Texans went back to offense with Ohio State TE Cade Stover at pick #123. It’s seemingly been a good offseason, drawing praise from his head coach, reportedly showing toughness and meeting their expectations thus far. He played quite a bit in the HOF game, catching two of his three targets for 26 yards.
Following no fifth-round pick, Houston made two selections in the sixth. First was Oregon LB Jamal Hill. The former safety shifted to linebacker later in his college career, where he’s continuing his journey so far as a Texan. Hill really seemed to struggle in his preseason debut last week and will be interesting to see him against Pittsburgh.
The following sixth-round pick was Louisville RB Jawhar Jordan (pick # 205). He had three rushing attempts for minimal yardage, and a kick return for 15 yards in the Hall of Fame Game last week.
Then, Houston stockpiled three picks in the seventh round to complete their 2024 draft. The men were USC DL Solomon Byrd, Auburn DL Marcus Harris, and Michigan OL LaDarius Henderson. Byrd and Harris got their first NFL action last week, with the former getting slightly more opportunity and seemingly a better game as well, while Henderson was waived earlier in the offseason (non-football injury).
Of course, I’m even more excited to see the Pittsburgh Steelers rookie class.
For the second draft in a row, the Steelers selected an offensive tackle in the first round: Washington’s OT Troy Fautanu at pick #20. He has impressed overall in camp this offseason, including a recent extended look as first team right tackle. That would obviously be huge if Fautanu demonstrates readiness to start right away come the regular season.
Similarly, West Virginia C Zach Frazier was expected to become the starting center once he was selected at 51st overall in the second round. He has been stout in the middle per new OC Arthur Smith, but veteran teammate Nate Herbig has also had a strong camp at the position.
That will be interesting to watch unfold, along with how the high draft investments on the offensive line begin their NFL journey.
With two selections in the third round, the Steelers chose Michigan WR Roman Wilson at #84 overall. With depth lacking in Pittsburgh’s WR room, substantial opportunities for meaningful roles are up for grabs this season. Wilson was showing promise, but unfortunately sustained an ankle injury that has him sidelined. Encouragingly, he recently shed his ankle brace, inching closer to return.
Then, Pittsburgh stuck with another Wilson at 98th overall: NC State LB Payton Wilson. He has showcased his first-round talent in training camp, standing out on defense during practice. Those abilities were available to the Steelers namely due to injury history, which knock-on-wood pays off for Pittsburgh, considering the position being riddled with injuries last season.
On day three of the draft, the Steelers triple dipped along the offensive line, this time with South Dakota State OL Mason McCormick at 119th in the fourth round. Namely a guard in college, a concern is the level of competition he faced. Head coach Mike Tomlin stated that McCormick has gotten better in a hurry transitioning to the NFL. Can’t wait to see the youthful o-linemen in-stadium.
After a lull with no fifth-round pick, Iowa DL Logan Lee was the first of two sixth-round picks, remaining in the Black and Gold in Pittsburgh. Encouragingly, our own Alex Kozora mentioned him in one of his excellent Steelers training camp diaries as Mr. Versatile, spending time at defensive end, nose tackle, kick returns, kick coverage, long snapping, and blocker on field goals. Should be easy to spot on Friday night.
Pittsburgh’s final draft selection was Texas DB Ryan Watts, pick 195 in the sixth round. The big story is a position change, a CB in college that is making the switch to safety. Watts stated that teammate DeShon Elliott took me under his wing to learn the safety position, and can’t wait to see what that looks like in stadiums.
NFL games are finally back (albeit pre-season), and I can’t wait to see how the 2024 draft class looks to open the gates.
Which rookies are you most excited to see? Who are your favorites to perform well (if they play)? How about non-rookies? Thanks for reading and let me know your thoughts in the comments.
