The first two days of the 2025 NFL Draft were a little slower for the Pittsburgh Steelers with just one pick on each day. Day 3 accelerated things quite a bit, and even more so due to the Steelers trading back in the fifth round to pick up an extra seventh-round selection. The Day 1 and Day 2 individual Steelers draft grades will now be replaced with full report cards for the entirety of the Steelers 2025 draft class.
Here’s a quick recap on the draft class:
– R1:21 – DT Derrick Harmon
– R3:83 – RB Kaleb Johnson
– R4:123 – OLB Jack Sawyer
– R5:164 – NT Yahya Black
– R6:185 – QB Will Howard
– R7:226 – LB Carson Bruener
– R7:229 – CB/PR Donte Kent
Pro Football Focus kicked things off with a solid ‘B+’ Grade
They gave good marks for the Harmon pick and praised the Steelers for building “perhaps the scariest defensive front in the NFL.” They also labeled Johson an “early down force” while calling Sawyer a “cheat code” in a very talented OLB room. They praised Black as a great run stuffer and Howard for checking a lot of boxes with his size, experience, and deep passing grade.
The CBS Sports duo of Mike Renner and Ryan Wilson gave the Steelers a ‘B-‘ grade.
Wilson was so-so on the selection of Harmon in the first round, but threw out a wild take about Howard in the sixth.
“Pick 185s going to be the new pick 199,” Wilson said before immediately back tracking. “That’s too much, I love Will Howard.”
He is of course referring to Tom Brady who was famously drafted in the sixth round. Of course that’s too much, but one can hope! He thinks Howard has a legitimate chance to develop into the quarterback of the future, which is good enough for me in the sixth round.
He also said he “loved” the pick of Sawyer while knocking the pick of Black in the fifth round.
If he really likes Howard that much, I question how he landed on a ‘B-‘, but to each their own.
Sports Illustrated’s Matt Verderame gave them an ‘A’ grade.
“The Steelers had only three picks through the first four rounds as a result of the DK Metcalf trade, but still managed to walk away with a fantastic class,” he wrote.
He mostly praised the selections of Harmon and Johnson as immediate contributors, but I think he makes a good point by mentioning DK Metcalf. He should be included in the conversation of what they did with their 2025 draft capital.
If you are into grade point averages, that’s a 3.33. Not quite on the honor roll, but it’ll keep the parents happy.
What grade would you give the Steelers’ draft? Let us know in the comment section below.
