The Pittsburgh Steelers only have one Pro Bowl selection from their draft haul dating back to 2020, but using Football Reference’s Approximate Value stat, The Athletic’s Nick Baumgardner has the Steelers ranked as the 12th-best team when it comes to adding talent over the last five years.
Approximate Value “is an attempt to put a single number on the seasonal value of a player at any position from any year,” and Pittsburgh’s average of 8.18 approximate value put them at No. 12. Baumgardner lists OLB Alex Highsmith at No. 102 overall in 2020 as Pittsburgh’s best pick and WR George Pickens at No. 52 in 2022 as the team’s best value.
Baumgardner praised the Steelers for finding mid-round contributors, which has compensated for notable whiffs, including QB Kenny Pickett in the first round of the 2022 draft. Pickett was named the team’s worst pick in that span.
“But the Steelers, with just 36 total picks from 2020-24, have done a nice job consistently finding quality in the mid-rounds. Zach Frazier and Payton Wilson are the latest examples. It’s helped keep the team competitive, despite missing big on Pickett.”
The Steelers’ ranking at No. 12 made them the third-worst drafting team in the AFC North, behind the Cincinnati Bengals, who came in at No. 7, and the Baltimore Ravens, who came in at No. 3. The Cleveland Browns came in last in the division, finishing at No. 27. Cleveland’s average approximate value was just 5.9, and the team has yet to draft a Pro Bowler since 2020.
While the Steelers have no doubt found some mid-round value, and Frazier and Wilson seem to have bright futures from last year’s class, there’s no doubt that the Steelers haven’t accumulated the level of talent they’ve needed to keep them competitive. Pickett was a huge miss in the first round, and going back to 2020, the Steelers haven’t been able to find long-term difference makers early. Chase Claypool flamed out after a hot start, Najee Harris wasn’t the difference maker the team expected from a first-round running back, and Broderick Jones has been hot and cold through two years.
With the 2025 NFL Draft less than a week away, the Steelers need to prioritize finding a difference-maker in the early rounds, especially with only six picks in the draft. If Omar Khan can build off some of the success of last year’s draft with Frazier and Wilson, the Steelers should wind up being just fine over the next few years.
