2018 Steelers draft grades: This group isn’t as bad as you think

While not the team’s strongest draft class by any means, the 2018 Steeler draft class has played a role in the recent success of the team.

The initial reactions for the Steelers 2018 draft class were ones of surprise and anger in the first followed by intrigue and speculation later on. Terrell Edmunds in the first was a surprise pick, to say the least, but the team followed it up by making some intriguing and safe bets later on. Looking back on the class now, most of these players have developed as expected and now seems like a proper time to reflect on the group and offer up analysis for the 2018 Steelers draft class.

How to grade a Steelers draft class

There are two ways to essentially grade a draft class. The first option, and the one used by most, is grading each player as an individual. A whole class can be saved by just a single player turning into an elite player. That said, when grading like this, the round a player was drafted has to be taken into consideration. A player taken late on day three has different expectations than someone taken in the first. A late-round pick is given a lot more leeway, and frankly, if they make the field, even in a specific role such as special teams, their grade could be higher than an early-round pick that starts more often.

The other way to grade is by looking at the class as a whole. This takes less of a focus on the value of a player and is purely focused on the talent that was acquired no matter the round drafted. Typically, an above-average class yields: one high-end starter (Pro Bowl or better), one average starter, and two top-notch depth options/special teams players. Obviously, this grade fluctuates based on how the players developed as a whole and care less about where they were taken. With all of that said, here are the updated grades of the Steelers 2018 draft class.