Where does Steelers 2022 draft rank compared to other AFC North teams?

The Pittsburgh Steelers seem to have done well for themselves in Kevin Colbert’s final draft in 2022.  

The Steelers to me had one of the better drafts in the NFL and it was primarily due to their first five selections which I really liked. Pittsburgh drafted, in this order, Kenny Pickett (QB), George Pickens (WR), DeMarvin Leal (DL), Calvin Austin III (WR), Connor Heyward (FB/TE), Mark Robinson (LB), and Chris Oladokun (QB).

Their top need was at quarterback and they got the best one in this class. They also snagged a 4th QB (Oladokun) for training camp in the 7th round. Oladakun offers more mobility and with both Trubisky and Rudolph off of rookie contracts, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Steelers don’t want their third-string quarterback to carry almost a $5 million cap hit.

Wide receiver was a large need after losing three this offseason, all three of which had significant snap counts. The Steelers were able to get a legitimate WR1 prospect in George Pickens in the second round along with a speed demon in Calvin Austin in the fourth.

DeMarvin Leal helps to shore up the defensive front which was historically bad against the run, for the Steelers anyway, partly due to injury. That line is getting older so adding legitimate young talent to the group was necessary.

Connor Heyward, multiple-time all-pro Cam Heyward’s brother, is a Swiss Army knife that Matt Canada will likely enjoy. Heyward can line up as a tight end, in the backfield, and outside in pony sets if asked to. He brings another wrinkle to the offense Canada will be getting very creative with. Meanwhile, Robinson is new at the linebacker position, he was previously a running back for most of his college career, but he offers good physical traits and could be a developmental depth piece in the future.

With all this being said I’m giving the Steelers a “B+” draft grade for this draft. They filled most of their needs with some of the best talent available in this draft. Now let’s compare this draft class to our division rivals.