The Pittsburgh Steelers' offseason has finally slowed down, and now seems like the best time to assess the big moves that this team has accomplished. It was quite an eventful time, and it feels like the team can finally catch its breath.
Although the team may not be done adding to its roster, I don’t foresee a major addition from this point on. With that in mind, I am comfortable grading the offseason as a whole.
As a perfectionist, I will be grading every signing that is above the minimum (a minimum contract is impossible to grade poorly), every trade, and the draft class as a whole. With that in mind, here are the individual grades for every move from the Steelers' offseason.
Pittsburgh Steelers offseason grades just as all over the place as their decisions
Steelers trade a second-round pick for D.K. Metcalf, and a late pick swap
We started the offseason off with a bang, landing a major playmaker at receiver for a fair cost. D.K. Metcalf is one of the freakiest receivers in the league, and his speed and ability to dominate make him the perfect number one target for this team.
A second-round pick is a fair asking price, especially considering how weak this receiver class was. I struggle to see any rookie past that amounting to anything close to what Metcalf offers. This was a huge win, and the Steelers got a massive upgrade at receiver.
Grade: A+
Steelers sign Darius Slay to a one-year deal
I was lukewarm on this signing when it was announced, and it doesn’t look any better given how the rest of the offseason has shaken out. Darius Slay was, at one time, an elite cornerback. At his age, he can be a fine second option, but I struggle to see his impact on a team that isn’t likely to be a competitor.
I would have rather them go after a bigger name for more notable money and fix this hole at cornerback long term. Now with Jalen Ramsey in the fold, his role is even murkier. I’m skeptical of this deal for a variety of reasons.
Grade: C-
Steelers sign Malik Harrison to a two-year deal
Another deal that left me wanting more, the Steelers decided to let Elandon Roberts walk and replace him with a lesser version in Malik Harrison for more money. While Harrison can serve as a good special teams’ player, I don’t see a great role for him on defense.
If they wanted to have that run-stuffing linebacker, Roberts would have been the more logical solution. Instead, they overpaid on a depth linebacker in a move that really doesn’t move the stick on defense.
Grade: D
Steelers sign Kenneth Gainwell to a one-year deal
Kenneth Gainwell gets mentioned because his deal was a few hundred thousand over the minimum, and I’m happy I get to. Gainwell is a sleeper offensive player to me, and as the third back on this team, he should have a fun role to play this year.
He can add some burst on runs and serve as a receiver out of the backfield. For a bit player, he can thrive this year and kick in return work on top of all of this. For under two million dollars, this seems like a sound move.
Grade: A
Steelers sign Brandin Echols to a two-year deal
I liked this move earlier when it looked like Brandon Echols was going to be depth at outside cornerback while competing in the slot. However, he was mostly seen on the outside so far this offseason, and the Ramsey trade takes him out of the slot running.
I still don’t hate this deal, but the cornerback room is very crowded. That said, he can play a starter role in a pinch if needed and should have a role on special teams.
Grade: B
Steelers sign Mason Rudolph to a two-year deal
One of my favorite moves of the offseason. Mason Rudolph is a good backup quarterback, and his contract for that role is relatively cheap. I wish the team had just rolled with him this year, but we can move past that now.
READ MORE: Pittsburgh Steelers trading T.J. Watt suddenly becomes plausible
I feel very comfortable with Rudolph as the first option on the bench, and he could even stick around next year once a notable rookie is brought into the fold. A good player at a very fair value.
Grade: A
Steelers sign Ben Skowronek to a two-year deal
I’ll show Ben Skowronek a little bit of love, and I’m fine with him getting a slightly larger contract over two years. Last year, he proved to be an exceptional special teams player who could also serve a very small role on offense.
I love having that in my depth receiver, and I’m happy he came back at the contract he got. No, he won’t light it up on offense, but he can be a break glass in case of emergency option while continuing his solid play on special teams.
Grade: B+
Steelers give Jaylen Warren a second-round tender
While it was a lock that the Steelers would give Jaylen Warren some sort of tender as opposed to allowing him to enter free agency, speculation was rampant as to which one. In the end, they protected themselves and used a second-round tender that comes with a higher price tag.
Ultimately, this was the right move. Knowing you were allowing Najee Harris to walk means you needed to keep Warren. The only thing that would make this better is if the Steelers inked Warren to a multi-year deal. That said, there are no issues with this deal.
Grade: A
Steelers sign Juan Thornhill to a one-year deal
When this deal was initially announced, I thought it was a fine move. Juan Thornhill isn’t the great starter that he was with the Chiefs, but as a third safety, you could do worse. Now, Thornhill may be penciled in to start at free safety, and that should be a concern.
If the team has a better plan at free safety, I am still fine with this deal. If the plan now is Thornhill, I can’t get behind this. That said, the value isn’t horrible either way, so I can’t hate this deal.
Grade: B-
Steelers sign Robert Woods to a one-year deal
This is probably the most ho-hum deal of the offseason. Robert Woods isn’t the sneaky good starter that he was for the Rams anymore, and at this point, he is more of a depth piece and veteran leader as opposed to a great piece to an offense.
That said, the deal is cheap, and if needed, he can serve as a third receiver for the team. That said, he needs to actually make the roster before we can count on him to produce.
Grade: C
Steelers 2025 draft class
I graded this class pick by pick already, and upon further reflection, I don’t have any major changes to make to those grades. I think this class had a lot of base hits, and outside of Derrick Harmon crashing through his ceiling, I don’t see the elite upside in this group.
That said, I think there can be a lot of good contributors, steady starters, and valuable backups. Not every class is going to be a home run, and if this class can prove to be a steady one, you can’t be that mad about it.
Grade: B
Steelers trade away George Pickens for a third-round pick, late round swap
On one hand, George Pickens is a premier player at a position that the Steelers don’t have a lot of talent at. On the other hand, he was entering into a contract year and has proven to be a headache even when his future wasn’t in doubt.
At the end of the day, trading away a problem and getting ok value is a fine move. I can’t give this trade a huge passing score, but the team made the right move by parting ways with him, even if the compensation seemed a little light.
Grade: B
Steelers sign Aaron Rodgers to a one-year deal
For the majority of the offseason, I was against the idea of the Steelers signing Aaron Rodgers. I just don’t see the point of pursuing such an old veteran for a team that isn’t ready to compete for a Super Bowl.
That said, he signed for far less money than I thought he would. Does he move the needle that much? Not really, but for a cheap price, the team could have done worse. I just hope his antics don’t get in the way of the team.
Grade: B-
Steelers trade away Minkah Fitzpatrick for Jaylen Ramsey, Jonnu Smith, late round pick swap
The most recent and biggest move of the offseason, this trade shocked the entire NFL. Grades have flown from great to horrible, but I struggle to see the overall fit for either side. I think the Steelers got the better players in the deal overall, but I think the fit is questionable at best.
My personal favorite player from this group is Jonnu Smith. I think he is a great fit for this offense and can do a lot for a team that needs targets. Minkah Fitzpatrick, meanwhile, has been regressing, so I don’t hate getting rid of him.
The Jaylen Ramsey addition is the biggest question mark. I’m not sure how the defense will use him, and I don’t like that your key piece in this trade is going to have to fill all of these different holes. Add in his long-term outlook (there is a very good chance he isn’t here next year), and I feel very bleh on this deal.
Grade: C-