It didn't take long for draft grades and rankings to roll in after the 2025 NFL Draft ended. With the NFL's biggest offseason event in the books, football fans will spend time diving into the picks their teams made. Considering the Pittsburgh Steelers didn't have a second-round pick this year, they came away with an impressive haul on paper.
Dane Brugler would agree.
The Athletic's prominent NFL Draft expert released his detailed draft rankings from all 32 teams. Brugler had the Steelers' 2025 draft class ranked 4th in the NFL.
"Kaleb Johnson will be as good as his volume allows in the Steelers’ backfield committee," Brugler wrote. "But I have to go with Harmon, who is my favorite prospect in the draft class and landed in the perfect spot. The Detroit native is consistently disruptive and can line up anywhere on the Steelers’ defensive line."
Brugler talked about some potential medical scares for Harmon, but noted that he won't be surprised if he becomes the next Cam Heyward. The draft expert also talked up edge rusher Jack Sawyer as a Day 3 pick that could surprise everyone.
"The Steelers are always looking to bolster their pass rush, and they did so with [Jack] Sawyer," Brugler continued. "He might not have ideal suddenness or length, but his activity level allows him to impact the backfield. With strong hands and instincts, he can play on both run and pass downs and quickly make an impact."
The Pittsburgh Steelers continued to prove that value matters in the NFL Draft
The final five years of Kevin Colbert as general manager of the Pittsburgh Steelers were a disaster when it came to the NFL Draft. Every first-round pick during this stretch was a reach on the consensus board, and they seemed to be too hyper-focused on filling needs that they ignored value in the draft.
Omar Khan and Andy Weidl seem to have found the sweet spot where the value and need line up.
The two heads of the front office proved once again that they value the consensus board and talent matters more than just filling positional needs. The perfect example of this was the Jack Sawyer selection with the 123rd overall pick in the fourth round.
The Steelers weren't desperate for edge rusher help with T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith, and Nick Herbig already on the team. For as much as Pittsburgh likes to play their stars, they could have gotten away with just addressing the position at the tail end of the draft or bringing in a few undrafted free agents to compete for the final spot.
Instead, the Steelers saw value in Sawyer that was too good to pass up, despite bigger needs at other positions. This approach is why they've been able to land talented players in the draft since the 2023 season. While not every pick is guaranteed to work out, NFL Draft experts can agree that, on paper, the Steelers have had three very solid drafts in a row.
It's also important to remember that the Steelers were able to rake in this impressive draft haul without a second-round pick. If you think about DK Metcalf as a draft choice, it makes the crop of talent look even better.
The success of this Pittsburgh Steelers draft class will largely hinge on Derrick Harmon's health. If the injury concerns are mild and he's as good as advertised, we could be looking at a strong draft haul a few years from now.