The Pittsburgh Steelers have added talent to their roster over the past three seasons under the direction of general manager Omar Khan. Unfortunately, it appears they have yet to strike gold on the next legendary figure in Pittsburgh in recent years. This is reflected in PFF's top 25 players under 25 rankings.
Jonathon Marci of Pro Football Focus recently compiled a list of the 25 best players in the NFL under the age of 25. The Steelers didn't have a player crack this list.
The top of PFF's rankings included players like Lions offensive tackle Penei Sewell, Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua, Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton, and Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels. Rounding out the list were Lions tight end Sam LaPorta, Eagles cornerback Cooper DeJean, and Lions safety Kirby Joseph.
While Steelers fans are excited about some of the young players on their roster, nobody on this team is considered a consensus cornerstone among the top 25 young players in the NFL... and that's a problem.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have drafted good (but not elite) players in recent years
Most fans are happy with the job Omar Khan and assistant GM Andy Weidl have done with the front office since taking over. In their first three drafts with the Pittsburgh Steelers, the front office heads filled roster holes and landed some talented players and impressive athletes at important positions.
Sadly, we've yet to see the makings of a future superstar. In the 2023 NFL Draft, the Steelers took a swing on the upside of Broderick Jones with their top pick before selecting Joey Porter Jr. and Keeanu Benton with their pair of second-round picks. They did this before finding impressive value with Darnell Washington and Nick Herbig.
While their draft looks good on paper, none of the players from their 2023 class have emerged as anything more than respectable starters. The same can be said of their 2024 draft class. First-round offensive tackle Troy Fautanu missed all but one game in his rookie season with a knee injury, but the team found impressive talents in center Zach Frazier and linebacker Payton Wilson.
PFF's list doesn't stretch beyond 25 players, but Frazier may be the closest to cracking the top 25 players under 25. He had numerous impressive performances as a rookie in 2024 and earned the fifth-best overall grade from Pro Football Focus among centers. The West Virginia product had an impressive rookie season as the Steelers' starting center.
It's no surprise that teams with impressive representation on this list (like the Detroit Lions) have found success in recent years. Their sudden flood of talent has raised the floor and ceiling of their team.
The last time the Steelers truly struck gold in the NFL draft was in 2017 when T.J. Watt fell into their lap. Pittsburgh has been drafting good players, but their inability to find elite talent in the NFL Draft is going to catch up with them eventually.