It hasn’t been the start to the season that anyone expected for the Pittsburgh Steelers. After an offseason dedicated to getting more physical so this team can play bully ball, we have seen the exact opposite take place during games.
The running game on offense has failed, while the defense seems more beatable despite numerous key additions. This team is still finding ways to win, but it feels like the entire group is underwhelming through the first few weeks of the season.
Unfortunately, there seems to be a much larger issue at hand for the Steelers, causing this. Simply put, their young players are failing to develop.
Since taking over the roster construction three years ago, Omar Khan has changed a lot of what Pittsburgh does. We have seen far more trades than ever before, as well as notable signings. However, the biggest change has been the drafting style.
For the last few years of his tenure, Kevin Colbert seemed to have really poor draft classes. He seemed to hand-pick players that he liked and took them, no matter if there was better value available elsewhere. This naturally led to lackluster rookie hauls as a whole.
Khan has been just the opposite. Every one of his drafts has been widely praised by fans and the media alike. However, it is becoming apparent that just because these drafts look good on paper, it doesn’t mean much if those players don’t develop.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are failing to develop their young talent
While every pick in a draft class won’t be a home run, the Steelers have a shockingly low return on investment from Khan’s first three draft classes.
The fairest one to look at is the oldest, naturally. The Steelers drafted Broderick Jones, Joey Porter, Keeanu Benton, Darnell Washington, Nick Herbig, Cory Trice, and Spencer Anderson. All of the picks were praised, minus the Herbig (by some media members) and Anderson picks.
We saw some solid contributions from the early picks. Porter and Jones got the starter nod about halfway through the season, and each had some impressive tape. Jones showed the upside you were hoping for with a raw tackle, while Porter looked like a potential shutdown cornerback.
Benton, meanwhile, saw snaps early in the season and quickly established himself as a good starter. Washington and Herbig also developed minor niche roles.
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Year two was a disaster for this group. Jones, Porter, and Benton all regressed to some degree. Washington took strides as a blocker but still wasn’t a great offensive threat. Only Herbig actually took a step forward after his rookie season.
Year three hasn’t been much better. Jones and Benton could be benched/have their roles reduced. Porter has barely played, so he gets a momentary pass. Washington is in the same spot he was a year ago.
Perhaps the only true development from this group has been Herbig, who would likely start for any other team he was on.
Looking at last year's class, we have some similar issues. Ravaged by injuries, Troy Fautanu and Roman Wilson are just now getting their first real shot to prove themselves. Neither has looked great, and Wilson is struggling to find playing time in a shallow receiver room.
Zach Frazier and Payton Wilson flashed as rookies and were popular names to be breakout players this year. Frazier has been ok as a center, while Wilson has looked lost at linebacker. He is now splitting time with Cole Holcomb on defense.
Even some of the younger players signed as free agents have failed to take that next step forward. Larry Ogunjobi, Khan’s first major addition, remained mediocre through his time here. Patrick Queen doesn’t look like a high-end starter despite being paid as such.
Talent isn’t the issue here. We have seen every single one of these players mentioned flash some unreal ability. However, the rest of the puzzle isn’t being put together. Considering the stubbornness in terms of who stays and goes as coaching, I feel like a lot of the blame falls there.
Time will tell if these young players can actually take some steps forward. So far, the 2025 draft class has looked promising, but based on the track record of the last two classes, I’m not sure it will be enough.
The Steelers need to get out of this vicious cycle of landing a good draft on paper only to have it fail to develop. It’s costing this team dearly right now, and the entire organization needs to figure out a solution