3 best value picks the Steelers made in the 2024 NFL Draft

For some teams, the NFL Draft is about filling holes with talented players at positions of need. For others, it's about targeting the best players on the board at the game's most important positions. The latter has been the approach of the Pittsburgh Steelers since Omar Khan took over as general manager before the 2023 draft.

This year, the Steelers were able to land four impressive prospects on the first two days of the draft while snagging a trio of athletic players on Day 3. Pittsburgh made their best value picks on Day 2, and if all goes well, these players could prove to be some of the biggest steals in the NFL Draft.

Based on my pre-draft evaluations and value against the Draft Expert Consensus Board, there are the three best value picks the Pittsburgh Steelers made in the 2024 NFL Draft.

1. Payton Wilson, LB, NC State

I knew that Payton Wilson was going to slip a bit in the NFL Draft due to medical concerns, but I didn't see him falling all the way to pick 98 toward the end of the third round. Wilson was my 38th overall player entering the draft, and I would have had him even higher if not for the previous ACL and shoulder injuries.

On the Draft Expert Consensus Board (which averages the rankings of the top NFL Draft experts), Wilson was the 61st-ranked player in the draft. This is still a remarkable value when getting him at pick 98. The former NC State star has the athletic traits and instincts to be one of the best linebackers in the league if he can stay healthy.

Of course, playing without an ACL can be scary and there's no guarantee he reaches his upside or that he has a long NFL career. But the Steelers swung for the fences with this selection, and I love it.

2. Roman Wilson, WR, Michigan

I contemplated putting Roman Wilson in the No. 1 spot as the biggest draft steal by Pittsburgh this year due to the fact that he doesn't have the injury or age concerns that Payton Wilson does. However, I also don't think Roman's upside is quite as high in the NFL.

Still, I loved this selection by the Steelers. I had Roman Wilson as my 45th overall player in the NFL Draft, and he was 46th on the consensus board. Somehow Pittsburgh was able to snag him at pick 84 in Round 3.

Considering players like Xavier Legette and Ricky Pearsall went at the end of the first round, nobody expected Wilson to be here at this point in the draft. The Steelers got a fiery competitor and potential WR2 in the middle of the third round.

3. Zach Frazier, C, West Virginia

Some experts believe that Zach Frazier is the Steelers' biggest draft steal, and I can understand why. Frazier was unanimously considered a top-3 center in the 2024 draft, and most did not expect him to be on the board at pick 51.

I wasn't high on Frazier (47th overall) as the consensus board rankings had him (36th overall), but this was still a value pick in Pittsburgh and landed him in the middle of the second round. Frazier is a high-floor prospect who could land a starting job from Day 1 and never look back.