3 most surprising moves by the Steelers during the 2023 offseason

When the NFL opened business for its 2023 season earlier in March, Steelers fans had been speculating as to the Freeagents the Steelers might sign, players that might get the axe, and who the Steelers could get in the 2023 NFL draft. Many of these questions have now been answered, and a few surprises exist.

Of all that has happened in the off-season, some things are as expected. One, for instance, is the Steelers signing another free-agent linebacker. Mike Tomlin likes his linebackers, and until he gets one he feels enhances the team significantly, he is not beyond cutting them and starting anew.

Another was the Steelers failing to sign a new deal with Terrell Edmunds. Yes, it was nice that the Steelers brought him back in 2022 on a one-year deal, but somehow you had a feeling that in 2023 another team would come calling, and the Eagles did just that, but it was to be expected.

But here are the three most totally surprising things that have happened in the Steelers offseason thus far in 2023. They are the things one could not have predicted in any way, shape, or form before they actually happened and have thrown fans for a giant loop. So without further ado, here are the top three.

Steelers draft both Broderick Jones and Joey Porter Jr. in the first 32 draft selections

Ahead of the draft, we all speculated would the Steelers opt for the offensive lineman and potentially lose the shot at getting Joey Porter Jr. or would they opt for the cornerback and lose a chance at protecting Kenny Pickett? Well, oddly enough, they managed both.

If the Steelers had one saving grace ahead of trading up with the Patriots to get Broderick Jones, the draft would be deep with cornerbacks. Still, with a deep cornerback class, it was more likely that the Steelers would take a cornerback with the first selection in the 2nd round of the draft; one would have assumed it would be Deonte Banks, Kelee Ringo, or Emmanuel Forbes, not one of the top five cornerbacks.

Nevertheless, when the first round ended, Joey Porter Jr. was still on the draft board. Fate has a way of creating unforeseen scenarios, and thus, the Steelers get one of the top five offensive tackles and one of the top five cornerbacks. Perhaps the almighty is a Steelers fan, after all!