The Pittsburgh Steelers pulled off another heist this April. With seven draft picks, Omar Khan and Andy Weidl were able to snag talented future starters with their first four selection before rolling the dice on athletic players with their final three selections.
This draft is being praised universally by draft experts, and the 2024 draft class is expected to play a big role from the gate. Unfortunately, the roster isn't complete just yet.
While the Steelers found talented players at valuable positions in the draft, they ignored some key areas of need or didn't address them soon enough to make the impact they will need for the upcoming season. Here are three moves Pittsburgh still must make following the NFL Draft.
Steelers must add another WR
Since the end of the draft, the rumor mill has been swirling that the Pittsburgh Steelers are aggressively pursuing a trade for a wide receiver. Omar Khan reportedly gauged the asking price of Deebo Samuel from the 49ers before deciding to draft Zach Frazier in the second round.
Now the interest seems very real once more. While I'm not on board with mortgaging valuable draft capital for the future to trade for a starting wide receiver, there are a few moves that would make sense at the right price.
Perhaps the best move is a risk-free signing in free agency. Zay Jones just became available, and he could fill the void for now until Pittsburgh can search for a more permanent solution in 2025.
Steelers must sign a slot CB
Despite their desperate need for a slot cornerback, the Steelers did not fill this void in the NFL Draft. With a run on cornerbacks early, Pittsburgh eventually took Ryan Watts in Round 6 (who projects as a boundary cornerback or safety in the NFL).
Khan wisely avoided reaching to fill a need at this position in the draft, but they still don't have a quality CB who can man the slot position (which is essentially a full-time role in today's NFL). There have been whispers that the team could bring back Patrick Peterson, but several sources shut that rumor down -- saying that he's not returning to Pittsburgh.
Though the free agent pool is mostly picked over, the Steelers could add a player like Adoree' Jackson Tre Herndon to fill the void. Whatever they choose, there's no way they can go into training camp without adding another slot cornerback to their roster.
Steelers must upgrade interior DL
Based on their pre-draft visits with players like Darius Robinson and Maason Smith, the Steelers had interest in adding an interior defender to their roster early in the NFL Draft. Ultimately, they ended up going in a different direction and didn't address the DL until the sixth round when they took Logan Lee.
While Lee could crack the roster and carve out a small role in the rotation, the Steelers need another significant piece to go with Cameron Heyward and Keeanu Benton. Larry Ogunjobi was incredibly underwhelming in his second season with the team and the depth was cringeworthy last season.
There aren't many difference-making defensive tackles sitting in free agency who aren't well past their prime, so a trade might be the only option. However, this is something that should be considered as Pittsburgh desperately needs to add one more versatile defensive lineman to aid this defense in 2024.