If you thought the Pittsburgh Steelers knocked their 2024 draft out of the park, you aren't the only one. Oftentimes, we as fans have to sit and wonder if the glowing endorsements we are handing out are a result of bias... Not in this case.
From all accounts, the Steelers had anywhere from a very good to an elite haul in the 2024 NFL Draft. Recently, Rene Bugner put together a graphic of all the top expert post-draft grades. Using the average letter grade received, Bugner averaged the scores to give each team a Grade Point Average, and the Pittsburgh Steelers came out on top of the league.
🏈🧑🏻🎓 I´ve compiled 20 evaluations of the 2024 NFL draft and totaled the team grades.
— René Bugner (@RNBWCV) April 28, 2024
Here is the spreadsheet. Sorted by GPA for all 32 teams.
I also sorted the 20 evaluations by GPA. From left (soft graders) to right (hard graders).
Thanks to all who give out grades every year! pic.twitter.com/53EozhxKQT
The Steelers received perfect 'A+' grades from numerous football media outlets like Pro Football Focus, Bleacher Report, FOX Sports, Sports Illustrated, Sporting News, and USA Today. The worst grades they received from notable sources came from the Washington Post and Sideline Reporter. These outlets gave the Steelers a 'B' for their draft class.
Is the Steelers' 2024 draft as good as advertised?
It's hard to argue with the results on paper. When you weigh the value of each pick against the Draft Expert Consensus Board, it's hard to argue that any other team found more total value in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Beginning with their very first selection at pick 20, the Steelers landed the 10th-best player on the consensus board in Washington OT Troy Fautanu.
Rankings of #Steelers top 4 picks on Draft Expert Consensus Board:
— Tommy Jaggi (@TommyJaggi) April 27, 2024
OT Troy Fautanu - 10th
C Zach Frazier - 36th
WR Roman Wilson - 46th
LB Payton Wilson - 61st
The value they found over the next three selections was even more impressive. Zach Frazier was widely considered one of the top three centers in the class, and he came in at 36th overall on the consensus board. Pittsburgh landed him at pick 51.
Meanwhile, Roman Wilson was the 46th-ranked player on the consensus board, and the Steelers took him at pick 84 after 13 receivers were already selected in the NFL Draft. Payton Wilson came in at 61st on the consensus board, and Pittsburgh landed the top LB in the class at pick 98.
With their final three picks, the Steelers didn't make 'value' picks compared to the draft board, but they still valued athletic players at important positions -- the perfect types of dart throws late in the draft.
The Philadelphia Eagles and Chicago Bears were two other teams that draft experts believed crushed the draft this year. The Eagles somehow stole CBs Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean in back-to-back picks to open the draft, while the Bears loaded up with a potentially lethal QB-to-WR duo with Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze.
Even with these impressive draft hauls, Pittsburgh's still graded out higher on average. There's no guarantee that this 2024 Steelers draft class will live up to lofty expectations, but it's every bit as impressive as advertised.