With the Steelers draft concluded and having had some time to chew on it, I wanted to hand out some superlatives for this class. Unlike most years for Pittsburgh, I really like the direction this team took and think this draft class will pay dividends early for the Steelers. While everyone won’t be instant impact players, there is a lot of top-end talent on paper from this group.
So, I have comprised five awards for the class: my favorite pick, the best value, most likely to succeed, most likely to fail, and boom or bust pick. While my awards are not final, there is a lot of on-the-field talent that will need to be displayed. That said, here are my initial superlatives for the Steelers 2023 draft class.
Steelers favorite pick: Broderick Jones
I didn’t need to overthink this one. The Steelers have mostly ignored the offensive line for so long that it turned into a major weakness for this team. While the interior investments in free agency were good, this team still lacked a capable offensive tackle. It was one of the bigger needs for this team entering this off-season.
Broderick Jones was one of the three dynamic tackle prospects in this class. He arguably has the highest ceiling of any tackle in the draft, but he also has the least amount of experience and needs the most help as a technician. That said, he should be an instant upgrade along the left side of this line.
Sure, the Steelers had to move up to get him, but they only gave up a fourth-round pick and it allowed them to land one of the premier tackles in this draft. This team has shown a desire to beef up its trenches, and the Jones pick will further that cause. Far and away, he was my favorite pick of this draft.
Steelers boom or bust pick: Joey Porter Jr.
Let me be clear, the value the Steelers got in Joey Porter Jr. was great. He could have been the pick in the first round and most of the fans would have been fine with the pick. Heck, I read quite a few Pittsburgh followers that complained that this team should have gone after Porter instead of Jones at pick 17.
He has a lot of hype surrounding himself as a prospect. From his name value to his unique size, to his ability in man coverage, many people are expecting Porter to make an impact from the get-go. He should see the field early, but that doesn’t guarantee success.
Porter wasn’t much of a playmaker in college, and while lacking interceptions isn’t a huge issue, it is worth noting. He is also strictly a man coverage defender, and he lacked the ability to thrive in a zone scheme. While Pittsburgh has become a more man-heavy system, they also still rely on zone coverage defense.
While I am excited to see Porter on the field, I do believe that he will either turn into a legitimate star or fizzle out. I don’t see how there is much in between. I have high hopes for him, and this isn’t a knock on him, but I could see a Porter fizzling out if he doesn’t latch on as a competent starter early.
Steelers best value pick: Darnell Washington
This almost was my favorite pick of the draft, but the need for Jones is what gave him the ultimate edge. That said, Darnell Washington presented great value in the late third round of the draft. Tight end wasn’t the biggest need for this team, but Washington fits what this team wants to do this season.
What stands out about Washington is his immense size. He uses that to his advantage, as he was the best blocker in this draft. While not overly relied on, he was a safe receiver that tested as a plus athlete. His floor, assuming his health checks out, is a great second tight end that specializes in blocking. His ceiling is a dynamic do it all tight end.
As stated before, there are some health questions that seemingly are hanging over the head of Washington. Pittsburgh cleared him though, and he presents a mismatch already as a rookie. He also allows the team to utilize more heavy sets which should further improve their running game.
On top of all of this, the Steelers traded back in the third round and recouped the fourth-round pick that they gave up in the Jones grade. That was just the cherry on top of the impressive value that Washington already presented. You could make an argument for a few names, but Washington has to be viewed as the best value pick in this class.
Steelers most likely to fail: LB Nick Herbig
With the dust of the draft having settled, my least favorite pick has become Nick Herbig. That alone is a testament to the strength of this class, as Herbig seems like a safe bet to be, at least, an impact special teams’ player, but I’m not confident in his ability to translate that skill onto the defense.
The Steelers seem content at starting Herbig out as an edge, given the fact that he played there while at Wisconsin to good success. He is a fine technician as a pass rusher, but he lacks the size you want in a pass rusher. Specifically, his length is concerning, as he has extremely short arms and struggled to make an impact when faced off against tackles with longer arms.
I believe that Herbig can become a competent off-ball linebacker, and that would be great value in the fourth round. Starting him off as an edge rusher will delay that transition though, and it could set Herbig back as a defensive player.
If Pittsburgh said they were planning on using Herbig as an off-ball linebacker right away, I would be all for it. The team seemingly wants to keep him at edge initially, and I think that could lead to him being a below-average defensive player for a while. Unless the focus is shifting his position, I find the Herbig pick the hardest one to get behind.
Steelers most likely to succeed: Keeanu Benton
Any of the Steelers first four picks could realistically hold this spot, but in terms of earliest success, Keeanu Benton figures to be an impact player early and often. He is the most pro-ready prospect, has an instant role as the nose tackle for this team, and was a proven run defender in school and should have an impact there right away.
Unless an injury pops up, Benton should be in line to play 30-40 percent of the defensive snaps right away. He will need to sharpen his skills as a pass rusher if he wants to have more of a role elsewhere on the line, but I expect him to stand out early with consistent plays in run defense.
On the flip side of things, I also expect the rest of the day two picks to have plenty of inconsistencies early on. Jones will see early snaps at left tackle, and while he can be an absolute mauler, he will likely be inconsistent early on. The same goes for Porter, and I’m not confident he can play in every system right now.
Benton should be a stable defender early and could even surprise if his pass rushing improves sooner than expected. Because of this, I expect him to be the instant star of this group. While the likes of Jones, Porter, and even Washington could surpass him, Benton has an inside track of being a successful pick from this draft.
The Steelers landed quite the haul in the draft, and handing out superlatives was difficult because of it. That said, these seemed like the best ones I could come up with, and frankly, it was hard to hand out negative awards.