The 2023 NFL Draft is just around the corner, and fans around the league are hoping their team loads up on talent this April that will help them in the future. The Pittsburgh Steelers may have found some promising players in the 2022 draft, but a questionable stretch late in Kevin Colbert's career as general manager leaves them a bit thin on talent and depth with respect to the rest of the league.
Each year, all 32 NFL teams start with a standard seven draft choices (one per round) but trades and the compensatory formula reshape that number. Additionally, teams are occasionally penalized (like the Miami Dolphins were for tampering this year) and lose draft choices.
So how many total selections are in the 2023 NFL Draft and how many do the Steelers own? Here's everything you need to know.
How many picks do the Steelers have in the 2023 NFL Draft?
The Pittsburgh Steelers hold seven selections in the 2023 NFL Draft. However, not all of them are their original picks. Pittsburgh no longer has a fifth or sixth-round selection this year after packaging those picks in trades. Fortunately, they do own Chicago's original second-round pick following the Chase Claypool trade. They also swapped late-round picks with the Vikings.
- Round 1, 17th overall
- Round 2, 32nd overall
- Round 2, 49th overall
- Round 3, 80th overall
- Round 4, 120th overall
- Round 7, 234th overall
- Round 7, 241st overall
The 32nd overall selection should prove to be a valuable draft choice for Pittsburgh. Despite being labeled as pick 32, this doesn't come with the fifth-year option that first-rounders have. However, as the top pick in the second round, the Steelers will have an entire day after to field offers for the pick as they could look to move back and stockpile more draft capital.
How many picks are there in total in the 2023 NFL Draft:
In the late 1960s and 1970s, NFL Drafts were 17 rounds long and consisted of as many as 487 total picks. Needless to say, a lot has changed since then. This year, the 2023 NFL Draft will consist of 259 total selections after factoring in compensatory picks.
Unlike most years, there are only 31 total selections in the first round as the Dolphins were forced to forfeit what would have been the 21st overall pick for tampering, per NFL.com. The NFL Draft kicks off on Thursday, April 27th, and runs through Saturday, April 29th