We are still more than four months away from the 2024 NFL Draft, but fans of many teams are already looking ahead to brighter days. Though only two teams have officially been eliminated from playoff contention this year (the Panthers and Patriots), there are plenty of other teams that don't stand a realistic shot of getting back into the postseason discussion.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are in an interesting predicament. Mike Tomlin's team currently boasts a 7-6 record -- even after dropping two straight games to bad teams like the Cardinals and Patriots. The Steelers somehow still sit on the 6th seed in the AFC and would play on the road against the Chiefs in the Wild Card round if the season ended today.
Unfortunately, this team doesn't come close to passing the eye test, and the collection of their statistics suggests that they should probably be a 4 or 5-win team at this point. Because of this, there are plenty of fans who would rather see real change for the future over a naive shot of making a playoff push.
As of now, the Steelers aren't picking nearly early enough in the 2024 NFL Draft based on how their performance has been this season. Here's where each team would be selecting if the 2023 season ended today, according to Tankathon.com.
NFL Draft order if 2023 season ended before Week 15:
- Chicago Bears (via CAR)
- New England Patriots
- Arizona Cardinals
- Washington Commanders
- Chicago Bears
- Las Vegas Raiders
- New York Jets
- New York Giants
- Tennessee Titans
- L.A. Chargers
- Atlanta Falcons
- New Orleans Saints
- Seattle Seahawks
- L.A. Rams
- Denver Broncos
- Houston Texans
- Buffalo Bills
- Cincinnati Bengals
- Green Bay Packers
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Indianapolis Colt
- Minnesota Vikings
- Pittsburgh Steelers
- Cleveland Browns
- Kansas City Chiefs
- Jacksonville Jaguars
- Detroit Tigers
- Philadelphia Eagles
- Miami Dolphins
- Dallas Cowboys
- San Francisco 49ers
- Baltimore Ravens
Prior to Week 15, the Chicago Bears are in a position to potentially hit the reset button on their franchise, as they would possess two top-5 picks if the season ended today. Trading with the Panthers ahead of the 2023 draft is looking better by the minute, and they are likely to end up with the first overall pick as a result.
Surprisingly, the Baltimore Ravens would be rounding out the first round if the season ended today. This is based on their overall record and conference record (though they aren't the most likely team to win the Super Bowl this year).
Meanwhile, the Pittsburgh Steelers would own the 23rd overall pick if the season ended ahead of Week 15. Last year, GMs Omar Khan and Andy Weidl managed an impressive draft haul, but it might be a bit more difficult to do so if they are selecting this late in April. With 6 teams in the AFC currently tied with a 7-6 record, we could potentially see a big shift in draft positioning following the results of games this weekend.
Truthfully, this team could greatly benefit from a high draft selection, as they have plenty of gaping holes on the roster that need a massive talent upgrade. We will see how things play out for Pittsburgh down the stretch.