We Won the Draft, Yinz
I know I’m a little biased, but I just don’t see how the 2024 NFL Draft could’ve gone any better for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Coming into the draft, the Steelers’ biggest needs were center, offensive tackle, and wide receiver. Some will argue DB as well. It was well documented, however, that the Steelers needed to improve along their offensive line, and they got two of the best guys in the draft at tackle and center in Troy Fautanu and Zach Frazier, respectively. There was speculation that Fautanu would move inside in the NFL, but if you take a look at the Steelers’ depth chart, he figures to start at LT for us, where he started all year for Washington in 2023. There could still be some VERY minor growing pains with him at LT, because Michael Penix, Washington's QB in 2023, is a lefty, so Fautanu will now be protecting the blind side for Russell Wilson and/or Justin Fields. Still, his job will still largely be the same, and he seems set to make an immediate impact for the Steelers.
Frazier at center is just a solid pick by all accounts. Graham Barton was touted by many as the best center in the draft by many, myself included, but the way the Steelers navigated the draft, hanging back and taking their needs as they fell to them resulted in them landing Fautanu, rather than reaching early for Barton and potentially blowing up the need for additional o-line help in the second round. Barton may be more athletic than Frazier, but with Frazier’s wrestling background, his strong bottom half, and his elite hand usage, he’ll have an immediate impact in both creating holes for runners and in pass protection. Two immediate starters on the offensive line are better than just one who’s a little more athletic. The Steelers did the right thing, and I’m over the moon about it.
I think the most common criticism of our picks this year, something I talked about over the weekend, has been: “wE sHoUlD’vE tAkEn A dB eArLiEr.”
Sit dahn and relax. The Steelers got excellent value in the sixth round in Ryan Watts, DB from Texas. With that being said, allow me to temper your expectations. He definitely has the talent to make the team. I would expect his first few games to be as a special teamer, where I think he’ll make a significant impact. He has the strength and angry play style to be extremely effective as a safety, specifically in the box to stop the run. I also envision him taking some snaps at slot corner, specifically opposite tight ends, as he has the length to contest throws and the strength to bring them down. Having said all of that, don’t expect him to take the field in week one and be effective lining up opposite a guy like CeeDee Lamb. He will get cooked, especially on intermediate and long routes. He has the ball skills, but he’s simply not disciplined enough to cover elite route runners or long-ball speedsters. And, quite frankly, we don’t need him to be. Rush, Trice, and Jackson all have some years ahead of them, and Ryan Watts will be a nice piece of depth behind them, provided he isn’t moved to safety, which could certainly happen.
Look, draft grades don’t mean shit at the end of the day. Nobody knows what a guy’s transition into the NFL is going to be like until it happens. They could all be Hall of Famers, and they could all be busts. I’m gonna steal a word from the best coach in football, Mike Tomlin: teams draft guys based on ‘pedigree’. I spoke of value when talking about Watts, but there’s value across the board in this draft; that’s what makes the job Omar Khan and Mike Tomlin did this year so special. I would argue that EVERY SINGLE PICK they made, besides the Logan Lee pick, should’ve been off the board before we got them. It was a masterclass in patience by Pittsburgh this year. And, for us, the Logan Lee pick was still awesome because he’s a 5-technique guy, which means no matter which side he ends up lining up on, he’s going to have either TJ Watt or Alex Highsmith next to him. If he’s even a fraction of a decent player, he should be able to make an impact almost immediately.
So, with all that being said, the Steelers get an A+ for this draft. I’m not the only one who thinks so, either. I’d like to link to some uber-reputable source that said the same thing, but there’s too many of them. Just google ‘2024 NFL Draft grades’, and you’ll see that it’s pretty universally recognized that the Steelers did their THING last week.
Now, it’s time to move on. We’ve got some good shit coming up too. There’s Bryant McFadden’s tweet/x post the other day that insinuated there’s a trade for a playmaker that’s coming up. May 2nd is the deadline for the Steelers to pick up Najee Harris’ fifth-year option, so I’ll certainly be glued to my phone that day. Then, we’re on to OTAs and training camp over the summer. I’ll be all over that, and I’ll be heading to Pittsburgh to attend training camp for the first time; something I’m extremely excited about.
The Steelers are in the kitchen. We could make some damn noise this year. I feel it. I love it. This is what it’s all about!
Here. We. Go.
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