And just like that, the 2023 NFL Draft is in the books. Per usual, it was a wild and unexpected ride, starting with all the Round 1 action. Day 2 and Day 3 delivered surprises of their own. Some teams capitalized on the opportunity, while others came up short. Let’s take a look at the 2023 NFL Draft recap, analysis, and grades for the Pittsburgh Steelers. NFL Draft analysts Andrew Erickson and Thor Nystrom combine to provide their thoughts below.
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- Thor’s Draft Grades (AFC | NFC)
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- Fitz’s Round 1 NFL Draft Picks: Dynasty Rookie Draft Outlook (Day 2 | Day 3)
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2023 NFL Draft Recap, Analysis & Grades: Pittsburgh Steelers
NFL Draft analysts Andrew Erickson and Thor Nystrom combine to provide their thoughts below.
Thor Nystrom’s Overview & Grades
Pittsburgh Steelers | Draft Grade: A+
| Pick | Team | Position | Rank | Name | School | Comp |
| 14 | Steelers | OT2 | 12 | Broderick Jones | Georgia | Tyron Smith |
| 32 | Steelers | CB2 | 8 | Joey Porter Jr. | Penn State | Sauce Gardner |
| 49 | Steelers | DL6 | 52 | Keeanu Benton | Wisconsin | Maliek Collins |
| 93 | Steelers | TE4 | 50 | Darnell Washington | Georgia | Martellus Bennett |
| 130 | Steelers | LB5 | 76 | Nick Herbig | Wisconsin | Joe Schobert |
| 241 | Steelers | CB14 | 94 | Cory Trice | Purdue | Brandon Facyson |
| 251 | Steelers | OL39 | 418 | Spencer Anderson | Maryland | Jamil Douglas |
This is how well-run organizations draft. The Steelers came into this draft needing a starting offensive tackle, a starting cornerback, and a starting nose tackle.
In Round 1, with Paris Johnson, Darnell Wright, and Peter Skoronski off the board in the first 11 picks, the Steelers got aggressive to grab the last of the consensus top-four offensive linemen in the class. Pittsburgh wisely traded No. 17 and No. 120 to the Patriots to move up to No. 14 to take OT Broderick Jones. Jones became the team’s starting left tackle the second the pick was announced.
Then, with the No. 32 pick previously acquired from the Bears in the shrewd Chase Claypool trade, the Steelers accepted the gift the NFL had handed them in taking CB Joey Porter. Porter Jr. joining his father’s organization was a fun bit of symmetry. Beyond that, it is a highway-robbery steal at a position of acute need. Porter was No. 8 on my board. Last year, he allowed only 143 receiving yards over 10 games, and his 40% forced incompletion rate led the Power 5.
Porter will start immediately and will likely be joined in the starting lineup by NT Keeanu Benton, who was taken later in the round. Pittsburgh was far from done, stealing TE Darnell Washington in Round 3, LB Nick Herbig in Round 4, and CB Cory Trice in Round 7.
Some organizations were reportedly spooked by the medicals on Washington’s foot, which he’s injured twice in the past 14 months. But at No. 93, the risk of taking him had been largely mitigated for Pittsburgh. Washington’s addition allows Pittsburgh to move into a 12-personnel bully-ball era – he’s one of the best blocking tight ends to enter the league in the past decade.
Andrew Erickson’s Overview & Grades
Pittsburgh traded up with the Patriots to draft Broderick Jones in Round 1, a savvy transaction to acquire additional protection for quarterback Kenny Pickett. The Steelers wisely moved up ahead of the Jets to grab the last tackle before the tier break at the position. Pittsburgh has tremendously improved its offensive line this offseason, as they look for their QB to take a second-year leap.
The front office also snagged another first-round talent with the 32nd overall pick in Joey Porter Jr. Not only is it perfect from a real-life perspective – like father like son — but cornerback was a must-need for the Steel Curtain. Porter Jr. was a pass-breakup machine in 2022, posting college football’s second-highest forced incompletion rate (41%).
The Steelers bolstered their defensive line with Keeanu Benton, who some pegged as a potential back-end first-round player. Benton finished 10th in PFF passing grade among his 2023 DT class, finishing 2nd in QB hits. Expect him to wreak havoc.
Tight end Darnell Washington fell into the Steelers’ laps at 90th overall, based on medical red flags. But taking on the risk of a player with first-round talent was well worth the price Mike Tomlin and co. paid to draft the Georgia product. I think his dramatic fall and landing spot behind Pat Freiermuth completely remove him from the fantasy tight end discussion, but there’s little doubt that he will help the Steelers’ real-life offense as a blocker.
The Steelers continued to kill this draft into Day 3, scooping up another insane value in the form of linebacker Nick Herbig. Herbig was more of an edge rusher than a traditional linebacker at Wisconsin, racking up the highest sack rate (6.7%) among pass rushers in the 2023 draft class per Sports Info Solutions. His 20% pressure rate ranked third and his pressure rate over expectation ranked 4th.
CB Cory Trice was also one of my favorite picks in Round 7. The 6-foot-3 and 206-pound cornerback missed 2021 with a torn ACL but came back strong with an impressive 2022 campaign. Using his size to his advantage he finished the year as PFF’s 8th-highest-graded tackling cornerback among his draft class. Trice also allowed the 11th-lowest passer rating when targeted (51.3).
FINAL DRAFT GRADE: A+
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