The Steelers have assembled the greatest draft class ever.
The Steelers went 4-for-4 with amazing draft selections across the first three rounds of the 2024 NFL Draft, and they didn’t have to trade up for any of them thanks to a combination of excellent drafting, good fortune, and the football gods smiling upon them.
Troy Fautanu, an offensive tackle for Washington, was defeated by Pittsburgh at position 20 in the first round. In the second round, Zach Frazier, a center from West Virginia, was waiting at number 51. Roman Wilson, a wide receiver from Michigan, was selected by the Steelers at number 84 after sliding out of the second round and into the middle of the third. Ultimately, the Steelers concluded the first two days of the NFL Draft with a possible all-time draft class when North Carolina State’s Payton Wilson, widely regarded as the class’s best linebacker, dropped all the way to No. 98.
The Steelers’ offensive line used to look like this not too long ago:
LT: Dan Moore
Kevin Dotson, LG
Mason Cole, C
RG: Daniel James
Retweet Chuks Okorafor
And that’s not even taking into account the addition of Trai Turner and Kendrick Green in 2021. After a major redesign, the offensive line now looks like this:
LT: Jones Broderick
LG: Isaac Seumalo
C: Zachary Frazier
RG: Daniel James
RT: Troy Fautanu
I think Omar Khan should get a lot of credit for tidying up after Kevin Colbert.
With their first four picks, Pittsburgh not only fully overhauled the offensive line but also addressed nearly every position of need. One of the top receivers in this class, Roman Wilson can play both slot and boundary football. Recall that Justin Jefferson was a slot receiver, so many people thought he wouldn’t be able to play outside, which raised the most doubts about him when he left LSU. Wilson possesses the equipment and ability set to be the Steelers’ boundary receiver opposite George Pickens, however that doesn’t mean he will be Justin Jefferson.
I never would have thought that the Steelers would be interested in Payton Wilson. With little doubt, he was the best linebacker available in this draft class. Given that he had a history of knee problems throughout college, it is clear that his injury history contributed to his fall. But last season, with three interceptions and a passer rating of less than fifty, he was the finest covering linebacker in the country.
The Steelers added a high-end versatile receiver in Roman Wilson, a top linebacker in Payton Wilson, a versatile and dependable center in Frazier, and a consensus top-10 player in tackle Fauatnu. This draft class will go down as one of the greatest in Steelers history if all four players play up to their full potential.
