B-
Pittsburgh Steelers
A respectable, level-headed haul for the Steelers: B-.
by cpharri2 ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 11 picks
· 1 steals
· 4 reaches
Some picks age like wine; Justin Eboigbe at the 239th overall pick will need to, sitting 33 spots clear of his grade. Solid and sensible more than spectacular: a B-.
If this class has a fault line, it runs straight through interior defensive lineman. The Powers-Johnson pick is fine in a vacuum, less so with interior defensive lineman, running back and other spots still on the board.
The Ogunbiyi pick alone nudges the whole weekend up a notch.
All told, a draft that does its job without fuss, and there is real value in that.
Pick-by-Pick
In pick 18 they get a long-term starter on the line at fair value. More want than need.
They bypassed pressing needs at interior defensive lineman, running back and other spots to take Jackson Powers-Johnson, an offensive lineman that was not the priority.
Good price on Cam Hart in Round 4, Pick 10, a hair ahead of his grade with no real quibbles. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
Brenden Rice at slot 118 is a sound buy, the sort that quietly helps a class. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
A reach for James Williams in the 121st overall pick; a little patience would have been rewarded. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
They jumped the gun on Jordan Travis, taking him earlier than his grade liked. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
They paid sticker price for Jaylan Ford in pick No. 158, and that is fine. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
A reach on Darius Robinson in No. 188; the board had better options right there. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
A straight-up fair deal on Ricky Pearsall at the 196th pick, value and slot in agreement. A need, and now a little less of one.
Aki Ogunbiyi in pick 231 is a bargain the rest of the room will envy. Stacking talent where they were already deep.
Value said wait; Justin Eboigbe in the Round 7 slot says they were not listening. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.