Pittsburgh Steelers Receive Extremely High Grades For Their Outstanding 2023 Draft Class

The 2023 NFL Draft is finally in the books and the Pittsburgh Steelers pulled off one of the most thrilling weekends in recent memory. The dynamic duo of General Manager Omar Khan and Assistant General Manager, Andy Weidl had high expectations for their first draft together and it's pretty safe to say that those were knocked out of the park. Pro Football Focus compiled a complete draft breakdown of every team around the league and the Steelers were one of only five teams to receive an A+ grade overall.

The board seemed to fall in favor of the Steelers over the course of the entire weekend., Let's take a look at every selection the team made and what kind of impact we can expect from them for 2023 and beyond.

How Would You Grade The Steelers' 2023 Draft Class?

1st Round, #14 Overall - OT Broderick Jones, Georgia 

The first round on Thursday night started off with a bang for the black and gold when the team chose to trade up for offensive tackle, Broderick Jones. Left tackle was a major positional need for the team and Jones was the final name available in that top tier of prospects with Paris Johnson Jr., Darnell Wright, and Peter Skoronski all going a little earlier

Pittsburgh was sitting with the 17th pick, but with the New York Jets sitting at #15, who also were desperate for an offensive tackle, the team made a call. Khan got the New England Patriots on the phone and ended up trading away the 17th and the team's 4th round pick (#120) to move up to #14 and select Jones. 

The former National Champion with the Georgia Bulldogs is just that: a DAWG. Jones is coming in prepared to continue that winning mentality and will look to become a focal point of the "Pickett Fence" up front for years to come. 

2nd Round, #32 Overall - CB Joey Porter Jr., Penn State 

The Steelers had the first overall selection to kick off the second round thanks to the Chicago Bears. After dozens of rumors regarding what the team would do with the pick, the organization went with the most obvious choice of the entire draft and selected Joey Porter Jr. This match was just destined to become a reality. Several teams were seemingly on the phone with Pittsburgh trying to trade up for this pick, but with Porter Jr. still available after the first round was complete, the team decided to stay put.

Similar to Jones, Porter Jr. comes in to fill one of the team's other glaring needs entering the draft. He'll look to make an immediate impact on what has already shaped up to be a hardnosed Steelers defense. 

The cornerback room took a big hit after losing Cameron Sutton in free agency back in March, but with the addition of former All-Pro Patrick Peterson and now Porter Jr., there's still plenty to be excited about with this newl-ook Steelers secondary. 

2nd Round, #49 Overall - DT Keeanu Benton, Wisconsin 

Pittsburgh dove right back into their Wisconsin roots, drafting with the selection of Keeanu Benton. The two-time All-Big Ten selection comes into the fold with plenty of experience under his belt and looks to bring some extra youth to the team's defensive front. Benton will seemingly begin his NFL career at nose tackle, which is where he primarily was lined up for the Badgers. 

Along with both Jones and Porter Jr., Benton was a guy that the Steelers showed plenty of interest in during the pre-draft process. Here is a portion of what Steelers Defensive Coordinator, Teryl Austin had to say once the Benton selection was final. 

"For a big guy you will see him venture outside the box, chasing things down. He's got a good motor. You can see he's in really good shape when he plays. He plays a lot of snaps. He is an 80-85% guy. He keeps himself in really good shape, really competitive spirit."

3rd Round, #93 Overall - TE Darnell Washington, Georgia 

It was tough to imagine this draft going any better and then Darnell Washington just kept falling. The Steelers originally had the 80th overall pick in the third round, but moved back thirteen spots in a trade with the Carolina Panthers. In exchange, the team received the 93rd pick, as well as the 132nd pick in the forth round. This trade helped the Steelers get back into the fourth round after trading their own pick to the Patriots in the early move for Jones.

The Steelers went back to the Bulldogs and added an absolute tank for the offense. Washington stands at 6'7" and 264 pounds. He will be the perfect compliment to Pat Freiermuth in the tight end room. When Washington is on the field, it'll essentially be like adding an extra offensive lineman to the front. With his size, Washington is truly a jack of all trades at the position. He can line up as that extra lineman and excel as a run blocker. In the passing game, he'll be a mismatch for almost any linebacker that attempts to cover him one-on-one. 

Washington was a name that many were looking for the team to select in the second round, but to everyone's surprise, he just continued to fall down the board. However, there seems to be nothing to worry about. In the moment, no one knew why Washington was falling so far. Once his name was finally called, Washington addressed the media and this is what he had to say regarding possible medical concerns. 

"I had no injuries with my knees, never. Knock on wood. I never tore anything in the knees, anything like that. I only had a knee surgery on the right knee, but that was just cartilage flared up. If anything, teams might be concerned about potential knee swelling because of his height and size. But said he hasn't had any knee injuries: "No break, no fracture, nothing."

4th Round, #132 Overall - OLB Nick Herbig, Wisconsin 

In this world nothing, can be said to be certain except death, taxes and the Steelers bringing in siblings to play together. The team had shown interest in edge rusher, Nick Herbig already, but once they had signed his older brother, Nate Herbig last month in free agency, Nick's fate was all but sealed. 

Herbig is on the smaller side when it comes to your average NFL edge rusher, but where he lacks in that, he makes up for in his speed and athleticism. He'll come into this Steelers' defense as the third outside linebacker in rotation behind solidified starters, TJ Watt and Alex Highsmith. Expect Herbig to learn a lot from those two in his rookie season as he polishes his technique and continues to fill out his frame for the NFL level. 

7th Round, #241 Overall - CB Cory Trice Jr., Purdue 

With the Steelers' first selection in the seventh round the, team decided to double down on the cornerback position and select fifth-year senior Cory Trice Jr. The former Boilermaker began his college career at safety, but quickly transitioned to an outside defensive back after his freshman season. 

After the selections of both Porter Jr. and Trice Jr., the Steelers clearly value size above anything else. Trice Jr. has great length and has all the ball skills to go along with it in order to compete with a cornerback room that now consists of veterans Levi Wallace, Ahkello Witherspoon, James Pierre and Patrick Peterson. Not to mention, former Minnesota Vikings slot cornerback Chandon Sullivan, who the team signed during the draft as well. 

The team did everything they could to fill out the position. Trice Jr. will have to hit the ground running in order to compete for snaps heading into training camp. 

7th Round, #251 Overall - OG Spencer Anderson, Maryland 

The Steelers kicked off the draft with a focus on the offensive line and they ended the draft in the same fashion with the selection of Spencer Anderson. The one thing that stands out about Anderson's game at the collegiant level is his versatility and experience playing several positions along the line. 

He primarily started at right guard for the Terrapins last season, but played every position up front throughout his career there, which can only help him as he transitions to the next level. 

So there you have it, a complete breakdown of the Steelers A+ rated 2023 NFL Draft. How are you feeling about this year's class? Be sure to leave a comment down below.