It's no secret that the Pittsburgh Steelers have put together one of the most exciting offseasons in recent history. Between strong free agency moves and a talented draft class, people can't get enough of the new and improved Steelers. After giving them a B- in 2022, Chris Trapasso of CBS graded the Steelers' 2023 Draft an A-, even referring to it as the best 2023 draft class.
GENE J. PUSKAR / ASSOCIATED PRESS
Omar Khan, Mike Tomlin and Art Rooney II pose for a photo with the Steelers' 2023 first-round pick, Broderick Jones.
While Other Teams Were Playing Checkers, Steelers' Omar Khan Was Playing Chess
Mainly to credit for all of this excitement is General Manager Omar Khan. Khan sat behind former GM Kevin Colbert for a year and learned the ropes before taking over. Khan had a lot to prove and big shoes to fill, but before anyone had time to worry, he made an instant splash. The offseason was spent making smart and affordable moves to fill gaps in the roster.
Khan bolstered the offensive line with players like Nate Herbig and Isaac Seumalo, while also prioritizing the need for a veteran cornerback in Patrick Peterson. Then came draft night, and Khan became a local hero after drafting Broderick Jones, Joey Porter Jr, Keeanu Benton and Darnell Washington in the first three rounds.
Kyle Nelson/ Post-Gazette
Though critics have been raving, it appears not everyone was impressed. Danny Parkins, the co-host of the Parkins & Spiegel Show on Chicago's 670 The Score, has a podcast of his own: 1st And Pod With Danny Parkins and Andrew Fillipponi. Accompanied by Fillipponi, the two release weekly episodes talking all things NFL. Friday, the duo ranked all 32 NFL teams following the 2023 NFL Draft. In the episode titled Post Draft Power Rankings, the Steelers were absolutely disrespected.
"Alright, three straight AFC teams: Patriots, Steelers, Titans. 25, 26, 27. Your team sucks man, sorry," Parkins stated.
Fillipponi replied to the laughable take, calling it "massively disrespectful" and a "ridiculous ranking."
"Pickett threw one interception the entire second half of the year. If they hadn't rushed him in at halftime, if he had actually started from the bye week on and put up those numbers, people would have a much higher opinion of him. But he had to start his career by going to places like Buffalo and Philadelphia and playing Cincinnati at home," the Pittsburgh sports enthusiast stated.
Ultimately, there was truth to the fact that Parkins can't stand Pittsburgh's ability to throw together winning seasons, even when the team is far from Super Bowl caliber. It is true and has become Tomlin's claim to fame that the Steelers can put together a winning season in situations where other teams wouldn't be able to. How it happens, we don't know. Even with the Mason Rudolph and Devlin Hodges duo running the show in 2019, Steel City went 8-8.
AP Photo/Barry Reeger
Why The Steelers Are Far From #26
Though it may go without saying, the Steelers don't deserve this slander. With a rookie quarterback being thrown in the mix with zero first-team reps and TJ Watt unable to play fully healed all season, the Steelers were still able to go 9-8 and were in playoff contention up until the very end. Now with a revamped offensive line, a healthy Watt and a confident second-year quarterback in Pickett, 9-8 seems like the worst-case scenario.
Whether you like it or not, the Steelers are not a team that you can just automatically rule out. Here at SteelerNation, we're excited for the future of Steel City.
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