It's been an easy draft to follow thus far for the Pittsburgh Steelers. They had very identifiable needs at center, offensive tackle, wide receiver and cornerback. The organization managed to find a plug-and-play starter at offensive tackle with Washington's Troy Fautanu, and at center with West Virginia's Zach Frazier. From there, they added to their wide receiver room with Michigan's Roman Wilson. With many of the top cornerbacks off the board, the Steelers decided to add insurance depth at inside linebacker by selecting Payton Wilson from North Carolina State and then picked up guard Mason McCormick in round four.
MATT FREED / PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE
Steelers President Art Rooney II and General Manager Omar Khan
After drafting defensive lineman Logan Lee with the team's initial pick in the sixth round at 178th overall. Now at pick #195 in the sixth round, the team has selected Ryan Watts out of University of Texas.
With the 195th pick in the 2024 #NFLDraft, we select DB Ryan Watts. pic.twitter.com/bp7UY8MNbq
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) April 27, 2024
Fans can check off every single positional need that the Steelers had. Watts spent two seasons at Ohio State University prior to transferring to Texas. He had three collegiate interceptions to go along with five tackles for loss and one sack. The pick is reminiscent of one in 2023, when Pittsburgh picked up Cory Trice Jr. on the final day of the draft. He won't see the lineup right away, but if he develops properly, could end up being a great selection.
Questions remain at corner for the Steelers. Joey Porter Jr. is the clear-cut number one guy, but questions remain. It's possible that former third-rounder Cameron Sutton returns to bolster the unit. Patrick Peterson is also a name to look out for.
Steelers Round 3 Recap
Pick #84 / Roman Wilson: After trading away Diontae Johnson for cornerback Donte Jackson, the Steelers need for wide receiver help has been well documented. The team signed veterans Van Jefferson and Quez Watkins, but both lack the capabilities to be long-term starters opposite of George Pickens. Roman Wilson has the ability to play on the outside, and on the inside depending on the situation.
He comes from Michigan where Jim Harbaugh ran a pro-style offense that will help him adjust quickly to Arthur Smith's offense. It's likely a higher profile veteran like Courtland Sutton could still be a target for Khan and company, but the addition of Wilson at least gives them more versatility.
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Steelers' Roman Wilson yells during a game at Michigan.
Pick #98 / Payton Wilson: The big knock on Payton Wilson is injury history. Many draft pundits ranked Wilson in the top 50 or even top 40 prospects available when the draft began. Most of the concern stems from the fact that Wilson is missing an ACL in one of his knees.
Let's not forget that Steelers great Hines Ward is missing an ACL and he seemed to do just fine in the NFL. Over the past two seasons, Wilson played in 25 games, not missing any due to injury. He's a tackling machine and despite being 6'4", 233 pounds, he ran a 4.43 40 yard dash at the NFL Combine.
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Steelers linebacker Payton Wilson lays a hit during a college game
It's important to note that three out of the Steelers first four selections were players they were able to speak to at the Senior Bowl earlier this winter. While Fautanu, Frazier and Payton Wilson all came to Pittsburgh for a Top 30 visit, Roman Wilson did not. But that's because Mike Tomlin was able to speak to Roman at great lengths while he was at the Senior Bowl.
Steelers Day 3 Summary
Pick #119 / Mason McCormick: The trend of drafting big offensive lineman didn't stop heading into day three. The South Dakota product will take some time to translate to the NFL, but gives the Steelers a great depth option entering 2024. If it wasn't clear that protecting Russell Wilson and/or Justin Fields is a main priority, it sure is now. Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren are smiling from ear to ear.
Pick #178 / Logan Lee: Lee had 18.5 tackles for loss and nine sacks in his four-year career with one of the more prominent Big 10 defenses. It is yet another addition of a player that fits what the Steelers currently need. An aging defensive line led to the pick, but it had to wait until the sixth round because of several other needs on both sides of the ball. Lee is a mauler who belongs in Pittsburgh.
How do you feel about the Steelers second sixth-round pick? How do you feel about the overall trajectory of the 2024 NFL Draft? Let us know in the comments!
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