Like kids on Christmas Eve, NFL fans eagerly await the start of the 2024 NFL Draft. Specifically, Pittsburgh Steelers fans can’t wait to see who their team will select with the 20th overall pick.
You can almost bank on some first-round picks, like Caleb Williams going to the Bears with the first overall pick. Other teams, like the Steelers, are about as predictable as spring weather in the Midwest. In short, no one outside the Steelers organization has a definitive idea as to who the team will select in the first round.
That may be true, but it’s relatively easy to determine who the Steelers likely have their sights set on. Let’s start by looking at the team’s positions of greatest need: receiver, offensive line and cornerback. It’s a safe bet that the Steelers will select a player who plays one of these three positions.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at the Steelers’ top five draft prospects, relative to where Pittsburgh is drafted in the first round.
No position on the Steelers roster needs an upgrade more than receiver. In Thomas, the Steelers would get a 6-foot-5 playmaker who could stretch the field for new quarterback Russell Wilson. Thomas – who caught 17 touchdowns and averaged 17.3 yards per catch in his final season at LSU – would also help open up more ground for No. 1 George Pickens.
Thomas, CBS Sports’ fourth-best prospect at receiver, should be available when Pittsburgh is on the clock unless the Indianapolis Colts decide to snatch him with the 15th overall pick.
Center is another position Pittsburgh needs to address. After trying to make do with veterans and lower draft picks over the past few years, it’s time for the Steelers to invest in a center who could develop into a quality starter in the long term.
Powers-Johnson is clearly the highest-ranked center prospect in the draft. Last fall, he became the first Pac-12 player to win the Rimington Trophy as the nation’s top center. In addition to leading all FBS centers in run blocking (per Pro Football Focus), Powers-Johnson allowed just one pressure and no sacks in 471 pass blocking opportunities.
Offensive tackles in the first round are kind of a crapshoot at this point. Although Joe Alt is the consensus top prospect, no one really knows who will be selected immediately after him.
Fuaga, an extremely physical player who excels in the running game, is largely expected to go off the board when the Steelers draft. But given the current position uncertainty regarding the draft, there’s certainly a chance the former Oregon State star player is still on the board. If he is, don’t be surprised if the Steelers pull the trigger.
Of the offensive tackles expected to be available when Pittsburgh is on the clock, Barton appears to be the safest choice.
The 6’5 Barton played in a ton of games at Duke. In four years, Barton made 39 starts in 40 games, including at offensive tackle and center. Barton has a lot of upside, but like all prospects, there are question marks. With Barton, it’s a susceptibility to swimming movements and a late recognition of outside blitzes. Fortunately for Baton, he would have the luxury of starting his NFL career behind starters Dan Moore Jr. and Broderick Jones if he were drafted by Pittsburgh.
DeJean is an interesting prospect. He came to Iowa as a safety, but quickly moved to cornerback after injuries piled up at that position. DeJean became a Ballhawk cornerback who had a pair of pick-sixes during the 2022 season.
Despite his success, some wonder if DeJean would be better suited to play safety in the NFL. To his credit, DeJean – a high-achieving multi-sport athlete who was a starting quarterback on two state championship teams in high school – is open to playing either position.
“Really, wherever the team needs me, wherever they see me, wherever they think I can have the most impact on the game,” DeJean said recently. in an interview with CBS Sports. “Whatever position I play, I’m ready to do it. Obviously I played corner for most of my college career, but I feel like there are multiple positions in a defense that I can play. I just want to trust the coaches that I’ve been doing it for a long time and try to make an impact wherever they put me.