5 Things to Watch For: Steelers 2023 Draft

Story by Yinzer Crazy Contributor Anthony DiCerbo. Follow him on Twitter @SnarfVenom

Every year countless hours are dedicated to trying to predict the outcome of the NFL draft, and every year the effort is in vain. 

This year is especially unpredictable. The Steelers find themselves in a situation that they haven’t been in for quite a while now. A young quarterback on a rookie contract and a new general manager hitting the scouting trail for the first time as the man in charge makes the process especially difficult this year. 

Instead of trying to pinpoint the minute details of a draft class, I am going to take some time to point out some things to watch for this year. 

1. The Steelers draft a receiver in their first three picks 

This is bound to be an unpopular scenario in the minds of many Steelers fans, but I don’t think it is one that is all too unrealistic. This year’s draft class has a nice pool of receiver talent, and the Steelers have a serious lack of proven options outside of Diontae Johnson and George Pickens. 

In the first round, should he be available when the Steelers pick, I would have zero problems adding a player like Jaxon Smith-Njigba to the Steelers offense. When things are all said and done I think he ends up being the best receiver in the class, and there is an outside chance he is there when the Steelers are picking. 

Other names to watch include Jordan Addison, Zay Flowers, Josh Downs, and Jaylin Hyatt. 

Adding any of those names would give Kenny Pickett and the Steelers offense another degree of difficulty to defend, something that this team desperately needs going into next season. 

2. Trades! Up or down! 

The Steelers have never tended to be one of the more active players on the trade market, but that is something that Omar Khan has already played around with. Prior to the season starting Khan (and Kevin Colbert) traded for Jesse Davis and Malik Reed. Later on, flipping Chase Claypool to the Bears as well. It is safe to say that the success of those moves varies, but it shows that Omar Khan is not afraid to pull the trigger on a move. 

If the Steelers are looking to trade up, doing so in the first round makes far and away the most sense. If Paris Johnson Jr., Peter Skoronski, or any of the top corners begin to take a slide it would make plenty of sense for the Steelers to move up and get their guy. In what is seeming to be a quarterback crowded top ten it is certainly possible one of those guys falls into the double digits. 

Moving down is another possibility, especially with the team having two second-round picks, but none in rounds 5-6. Moving down from pick 32 or 49 and adding another mid-round pick wouldn’t be a bad deal, especially if they are only moving down a couple of picks. 

3. One of the no-brainer pre-draft needs is ignored 

It feels like this happens in just about every draft, but I’m just going to go ahead and prepare you for it now. Between OT, ILB, and CB one of them is bound to fall by the wayside and probably cause a large amount of panic too. 

If I had to guess, I would go with the tackle position getting the silent treatment in Kansas City this year. To the dismay of many, I get the feeling that the team has some level of comfort with Chuks and Dan Moore Jr. as the pairing for this year. 

I don’t completely agree or disagree with that sentiment. I’m hesitant to throw in the towel on Dan Moore, and I don’t think Chuks is a bad player, but at the same time, I can see an opportunity to upgrade at the position in this year’s draft. I will say I’m a bit curious to see what the play of the group looks like with another full season with Pat Meyer and the addition of Isaac Seumalo.

Looking at the free agency moves there has been an effort to improve the offensive line, but it comes from the interior, not the tackle position. No matter the position it would not shock me if one of those big three doesn’t get an investment in this draft. 

4. The Steelers draft a position you forgot all about 

Going into the draft it feels like the needs for the Steelers are pretty clear-cut, but there will be a pick that is puzzling until you think more about it. Likely this pick would look at OLB, RB, or TE in the middle rounds of the draft. None of those positions really scream major need, but I think they all qualify as needing some love. 

As of writing Benny Snell and Zach Gentry remain unsigned, leaving the depth at those positions thin at best. Last year’s third OLB has already skipped town, making it a much bigger need than some may realize. The addition of Quincy Roche is nice, but I’m nowhere near ready to pencil him back into a roster spot.

With tight end and running back, the Steelers were incredibly fortunate to avoid injury last year, and while the positions feel solid at the top two spots, one injury can throw that feeling out the window. 

Adding some more bodies and some more talent at these positions shouldn’t come as a surprise come draft time but with people hyper-fixating on other positions of need they may find themselves surprised when one of these positions is picked instead. 

5. The Steelers sign a priority UDFA 

After the draft ends most teams become aggressive on the UDFA market, offering some serious money for some of the bigger names that don’t hear their names called. 

For some time now that hasn’t really been the Steelers way of doing things. It hasn’t exactly ruined the Steelers chances of finding some gems, like Jaylen Warren for example, but it doesn’t exactly boost them either. 

Omar Khan has already shaken some of the expectations that fans have of the Steelers in the offseason, so it is certainly possible this is just the next one to fall. It is important to remember that Khan didn’t take over until after the draft last year so this will really be his first chance to do things his way.

Quarterback is a position to watch for in the UDFA market for Pittsburgh. Last year the team reached on Chris Oladokun in the 7th just to go into camp with four quarterbacks. This year there are only two in the fold, so if there is a player they think they can develop into a backup I wouldn’t be shocked to see them give out more money than usual to get the deal done. 

Conclusion 

The draft is always incredibly unpredictable, and putting a franchise in an unfamiliar situation with a new general manager doesn’t make the guessing game any easier. 

There are some generalized predictions to watch out for, and they don’t always line up with the expectations of many Steelers fans. 

With all that being said it would not surprise me to look back on this list in the summer and see one or two of these predictions coming to fruition.