Steelers 2024 NFL Draft Grades For Every Pick

The Steelers needed to address their offensive line, and they did so in a big way through the 2024 NFL draft. The team took one of the top four tackles on my overall draft board.

It wouldn’t have been shocking to see Fautanu go in the top 10, and he likely fell due to a combination of factors. The most concerning is his injury history, but despite some scary injuries, Fautanu was able to stay on the field and provide consistent production for his team.

The Samoan star is a terror for opponents in both pass blocking and run blocking. In pass blocking, Fautanu did an incredible job of keeping his quarterback upright. He allowed just three sacks in over 1,200 pass-blocking snaps. Protecting the quarterback is an offensive tackle’s most important job, and Fautanu excels in this rule.

What makes him special, though, is that pass blocking is not his biggest strength. Fautanu is a relentless run blocker who gets to the second level consistently and pancakes linebackers with authority. He’s proud of his nasty demeanor and finds joy in physically punishing his opponents.

Khan has made it a clear goal to get the Steelers back to their historic identity as a smashmouth football team with a physical running game that will dominate their opponents and move the ball on the ground at will while eating up clock. Traditionally, this is a recipe for success in the NFL but it requires significant investment in the offensive line.

This style of play also requires a specific demeanor from a team’s blockers, and Khan has done an excellent job of finding players who fit that role. Broderick Jones is an aggressive run blocker also, and the duo of Jones and Fautanu will bookend the Steelers line for the next decade, keeping the quarterback upright and the running back moving forward.

Grade: A-

Round 2, Pick 51: Zach Frazier, Center, West Virginia

The Steelers continued to invest in their offensive line, adding arguably the best center in the class with their second-round pick. It’s a toss-up between Frazier and Jackson Powers-Johnson as to who the best center in this class would be. JPJ was slightly higher on my draft board, but a clear argument can be made for either player. To get one of the best players at his position after the 50th overall pick is impressive work by Khan and the Steelers front office.

Mason Cole was a decent personality in the locker room and by all accounts a good teammate, but he put the team in a bad position due to poor snaps too frequently. Getting the ball to the quarterback is one of the most important jobs for a center, and Cole’s blocking provided nowhere near enough to overcome his issues snapping the ball.

Frazier does an excellent job of processing the game, calling out blitzes, and setting protection schemes for the rest of the line. Maurkice Pouncey should be a first-ballot Hall of Famer and will be a tough act to follow, but Frazier has his work cut out for him and should quickly develop into an integral member of the Steelers’ line.

Grade: A+

Round 3, Pick 84: Roman Wilson, Wide Receiver, Michigan

After trading Diontae Johnson, Pittsburgh needed to add a playmaker at the receiver position. He didn’t need to be a superstar, as George Pickens will likely serve as Pittsburgh’s WR1 for years to come.

The Steelers needed to add a player who would complement Pickens well, with the versatility to play in the slot or outside. The pick had to be an excellent route runner with reliable hands and a gritty personality who has the willingness to block. Michigan’s Roman Wilson fits that description to a tee.

Grade: A

Round 3, Pick 98: Payton Wilson, Linebacker, North Carolina State

Payton Wilson might just be the best linebacker in this year’s draft class. He fell largely due to health concerns, and with a clean bill of health would have likely been slotted into the early second round.

Wilson’s bill of health presents legitimate red flags, but when you can get a talented player at the top of his position group with close to the hundredth overall pick, you make that selection and hope for good health. It’s more likely for a talented player to have better injury luck than it is for a mid or late-round pick to develop borderline first-round skills.

Grade: B+

Round 4, Pick 119: Mason McCormick, Guard, South Dakota State

Mason McCormick is an extremely physical and aggressive blocker at the guard position. He’s an absolute road grader, and that’s what a team that likes to run the ball needs to have. McCormick might not be the most talented player, but he fits like an absolute glove on the Steelers’ roster and he’s a perfect fit for the gritty style of play the Black and Gold want to utilize.

McCormick might not be a starter in his first year, but he’s a more than serviceable rotation player from the jump who should carve out a starting role within a season two or three seasons. a roster consisting of Jones, Fautanu, Seumalo, Frazier, and McCormick has the makings of a dominant offensive line. with his physical style of play, McCormick will quickly endear himself to fans in the Steel City.

Grade: A-

Round 6, Pick 178: Logan Lee, Defensive Tackle, Iowa

Logan Lee is currently a bit light to play along the defensive line, but time in an NFL weight room and working with professional coaches on a strength development program can potentially mitigate these concerns. He probably won’t be a starter anytime soon, but Cam Heyward isn’t getting any younger, and Pittsburgh needed to add depth along the defensive line. This pick does just that.

Grade: B

Overall thoughts and final grade

Overall, Omar Khan and Company absolutely crushed this draft. This could go down as one of the better drafts in Steelers franchise history, and that is saying something with the iconic 1974 draft class, as well as classes headlined by players such as Ben Roethlisberger and TJ Watt.

They knocked their first-round pick out of the park by adding a blue-chip talent, added a star receiver on Day 2, and selected arguably the best linebacker in the entire draft.

There was a clear theme for the Steelers heading into this draft: Add nasty players along the offensive line. Pittsburgh could plausibly come away from this draft with three new starters on the line, two of whom could start during their rookie season. They also added a potential starter at receiver with star-level upside. Wilson could be a borderline WR1, and his personality will mesh well with Pickens.

Pittsburgh also added an impact player on defense and some sorely needed depth along the defensive line.

Overall grade: A