Steelers drop a spot in PFF's post-draft rankings despite terrific haul
The Pittsburgh Steelers knocked the 2023 NFL Draft out of the park by all accounts, making headway on a roster that had deficiencies at primary positions. So, one would assume that a team ranked 16th in the pre-draft power rankings, who nailed the draft when listening to the consensus, would improve in terms of their […]
The Pittsburgh Steelers knocked the 2023 NFL Draft out of the park by all accounts, making headway on a roster that had deficiencies at primary positions.
So, one would assume that a team ranked 16th in the pre-draft power rankings, who nailed the draft when listening to the consensus, would improve in terms of their positioning amongst other teams right?
Wrong. Let's dive into PFF's latest set of rankings, and see if we can discover how the Steelers dropped despite a fantastic final weekend in April.
The Steelers came in at 17th overall in the post-draft rankings, sandwiched between the Seahawks (16) and Packers (18). But that's not the issue. The problem is that the team was 16th in the PFF's pre-draft rankings. Here is what the PFF staff had to say about the Steelers' positioning:
Both Broderick Jones and Joey Porter Jr. should be immediate impact players, but Jones will likely have the biggest impact out of the gate given the development curves from college to the NFL for cornerbacks. Jones also replaces Dan Moore Jr. at left tackle, which should be an upgrade and continue to help Kenny Pickett develop at quarterback. Georgia tight end Darnell Washington, who Pittsburgh selected in Round 3, can effectively be used as an extra blocker and creates a dynamic tandem with Pat Freiermuth.
Wisconsin interior defender Keeanu Benton will be a great rotational piece behind Cam Heyward and Larry Ogunjobi, with the ability to clog the middle against the run and also offer some pass-rush juice from various alignments.
Perhaps the Steelers fell because PFF believes that other teams had better drafts. But when looking at their draft analysis, they received an A- grade, making the ranking even more confounding in my opinion.
Regardless, games aren't played in May, making the wait for the season ever so enticing. And if you wondering about some of the teams in front of Pittsburgh, look no further than:
- Lions (15th)
- Vikings (14th)
- Browns (10th)
I can make the argument that all three of those teams are similar or worse than the Steelers when it comes to the projection of their 2023 roster. But that's a topic for another day. For now, the Steelers can keep adding motivation to their offseason workouts.
