The Pittsburgh Steelers’ 2023 NFL Draft class continues to earn praise from around the NFL, and this week, CBS Sports named it the fifth-best class from last year’s annual league selection.
Chris Trapasso of CBS Sports ranked the Steelers behind the Houston Texans, Green Bay Packers, Los Angeles Rams and Detroit Lions as having the fifth-best class, citing a lack of true star power but a solid group of immediate contributors.
By the end of the season, first-round pick right tackle Broderick Jones, second-round pick outside cornerback Joey Porter Jr. and second-round pick nose tackle Keeanu Benton had all become starters. Third-round pick tight end Darnell Washington and fourth-round pick edge rusher Nick Herbig were key rotational players. Only seventh-round cornerback Cory Trice Jr., who was lost for the season to a knee injury, and seventh-round reserve offensive lineman Spencer Anderson were not immediate contributors.
“No one was downright sensational from the Steelers 2023 rookie group, yet Porter Jr. settled into somewhat of a lockdown role as he was provided a full-time role on the boundary,” Trapasso wrote. “Jones was up and down but flashed as a run blocker. Actually, there’s a case to be made that Benton, the [third] pick from Wisconsin, was the most consistent contributor from start to finish. And Herbig flashed around the corner in a limited role.”
According to Pro Football Reference’s weighted approximate value statistic, Jones was the highest-rated Steelers draft pick, tied for 34th overall. But Porter and Benton were tied for 44th, giving the Steelers three players in the top 50.
Steelers president Art Rooney II said earlier this offseason that the team’s strong rookie class in Omar Khan’s first season as general manager is one of his major sources of optimism for the team moving forward.
“I think it is fair to say that I do feel we are closer this year, at this stage of the game, than we were at this point last year,” Rooney said. “As I mentioned, I thought we had a really solid rookie class. We had a few guys that really stepped in and are solid starters for the future. …
“I think Omar and his team have done a good job. I think we had a good draft last year and found some key players that hopefully will be in key spots for us for a long time to come.”
