Steelers' Biggest Needs on Early 2023 NFL Draft Big Board
The Pittsburgh Steelers are riding high after their upset win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but that victory may be an exception to the team's overall trend of results in 2022.
The Steelers come into Week 7 with a 2-4 record that has the potential to drop to 2-6 fast, with road games upcoming against the Miami Dolphins and Philadelphia Eagles.
Mike Tomlin and his staff may end up more focused on potential top-10 picks in the 2023 NFL draft rather than the postseason race come December.
Pittsburgh already has its franchise quarterback in Kenny Pickett, so drafting a first-round signal-caller should be off the table.
That should allow the team to focus on some of the top defensive prospects in college football to shore up the other side of the ball with young talent.
Pittsburgh could always look at the offensive skill positions in the first round, but adding new faces on defense will likely be the goal come April.
Edge-Rusher
The Steelers have the potential to find a young complement to T.J. Watt, or even his eventual successor in the first round of the 2023 NFL draft.
Alabama's Will Anderson Jr. will be the primary defensive target of any team not in need of a quarterback. He may finish the draft season as the No. 1 overall prospect and projected No. 1 overall pick.
If the Steelers land inside the top five, the 21-year-old should be their first target and edge-rusher should be the position they hone in on.
Clemson's Myles Murphy is the other elite edge-rusher who could be targeted in the top 10. A few more names should emerge as the evaluations happen in the offseason.
Pittsburgh needs a dominant edge-rusher in the first round to add to the pass rush or an elite player in that spot for when Watt goes down injured.
If the draft order shakes out where Anderson or Murphy is not available to the Steelers, they could look to improve the positions around the other cornerstone of their defense.
Cornerback
Pittsburgh could make a sentimental selection while also filling a need in April.
Penn State cornerback Joey Porter Jr. is the son of Steelers legend Joey Porter and one of the top defensive backs in the draft class.
Porter Jr. has 10 passes defended through six games in 2022 for the Nittany Lions and nine passes defended in his first three seasons.
The Steelers could use a young cornerback to complement Minkah Fitzpatrick in the secondary,
Like Watt, Fitzpatrick will be around for the long haul in Pittsburgh and it would be wise of the franchise to find more help for him in the back layer of defense.
Georgia's Kelee Ringo is one of the other elite cornerbacks who should be mentioned in the top-10 conversation come draft season.
If the Steelers are in a position to draft Porter, they could bring in a fierce defender and keep the franchise tradition within the family of one of their former players.
Offensive Line
The Steelers could wait to address their defensive needs and find extra protection for Kenny Pickett in the first round next year.
Pittsburgh's offensive line has held up well over six games, allowing just 13 sacks of Pickett and Mitch Trubisky.
The front office could look to an elite offensive line prospect to keep those numbers low as the rookie QB works his way into becoming a solid player in the NFL.
Northwestern's Peter Skoronski and Paris Johnson Jr. of Ohio State are among the early names who can be considered in the offensive-line discussion.
The draft market for offensive linemen will likely take a better shape in the offseason because some of the best players at that position may be stuck on average or bad teams in college football.
Four offensive linemen have landed inside the top 10 in the last two drafts, and that number could rise if Pittsburgh, Arizona, Philadelphia (by way of New Orleans) and Jacksonville find themselves in the early part of the talent grab.