As a lead-up to the 2023 NFL draft, we’ve broken down the current depth chart of every NFL team and identified the biggest draft and team needs for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
You can find additional team-by-team draft needs articles and other draft content on our 2023 NFL Draft hub.
Who did the Steelers pick in the NFL Draft?
The Pittsburgh Steelers selected Broderick Jones (OT, Georgia) with the 14th pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
The Steelers added Joey Porter Jr. (CB, Penn State) with the 32nd overall pick and Keeanu Benton (DL, Wisconsin) with the 49th pick.
Pittsburgh selected Darnell Washington (TE, Georgia) with the 93rd pick.
Steelers Draft Needs: Top Positions of Need in 2023
- Offensive Tackle
- Cornerback
- EDGE
What Picks do the Pittsburgh Steelers have in 2023?
The Pittsburgh Steelers have seven picks in the 2023 NFL Draft, including:
- Round 1 (17)
- Round 2 (32)
- Round 2 (49)
- Round 3 (80)
- Round 4 (120)
- Round 7 (234)
- Round 7 (241)
Pittsburgh Steelers Draft Capital Stats
Our Sharp Draft Value Rank is a valuation of draft capital based on a combination of average performance delivered and average dollars earned on second contracts.
This is based on two public models: performance delivered based on draft slot (the AV model created by Chase Stuart) and contractual earnings in non-rookie deals based upon draft slot (the OTC model created by Brad Spielberger and Jason Fitzgerald).
- Steelers Sharp Draft Value Rank: 11 of 32 teams
- Steelers AV Model Draft Value Rank: 11 of 32 teams
- Steelers OTC Model Draft Value Rank: 12 of 32 teams
Pittsburgh Steelers Draft Value vs Other Teams:
The Steelers’ draft value is 7% higher than the league average of all 32 teams. 10 other teams have more draft value entering the 2023 NFL Draft.
Pittsburgh Steelers Draft Prediction:
The Steelers are predicted to draft Deonte Banks (CB, Maryland) with their 1st-round pick (#17 overall) according to the most recent mock draft from Ryan McCrystal.
Another mock draft expert, Brendan Donahue, has the Steelers predicted to draft Joey Porter Jr. (CB, Penn State) with their first-round pick according to his most recent mock draft.
Pittsburgh Steelers Strength of Schedule, 2023
The Pittsburgh Steelers have the 11th easiest NFL strength of schedule for the 2023 NFL season.
Pittsburgh Steelers Offense: Depth Chart, Analysis & Draft Needs
Rich Hribar breaks down the offensive depth chart by position for the Pittsburgh Steelers, identifying areas where the team could improve in the upcoming 2023 NFL Draft.
2022 Pittsburgh Steelers Offensive Rankings
Quarterback Depth Chart, Steelers:
- Kenny Pickett
- Mitchell Trubisky
The Steelers used the 20th pick in last year’s draft in hopes that Kenny Pickett would provide a smooth transition for the Ben Roethlisberger era.
Pittsburgh went 7-5 in Pickett’s 12 starts as a rookie, closing the season on a positive note by winning five of their final six games.
While they won games to end the year, Pickett himself still left plenty on the table for growth moving forward. He was 23rd out of 33 quarterbacks qualified for league passer rating in expected points per dropback (-0.02) and 24th in success rate (42.5%).
Pickett completed 63.0% of his passes (23rd) for 6.2 yards per pass attempt, which was 32nd out of those 33 passers. None of those quarterbacks had a lower touchdown rate than Pickett’s 1.8% on the season.
Where Pickett has to improve is working the ball down the field.
On throws 10 yards or further downfield, Pickett completed just 38.3% of his passes (31st), ahead of only Carson Wentz and Zach Wilson. He was 31st in EPA per dropback on those attempts (0.11) and ahead of only Zach Wilson in success rate (37.2%) on those throws.
The team still has Mitchell Trubisky behind Pickett for 2023 while they could always bring back Mason Rudolph for depth since he is still a free agent.
Running Back Depth Chart, Steelers:
- Najee Harris
- Jaylen Warren
- Anthony McFarland
- Jason Huntley
- Master Teague
Najee Harris saw a universal decline in his second season in really any metric or counting stat you can find. The one area where he remained strong was matching the 10 touchdowns he scored over his rookie season.
When the season ended, Harris still turned in 1,263 yards from scrimmage on 313 touches.
Harris began the season with a Lisfranc injury that he picked up over the summer. He played the first five games of the season with a steel plate in his cleats to insulate the injury and then took a few more weeks to start to come back around.
Through eight games of the season, Harris rushed 108 times for 361 yards (3.3 YPC) and one touchdown. Over that span, he ranked 44th out of 46 backs in expected points added per rush (-0.22), 45th in success rate (28.7%), and 44th in yards before contact per carry (0.69).
Then Harris rebounded as a workhorse. Over the final nine games of the season, Harris rushed 164 times for 673 yards (4.1 YPC) with six touchdowns. He was sixth in the league in rushing over that span.
The yards per carry were still lacking, but he climbed to 24th in EPA per rush (-0.07), 16th in success rate (40.9%), and 30th in yards before contact per carry (1.33).
Through two seasons, Harris has still been dependent on being a grinder, however. Where he is lacking is in explosive plays.
Over the past two seasons, there have been 74 running backs with 100 or more carries. Harris has a run of 10 or more yards on 8.1% of his carries, which ranks 60th among that group. No running back with a lower rate of explosive runs than Harris over that span has as many carries as him. The next closest is A.J. Dillon, who has 211 fewer rushing attempts.
Harris still has two more seasons on his rookie deal plus a potential fifth-year option available, so he is still the frontman here.
The team also received a spark from Jaylen Warren as a rookie in 2022, whom the team signed after the draft a year ago.
Warren chipped in 593 total yards on 105 touches as a rookie and was more efficient than Harris in just about every department.
Among backs with 50 or more carries (he handled 77), Warren averaged 4.9 yards per carry (15th) with a run of 10 or more yards on 14.3% of his carries (10th) and a 45.5% success rate (sixth).
Pittsburgh has a solid two-man front here with both players on rookie contracts. It would not be surprising to see Warren carve more into the split here in 2023 if he can sustain that type of gap in efficient runs, but we are working off a small sample while the team has a significant investment into Harris.
Wide Receiver Depth Chart, Steelers:
- Diontae Johnson
- George Pickens
- Allen Robinson
- Calvin Austin
- Anthony Miller
- Miles Boykin
- Gunner Olszewski
- Ja’Marcus Bradley
- Dan Chisena
- Dez Fitzpatrick
- Cody White
Diontae Johnson is one of the more interesting WR1 options in the NFL.
Johnson signed a three-year extension last summer and went out and set an NFL record by having the most targets in a season (147) without a touchdown reception.
Despite the lack of trips to the end zone, Johnson still ranked first among all wide receivers in ESPN’s rankings in the ability to get open.
Since entering the league in 2019, only seven wide receivers have had more receptions than Johnson. But out of the 96 wideouts to catch 100 or more passes over that span (Johnson has 356 career catches including the postseason), Johnson ranks 81st in yards per reception (10.7).
Of the 17 wideouts to catch 300 or more passes over that stretch, Johnson is last in yards per catch.
The Steelers selected George Pickens in the second round last spring (52nd overall). Pickens had a glass half full/half empty rookie campaign depending on where you are squinting.
He was excellent at the hard things the position requires but lacking in the more nuanced areas. If we could combine both Pickens and Johnson into one wide receiver Voltron, they would be close to a perfect wideout.
Pickens was fourth among rookie wideouts in overall targets (84), catches (52), and receiving yards (801) while ranking third in yards per catch (15.4).
Pickens ran the second most pass routes among all rookie wideouts (578) but was targeted on just 14.5% of those routes, which was higher than only Tyquan Thornton, David Bell, and Brandon Johnson. His 1.39 yards per route run ranked 10th out of 16 rookie wide receivers, ahead of Romeo Doubs, Skyy Moore, Alec Pierce, Thornton, Bell, and Johnson.
The usage of Pickens during his rookie season places him in a potentially fragile archetype in the same ilk as Gabriel Davis in Buffalo.
Pickens averaged 14.8 air yards per target (10th in the NFL) while 32.1% of his targets were deep targets (20 yards or further downfield), which was sixth in the league at his position.
Pickens ran 221 go routes, which were the most in the NFL among all wide receivers. The next closest rookie wideout in go routes run was Garrett Wilson at 135.
Pickens needs more targets and routes run that have a higher success rate, but he also needs to be better at creating separation and getting open on shallow and intermediate targets in his second season.
After trading Chase Claypool during the season, the Steelers simply did not have the talent to use three or more wideouts on the field. Pittsburgh used 11 personnel for just 59.2% of their offensive snaps (20th) after a 77.9% rate prior (fourth).
The addition of Allen Robinson in a trade with the Rams will likely change that, but he did not appear to have much left in the tank last season.
In his only season with the Rams, Robinson averaged just 3.3 receptions for 33.9 yards per game.
His 10.3 yards per catch were a career low after just 10.8 yards per catch in 2021. He averaged just 0.93 yards per route run, 118th among all wideouts with 100 or more routes run.
Robinson just may not have enough juice anymore and be relegated to a contested catch clasher.
He was targeted on 28.9% of his routes against man coverage (21st among wideouts) but just 10.1% of his routes against zone coverage, which was the lowest rate in the NFL among all wideouts to run 200 or more pass routes last season.
Robinson also turns 30 this summer.
He carries no dead money after this season, so the Steelers can easily move on if he fails to bounce back.
The team selected Calvin Austin in the fourth round (138th overall) last spring. Foot surgery forced him to miss his entire rookie season.
At just 5’8” and 170 pounds, Austin leaves a lot desired in physical frame, but he was the third-fast receiver at the NFL combine, running a 4.32 40-yard dash. This offense needs an infusion of speed and Austin at least has that in spades.
The rest of the depth here is not very noteworthy, which is why the Steelers should be expected to add more to this receiver room.
Tight End Depth Chart, Steelers:
- Pat Freiermuth
- Zach Gentry
- Connor Heyward
- Rodney Williams
After a solid rookie season in which he caught 60 passes for 497 yards and seven touchdowns, Pat Freiermuth caught 63-of-98 targets for 732 yards and two scores in his second season.
Despite the lack of receiving scores (a common theme here in 2022), Freiermuth jumped up from 8.3 yards per catch and 6.3 yards per target as a rookie up to 11.6 yards per catch and 7.5 yards per target this past season.
Freiermuth established himself as a target earner in his second season. He was targeted on 22.6% of his routes (seventh among tight ends) while averaging 1.69 yards per route run (seventh).
The only limitation for a larger breakout outside of the lack of touchdowns was Freiermuth being banged up along the ride last season. He appeared in 16-of-17 games but played on fewer than 60% of the snaps in five other games. As a byproduct, Freiermuth ran a route on 67.8% of the team’s dropbacks last season.
As depth here, Connor Heyward still has three years remaining on his rookie deal while Zach Gentry is in the final season of his contract.
Offensive Line Depth Chart, Steelers:
LT: Dan MooreLG: Isaac Seumalo/Kevin Dotson/Kendrick GreenC: Mason Cole/Ryan McCollumRG: James Daniels/Nate Herbig/William DunkleRT: Chukwuma Okorafor/Le’Raven Clark
The Pittsburgh offensive line ended up seventh in ESPN’s pass block win rate metric (65%) and 15th in collective pass blocking grade at Pro Football Focus.
In the run game they were 14th in ESPN’s run block win rate (72%) and 16th in run blocking grade at PFF.
There is room for improvement moving forward, but this was a major step forward compared to their output in each department in 2021.
Part of their improvement came from being the healthiest offensive line in the league.
Pittsburgh used the same offensive line combination on 94.6% of their plays last season, the highest rate in the league. Every starter appeared in all 17 games.
Despite the good fortune in terms of health, there are a few spots here to be worked on in the bigger picture.
First off, Pittsburgh is well-stocked with quality interior linemen, especially at the guard spots. Both James Daniels and Kevin Dotson were in the top 20 of pass blocking grades at Pro Football Focus last season.
That did not stop the team from adding a pair of guards this offseason in Isaac Seumalo and Nate Herbig to provide more beef inside. Seumalo was 10th in overall grade among guards last season while with the Eagles. Herbig is more of a depth add as he was 52nd.
Outside is where they can have more production.
Both offensive tackles Dan Moore (49th) and Chukwuma Okorafor (53rd) were subpar in pressure rate allowed among tackles. Moore ended the year 61st among tackles in overall grade at Pro Football Focus while Okorafor was 64th.
Both are signed for the next two seasons, but more competition should be added to the mix outside of the team adding swing tackle Le’Raven Clark, especially to push Dan Moore at left tackle.
Pittsburgh Steelers Defense: Depth Chart, Analysis & Draft Needs
Dan Pizzuta breaks down the defensive depth chart by position for the Pittsburgh Steelers, identifying areas where the team could improve in the upcoming 2023 NFL Draft.
2022 Pittsburgh Steelers Defensive Rankings
Interior Defensive Line Depth Chart, Steelers:
- Cam Heyward
- Larry Ogunjobi
- Montravius Adams
- Armon Watts
- DeMarvin Leal
- Isaiahh Loudermilk
- Breiden Fehoko
- Jonathan Marshall
- Renell Wren
Cam Heyward is still a force heading into his age-34 season.
He played 75% of the defensive snaps and was third among defensive linemen in tackles that produced a positive play for the defense in 2022. He also had a team-leading 22 quarterback hits.
Larry Ogunjobi played 59.8% of the defensive snaps and was a solid all-around interior player.
Ogunjobi was 31st among defensive linemen in positive tackles. He signed a one-year deal in 2022 but re-signed for a three-year deal this offseason.
The Steelers were 12th in rushing yards allowed before contact per rush but only finished 20th in EPA per rush. They brought in players like Armon Watts and Breiden Fehoko to sure up the interior rotation.
EDGE Depth Chart, Steelers:
- T.J. Watt
- Alex Highsmith
- Quincy Roche
- Emeke Egbule
T.J. Watt is one of the league’s best pass rushers, but he played in only 10 games last season and was on the field for 47% of Pittsburgh’s overall defensive snaps.
Even when he was on the field, he wasn’t playing at 100%. Despite that, he was eighth in ESPN’s pass rush win rate. He should be healthy for 2023.
2020 third-round pick Alex Highsmith played 88% of the defensive snaps in 2022. He had 14.5 sacks on 20 quarterback hits.
That conversion rate is quite high, but Highsmith showed the ability to consistently get to the quarterback with a hit on 3.3% of his pass rushes. He also forced five fumbles.
However, 2023 is the final year of his rookie contract.
The Steelers could use more depth at the position with only Quincy Roche and Emeke Egbule on the roster behind the top two.
Off-ball Linebacker Depth Chart, Steelers:
- Cole Holcomb
- Elandon Roberts
- Tae Crowder
- Mark Robinson
- Chappelle Russell
Pittsburgh has completely turned over the linebacking corps with Myles Jack and Devin Bush both gone.
Cole Holcomb signed for a three-year deal in free agency.
Holcomb only played seven games last season but had a tackle on 26.5% of his run defense snaps. His chase and tackle ability should help in the run game while his coverage ability tops out around average.
Elandon Roberts is also a good run stopper in the middle. He was 30th among linebackers in tackles that produced a positive play for the defense and had a 58.7% positive tackle rate.
He was used as a blitzer on about 8% of his pass snaps and was effective on those well-timed rushes with 4.5 sacks.
The Steelers were one of three teams to play nickel on less than 50% of defensive snaps with the sixth-highest rate in dime.
Cornerback Depth Chart, Steelers:
- Patrick Peterson
- Levi Wallace
- Arthur Maulet
- Ahkello Witherspoon
- Duke Dawson
- James Pierre
- Chris Wilcox
- Madre Harper
The Steelers brought in Patrick Peterson after an impressive year in Minnesota.
Peterson was fourth among outside corners in adjusted yards allowed per coverage snap, but that was aided by a zone-heavy scheme. Pittsburgh played one of the highest rates of man coverage last season.
Levi Wallace remains one of the league’s most underrated corners.
He was 36th in adjusted yards allowed per coverage snap last season and is a solid CB2. His 13 passes defensed were tied for 15th among all defenders.
He is in the second year of a two-year deal.
Arthur Maulet struggled in the slot last season. He ranked 42nd out of 43 qualified slot corners in adjusted yards allowed per coverage snap and played 45% of the defensive snaps.
There really isn’t another slot corner ready for the starting lineup.
Safety Depth Chart, Steelers:
- Minkah Fitzpatrick
- Damontae Kazee
- Keanu Neal
- Tre Norwood
- Elijah Riley
- Miles Killebrew
- Scott Nelson
- Kenny Robinson
Minkah Fitzpatrick is one of the league’s best safeties, and his ability to play all over has helped Pittsburgh fill in holes throughout the secondary.
Damontae Kazee is in line for a bigger role with Terrell Edmunds gone.
Kazee started the season injured and did not get on the field until Week 10. Once he did, he was a big piece of the secondary, mostly as a deep safety.
Keanu Neal played linebacker for the Cowboys in 2021 and then went back to a box safety with the Buccaneers last season. That role could fit with the Steelers based on how often they use dime personnel.
