Bell: Steelers 2025 NFL Draft Grade
Now that all the dust has settled surrounding the Pittsburgh Steelers 2025 draft class, it’s time to grade their haul. Obviously, it really takes two or three years to properly evaluate these prospects’ transition to the pros but in the meantime, it’s worth examining the team’s strategy and how these pieces fit in the puzzle. The shot callers sent a very clear message over the weekend: they needed to get tougher along the defensive front. Head Coach Mike Tomlin even admitted how much their embarrassing loss to the rival Baltimore Ravens sting them to their core.
Before diving into the assessment, it’s worth providing some necessary context for the scale itself. The DK Metcalf trade isn’t factored into the equation here. If you’re wondering why, it’s because simply inputting him into their draft class as their de facto second-round selection ignores the fact that they’re paying him like a top-5 wideout from an AAV perspective. It’s just a much more complicated evaluation than that.
For historical reference, I have been a fan of Omar Khan’s first couple classes, having given them an A- in 2023 and B+ in 2024 respectively. Now, let’s talk about his third go-around as the Steelers general manager.
Day One:
Their interest in Derrick Harmon was very apparent throughout the process, so this was a marriage that seemed inevitable if he fell to them in the first round. The Oregon transfer finished the process as my fourth-ranked defensive tackle and 22nd overall player on my big board, meaning the value here aligns perfectly. Defensive line was one of their top needs on the roster with Larry Ogunjobi released for performance reasons and Cam Heyward nearing the end of his well-decorated career in the black and gold. Would it have been nice to trade back and acquire another day two pick? Sure.
But in my estimation, there was a noticeable drop-off in caliber of prospect between him and the remaining options at this position. Pittsburgh felt the same way, acknowledging that this was a player they weren’t comfortable trading down from. Aside from the injury concerns that led to his slide, I think Harmon has a high floor with modest upside. Harmon’s a quality run defender and disruptive pass rusher that is capable of starting right away. This move makes a ton of sense and he should become a plus starter during his rookie contract.
Day Two:
After sticking and picking on Thursday night, the Steelers had to wait an eternity to get back on the clock. Luckily for them, they received a gift from the wide-zone gods with Iowa running back Kaleb Johnson falling all the way down the third round. Johnson finished as my third-ranked tailback and 38th overall player on my big board. His scheme specificity and the overall depth of the class seemed to work against him on draft weekend, but Pittsburgh should reap the rewards of that immediately. This was a unit that desperately needed a running back that majored in their most prevalent concepts: outside zone and mid-zone.
Last season, Johnson ran rampant in the Hawkeyes zone-based rushing attack and his transition to Arthur Smith’s offense should be seamless. The value was simply tremendous, as he was one of the top-ranked players remaining on my board at the time. So long as he continues to grow as a pass protector, he should outplay this draft slot by a healthy margin. Steelers fans should be excited to watch him tote the rock for years to come behind a young offensive line that will hopefully continue to ascend moving forward.
Day Three:
With their fourth-round selection, the Steelers surprised everyone and took Jack Sawyer, edge rusher from Ohio State. Truthfully, this is a player that I (and as it turns out, the NFL) was quite a bit lower on in the consensus, as he finished with a late-fifth round grade. In my opinion, he projects best as an EDGE4 that can be relied upon versus the run but lacks the athletic traits to become a productive pass rusher in the league. Even if he’s an upgrade to his predecessors in this sort of niche role, there were just better players available at multiple different positions in this slot. For example, with the team signing Roberts Woods shortly after the draft’s conclusion, wouldn’t it be nice to have a big bodied blocker like Elic Ayonmanor with upside for the future instead?
The following round, Pittsburgh went back to the Iowa well and scooped up defensive tackle Yahya Black. This is the selection that further solidified their commitment to improving their run defense that finished 18th in rushing success rate last season and it’s an approach that I understand. Black uses his humongous wingspan to make first contact, jolt blockers backwards off the line of scrimmage and make stops against the run (24 in 2024 to be exact). He’s an underdeveloped pass rusher who won’t offer much in that regard, but his ability to collect blocks should keep their backers free. He carried a late-fifth round grade, meaning this value matches up just fine.
Some analysts criticized the Steelers for not addressing the quarterback position earlier given how significant the need is, but I actually commend them for their process. They learned from their mistakes in 2022 and avoided reaching on a signal caller in a bad class just because they needed one. Ohio State’s Will Howard brings great size and pro-level pocket habits with flashes of outstanding touch throws to the intermediate area. I don’t see starting caliber tools and that’s part of the reason for my late-fourth round grade during the pre-draft process. But this is good value for someone that I think will end up being a high quality backup for a long time in the league.
Knowing the Steelers affinity for NFL bloodlines, it was not a surprise to see them select Carson Bruener out of Washington. Prior to becoming a full-time starter for the first time in 2024, he was a four-phase teams guy that made eight tackles in consecutive seasons. Perhaps his feel in zone coverage could lead to a defensive role but his path to making the roster is becoming a key asset for Danny Smith’s troops. Taking a team captain with this sort of special teams resume is a low risk, low reward type of move to fill out the roster.
Central Michigan cornerback Donte Kent was the lone member of the class that I hadn’t scouted before draft weekend. He’s got plenty of experience playing both in the slot and on the boundary, displays impressive recovery speed and is a very willing tackler. His lack of instincts is a concern but he was a dynamic punt returner in limited chances. Akin to the above conversation regarding Bruener, his best path to the roster will likely be as a gunner and return man. This is a fine direction to take with one of the last picks in the entire draft.
Final Grade
Overall, this feels like a meat and potatoes kind of draft for the Pittsburgh Steelers. They didn’t take big swings but they didn’t accrue unnecessary risks either. Heading into draft weekend, the three things that I highlighted as points of emphasis were:
1) Don’t reach on a quarterback
2) Replenish the firepower along the defensive line
3) Find a running back that actually fits the scheme
Mission accomplished. My only major gripe was their approach in the fourth round. In addition to some of the value available at receiver that they bypassed, I would have liked to see them address the cornerback spot earlier just because they are dangerously thin in that room with more questions than answers right now. But they’ve made it abundantly clear that they don’t prioritize that position the way most teams do, for better or worse.
Originally when I began writing this piece, I had landed on a B- grade for their haul but after further retrospection, I’m bumping that up an even B. Mainly because after watching several of the quarterback prospects in the 2026 class, their decision to wait another year to take a big swing seems vindicated. Two good starters, a couple rotational run defenders and a backup quarterback with championship pedigree is solid. Let the countdown to April 23rd, 2026 begin.